Thomas B. Miller and Concha M. Reid

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Michael T. Kussmaul

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio

Preliminary Performance of Lithium-ion

Cell Designs for Ares I Upper Stage Applications

NASA/TM—2011-216900

May 2011
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Thomas B. Miller and Concha M. Reid

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Michael T. Kussmaul

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio

Preliminary Performance of Lithium-ion

Cell Designs for Ares I Upper Stage Applications

NASA/TM—2011-216900

May 2011

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Glenn Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank both Mr. Keith Johnson of the Electrochemistry Branch for compiling the lithium-ion cell test 

data into a concise summary format and Mr. William Bennett of Arctic Slope Research Corporation Aerospace for writing the 

particular Arbin test schedules for conducting the individual cell level charge/discharge cycle tests.

Available from

NASA Center for Aerospace Information

7115 Standard Drive

Hanover, MD 21076–1320

National Technical Information Service

5301 Shawnee Road

Alexandria, VA 22312

Available electronically at http://www.sti.nasa.gov

Trade names and trademarks are used in this report for identifi cation 

only. Their usage does not constitute an offi cial endorsement, 

either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration.

Level of Review: This material has been technically reviewed by technical management. 
NASA/TM—2011-216900 1 

Preliminary Performance of Lithium-ion Cell Designs for 

Ares I Upper Stage Applications 

Thomas B. Miller and Concha M. Reid 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Glenn Research Center 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Michael T. Kussmaul 

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Abstract 

NASA’s Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) baselined lithium-ion technology for the Upper Stage 

(US). Under this effort, the NASA Glenn Research Center investigated three different aerospace lithiumion cell suppliers to assess the performance of the various lithium-ion cell designs under acceptance and 

characterization testing. This paper describes the overall testing approaches associated with lithium-ion 

cells, their ampere-hour capacity as a function of temperature and discharge rates, as well as their 

performance limitations for use on the Ares I US vehicle. 

Introduction 

The purpose of this document is to describe the acceptance and characterization testing of the 

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell candidates for the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) Upper Stage (US) 

Electrical Power System (EPS) Battery Unit (BU). The lithium-ion battery designed for the Ares I Upper 

Stage must operate in a harsh thermal environment and still provide the necessary ampere-hour capacity 

while delivering its discharge energy within the power quality guidelines outlined in the CxP-70050 

document for 28 volts DC (VDC) power systems. The cells were evaluated to provide information to 

develop battery procurement specifications and to ensure the functional and safety margins were met for 

the human-rating guidelines. These tests were conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in 

the Space Power Research Laboratory. 

Preliminary Cell Designs 

Three cell options under consideration for the Upper Stage Electrical Power System (US-EPS) were 

evaluated at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Three different state-of-the-art cell designs that had 

previous aerospace heritage, ABSL’s 18650HR; Lithion’s NCP12-2; and Saft’s VL4V, were assessed. 

These cells are different in construction details and chemistry, have different form factors, and possess a 

range of energy and discharge power capabilities. The nominal cell capacities were 1.1, 4, and 12 amperehours (Ah), respectively. The two smaller cell designs were cylindrical while the 12 Ah cell was a 

prismatic configuration. Photographs of the representative cells from each vendor are shown in Figure 1. 

Table 1 contains a summary of the cell designs tested.1

 1

Additional details for all three lithium-ion designs are available at: Lithion NCP12-2: 

http://www.yardney.com/Lithion/Documents/Cell%20specs/NCP12-2newV2.pdf 

Saft VLV: http://www.saftbatteries.com/Produit_Large_VLV_cell_range_301_64/Default.aspx 

ABSL 18650HR Cell Datasheet: http://www.abslspaceproducts.com/technical 
NASA/TM—2011-216900 2 

 

ABSL 18650HR Saft VL4V cell Lithion NCP12-2 cell 

Figure 1.—Li-ion cells evaluated for CLV US. 

