NASA Conference Publication 3347 

/iU ~Li/r 

6:2JL/¥3 

(P" 

The 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Compiled by 

J.e. Brewer 

Proceedings of a workshop sponsored by the 

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program 

and held in Huntsville, Alabama 

December 3-5, 1996 

February 1997 
NASA Conference Publication 3347 

The 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Compiled by 

J.e. Brewer 

Marshall Space Flight Center • MSFC, Alabama 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Marshall Space Flight Center· MSFC, Alabama 35812 

Proceedings of a workshop sponsored by the 

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program 

and held in Huntsville, Alabama 

December 3-5, 1996 

February 1997 
Page intentionally left blank 
Preface 

This document contains the proceedings of the 29th annual NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, 

hosted by the Marshall Space Flight Center on December 3-5, 1996. The workshop was attended 

by scientists and engineers from various agencies ofthe U.S. Government, aerospace contractors, 

and battery manufacturers, as well as international participation in like kind from a number of 

countries around the world. 

The subjects covered included nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, silver-zinc, nickel-metal hydride, 

and lithium- based technologies. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -iii-
Page intentionally left blank 
Introduction 

The NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop is an annual event hosted by the Marshall Space Flight 

Center. The workshop is sponsored by the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program which 

is managed out of NASA Lewis Research Center and receives support in the form of overall 

objectives, guidelines, and funding from Code AE / Code S, NASA Headquarters. 

The 1996 Workshop was held on three consecutive days and was divided into five sessions. The 

first day consisted of a General/Primary Battery Session and a Nickel-Hydrogen Battery On-Orbit 

Reconditioning Experience Focused Session. The second day consisted of a Nickel-Hydrogen 

Session and a Nickel-Cadmium Session. The third and final day was devoted to an Other Secondary 

Technologies Session which covered sodium-sulfur, nickel-zinc, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium 

ion technologies. 

On a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the many people that 

contributed to the organization and production of this workshop: 

The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program, for their financial support as well 

as their input during the initial planning stages of the workshop. 

Bob Bechtel and Eric Lowery, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; Gopal Rao, NASA 

Goddard Space Flight Center; Harry Brown, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane 

Division; and Doug Hafen, Lockheed Martin, for serving as Session Organizers, which 

involved soliciting presentations, organizing the session agenda, and orchestrating the 

session during the workshop; 

Huntsville Hilton, for doing an outstanding job in providing an ideal setting for this 

workshop and for the hospitality that was shown to all who attended; 

Marshall Space Flight Center employees, for their help in stuffing envelopes, registering 

attendees, handling the audience microphones, and flipping transparancies during the 

workshop. 

Finally, I want to thank all of you that attended and/or prepared and delivered presentations for this 

workshop. You were the key to the success of this workshop. 

leffBrewer 

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -v-
Page intentionally left blank 
Table of Contents 

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii 

Introduction ................................................................. v 

General/Primary Battery Session ............................................... 1,,- Cff?1/-'--

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program Update 

Michelle Manzo and Patricia O'Donnell, NASA Lewis Research Center .................. 3-1 

Modeling the Behavior of Zn-AgO Batteries During High Rates of Discharge 

Woo-kum Lee and J.W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina ........................ 47-y--

Electrolyte Loss Tendencies of Primary Silver-Zinc Cells 

Lawrence H. Thaller and Gordon L. Juvinall, The Aerospace Corporation ................ 77 - 3 

JPL Experience with the Mars Pathfinder, Mission Simulation Battery 

Dave Perrone and Richard Ewell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory ., ......................... 93 - r 

Investigation of an Aberrant Cell Voltage During the Filling of a Large Lithium 

Thionyl Chloride Cell 

Lawrence H. Thaller and Michael V. Quinzio, The Aerospace Corporation; presented by 

Margot L. Wasz, The Aerospace Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 -.sGalileo Probe Battery System 

B.P. Dagarin, R.K. Taenaka, and EJ. Stofel, Hughes Space and Communications 

Company .................................................................. 133-0 

Nickel-Hydrogen Battery On-Orbit Reconditioning Experience Focused Session ...... 145 ...... C1,m /1 

Nickel-Hydrogen Battery Reconditioning _ 

Erik L. Levine, Space Systems / Loral ........................................... 147- 7 

The In-Orbit Battery Reconditioning Experience on Board the Orion 1 Spacecraft 

S.A. Hoover and S. Daughtridge, Orion Satellite Corporation; P.l. Johnson and S.T. King, 

Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd ................................................... 187 ...., 11 

The INTEL SAT Experience with Reconditioning of NiH2 Batteries 

Frank Scalici, Andrew Dunnet, and Daphne Xu, International Telecommunications Satellite 

Organization ................................................................ 207 - 9' 

Telstar 401 Reconditioning Experience 

Dr. Dean W. Maurer, McKnight Associates Inc ..................................... 219 ~ / () 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -vii-
On-Orbit Health Check of Hubble Space Telescope Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries 

Gopalakrishna M. Rao and Harry Wajsgras, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Stanley J. 

Krol, Jr., Lockheed Martin Technical Operations Inc.; and Betty Colhoun, Computer ( 

Sciences Corp. . ............................................................. 231 -"[ 

Development of Sintered Fiber Nickel Electrodes for Aerospace Batteries 

Jennifer Francisco, Dennis Chiappetti, and Jack Brill, Eagie-Picherindustries, Inc ......... 283 

Studies of the Codeposition of Cobalt Hydroxide and Nickel Hydroxide 

C.H. Ho, M. Murthy, and J.W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina .................. 289V"l li 

Nickel.-Hydrogen Battery Fault <:learing at Low State of Charge (; 

C. LurIe, TRW Space and Electromcs Group ...................................... 333 ~/!) 

EOS-AMI Nickel Hydrogen Cell Interim Life Test Report 

C.W. Bennett, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space; D.J. Keys and G.M. Rao, NASA 

Goddard Space Flig~t Center; H.E. Wannemacher, Jackson and Tull; and H. Vaidyanathan, _ b 

COMSAT Laboratones ....................................................... 351 I· 

SSTI-Lewis Spacecraft Nickel-Hydrogen Battery . 

J

't R.F. Tobias, TRW Space and Electronics Group ................................... 381 .. I 

New Developments in Nickel-Hydrogen Dependent Pressure Vessel (DPV) Cell and 

Battery Design 

Dwight B. Caldwell, Chris L. Fox, and Lee E. Miller, Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc ......... 405~/ 8 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

Dr. Yannick Borthomieu and Annie Sennet, SAFT Advanced and Industrial Battery q 

Group .................................................................... . 413-1 

Nickel-Cadmium Session ..................................................... 437 

Battery Performance of ADEOS (Advanced Earth Observing Satellite) and Ground 

Simulation Test Results 

K. Koga, Y. Suzuki, S. Kuwajima, and H. Kusawake, National Space Development Agency 

fY11 

. of Japan ................................................................... 439 

to 

",. 

