Long-lived Power Source with Pulsed Current Capability

The development of a battery-based power source for active anti-tamper technology is proposed. The battery will provide both primary power for tamper-detection sensors and secondary, latent power for tamper response. A hierarchical approach is proposed in which the battery is the core element providing power to the anti-tamper sensor and response components. A second level of anti-tamper protection is provided by an innovation in the battery design that initiates an anti-tamper response if an attempt is made to penetrate or disable the battery. A third level of anti-tamper protection is provided by using the battery as a protective cover for critical components. The key innovations are the selection of battery materials that provide a 10-year functional lifetime with pulsed-current capability, and the a packaging design that prevents undetected tampering of the battery. A dual-chemistry battery cathode is proposed that combines two active materials that together provide long-lived, low-level primary power and an on-demand pulsed secondary current capability. The principal Phase I objective is to fabricate a battery incorporating elements that detect battery tampering and to demonstrate the primary and secondary power capabilities of the battery.