TABLE 1.—CELL CHARACTERISTICS 

Vendor Cell model Nameplate 

capacity, 

Ah 

Geometry Dimensions, 

mm 

Mass, 

kg 

Maximum 

continuous 

discharge 

current, 

A 

Discharge 

operating 

temperature, 

C 

Lithion NCP12-2 12 Prismatic 111  71  25.2 

(H  W  T) 

0.422 120 –40 to 60 

Saft VL4V 4 Cylindrical 35.2  175.4 

(D  H) 

0.320 500 –30 to 60 

ABSL 18650HR 1.1 Cylindrical 18  65 

(D  H) 

0.0405 11 –20 to 60 

Physical Inspection 

The purpose of the incoming inspection is to verify that the batteries do not have any initial defects 

upon delivery. The initial inspection consists of four steps: physical inspection, case polarity, weight 

measurement, and dimension measurement. 

Upon receiving the battery cell for testing the following data were recorded: 

 Date of Manufacture 

 Cell Lot Number 

 Manufacturer Part Number 

 Date Received In-house 

 Cell Lot Number 

 Cell Serial Number 
NASA/TM—2011-216900 3 

The lithium-ion cell case polarity (case positive, case negative, case neutral) was determined by 

performing electrical measurements with a digital multimeter to ensure the cells were consistent in 

design. Cells were weighed using a precision balance to assess manufacturing variability and obtain an 

accurate technical performance metric on specific energy and energy density. The test cells dimensions 

were measured (length, height, and width) for prismatic cells; (diameter and length) for cylindrical cells 

using a precision caliper. 

TABLE 2.—ABSL BATTERY CELL PHYSICAL AND ELECTRICAL INSPECTION 

 MANUFACTURER: ABSL PART #/LOT #: 18650HR 

DATE OF MANUFACTURE: DATE RECEIVED IN-HOUSE: 12 JUNE 2007 

Serial 

number 

Weight, 

g 

Dimensions, 

cm 

Voltage, 

V 

Resistance, 

Ohms 

Bare cell 

Diameter 

Height 

Height w/ 

terminals 

+ to -- 

-- to case 

+ to case 

-- to case 

+ to case 

NA18KAAI048 41.15 1.799 6.49 6.49 3.12 0.0 3.12 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAJ044 41.15 1.803 6.50 6.50 3.10 0.0 3.10 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAJ052 41.20 1.800 6.49 6.49 3.10 0.0 3.10 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAJ053 41.12 1.804 6.49 6.49 3.10 0.0 3.10 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAJ111 41.10 1.800 6.49 6.49 3.11 0.0 3.11 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAJ120 41.14 1.797 6.49 6.49 3.11 0.0 3.11 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAJ125 41.07 1.802 6.49 6.49 3.11 0.0 3.11 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAL092 41.08 1.800 6.50 6.50 3.11 0.0 3.11 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAL111 41.19 1.800 6.49 6.49 3.11 0.0 3.11 N/A >1MΩ

NA18KAAT040 40.71 1.798 6.49 6.49 3.02 0.0 3.02 N/A >1MΩ

Average 41.09 1.800 6.49 6.49 3.10 0.0 3.10 N/A >1MΩ

TABLE 3.—SAFT BATTERY CELL PHYSICAL AND ELECTRICAL INSPECTION 

 MANUFACTURER: SAFT PART #/LOT # NUMBER: VL4V 

 DATE OF MANUFACTURE: RECEIVED IN-HOUSE: 21 MARCH 2007 

Serial 

number 

Weight, 

g 

Dimensions, 

cm 

Voltage, 

V 

Resistance, 

Ohms 

Bare cell 

Diameter 

Height 

Height w/ 

terminals 

+ to -- 

-- to case 

+ to case 

-- to case 

+ to case 

605-120 320.3 3.3 15.2 17.6 3.57 0.0 3.57 1.3 >1MΩ

605-190 324.0 3.4 15.3 17.7 3.57 0.0 3.56 0.2 >1MΩ

606-28 323.8 3.4 15.3 17.5 3.58 0.0 3.58 1.1 >1MΩ

606-64 319.6 3.4 15.4 17.8 3.57 0.0 3.57 0.9 >1MΩ

606-69 318.1 3.6 15.4 17.6 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.1 >1MΩ

