Publications

Read more about Diehl Energy Products in a selection of publications

  • Diehl Defence continues to lead its subsidiary with strategically important Battery Product Segment as sole shareholder

    Diehl & Eagle-Picher, a joint venture of the partners Diehl and Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. since 1971, has become a full subsidiary of Diehl Defence after the acquisition of all shares with retrospective effect as of January 1, 2021. It continues to operate under the company name Diehl Energy Products GmbH (DEP) as of November 16, 2021.

    DEP is a leading manufacturer of special batteries. The product range includes the product group thermal batteries that are mainly used in missiles and torpedo defence systems. The lithium thionylchloride reserve battery product line also finds application in the defence sector, namely for use in proximity, time and multi-option fuzes for mortar, artillery and naval guns. In the battery packs segment, customer-specific batteries for the defence industry but also increasingly for industrial customers are developed and produced with lithium, nickel-metal-hydride and nickel cadmium technology.

    Owing to special requirements of military applications, the components of DEP have an outstanding importance for Diehl Defence. The product segment that DEP has been setting up in the course of the past decades has mainly contributed to the market success of Diehl Defence.

  • NDIA Fuze Conference 2017/Presentations

    On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the NDIA Fuze Conference, which took place from 9th to 11th May 2017 in Charleston, South Carolina (USA), Diehl & Eagle-Picher (D&EP) gave two presentations this time. Furthermore D&EP presented their extensive Fuze Battery portfolio via tabletop display giving interested visitors the possibility to have a close look at proven standard products as well as individual and new designs.  

    D&EP gave a historic review of the development and manufacture of reserve batteries in their presentation “The Power of Fuze” referring to lectures of past Fuze Conferences. Talking about the subject of miniaturized cells including performance data D&EP demonstrated the ever new and increasing challenges for fuze batteries. Towards the end of the speech D&EP announced that they have got a new battery test station, which they designed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer EMI.  

    In the presentation “Spectrum of Modern Fuze Batteries” D&EP introduced the entire reserve battery portfolio stating the basic characteristics and performance data of the cells. Moreover, D&EP explained which batteries are utilized in artillery and navy as well as the usage in medium caliber applications. In this context the D&EP owned modular system was accentuated.
    For further information as well as more detailed documents on both lectures and our product flyer please visit our downloadcenter.

  • 500,000th Lithium-Thionyl Chloride-Reserve Battery for Fuzes
    500,000th Lithium-Thionyl Chloride-Reserve Battery for Fuzes 500,000th Lithium-Thionyl Chloride-Reserve Battery for Fuzes

    Diehl & Eagle-Picher GmbH (D&EP), a German-American joint venture, develop and produce thermal batteries for defence applications as well as customized battery packs for civil and military sectors. In addition D&EP successfully started to design and manufacture Lithium-Thionyl-Chloride reserve batteries for integration in proximity, time and multifunction fuzes for mortars, artillery and naval guns over 14 years ago.

    This type of battery (Lithium-Thionyl-Chloride reserve battery) offers the distinguishing feature of a very high energy density and is non-active when delivered as the electrolyte is separated in an incorporated glass ampoule, which will only be shattered by acceleration during firing. Thus the battery will finally be activated and supplies energy for the fuze.

    In summer 2016 D&EP produced their 500,000th Lithium reserve battery. This occasion was used to honor the very successful past years in this business segment.

    Since production start in 2002 at D&EP in Röthenbach a. d. Pegnitz more than half a million reserve batteries have been manufactured for German and foreign customers.

    Main customer has been and still is Junghans Microtec GmbH with their electronic fuzes L163/L166. Since then these Lithium reserve batteries have effectively been integrated in various fuzes such as 155 mm ammunition of tank howitzers 2000 (PzH2000) and 76 mm naval ammunition.

    Due to the current order situation and with thanks to our main customer Junghans Microtec further incoming orders are to be expected for the years to come utilizing our production capabilities to capacity.

    Regarding our 14 years of experience and our production know-how with respect to reserve-batteries D&EP has initiated development of “miniaturized“ Lithium-Thionyl-Chloride reserve batteries particularly for medium caliber electronic fuzes and has even reached production stage. This sector especially constitutes a potential growth market. Several interested customers have already placed their first design and serial orders.