The In-Orbit Performance of Batteries on the SKYNET 4 Spacecraft Fleet: A NickelCadmium Success Story 

P.J. Johnson and P.E. Miles, Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd ........................... 451)J 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -viii-
FAST Spacecraft Battery Design and Performance 

David S. Jung, Gopalakrishna Rao, and Anisa Ahmad, NASA Goddard Space Flight 

Center ..................................................................... 469 .. 2. 

Results of V rr Verification 

Steve Hall, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division; and Michelle Manzo, NASA 

L eWlS . R h C esearc enter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493 -,( ". " ~ 

Design and Performance Data for 81 Ah FNC Cells 

F. Cohen, Rocketdyne; and M. Anderman, Acme Aerospace .......................... 499 

Application of First Principles Ni-Cd and Ni-H2 Battery Models to Spacecraft 

Operations 

Paul Timmerman, Ratnakumar Bugga, and Salvador DiStefano, Jet Propulsion Laboratory .. 517 

Other Secondary Technologies Session ......................................... 545':' 

Sodium Sulfur Battery Cell Experiment (NaSBE) 

J. Christopher Gamer, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory .............................. 547 -~Z 

Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) Life Cycle Evaluation of Nickel-Zinc Batteries 

D. Coates, E. Ferreira, M. Nyce, and A. Charkey, Energy Research Corporation .......... 565 -; 

Burp Charging Nickel Metal Hydride Cells 

Eric Darcy, NASA Johnson Space Center; and Richard Pollard, University of Houston; 

presented by Bob Bragg, NASA Johnson Space Center .............................. 577 

Low Temperature Synthesis, Chemical and Electrochemical Characterization of 

LiNixCo1_x0 2 (0 < X < 1) C.athode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries 

K.S. Nanjundaswamy, D. Standlee, and C.O. Kelly, Eagle-Picher Industries Inc.; and R.V. 

Whiteley, Jr., Pacific University ................................................ 599 9 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List ........................ 605 -CY.hU7 " 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -ix-
Page intentionally left blank 
General/Primary Battery Session 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
Page intentionally left blank 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

7' 1<:~.zJj 

NASA AEROSPACE 

FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS 

PROGRAM UPDA TE /;J ftJ7 yyt, 

MICHELLE MANZO 

PATRICIA O'DONNELL 

NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER 

CLEVELAND1 OHIO 44135 

1996 NASA AEROSPACE BATTERY WORKSHOP 

HUNTSVILLE HIL TON 

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 

DECEMBER 3-51 1996 

1fl' 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -3- General I Primary BatterySession 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

BACKGROUND 

NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT BATTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM - INITIATED IN 

1985 TO ADDRESS CONCERNS WITH AEROSPACE BATTERIES 

INITIAL CONCERNS - QUALITY, RELIABILITY - PROVIDE BRIDGE BETWEEN 

DEVELOPMENT AND FLIGHT USE 

PROGRAM EVOLVED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO NASA ENTERPRISES 

IDENTIFIED IN RECENT REORGANIZATION 

PROGRAM PLAN REVISED TO REFLECT AGENCY'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND 

SUPPORT FOR NASA ENTERPRISES 

The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program represents a unified NASA 

wide effort with the overall objective of providing NASA with the policy and posture 

which will increase the safety, performance, and reliability of space power systems. 

The program was initiated in 1985 to address problems experienced with- aerospace 

batteries. 

Since the initiation of the program the agency has undergone a reorganization. A 

strategic plan has been developed to guide the agency o.ver the next 25 years. In the 

past year, the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program has been realigned 

to be consistent with the NASA strategic plan. The major objectives of the program 

have been revised to directly support the enterprises that have been identified in the 

new strategic plan. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -4- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SA TTERY PROGRAM SUPPORT OF NASA ENTERPRISES 

PRIMARY 

CUSTOMERS GOALS RELEVANCE OF BATTERY PROGRAM 

Policy Makers Demonstrate new instruments, technOlogies and Evolve new battery technologies that enable MTPE 

MISSION TO PlANE~ procedures - small smart spacecraft and instruments missions 

Science and Education EARTH ENTERPR~ Communities Evolve EOS science and technology and demonstrate Demonstrate battery technologies and new instruments, technologies, and procedures advancements 

Aero Industry Provide advanced technologies for unpiloted airbome Evolve and demonstrate battery technologies to 

AERONAUTICS ~ Earth/space observing platfonns support unpiloted platfonns 

ENTERPRISE ..", US Gov't Agencies 

Science and Education Achieve routine space travel Evolve and validate lightweight battery technologies 

HUMANEXPLORA~ Communities with improved life & perlonnance, AND DEVELOPMENT 

OF SPACE ENTERPRISE Provide safe, reliable, low-oJst transportation 

Commercial Sectors Lower cost batteries 

Operate intemational Space Station cost effectively 

Science and Education Lower cost missions Lower cost batteries 

SPACE SCIENCE~ Communities 

Robotic missions Lightweight, low volume batteries ENTERPRISE .--J Technology Innovators New technologies to enable missions 

Develop demonstrate and infuse new technology to 

enable and enhance all missions Cooperative govemment development, technology 

transfer to industry 

NASA has been reorganized into four major enterprise areas: Mission to Planet Earth, 

Aeronautics, Human Exploration and Development of Space, and Space Science. 

Customers and gqals have been identified for each enterprise. The chart above also 

relates the Battery Program to the work in each of the Enterprises. Batteries are 

critical to the path defined for each of the NASA enterprises. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -5- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES 

DEVELOP, MAINTAIN AND PROVIDE TOOLS FOR THE VALIDATION AND 

ASSESSMENT OF AEROSPACE BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES 

ACCELERATE THE READINESS OF TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES AND 

PROVIDE INFUSION PATHS FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 

PROVIDE NASA PROJECTS WITH THE REQUIRED DATABASE AND 

VALIDATION GUIDELINES FOR TECHNOLOGY SELECTION OF HARDWARE 

AND PROCESSES RELATING TO AEROSPACE BATTERIES 

DISSEMINATE VALIDATION AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS, QUALITY 

ASSURANCE, RELIABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY INFORMATION TO THE 

NASA AND AEROSPACE BATTERY COMMUNITIES 

ENSURE THAT SAFE, RELIABLE BATTERIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR NASA's 

FUTURE MISSIONS 

The objectives of the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program are listed 

above. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -6- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

APPROACH 

MAINTAIN CURRENT BATTERY TECHNOLOGY 

INCREASE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF PRIMARY AND 

SECONDARY CELLS 

ESTABLISH SPECIFICATIONS, DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES 

FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CELLS AND BATTERIES 

PROVIDE IMPROVED PROCESS CONTROL 

OPEN AND MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION LINES WITHIN NASA AND THE 

AEROSPACE COMMUNITY 

The approach to achieving the program objectives involves: 

1 ) maintaining current battery technology; 

2) increasing the fundamental understanding of primary and secondary 

cells; 

3) establishing specifications and design and operational guidelines for 

primary and secondary cells and batteries; 

4) providing for improved process control; 

5) opening and maintaining communication lines within NASA and the 

aerospace community 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -7- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

I 

[~~~q 

EVAlUATION AND 

RESOLUTION OF 

NI-Cd PROBLEMS 

VERIFICATION OF 

QUAliTY & REUABILITY 

OF NI..cd CELLS 

U-ION 

VERIFICATION 

PROGRAM TASK RESPONSIBILITIES 

NASA HEADQUARTERS 

C.oDE Ae - .oFFICE .oF THE 

CHEF ENGINEER 

DANIEL MULVILLE 

~---------------------- PR.oGRAM MANAGEMENT 

NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER 

ELECTR.oCHEMICAL 

TECHN.oL.oGYBRANCH 

PATRICIA .o'DONNELL 

MICHELLE MANZO 

.! 