606-85 320.0 3.4 15.3 17.7 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.2 >1MΩ

606-324 324.2 3.3 15.4 17.8 3.57 0.0 3.57 0.6 >1MΩ

606-332 322.3 3.4 15.4 17.8 3.57 0.0 3.57 0.1 >1MΩ

606-338 320.1 3.3 15.4 17.7 3.58 0.0 3.58 2.1 >1MΩ

641-35 328.2 3.4 15.4 17.6 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.1 >1MΩ

641-37 327.4 3.4 15.4 17.7 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.6 >1MΩ

641-43 327.0 3.5 15.2 17.4 3.57 0.0 3.57 0.4 >1MΩ

641-67 327.8 3.4 15.3 17.8 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.4 >1MΩ

641-89 328.3 3.4 15.3 17.5 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.1 >1MΩ

641-114 328.3 3.4 15.4 17.8 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.2 >1MΩ

Average 324.0 3.4 15.3 17.7 3.58 0.0 3.58 0.6 >1MΩ

 
NASA/TM—2011-216900 4 

TABLE 4.—LITHION BATTERY CELL PHYSICAL AND ELECTRICAL INSPECTION 

 MANUFACTURER: LITHION PART #/LOT # NUMBER: NCP12-2 

 DATE OF MANUFACTURE: 09/2007 RECEIVED IN-HOUSE: 19 SEPT. 2007 

Serial 

number 

Weight, 

g 

Dimensions, 

cm 

Voltage, 

V 

Resistance, 

Ohms 

Bare cell 

Length 

Width 

Height 

Height w/ 

terminals 

+ to -- 

-- to case 

+ to case 

-- to case 

+ to case 

12-2-1671 448.6 7.17 2.45 10.20 11.36 3.35 2.69 0.66 >1MΩ 8.3 

12-2-1672 448.4 7.17 2.46 10.23 11.31 3.54 2.78 0.75 >1MΩ 10.4 

12-2-1673 448.4 7.15 2.46 10.17 11.37 3.53 2.76 0.76 >1MΩ 10.8 

12-2-1674 448.1 7.17 2.46 10.18 11.34 3.45 2.76 0.68 >1MΩ 8.8 

12-2-1675 448.7 7.17 2.48 10.18 11.35 3.46 2.72 0.74 >1MΩ 10.3 

12-2-1676 448.4 7.16 2.44 10.19 11.37 3.46 2.72 0.73 >1MΩ 10.3 

12-2-1678 444.8 7.15 2.52 10.18 11.29 3.51 2.78 0.72 >1MΩ 9.8 

12-2-1679 449.2 7.16 2.46 10.18 11.29 3.54 2.88 0.65 >1MΩ 8.2 

12-2-1680 447.4 7.18 2.47 10.14 11.39 3.53 2.76 0.76 >1MΩ 11.0 

12-2-1681 446.3 7.16 2.44 10.21 11.36 3.50 2.76 0.71 >1MΩ 9.8 

12-2-1682 448.4 7.16 2.45 10.18 11.33 3.52 2.87 0.64 >1MΩ 7.9 

12-2-1683 448.1 7.15 2.52 10.18 11.32 3.52 2.78 0.73 >1MΩ 9.9 

12-2-1684 445.7 7.15 2.44 10.18 11.38 3.40 2.80 0.59 >1MΩ 6.8 

12-2-1685 448.0 7.15 2.32 10.20 11.32 3.50 2.75 0.76 >1MΩ 10.7 

12-2-1690 449.1 7.17 2.46 10.15 11.31 3.53 2.76 0.76 >1MΩ 10.9 

Average 447.8 7.16 2.45 10.18 11.34 3.49 2.77 0.71 >1MΩ 9.6 

Cell Performance Tests 

The battery cell evaluation consisted of the cell acceptance testing previously described along with 

performance testing over a range of temperatures. The cells were tested to ascertain their ability to deliver 

the required energy and power levels for future Constellation missions. 