  • NDIA Fuze Conference 2016/ Product Presentation

    From 3rd to 5th May 2016 the 59th NDIA Fuze Conference took place in Charleston, South Caroline (USA). Again Diehl & Eagle-Picher participated both with a lecture and a small display of the reserve battery product portfolio.

    In the lecture “In Barrel Power Supply” D&EP demonstrated the historic development of large caliber fuzes and their energy sources and by way of comparison lead to the upcoming demanding developments in the middle caliber sector. Furthermore D&EP explained some examples of fuze batteries in Lithium technology for middle caliber fuzes, which are developed and manufactured by D&EP. These batteries show very short activation times even under extreme environmental conditions (high rotational speed and high acceleration). Particularly the quick activation of the battery and thus its immediate ability to perform will be more and more required by customers for new and advanced development of electronic proximity or airburst fuzes, etc. .

    For interested participants and visitors D&EP displayed reliable products as well as new developments in the fuze sector on a tabletop during the conference.

    Further information as well as more detailed documents on both lectures and our product flyer can be retrieved in our download center .

  • NDIA Fuze Conference 2015/ Product Presentation

    This year Diehl & Eagle-Picher again participated in the NDIA Fuze Conference both giving a lecture on its product portfolio and displaying some of its specialties in the fuze sector. Particularly international defence companies as well as US‐government representatives and military personnel readily attend this annual conference to exchange important innovations and information regarding fuzes for military applications. By the lecture “Lead is dead” Diehl & Eagle-Picher presented itself on the 58th NDIA Fuze Conference from 7th to 9th July 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), as done so in previous years.

    In the presentation D&EP showed the historic development of fuze batteries, which had been manufactured of lead‐lead dioxide during the first and second half of last century. In the course of technological progress around the turn of the century lithium technology found its way into these special products. Moreover the many advantages of lithium technology compared with outdated lead‐lead dioxid technology were explained. The transition is furthermore supported by the ever increasing energy demands in electronic fuzes for artillery and medium caliber applications as more and more fuze manufacturers replace their lead‐lead dioxide energy supplies and new developments generally call for lithium technology.

    Besides D&EP managed to arrange for a tabletop display vividly showing reliable products and even some new developments in the fuze battery sector to interested participants during the conference.

    Please find further information and detailed data on this presentation in our download center

  • Miniaturized Reserve Battery
    Miniaturized Reserve Battery Miniaturized Reserve Battery

    Diehl & Eagle-Picher (D&EP), a German-American joint venture, develop and produce activatable thermal batteries for defence applications and customized battery packs for both the defence and civil market. More than 10 years ago D&EP furthermore began to design and manufacture lithium reserve batteries for applications in proximity, time and multifunction fuzes used for mortar, artillery and naval gun ammunition.

    The lithium thionylchloride system (Li/SOCl2) for Reserve Batteries stands out due to extremely high energy density.

    In 2013 D&EP has started a new development for a well-known European manufacturer in the field of defense in order to minimize the size of Li/SOCl2 reserve batteries in response to the trend towards more efficient and less energy requiring fuzes in the medium caliber sector.

    The new design has been realized in a 11 x 11 mm cylindrical stainless steel container. As implemented in actual designs, a glass ampoule filled with electrolyte (SOCl2) is located in the center of the battery case, which is broken depending on the respective system acceleration.

    By releasing the electrolyte and wetting the battery cells the battery becomes “active” and sets its energy free.

    Due to this technology the batteries are maintenance-free, feature a long shelf life and high reliability.  Furthermore the batteries can be used even in extreme temperature ranges between -46°C to +63°C.

    The miniaturized batteries are designed for applications with high g–accelerations, with and without spin.


    Main advantages are high capacities due on account of the Li/SOCl2 technology, rapid voltage rise under load and fast activation time. 

    Diehl & Eagle-Picher is a most flexible partner corresponding to various customer demands due to different modular design possibilities of our batteries.


    Therefore these minimized batteries are perfect to deliver energy for fuzes used in medium/large caliber ammunition for rocket and grenade weapons.