(NASA ..) JSC 

2.. 

[ NASA ) LeRC 

U-ION, NI-MHCOMMERCIAl 

CELL EVALUATION 

SAFETY CONTROLS FOR 

UTHIUM CELLS 

NI-CdMODEL 

NI-H,MODEL 

BATTERY SYSTEM 

TESTBED 

CELL VERIFICATION 

FORFUGHT PROGRAMS 

U-ION 

DEVELOPMENT 

PROGRAM 

MANAGEMENT 

N ..... TECHNOLOGY 

NI-Cd VERIFICATION 

TESTING 

DATABA:SE 

U-ION DEVELOPMENT 

BATTERY 

STEERING 

C.oMMITTEE 

BATTERY 

WORKSHOP 

STANDARD DPA 

PROCEDURES 

NI-fi. STRESS TEST 

DEFINITION 

The majority of the NASA centers are involved in the· execution of specific tasks 

within the program. The Lewis Research Center Program Manager has full 

responsibility for technical management, cost and scheduling of the program. The 

NASA Lewis Research Center Program Manager also provides continuing coordination 

with all the NASA centers, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) I NASA Headquarters and 

the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Steering Committee. 

The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Steering Committee provides advice on 

battery issues. The Committee is chaired by the Battery Program manager, 

membership is comprised of one representative from each of the NASA centers, the 

Aerospace Corporation, the Air Force, the Navy and the CIA. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -8- General! Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

I 

PROGRAM 

MANAGEMENT 

PROGRAM SUPPORT 

PROGRAM ORGANIZA TION 

NASA HEADQUARTERS 

CODE AE - OFFICE OF THE 

CHEF ENGINEER 

DANIEL MULVILLE 

r-------------------

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 

NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER 

ELECTROCHEMICAL 

TECHNOLOGY BRANCH 

PATRICIA O'DONNELL 

MICHELLE MANZO 

BAnERY SYSTEMS 

TECHNOLOGY 

BATTERY HANDBOOKS 

BATTERY DATA BASE 

BATTERY WORKSHOP 

JOINT EFFORTS W/AF 

RUSSIAN TECHNOLOGY 

ASSESSMENT 

SECONDARY BATTERY 

TECHNOLOGY 

Ni-CdTECHNOLOGY 

NI-H. TECHNOLOGY 

NI-MH TECHNOLOGY 

U-ION TECHNOLOGY 

FLIGHT BATTERYMISSION TESTS 

SECONDARY BATTERY 

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT 

BATTERY 

STEERING 

COMMITTEE 

1 

PRIMARY BATTERY 

TECHNOLOGY 

SAFETY CONTROLS FOR 

1I CELLS 

This program is designed to enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of 

NASA's aerospace primary and secondary batteries as well as battery power 

systems. The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program is organized under 

four major task areas: Program Management, Battery Systems Technology, 

Secondary Battery Technology, and Primary Battery Technology. The program is 

sponsored by the Office of the Chief Engineer, Code AE and the NASA lewis 

Research Center (leRC) , as the lead center, has the overall responsibility for 

management of the program. Dr. Patricia O'Donnell of the lewis Research Center is 

the program manager. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -9- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SA TTERY SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY TA 

OBJECTIVES: 

TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY OF ENERGY STORAGE SPACE POWER SYSTEM 

DESIGN, INTEGRATION, AND CHECKOUT 

ADDRESS SYSTEMS ASPECTS - INTEGRATION OF CELLS INTO BATTERIES 

AND BATTERIES INTO POWER SYSTEMS 

TASKS: 

NASA BATTERY HANDBOOKS 

BATTERY DATA BASE 

NASA BATTERY WORKSHOP 

RUSSIAN BATTERY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT 

JOINT EFFORTS WITH THE AIR FORCE 

The Battery Systems Technology Task addresses the overall systems aspects 

associated with the integration of cells into batteries and batteries into power 

systems. The objective is to improve the reliability of energy storage, space power 

system design,· integration, and checkout. 

Sub-tasks under the Battery Systems Technology Task are listed above. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -10- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

OBJECTIVE: 

NASA BA TTERY HANDBOOKS 

DEFINE GOOD CONSISTENT PRACTICES FOR THE 

DESIGN, INTEGRATION AND CHECKOUT, AND TESTING 

OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BATTERY SYSTEMS. 

PROVIDE GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE 

MISSION SUCCESS 

NASA HANDBOOK FOR NICKEL-HYDROGEN BATTERIES * 

HANDBOOK FOR HANDLING AND STORAGE OF NICKEL-CADMIUM 

BATTERIES * 

PRIMARY BATTERY DESIGN AND SAFETY GUIDELINES HANDBOOK * 

GUIDELINES DOCUMENT FOR NICKEL-CADMIUM CELLS 

GUIDELINES DOCUMENT FOR NICKEL-HYDROGEN CELLS 

GUIDELINES DOCUMENT FOR SILVER-ZINC CELLS 

• COMPLETED - PUBLISHED 

A number of handbooks has been published since the program was initiated in 1985. 

Some of the more recent publications are listed above. Present efforts in this area 

focus on the development of "Guidelines/Checklist" type documents for nickelcadmium, nickel-hydrogen and silver-zinc technologies. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -11- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NASA BA TTERY HANDBOOKS 

NICKEL-CADMIUM GUIDELINES DOCUMENT - JPL 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN GUIDELINES DOCUMENT - LeRC 

SILVER-ZINC GUIDELINES DOCUMENT - MSFC 

DOCUMENTS TO SERVE AS GUIDELINE AND CHECKLIST FOR THE 

PROCUREMENT OF CELLS FOR FLIGHT PROJECTS 

AID IN DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFICATIONS FOR PROCUREMENT 

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION OF DESIGN FEATURES FOR SPECIFIC 

APPLICATIONS 

REPRESENTATIVE VALUES AND RANGES FOR TECHNICAL 

SPECIFICATIONS FOR CRITICAL DESIGN PARAMETERS 

CONTRACTS WITH AEROSPACE CORPORATION TO PRODUCE 

DOCUMENTS 

The purpose of the guidelines documents is to provide guidance in the areas of 

overall design considerations, selection of design features !components for specific 

applications and to provide background for the proper selection of cells for a specific 

mission. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -12- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

OBJECTIVE: 

BA TTERY DA TA BASE - LeRC 

DEVELOP DATA BASE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF 

TECHNICAL NOTES, POLICY DOCUMENTATION AND TEST 

DATA THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY 

DATA BASE IS FUNCTIONAL - OPERATION HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED 