Stabilization 

The purpose of stabilization testing was to exercise the cells for a few cycles and establish stable 

electrical performance under benign conditions. This stabilization procedure was performed on each cell 

prior to other testing. Stabilization consisted of three cycles with a constant current charge at C/8 and 

20 C to 4.100 V/cell then a taper charge to C/50 followed by a discharge at C/5 and 20 C to 3.000 V. 

The cell ampere-hour capacity, voltage, and temperature were measured. 

Capacity and Voltage Characterization 

The purpose of the characterization testing was to determine the cell’s ampere-hour capacity and to 

characterize voltage performance at several discharge rates and temperatures. Three cells were selected at 

random from the cell lot for characterization testing. The test procedure consisted of charging at 20 °C at 

a constant current of C/2 to 4.100 V/cell followed by charging at constant voltage until a C/50 current was 

reached. Discharges were performed at temperatures of 0, 20, and 60 °C, and rates of C/10, C/2, C, 2C, 

4C, 8C, or to the maximum recommended temperatures and rates the cell vendor specified. A single 

charge/discharge cycle was completed at each test condition. The cell ampere-hour capacity, voltage, and 

temperature were measured. 
NASA/TM—2011-216900 5 

Battery Cell Test Program 

Capacity testing was used to determine the ampere-hour capacity, the useful ampere-hour capacity 

and the discharge voltage curve of a cell. The ampere-hour capacity is a measurement of the coulombs 

delivered by the battery cell between 100 percent state-of-charge (SOC) (constant current C/2 charge to 

4.1 V, followed by constant voltage charge to C/50 taper current) and 3.00 V at the various discharge 

rates). The useful ampere-hour capacity is defined as the capacity between 100 percent SOC and 3.375 V. 

This cell level requirement is derived from Volume I of CxP-70050 Power Quality Specification which 

requires the BU must supply a steady state voltage within the range from 27 to 36 VDC for load currents 

from 0 A to the rated current specified. The 3.375 V cutoff assumes an eight-cell battery. Increasing the 

number of cells to nine will allow operation to a lower voltage at the end of discharge but would pose a 

similar issue at the high end of range allowed by the Power Quality Specification. 

Capacity Testing Procedure 

During electrical testing, the voltage, current, temperature, time, and cycle number were recorded by 

commercial Arbin BT2000 battery cell test units. The BT2000 performed the function of programmable 

power supply during charge operations, acted as a programmable load during discharge operations, and 

performed all of the data acquisition functions during testing. These units were operated using the MitsPro 

software through a local personal computer. This software was programmed to control the desired cell 

charge and discharge current or power profiles, monitor the cells for unsafe operating conditions, and collect 

the desired test data. Voltage and current measurements were accurate to 0.1 percent of full scale range. The 

cell was connected to the battery test equipment with the appropriately sized wires and connectors as 

depicted in Figure 2. A fuse was installed on the positive current carrying leads between the cell and the 

power supply to protect the cell against excessive currents during charge or discharge. 

Figure 2.—Typical electrical connection schematic. 
NASA/TM—2011-216900 6 

The lithium-ion battery cells were tested in environmental chambers with a gaseous nitrogen purge. 

This test set-up provided controlled temperatures for the testing, an inert atmosphere to prevent water 

condensation build-up on the cells, and an additional level of safety to reduce propagation of fire in the 

event of a cell failure. During testing, cells were soaked for at least 12 hr before the initiation of a test to 

allow the internal temperature of the cell to equilibrate at the test temperature. After reaching 100 percent 

SOC at 20 °C, the cells were immediately placed on open circuit and allowed to soak for at least 12 hr at 

the specified discharge temperature test condition before commencing the discharge. 

A typical set of cell discharge voltage curves is shown in Figure 3. The horizontal red line indicates 

the minimum discharge voltage of 3.375 V. The curves show the discharge voltage at different discharge 

rates. For the data presented in Figure 3, the discharge capacity measured to 3.000 V at the C/2 rate was 

approximately 12.3 Ah, whereas the useful discharge capacity measured to 3.375 V is approximately 

9.1 Ah. Approximately 25 percent of the stored ampere-hour capacity would not be available for the 

mission due to the minimum voltage requirement. Another example with an even more drastic difference 

was at the 4C rate. The capacity to 3.0 V is approximately 11.5 Ah; however the useful capacity is nearly 

0 Ah since the entire discharge curve is below the minimum 3.375 V threshold. 

Figure 3.—Typical Lithion cell discharge voltage curve. 