    This publication you can find here: Miniaturized Reserve Battery 

  • NDIA Fuze Conference 2014

    Every year international defense companies as well as US government officials and military personnel take advantage of the NDIA Fuze Conference exchanging information and important innovations in the fuze sector for military applications. Giving lectures on “Small, High Specific Energy Power Sources for Medium Caliber Fuzes” and “Future Electronic Fuzing for Enhanced Effects” Diehl & Eagle-Picher took again part in the 57th NDIA Fuze Conference in Newark, New Jersey, from 29 to 31 July 2014. Furthermore D&EP gained a seat in the International Fuze Seminar being held simultaneously. In a 20 minutes one-to-one meeting D&EP managed to introduce their production capacities as well as their development capabilities to government representatives and policy-makers of the US Department of State.

    In our first lecture, D&EP portrayed the general energy demands in electronic fuzes, explained differences between power and energy density, and showed correct approaches to, respectively, products for energy supplies to be particularly but not exclusively deployed in medium calibers. An overview of future electronic technologies was given in our second lecture. Especially the supply with sufficient energy in the growing market of electronic fuzes  will play an important part. D&EP published a new product flyer “Family of New Miniaturized Energy Sources for Fuzes” showing their latest developments.

    Both presentations and the new product flyer you can find here:

    Future Electronic Fuzing for Enhanced Effects , Small high specific Energy Power Sources for Medium Caliber Fuzes and Brochure Family of new miniaturized energy sources for fuzes

    and also in our downloadcenter .

  • Power Sources Conference 2014

    Taking place in a biannual rhythm the Power Sources Conference is one of the most important exhibitions and information sources in the sector of military energy supply for both defense industry and many international government representatives and military personnel. As in previous years, Diehl & Eagle-Picher took again part in the 46th Power Sources Conference from 9 to 12 July 2014 in Orlando, Florida, giving lectures on “Alternative Power Supply for Medium Caliber Fuzes” and “Fast Activating Miniature Lithium Thionylchloride Reserver Battery”. Since thermal and reserve (Li/SOCl2) batteries dominate energy supplies of missiles and munition fuzes and an increasing number of customers demand for alternate solutions D&EP focused on presenting new development results this time. In our first lecture we particularly introduced alternative energy supply systems compared with Pb/PbO2 batteries yet deployed in medium caliber applications. For some time now D&EP has been engaged with the development of self-heated thermo electric generators. First prototypes were presented during the lecture. The second lecture also dealt with one of D&EP’s latest developments: a miniaturized Li/SOCl2 reserve battery. D&EP presented miniaturized products in Li/SOCl2 technology and simultaneously follows the trend of diminution of existing energy systems demanded more and more by customers.

    Both presentations you can find here: Alternative Power Supply for Medium Caliber Fuzes and Fast Activating Miniature Lithium Thionylchlorid Reserve Battery also at our downloadcenter document type presentation.

  • Battery management system with extreme low power consumption
    Battery management system with extreme low power consumption Battery management system with extreme low power consumption

    The German battery manufacturer Diehl & Eagle-Picher GmbH has developed an extremely economical Battery management system for battery packs. The smart electronic is designed for Li-Ion and LiFePO4 and is equipped with a cell-balancing function besides the safety functions as overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent and temperature.

    When the battery is unoperated, the electronic system falls into a sleep-mode and consequently has a battery drain of less than 4 µA. Hence, the self-consumption of the Battery management system is lower than the self-discharge of a single cell of the battery pack. Due to an intelligent charging and discharging detection, the sleep mode of the battery is automatically deactivated by charging or discharging the battery. The extreme low power consumption allows a long storage life without requiring any maintenance. The period until damages at the battery pack occur by deep discharge is significantly extended by the battery management system.

    The capacity is highly accurate determined by Impedance Tracking and can be displayed on the battery with the help of a charge level indicator. The battery data can also be issued by use of communication. An error memory as well as a memory with important parameters is integrated and can be readout through the communication interface.

    Communication with the battery can be made either via I2C, UART, SPI, USB 2.0, CAN Standard V2.0b or CAN Aerospace. Data can also be transmitted by wireless communication via NFC.

    Due to the interface not only data can be transmitted from the battery, but also parameters in the battery can be changed. As a consequence a flexible adaption to the application is possible.