OPERATIONAL CYCLE TEST DATA - POST 1990 DATA FROM CRANE 

TESTING HAS BEEN ENTERED INTO THE DATA BASE AND IS AVAILABLE 

ON-LINE 

LOCKHEED MARTIN TEST DATA IS BEING INCORPORATED INTO DATA 

BASE 

The Battery Data Base subtask addresses a NASA Battery System Data Base 

Environment to serve the NASA battery community for the dissemination of technical 

cell cycle data for the testing at Crane. The majority of the NASA cell test data base 

resides at the Naval Weapons Support Center, Crane, IN. The Crane data has been 

organized and structured into a battery test data base. Cycle test data for tests run 

since 1990 is available on-line. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -13- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NASA SA TTERY WORKSHOP - MSFC 

OBJECTIVE: PROVIDE FORUM FOR OPEN COMMUNICATION OF 

BATTERY RELATED ACTIVITIES 

WORKSHOP ADDRESSES TECHNOLOGY STATUS OF ESTABLISHED AND 

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 

SUBJECTS COVERED GENERALLY INCLUDE: 

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORK ON STATE-OF-THE-ART 

AEROSPACE BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES, 

FLIGHT AND GROUND TEST DATA 

ON-ORBIT OPERATION AND PROBLEM RESOLUTION EFFORTS 

FOCUSED TOPIC TO ADDRESS CURRENT ISSUES RELATING TO 

AEROSPACE BATTERIES 

The NASA Battery Workshop comes under the sponsorship of the NASA Aerospace 

Flight Battery Systems Program. Previously held at NASA Goddard, the Marshall 

Space Flight Center has hosted yearly Workshops since December 1990. The 

workshop serves as a forum for open communication of battery related activities 

between industry and government. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -14- General! Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

RUSSIAN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY EVALUA TION 

OBJECTIVE: DEVELOP SEPARATOR SPECIFICATIONS FOR Ag/Zn CELL 

DESIGNS BASED ON EVALUATION OF RUSSIAN 

TECHNOLOGY 

NAVY PROGRAM WITH NASA INVOLVMENT 

INCORPORATE IMPROVED SEPARATORS IN DOMESTIC CELLS 

SEPARATOR ASSESSMENT UNDERWAY 

CYCLE TESTING 

STORAGE TESTING - WET STAND 

DPA 

This task was initiated to assess claims of the superiority of Russian Ag-Zn cell 

technology over domestic silver-zinc technology. In side-by-side tests, Russian cells 

out-performed cells manufactured i.n the USA. The tests indicated that the separator 

may be the component responsible for the improved performance. The present effort 

is a follow-on to the original evaluation that incorporates candidate separator 

materials into cells for evaluation. This is a primarily a Navy effort with NASA 

involvement. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -15- General! Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

COOPERA TIVE EFFORTS WITH THE AIR FORCE 

OBJECTIVE: LEVERAGE FUNDS BY COMBINING RESOURCES WITH THE 

AIR FORCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFORTS TO 

SUPPORT THE VERIFICATION OF SECONDARY 

CELLS/BATTERIES FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS. 

AREAS OF COMMON INTEREST 

COMMON PRESSURE VESSEL (CPV) NICKEL-HYDROGEN BATTERIES 

SINGLE PRESSURE VESSEL (SPV) NICKEL-HYDROGEN BATTERIES 

INDIVIDUAL PRESSURE VESSEL (lPV) NICKEL HYDROGEN CELLS 

SUPER NICKEL-CADMIUM CELLS 

DEPENDANT PRESSURE VESSEL (DPV) NICKEL-HYDROGEN BATTERIES 

NASA and the Air Force share common interests in aerospace batteries. In order to 

leverage efforts in these times of shrinking budgets, a Memorandum of 

Understanding between NASA and the Air Force was signed that permits cooperation 

in the area of "Joint Spacecraft Battery Verification." Areas of common interest have 

beer identified as shown on the chart above. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Worhhop -16- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

COOPERA TIVE EFFORTS WITH THE AIR FORCE 

JOINT TASKS 

CPV EVALUATION 

45AH, 2-CELL CPV'S 

AF TEST PLAN WITH NASA INPUT - 3 PACKS - 2 LEO, 1 GEO 

Ni-H2 STORAGE TEST 

5 YEAR STORAGE - CYCLE TO COMPARE WITH UNSTORED 

SUPER Ni-Cd STORAGE TEST 

COMPARISON OF STORAGE TEMPERATURES - O°C & 20°C AND 

CELL LOTS 

The joint tasks that have been initiated to date are as follows: 

CPV Evaluation - The Air Force has 21, 45 Ah, 2-cell CPV's for technology 

evaluation that are part of the program. The Air Force and NASA have jointly 

agreed upon the test conditions for the three packs so that the data will be useful 

to both agencies. 

Ni-H2 Storage Test - NASA is funding the life cycle tests for Ni-H2 cells that had 

been stored for five years as part of an Air Force test on the effects of storage on 

the cycle life of Ni-H2 cells. The cells are being cycled at the same conditions used 

for the sister packs that were cycled without storage. 

Super Ni-Cd Storage Test - The effects of storage on super-Ni-Cd cells has long 

been a concern. This task evaluates the effects of storage temperature and cell lot 

on the capacity and cycle life of super Ni-Cd cells. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -17- General! Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SECONDARY BATTERY TECHNOLOGY TASK 

OBJECTIVES: 

IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF 

SECONDARY BATIERY SYSTEMS. 

MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE ESTABLISHED TECHNOLOGIES AND AID IN 

DEVELOPMENT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 

TASKS: 

NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERY TECHNOLOGY 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN BATTERY TECHNOLOGY 

NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY 

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY TECHNOLOGY 

FLIGHT BATTERY MISSION TESTS 

SECONDARY BATTERY TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT 

The Secondary Battery Technology Task was established to improve the 

performance, quality, ·safety, and reliability of secondary battery systems. This task 

is presently structured to maintain and improve established technologies such as 

nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydrogen, and to aid in the development and assimilation 

of emerging technologies such as Hthiumion and nickel-metal hydride. 