Voltage vs. Discharge Capacity for Lithion Cell #1673

0 C

3

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4

4.2

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Discharge Capacity (Amp-Hr)

Voltage (volts)

C/2

1C

2C

4C

7C

Minimal Allowed

Voltage
NASA/TM—2011-216900 7 

Figure 4.—Typical Saft cell discharge voltage curve. 

Figure 5.—Typical ABSL cell discharge voltage curve. 

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

012345678

Voltage (volts)

Discharge Capacity (Amp-Hr)

Voltage vs. Discharge Capacity for Saft Cell #605-120

0 C

C/2

1C

2C

4C

7C

9C

Minimal Voltage 

Allowed

Voltage vs. Discharge Capacity for ABSL T040

0 C

3

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4

4.2

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Discharge Capacity (Amp-hr)

Voltage (volts)

C/2

1C

2C

4C

7C

Minimal Allowed

Voltage

Minimal Allowed

Voltage
NASA/TM—2011-216900 8 

Useful Amp-hour Capacity Results 

The useful capacity test results are summarized in Table 5. The rows of Table 5 are grouped 

according to cell type subdivided by temperature range. Each column in the table indicates a different 

discharge rate. The results include the average value and standard deviation of the tests that were obtained 

for the specified condition. The number of individual tests for the condition was also listed. Figures 3, 4, 

and 5 illustrate the same information previously described. 

TABLE 5.—USEFUL CAPACITY MEASUREMENT RESULTS 

 

0.5 C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 C 7 C 8 C 9 C 10 C

Saft 0 4.38 4.06 3.59 - 2.97 - 1.98 - 0.51 -

4.4 A-hr STDEV +/- 0.12 +/- 0.15 +/- 0.17 +/- 0.22 +/- 0.39 +/- 0.44

# Tests 12 12 12 12 12 8

2 5.66 5.55 5.38 5.51 4.81 5.33 - 5.13 - -

STDEV +/- 0.27 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.28 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.00 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.18

# Tests 6 7 7 4 3 4 4

6 5.04 5.00 4.95 - 4.80 - 4.68 - 4.57 -

STDEV +/- 0.08 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.09

# Tests 12 9 12 12 7 12

Lithion 0 9.04 7.69 6.36 - 0.01 - 0.00 - - -

12 A-hr STDEV +/- 0.04 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.00 +/- 0.00

# Tests 3 6 6 6 4

2 12.13 11.80 11.00 - 9.53 --- - -

STDEV +/- 0.55 +/- 0.50 +/- 0.46 +/- 0.61

# Tests 12 18 18 18

4 12.60 12.47 11.86 - 10.77 --- - -

STDEV +/- 0.21 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.08

# Tests 14 15 3 3

6 11.54 11.64 10.80 - 9.03 - 8.13 - - -

STDEV +/- 0.02 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.18 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.33

# Tests 2 4 6 6 4

ABSL 0 0.79 0.67 0.53 - 0.33 - 0.00 - - -

1.08 A-hr STDEV +/- 0.00 +/- 0.00 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.03 +/- 0.00

# Tests 8 12 12 12 0

2 1.02 0.99 0.90 - - 0.67 - 0.41 - 0.19

STDEV +/- 0.00 +/- 0.00 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.00 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.14

# Tests 2 2 2 2 2 2

6 0.96 0.93 0.89 - 0.77 - 0.64 - - 0.47

STDEV +/- 0.01 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.00 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.03

# Tests 12 12 12 4 8 4

Tem

(°C

Discharge Rate (A-
NASA/TM—2011-216900 9 

Figure 6 addresses the Saft VL4V 4 Ahr cylindrical cell. The capacity at 20 °C and a C-rate discharge 

was 5.55 Ahr. The discharge capacity was relatively flat at 20 °C from the C-rate to the 8C discharge rate 

test condition. The minimum capacity was attained at the 8C discharge rate with a value of 5.13 Ahr. At 