    A battery charge indicator is included in the electronic system. In order to guarantee a gentle load, JEITA temperature ranges are set and the requested load value for voltage and current are transmitted to the battery charger through the communication interface. The cells are adjusted by a passive balancing during the load process.

    The electronic system is conceived for 2 to 4 series-connected cells and covers a voltage range from 5 V – 16.8 V. Consequently the electronic system can be adjusted to customer’s requirements.

    Due to the variety of Li-cells adapted for the project, Diehl & Eagle-Picher is able to produce high quality battery packs which meet all requirements of the user.

    Published in September 2013

    This publication you can find here: Battery management system with extreme low power consumption 

  • Diehl & Eagle-Picher Lithium-Thionylchlorid-Reserve Battery for Use in Electronic Fuzes
    Diehl & Eagle-Picher Lithium-Thionylchlorid-Reserve Battery for Use in Electronic Fuzes Diehl & Eagle-Picher Lithium-Thionylchlorid-Reserve Battery for Use in Electronic Fuzes

    Diehl & Eagle-Picher (D&EP), a German-American joint venture, develops and produces activatable thermal batteries for defence applications, customized battery packs for the defence and civil market and, for 10 years, lithium reserve batteries for applications in proximity, time and multifunction fuzes used for mortar, artillery and naval gun ammunition.

    The Lithium thionylchloride systems (Li/SOCl2) for Reserve batteries distinguish by extremely high energy density. The cells of the battery are embedded in a stainless steel case and the cell stack is rotation-symmetrically arranged in the container. 

    In the center of the battery case the glass ampoule filled with electrolyte (SOCl2) is located, which gets broken by an application specific release mechanism depending on the respective system acceleration. By releasing the electrolyte and wetting the battery cells the battery becomes “active” and sets its energy free. Due to this technology the batteries are maintenance-free, feature a long shelf life and high reliability.  Furthermore the batteries can be used even in extreme temperature ranges between -46°C to +63°C.

    By the modular design of our battery systems we are a flexible partner responding to various customer requirements (voltage level and load requirement) and thus able to deliver solutions for most applications. In the year 2002 the first batteries were integrated in Junghans Microtec´s newly developed electronic fuzes DM 52 / DM 84 (today L163/L166).

    Since production start in 2002 almost 360,000 fuze batteries have been produced for domestic and foreign customers. The batteries are successfully used worldwide, e.g. in fuzes for the 155 mm ammunition of the Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH2000).

    Published in Military Technology, July 2013

    This publication you can find here: Use in electronic fuzes 

  • Batteries that make your mission possible
    Batteries that make your mission possible Batteries that make your mission possible

    Diehl & Eagle-Picher (D&EP) was founded in 1971 as a joint venture between EaglePicher Technologies, a world market leader in defence batteries, and Diehl Defence, one of Germany’s leading defence systems manufacturers. Its product portfolio encompasses activatable thermal batteries and lithium reserve batteries, as well as primary and secondary customised battery packs.

    With more than 40 years’ experience in the production of thermal batteries, D&EP designs, develops, manufactures and qualifies its highly reliable thermal batteries in close collaboration with its customers according to their individual requirements.

    In 2011, D&EP was awarded the contract by a renowned European manufacturer to design and manufacture thermal batteries for torpedo countermeasures/anti-missile decoys used on surface ships and submarines. The thermal battery developed by D&EP equips a naval application consisting of a sonobuoy used for transmitting jamming signals. The output voltage of the thermal battery provides all the power needed for the electrical operation of the sonobuoy. The battery design is based on D&EP’s standard LiSi/FeS2 electrochemical system.

    After a ten-month design and development period, the battery successfully passed all tests, and satisfied every demand required by the customer and the system in which it will be integrated. Serial deliveries are to start in 2013. Like this thermal battery design, all batteries developed by D&EP are manufactured in accordance with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards and adhere to established statutory provisions.

    This battery design consists of 61 series-connected cells housed in a hermetically sealed alloy stainless steel container. With technical features including nominal voltage of 100V, a discharge current of 7A with 16A pulses, and a lifetime of greater than ten minutes, the highly sophisticated battery is designed to operate in a temperature range from -4°C to +36°C.

    Published in Defence & Security Systems International, 2012/13