The Secondary Battery Technology Task areas are listed on the chart above. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -18- General I Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-CADMIUM SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

VERIFICA TION OF SECONDARY CELLS 

OBJECTIVE: PROVIDE INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF 

MANUFACTURING FLIGHT CELLS BY PROCURING AND 

TESTING REPRESENTATIVE CELLS FROM VARIOUS 

MANUFACTURERS 

FOREIGN CELL EVALUATION - LeRC 

SANYO CELLS 25, 35 AH CELLS 

SAFT CELLS 21, 50 AH CELLS 

ADVANCED Ni-Cd EVALUATION - LeRC, GSFC 

SUPER Ni-Cd CELLS 25, 21 AH CELLS 

10, 50 AH CELLS 

MAGNUM Ni-Cd CELLS 25,21 AH CELLS 

ALTERNATE SOURCE CELL EVALUATION - LeRC 

ACME CELLS 12 EA 18 & 55AH CELLS 

NYLON & PP SEPARATORS 

In order to support flight programs and address· NASA's future needs with respect to 

nickel-cadmium cells, the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program has a 

subtask that involves the evaluation of current technology Ni-Cd cells from the 

following sources: Hughes, SAFT, Sanyo, and Acme. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -19- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-CADMIUM CELL VERIFICA TION 

VERIFICATION TEST PLAN 

REPEAT PORTIONS OF MANUFACTURERS INSPECTION ACCEPTANCE 

TESTS 

RUN NASA STANDARD ACCEPTANCE TEST PROCEDURE FOR 

INFORMATION ONLY 

PERFORM LIFE CYCLE TESTING 

1 PACK PERFORM V/T CHARACTERIZATION 

1 PACK ACCELERATED GEO 

3 PACKS LEO REGIME @ VARIOUS TEMPERATURES 

Cells have been procured in groups of 20-25. and being evaluated according to the 

plan outlined above. The testing involves a repeat of a portion of the manufacturer's 

acceptance tests to verify performance, running the NASA Standard Acceptance Test 

procedure, for information only, to establish a common standard data base among 

the cells from the various manufacturers, and finally, cycle life testing under a variety 

of conditions. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -20- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-CADMIUM CELL VERIFICATION 

LIFE CYCLE TEST REGIMES FOR Ni-Cd CELL EVALUA TlON 

TEST! DESCRIPTION DOD TEMP DETAILS OF REGIME 

PACK (%) (OC) 

1 V/T V /T CHARACTERIZATION -

CHARACTERIZATION - PROCEDURE 

SHOCKNIBRATION 

2 STANDARD STRESS 40 20 CHARGE - 1 HR, 0.8C TO V/T 

TEST LIMIT, TAPER 

DISCHARGE - 0.8C FOR 30 

MINUTES - TO 40% DOD 

3 HIGH TEMPERATURE 40 30 CHARGE - 0.8C TO V/T LIMIT, 

STRESS TEST TAPER 

DISCHARGE - 0.8C FOR 30 

MINUTES - TO 40% DOD 

4 LOW TEMPERATURE 40 0 CHARGE - 0.8C TO V/T LIMIT, 

STRESS TEST TAPER 

DISCHARGE - 0.8C FOR 30 

MINUTES - TO 40% DOD 

5 ACCELERATED GEO 80 10 2 WEEK SUN 

PERIODS/RECONDITIONING TBD 

PLAN REQUIRES MINIMUM OF 25 CELLS - IF ONLY 20 CELLS ARE AVAILABLE - THE SAME PACK WILL BE USED 

FOR TESTS 1 AND 5. 

The chart above summarizes the test conditions for the test packs of nickelcadmium cells. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -21- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL- CADMIUM LEO TEST SUMMARY 

11121/96 

CAP # OF CONDITIONS STATUS 

PACK VENDOR DESCRIPTION (AH) CELLS DOD TEMP CYCLES COMMENTS 

10 ORIG (%) (oC) 

6000A HUGHES ADVANCED Ni-Cd - ZIPS 20 5 40 20 28723 Stopped Testing 

6001A HUGHES ADVANCED Ni-Cd - ZIPS 20 5 40 20 28308 Stopped Testing 

6002A HUGHES ADVANCED Ni-Cd - PP/PBI 20 5 40 20 25359 Stopped Testing 

6003A HUGHES ADVANCED Ni-Cd - Z/PBI 20 8 40 20 25219 Stopped Testing 

6004A HUGHES ADVANCED Ni-Cd - ZIPS 20 8 25 30 25892 Stopped Testing 

6005A HUGHES ADVANCED Ni-Cd - ZIPS 20 8 40 30 18909 Stopped Testing 

600M HUGHES SUPER Ni-Cd - Z/PBI + ADD 20 8 40 20 21601 Stopped Testing 

6024S SAFT 24 5 40 0 39238 

6120S SAFT VOSA 20 5 40 20 20900 Stopped Testing 

6124S SAFT VOS B 24 5 40 20 26091 Stopped Testing 

6140S SAFT 40 5 40 20 19298 

6601S SAFT Ni-Cd 50 5 40 0 9611 

6621S SAFT Ni-Cd 50 5 40 20 10077 

6631S SAFT Ni-Cd 50 5 40 30 10006 Failed at 30, temp reduced to 10 

6601R SANYO Ni-Cd - advanced cell 35 5 40 0 12752 

6620R SANYO Ni-Cd - advanced cell 35 5 40 20 13107 

6621R SANYO Ni-Cd - standard cell 35 5 40 20 12705 

6631R SANYO Ni-Cd - advanced cell 35 5 40 30 12972 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -22- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL- CADMIUM LEO TEST SUMMARY - CONTINUED 

11/21/96 

CAP #OF CONDITIONS STATUS 

PACK VENDOR DESCRIPTION (AH) CELLS DOD TEMP CYCLES COMMENTS 

10 ORIG 1%) loCI 

0020E EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 21 5 40 20 3988 

0031E EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 21 5 40 30 3917 

6601E EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 21 5 40 0 3666 

0020H EP-CS Super Ni-Cd 21 5 40 20 4859 

0031H EP-CS Super Ni-Cd 21 5 40 30 3938 

0601H EP-CS Super Ni-Cd 21 5 40 0 4488 

0018N ACME Nylon 18 5 40 20 5338 

0018P ACME Polypropylene 18 5 40 20 5337 

0055N ACME Nylon 55 5 40 20 5385 

0055P ACME Polypropylene 55 5 40 20 5340 

0121M EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 21 5 40 20 10667 

6122M EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 10 40 20 13687 

6522M EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 50 40 20 12982 

0106M EP-CS Magnum N(..Cd 21 5 VAR 0 8004 

6106M EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 10 5 VAR 0 11645 

6506M EP-CS Magnum Ni-Cd 50 VAR 0 12126 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -23- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-CADMIUM SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

APPLIED NICKEL-CADMIUM TECHNOLOGY - JPL 

OBJECTIVE: DEVELOPMENT OF Ni-Cd PERFORMANCE MODEL FOR 

PREDICTION OF BATTERY PERFORMANCE UNDER 

SPECIFIED SPACECRAFT OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS 

BASED ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 

DESKTOP - MACINTOSH VERSION OF MODEL IS UNDERGOING FIELD 

TESTING 

CAPABILITIES SUMARIZED IN J.ELECTROCHEM SOC 143, 803 (1996) 

CURRENT PLANS INVOLVE THE FOLLOWING REFINEMENTS 

INCLUDE DEGRADATION CAPABILITIES, 

BETTER DEFINED CHEMICAL EQUATIONS, 

MORE SOPHISTICATED ALGORITHMS 

IMPLEMENTATION ON DESKTOP COMPUTERS 

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible' for the Applied Nickel-Cadmium 

Technology subtask. This subtask involves the' devefopment of an electrochemical 

model of the nickel-cadmium system that involves physical, chemical, and 

electrochemical studies at the component and cell levels. The model will be used to 

develop an accelerated test which can be used to determine the quality and reliability 

of flight lot cells without extensive life testing and to predict the performance of a 

battery from a set of spacecraft operating conditions. The model is scheduled for 

completion this fiscal year. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -24- General! Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