60 °C, the capacity at the C-rate was 5.00 Ahr, a reduction of 10 percent in capacity. There was a linear 

reduction in capacity with increasing discharge rate. At the 9C discharge rate, the average measured 

capacity was 4.57 Ahr. This equates to an 8.6 percent reduction in capacity compared to the C-rate at 

60 °C and a 17.7 percent reduction compared to the 20 °C, C-rate condition. At 0 °C, the capacity at the 

C-rate was 4.06 Ahr, a reduction of 27 percent from the standard 20 °C, C-rate capacity. The 0 °C 

capacity characterization exhibited a marked decrease in capacity with the higher discharge rates. At the 

9C-rate, the capacity was 0.51 Ahr which equates to 87.5 percent reduction in capacity compared to the 

0 °C C-rate capacity and a 91 percent reduction from the 20 °C C-rate capacity. 

Figure 7 focuses on the Lithion NCP12-2 prismatic lithium-ion cell. The capacity at 20 °C and a 

C-rate discharge was 11.8 Ahr. The discharge capacity indicates a moderate correlation with increasing 

discharge rate up to the 4C-rate. The cell design is not capable of supporting high rate discharge except at 

elevated temperatures. At 20 °C and the 4C-rate, the measured capacity was 9.53 Ahr, a reduction of 

19.3 percent from the standard 20 °C C-rate capacity. At the 60 °C thermal environment, the capacity at 

the C-rate was 11.64 Ahr, a reduction of only 1.40 percent in capacity. At 60 °C and the 4C discharge 

rate, the capacity was 9.03 Ahr which is a 23.5 percent reduction when compared to the standard 20 °C 

C-rate capacity. The 0 °C capacity characterization for the C-rate was 7.69 Ahr or 35 percent of the 

standard 20 °C C-rate capacity. The 0 °C capacity for the 4C-rate was almost nonexistent at 0.01 Ahr. 

Figure 6.—Saft VL4V capacity. 

 

Saft VL4V Capacity Summary

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 1 C 2 3 4 5 6 C 7 8 9 10 

Discharge C Rate (A/A-hr)

Capacity (A-hr)

0 C

20 C

60 C

0 C curve

20 C curve

60 C curve
NASA/TM—2011-216900 10 

Figure 7.—Lithion NCP12-2 capacity. 

Figure 8 captures the ABSL 18650HR 1.1 Ahr cylindrical cell. The capacity at 20 °C and a C-rate 

discharge was 0.99 Ahr. At the 10C-rate the capacity of 0.19 Ahr showed an 81 percent reduction in 

capacity from the standard 20 °C, C-rate capacity. At 60 °C and the C-rate, the measured capacity was 

0.93 Ahr, a 6.1 percent capacity reduction. At 60 °C and the 10C-rate, the capacity was 0.47 Ahr which 

was 50 percent less than the C-rate capacity at 60 °C and 53 percent less than the standard 20 °C C-rate 

capacity. The 0 °C and a C-rate discharge was 0.67 Ahr. This is a 33 percent reduction in capacity from 

the standard capacity at 20 °C. At the 4C-rate the capacity was 0.33 Ahr or a 50 percent reduction in 

capacity from the 0 °C and C-rate capacity. 

Some general trends are clear across all of the results. The first is that the effective capacity is 

reduced as the discharge rate increases. The Saft VL4V was the least sensitive to this effect, while the 

ABSL cell 18650HR is the most sensitive. The second general observation is that the effective capacity 

drops significantly at low temperature. Elevated temperatures had an effect on the cells, but they were less 

sensitive to it. The Saft VL4V had a reduced capacity at 60 °C. The Lithion NCP12-2 had an increased 

capacity at 40 °C and a slightly reduced capacity at 60 °C. The ABSL 18650HR transitioned from a 

slightly reduced to an increased capacity as the discharge rate increased at 60 °C. 