CELL COMPONENT AND IPV DESIGN EVALUATION - LeRC 

OBJECTIVE: PROVIDE INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF DESIGN AND 

COMPONENT VARIATIONS TO MANUFACTURING FLIGHT 

CELLS BY PROCURING AND TESTING REPRESENTATIVE 

CELLS FROM VARIOUS MANUFACTURES 

VERIFICATION OF 26% KOH 

CELLS FROM HUGHES, EAGLE PICHER, GATES, YARDNEY 

EVALUATION OF DESIGN FEATURES 

CATALYZED WALL WICK 

CELL STACKING 

ADVANCED DESIGN FEATURES IN ISS DESIGN CELLS 

350Ah, 5 %" HUGHES CELL - EVALUATION 

EVALUATION OF CELL COMPONENTS 

NICKEL ELECTRODE IMPREGNATION PROCESS 

SEPARATOR 

PASSIVATION OF ELECTRODE PLAQUE 

The major goal of the Nickel.:.Hydr-ogen Technology subtask is to evaluate design 

features for incorporation into nickel-hydrogen cells for NASA missions. The Lewis 

Research Center has responsibility for the Nickel-Hydrogen Technology subtask. 

Currently, the effects of the NASA advanced design features and the effects of 26% 

vs 31 % KOH, cell design variations including stacking arrangements and 

impregnation processes are being evaluated in flight cells being tested at Crane. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -25- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN CELL TEST STATUS 

CAP 'OF CONDITIONS STATUS 

PACK VENDOR DESCRIPTION IAHI CELLS 000 TEMP CYCLES DATE FAILURES 

10 ORIG . LEFT (%) (oCI 

5000L HUGHES 26% KOH • AF STANDARD 50 3 0 80 10 · · 15314.19500.23700 

5000L HUGHES 31% KOH· AF STANDARD 50 3 0 80 10 · · 3729,4165.11355 

5OO1L EPI NASA ADV DESIGN wI CAT WW 125 3 3 60 10 42792 11/18/96 

5OO1L EPI NASA ADV DESIGN wlo CAT WW 125 3 0 60 10 · 9588.13900.20575 

5OO7L GATES 26% KOH 65 5 5 60 10 25879 11/18/96 

5007L GATES 31% KOH 65 5 0 60 10 · · 10824.10975.11455.12244.12471 

5004L EPI 26% KOH • AQUEOUS 65 3 3 60 10 25787 11/18/96 

5004L EPI 31 % KOH • AQUEOUS 65 3 3 60 10 25787 11/18/96 

5004L EPI 26% KOH • ALCOHOLIC 65 3 3 60 10 25787 11/18196 

5004L EPI 31 % KOH· ALCOHOLIC 65 3 3 60 10 25787 11118/96 

3008L EPI BTB DESIGN wlCAT WW 65 3 0 60 10 · · 10931. 12236. 12236 

3OO8L EPI RECIRCULATION 65 3 2 60 10 23700 11118/96 20100 

5006L YTP 26% KOH 56 3 2 60 10 22862 11118/96 21907 

5OO6L YTP 31% KOH 56 3 0 60 10 · · 12503. 12949. 12949 

5OO2l EPI PE FILM/PE PAPER 50 3 0 60 10 0 · LOW CAPACITY· NO LEO 

5OO2l EPI PE FILM/PP FELT 50 3 0 60 10 0 · lOW CAPACITY· NO LEO 

5OO2l EPI ASBESTOS 50 3 0 60 10 · · 2309.2309.2756 

5OO2l EPI PE FILM/ZIRCAR 50 3 0 60 10 · · AII@ -6700 

5008 HUGHES PASSIVATED 3 60 10 13195 11/18/96 

5008 HUGHES NON PASSIVATED 3 60 10 13195 11/18/96 

3OO2l EPI CPV 10 10 9 40 10 12776 11/18196 CELL REMOVED FOR DPA 

3OO3L JCI CPV 50 1 1 35 10 9915 11118/96 

There are many design variations for nickel-hydrogen cells. The systematic testing 

being performed in this task is intended to differentiate between the design features 

and components. Cells from various manufactures with varied design features are 

being tested. The status of the current tests on cells is summarized above. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -26- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN BA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

LOCKHEED-MARTIN IPV CELL TESTING 

SUPPORT FOR LOCKHEED-MARTIN IPV Ni-H2TESTS 

CELL DESIGN VARIABLES AND TEST HISTORIES MADE AVAILABLE 

CELL DATA TRANSFERRED TO CRANE FOR INCORPORATION INTO 

THE DATA BASE 

The life cycle testing at Lockheed-Martin in Denver is the longest running nickelhydrogen test program. NASA began supporting this program in 1992. In return for 

this support, all of the information relating these cells has been made available· to 

NASA. This includes the pack histories, cell design information, DPA results and all 

cycle test data. The cycle test data is being incorporated into the NASA data base at 

Crane. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -27- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT BATTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

LOCKHEED-MARTIN NI-H2 LIFE TEST - CELL CHARACTERISTICS 

TESTS 

CAP DIA DOD TEMP # OF STACK KOH 

VENDOR AH IN % ·C CELLS CONFIG % IMPREG COMMENTS 

The chart above lists the design features for the cells in the Lockheed-Martin 

program. Ongoing tests are highlighted. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -28- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

LOCKHEED-MARTIN NICKEL-HYDROGEN LIFE TEST STATUS 

MANUFACT- CAP DIA DOD TEMP # OF CELLS CYCLES AVG AVG C:D 

URER AH IN % ·C CELLS REMAIN EODV EOCV 

The chart above summarizes the status of the ongoing tests in the Lockheed-Martin 

program. Ongoing tests are highlighted. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -29- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

CPV BATTERY EVALUATION 

OBJECTIVE: EVALUATE POTENTIAL OF EMERGING CPV TECHNOLOGY 

TO MEET NASA's FUTURE NEEDS. DEVELOP DATA BASE 

TO INSURE OPTIMUM BATTERY MANAGEMENT AND 

SUPPORT FOR MISSIONS 

EVALUATION OF 2.5" CPV BATTERIES - LeRC 

10, 2 CELL, 10AH CPV BATTERIES EAGLE PICHER 

LEO LIFE TEST, 40% DOD, 10°C 

12,700 CYCLES - ONE CELL REMOVED FOR DPA 

CHARACTERIZATION OF 2.5" CPV BATTERIES - JPL 

CHARACTERIZATION/MISSION SIMULATION TESTS ON 2.5"CPV TESTS 

JOINT TASK WITH AIR FORCE - 3.5" CPV BATTERIES 

21, 2-CELL, 45AH CPV BATTERIES - EAGLE PICHER 

3 PACKS - 2 LEO 40% DOD -5°C, 10°C, 1 GEO 

As NASA missions change to smaller ,less expensive satellites with volume and 

weight concerns, there is a need to incorporate new technologies to meet these 

needs. CPV batteries are being baselined for a number of NASA missions. This task 

provides a data base that will aid in insuring optimum battery management for 

systems using this technology. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -30- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