Based upon the C-rate discharge at 20 to 25 °C, the Saft VL4V cell had a capacity of 5.55+0.3 Ahr 

and the Saft datasheet indicated a nominal 4.4 Ahr capacity. Therefore, the actual capacity of the Saft 

VL4V cell is considerably greater than the vendor’s specified capacity. Lithion’s NCP12-2 cell exhibited 

11.8+0.5 Ahr versus the vendor’s datasheet of 12.1 Ahr which is within experimental error. The ABSL 

18650HR had a capacity of 0.99+0.00 Ahr while the ABSL datasheet indicated a capacity of 1.1 Ahr or a 

10 percent reduction in useable capacity. These lithium-ion cell designs are appropriate for aerospace 

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 C 6 C 7 C 8 C 9 C 10 C

Capacity (Ahr) -

hr)

Discharge C Rate (A/A-hr)

Lithion NCP12-2 Capacity Summary

0 C

20 C

40 C

60 C

0 C curve

20 C curve

40 C curve

60 C curve
NASA/TM—2011-216900 11 

Figure 8.—ABSL 18650HR capacity. 

applications, however the 0 °C temperature requirement for Ares I has a severe impact on the useful 

delivered capacity of the lithium-ion battery cell above the 3.375 voltage limit. The Saft VL4V cell was 

limited to the 4C discharge rate and delivered only 2.97+0.22 Ahr. This was a 53 percent reduction in 

useable capacity from the C-rate discharge at 20 °C conditions. The Lithion NCP12-2 was limited to the 

2C discharge rate and delivered only 6.36+0.04 Ahr for a 54 percent reduction in capacity from the C-rate 

discharge at 20 °C conditions. The ABSL 18650HR cell was limited to the 2C discharge rate and 

delivered only 0.53+0.01 Ahr. Again this translates to a 53 percent reduction in useable capacity from the 

C-rate discharge at 20 °C conditions. 

Conclusions 

The three state-of-the-art lithium-ion cell designs evaluated exhibit satisfactory performance results 

for future Constellation missions. Specific cell designs need to be evaluated for missions on a more 

detailed basis to capture the intricacies of the mission and battery performance. The Saft VL4V showed 

the least sensitivity to discharge rate at temperatures above 20 °C. The Lithion NCP12-2 cell design had a 

strong dependence on temperature and discharge rate performance. Discharge rates were limited to the 4C 

for the 20 and 40 °C temperatures. Only at the 60 °C temperature was the cell capable of discharging at 

the 7C-rate. At the 0 °C temperature, the capacity significantly falls off with discharge rate with almost no 

capacity at the 4C rate. The ABSL 18650HR cell showed capacity performance somewhere between the 

Saft and Lithion cell designs. High discharge rates of up to 10C were achieved with a 60 to 80 percent 

reduction in delivered capacity. 

ABSL 18650HR Capacity Summary

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 C 8 9 C 10 C

Discharge C Rate (A/A-hr)

Capacity (A-hr)

0 C

20 C

60 C

0 C curve

20 C curve

60 C curve
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4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Preliminary Performance of Lithium-ion Cell Designs for Ares I Upper Stage Applications 

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Miller, Thomas, B.; Reid, Concha, M.; Kussmaul, Michael, T. 

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WBS 038957.04.07.01.01.03 

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135-3191 

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E-17479 

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14. ABSTRACT

The purpose of this document is to describe the acceptance and characterization testing of the Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell candidates 

for the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) Upper Stage (US) Electrical Power System (EPS) Battery Unit (BU). The lithium-ion battery 

designed for the Ares I Upper Stage must operate in a harsh thermal environment and still provide the necessary ampere-hour capacity while 

delivering its discharge energy within the power quality guidelines outlined in the CxP-70050 document for 28 volts DC (VDC) power 

systems. The cells were evaluated to provide information to develop battery procurement specifications and to ensure the functional and 

safety margins were met for the human-rating guidelines. These tests were conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in the 

Space Power Research Laboratory. 

15. SUBJECT TERMS

Thermal batteries; Lithium batteries; Thrust vector control; Ares I 

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