SPV SA TTERY EVALUATION - LeRC 

OBJECTIVE: EVALUATE POTENTIAL OF EMERGING SPV TECHNOLOGY 

TO MEET NASA'S FUTURE NEEDS 

JOHNSON CONTROLS - SPV BATTERY 

28 VOLT, 50 AH BATTERY 

35% DOD, 10°C -10,000 CYCLES 

JOINT EVALUATION WITH ISS 

As NASA missions change to smaller, less expensive satellites with volume and 

weight concerns, there is a need to incorporate new technologies to meet these 

needs. SPY batteries are being considered for future NASA missions. This task 

provides a data base that will aid in insuring optimum battery management for 

systems using this technology. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -31- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHTBA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN MODEL -JPl 

OBJECTIVE - DEVELOP A COMPUTER MODEL CAPABLE OF PREDICTING 

ORBITAL PERFORMANCE OF A NICKEL-HYDROGEN 

BATTERY USING A CELL LEVEL ELECTROCHEMICAL MODEL 

BASED ON FUNDAMENTAL PHENOMENA 

DEVELOPMENT PARALLELS Ni-Cd MODEL 

PRELIMINARY VERSION OF THE MODEL THAT OPERATES ON A PC IS 

AVAILABLE AND UNDER EVALUATION 

PLANS INCLUDE 

CONTINUED VALIDATION AND CALIBRATION 

INCORPORATION OF THERMAL MODEL 

JPl is responsible for developing a computer model for nickel-hydrogen batteries that 

parallels the work done on the nickel-cadmium model. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -32- General I Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

DEVELOPMENT OF Ni-H2 STRESS TEST - MSFC 

OBJECTIVE: DEFINE AND VERIFY A STRESS TEST FOR NICKELHYDROGEN, COMPARABLE TO THE 40% DOD, 20°C TEST 

FOR NICKEL-CADMIUM CELLS 

60% DOD, 10°C - PRELIMINARY PROFILE FOR THE STRESS TEST 

MATRIX DEVELOPED FOR IDENTIFICATION OF TEST CONDITIONS 

TEMPERATURE DEPTH OF DISCHARGE 

20°C 35% 50% 65% 

1Q°C 45% 60% 75% 

EAGLE PICHER 48 AH CELLS FOR AXAF 

AVERAGE CAPACITY AT 10°C -63.5AH AT C/2, WHERE C=48, 

The Marshall Space Flight Center is responsible for the task defining the conditions 

for a nickel-hydrogen stress test similar to the 40%000, 20°C test currently used 

for Ni-Cd cells. An analysis of the nickel-hydrogen data base resulted in a preliminary 

recommendation of 60% 000, 10°C as the comparable Ni-H2 test conditions. A 

matrix has been developed to identify the appropriate test conditions. Eagle Picher 

48 Ah cells, similar to those ordered for AXAF are being used in this evaluation. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -33- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-HYDROGEN SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

DEVELOPMENT OF Ni-H2 STRESS TEST - MSFC 

STRESS TEST STATUS 

EARLY FAILURES 

65 % DOD - 20°C 

75% DOD - 10°C 

60% DOD - 10°C 

50% DOD - 20°C 

CONTINUING TESTS 

35% DOD - 20°C 

45% DOD - 10°C 

961-1177 CYCLES 

1085-1188 CYCLES 

2037-2400 CYCLES 

2375-3200 CYCLES 

CAUSE OF FAILURES IS UNDER INVESTIGATION 

Testing of the cells per'the matrix discussed on the previous chart has begun. To 

date four, of the packs have experienced early failures after less than 3200 cycles. 

The cause of the failures is under investigation. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -34- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE TECHNOLOGY 

NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION 

OBJECTIVE EVALUATE POTENTIAL OF Ni-MH TECHNOLOGY TO MEET 

NASA's FUTURE NEEDS 

EVALUATION OF AEROSPACE DESIGN CELLS - LeRC 

EAGLE PICHER - 6-10Ah CELLS - 40%000, 10°C 

3 FAILURES - 10000, 14047, 16129 CYCLES 

ONGOING TESTS - 17556 CYCLES 

SANYO - 25 - 35Ah CELLS -

CHARACTERIZATION TESTS COMPLETED 

TO BE RUN IN Ni-Cd VERIFICATION PROFILE 

Nickel-metal hydride batteries have the potential to replace nickel-cadmium and in 

some cases nickel-hydrogen batteries. This task is evaluating this potential. 

Aerospace design cells from Eagle Picher are on LEO life test at 40% DOD, 10°C. 

Aerospace design cells from Sanyo are being evaluated in tests that parallel the 

nickel-cadmium verification tests previously discussed. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -35- General! Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE TECHNOLOGY 

CHARACTERIZATION OF CEllS FROM OVONICS - GSFC 

6.7 Ah CELLS 

CALORIMETRIC ANALYSIS, CAPACITY, CHARGE RETENTION 

6 CELLS - ACCELERATED G EO CYCLES - 240 CYCLES 

LEO CYCLES - 20°C, 40% DOD - 830 CYCLES TO FAILURE 

GSFC is responsible for basic calorimetric measurements on nickel-metal hydride 

cells. Cells from Ovonic Battery Company are being evaluated in LEO and GEO 

cycle regimes. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -36- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE TECHNOLOGY 

NI-MH COMMERCIAL CELL EVALUATION - JSC 

EVALUATE Ni-MH POTENTIAL FOR EVA's, IVA's FOR SPACE STATION 

DETERMINE BEST AVAILABLE COMMERCIAL Ni-MH 

EVALUATE CHARGE METHODOLOGY 

BURP CHARGING DEMONSTRATED ADVANTAGES -

CHARGE EFFICIENCY, MINIMIZE CHARGE DURATION, INCREASED 

CAPACITY & CYCLE LIFE 

900 - 100% DOD CYCLES WITH SANYO 4/3 A CELLS 

Ni-MH DEMONSTRATED GOOD ABUSE TOLERANCE 

DEVELOP AND CERTIFY NI-MH BATTERY FOR EMU BACKPACK, ADVANCED 

HELMET LIGHTS, CUFF CHECK LIST 

JSC is evaluating nickel-metal hydride batteries, chargers and charge methods for 

use in IVA's and EVA's. Replacement of primary batteries with secondary batteries 

for in-cabin applications on the space shuttle and for the space station has the 

potential of significant cost savings. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -37- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

LITHIUM -ION SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

OBJECTIVE EVALUATE POTENTIAL OF Li-ION TECHNOLOGY TO MEET 

NASA's FUTURE NEEDS. ENABLE TECHNOLOGY 

DEVELOPMENT FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS 

Li-ION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT - JPL 

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW - STATUS ASSESSED FOR AEROSPACE 

APPLICATIONS 

EVALUATE COMERCIAL PRODUCTS FROM SONY, SAFT, SANYO, & 

YARDNEY 

DOCUMENTATION OF MANUFACTURING PROCESSES 

DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES DOCUMENTS 

NASA is evaluating the potential of Lithium Ion technology to meet our future 

needs. Li-Ion is an enabling technology for many NASA missions. This technology 

offers the potential for reduced weight and volume. 

The preliminary assessment consists of a review of the status of the technology 

available from the various manufacturers and characterization and life-cycle testing 

of today's technology. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -38- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

LITHIUM -ION SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

LITHIUM ION CELL CHARACTERIZATION - GSFC 

CHARACTERIZATION, CYCLE TESTING, DPA OF CELLS FROM CURRENT 

MANUFACTURERS 

SAFT - 3.5" CELLS EVALUATED FOR TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON 

CAPACITY , VOLTAGE AND SELF DISCHARGE 

U-ION DESIGN DEVELOPMENT - LeRC 

IMPROVE ANODE - MODIFY CARBON SUBSTRATES TO FACILITATE Li 

ION INSERTION AND INCREASE Li CAPACITY 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -39- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

LITHIUM -ION SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY 

U-ION COMMERCIALCELL EVALUATION - JSC 

INCORPORATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY BATTERIES INTO GFE 

EQUIPMENT - LAPTOP COMPUTERS, CAMCORDERS - REQUIRES 

UNDERSTANDING OF SAFETY ISSUES RELATING TO SPACE USE AND 

QUALIFICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY 

OBTAIN COMMERCIAL CELLS - PERFORM EVALUATION 

CHARACTERIZATION, 

CHARGE CONTROL PARAMETERS, 

PERFORMANCE 

THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION 

ABUSE TOLERANCE 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -40- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

FLIGHT SA TTERY MISSION TESTS 

TOPEX - JPL 

MISSION SIMULATION TESTS 

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR - JPL 

20 AH 2-CELL CPV's 

STRESS TEST, MISSION SIMULATION, PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION 

CLARK SATELLITE SPV DESIGN EVALUATION - LeRC 

15AH, 28 VOLT I FLIGHT SPARE, 1& T BATTERIES 

BATTERY TEST BED - JPL 

MISSION SUPPORT - GRO, UARS, EUVE, TOPEX. 

MANAGE DIVERGENT CELLS/BATTERIES' - FACILITY SIMULATE MPS 

POWER SYSTEM 

NASA projects are beginning to baseline non-traditional battery systems for future 

missions. In order to increase the data base on these systems and to provide 

timely support, these technologies are being investigated as part of the battery 

program. In many cases these efforts are entered into jointly with the programs or 

other NASA codes. The test data and experience provide benefits throughout the 

agency. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -41- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SECONDARY SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT 

DEVELOPMENT OF DPA TEST PROCEDURES - MSFC 

OBJECTIVE: DEFINE GENERAL GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED BY 

FACILITIES PERFORMING DPA PROCEDURES ON NICKELCADMIUM AND NICKEL-HYDROGEN CELLS 

AVAILABLE PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN EVALUATED 

DRAFT GUIDELINES DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED 

AEROSPACE WILL WRITE MANUAL 

The Marshall Space Flight Center has the responsibility for developing and 

establishing guidelines for NASA for the performance of destructive physical analyses 

for Ni-Cd and Ni-H2 chemistries. Current DPA procedures used in the industry are 

being evaluated in an effort to id~ntify a standard procedure for the agency. Drafts 

of the guidelines documents have been prepared. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -42- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SECONDARY SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT 

DEVELOPMENT OF SEPARATOR TEST PROCEDURES - LeRC 

OBJECTIVE: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF UNIFORM RELIABLE TEST 

PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATING CANDIDATE SEPARATOR 

MATERIALS FOR Ni-Cd, Ni-H2 & Ni-MH CELLS 

DETAILED PROCEDURES FOR STANDARD TESTS TO EVALUATE 

SEPARATORS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED 

PUBLICATION BY END OF FISCAL YEAR 

The Lewis Research. Center has produced a manual that recommends standard 

separator test procedures. The manual defines improved tests that will more closely 

evaluate separator characteristics as related to the actual cell environment. 

Publication of a document containing the recommended test procedures is expected 

before the end of the fiscal year. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -43- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

PRIMARY SA TTERY TECHNOLOGY TASK 

OBJECTIVE: 

IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF 

PRIMARY BATTERY SYSTEMS 

TASK 

SAFETY CONTROLS FOR LITHIUM CELLS 

The objective of the Primary Battery Technology Task is to improve the performance, 

reliability and safety of primary battery systems. The Johnson Space Center has 

primary responsibility for work performed in the primary battery area. 

The major task in the primary battery technology area is the development of safety 

controls for primary Li-BCX Cells. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -44- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SAFETY CONTROLS FOR LITHIUM CELLS 

OBJECTIVE INCREASE SHORT CIRCUIT HAZARD TOLERANCE BY 

RED"UCING MOLARITY OF ELECTROLYTE AND THUS 

REDUCE CAPABILITY TO SUSTAIN HIGH SHORT CIRCUIT 

CURRENT FOR EXTENDED TIME 

Li-BCX CELLS FROM WGL - C, D, DD 

DETERMINE MINIMUM CONCENTRATION TO MAINTAIN CAPACITY 

REQUIREMENTS WHILE REDUCING SHORT CIRCUIT CURRENT TO PREVENT 

VENTING OR RUPTURE 

PERFORMANCE, ABUSE, SHELF LIFE DETERMINATIONS AND 

QUALIFICATION OF CELLS WITH REDUCED ELECTROLYTE LEVELS 

LEVELS ESTABLISHED FOR C AND 0 CELLS, DO EFFORT IS UNDERWAY 

Successful implementation of safety controls for Li-BCX cells will result in the 

elimination of the need to fly the cells with a waiver. The approach used in this task 

is to reduce the electrolyte concentration to a level that will no longer support a short 

circuit current and thus prevent cell venting and ruptures. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -45- General/Primary Battery Session 
NASA AEROSPACE FLIGHT SA TTERY SYSTEMS PROGRAM 

SUMMARY REMARKS 

BATTERY PROGRAM HAS BEEN REALIGNED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH 

NASA's STRATEGIC PLAN 

EMPHASIS HAS SHIFTED FROM RELIABILITY, QUALITY ASSURANCE ROLE 

TO BROAD SUPPORT FOR NASA ENTERPRISES 

BATTERY PROGRAM HAS RESULTED IN INCREASED COMMUNICATION 

AND COOPERATION AMONG NASA CENTERS AND WITHIN THE 

AEROSPACE BATTERY COMMUNITY 

THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES FLIGHT BATTERY ISSUES RELATING TO 

NASA's FLIGHT PROGRAMS 

The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program has been realigned to be 

consistent with NASA's strategic plan. Emphasis in the program has been shifted to 

provide broad support for each of the NASA enterprises. 

The program has provided for increased communication within the agency and with 

the battery industry as well. The program addresses flight battery and related flight 

power system activities which are essential for ensuring safe and- reliable 

performance. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -46- General/Primary Battery Session 
....... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:... 

~ 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

t 

is 

I 

.J:o. 

-...l 

I 

~ 

t 

'-

~ 

]" 

J 

Modeling the Behavior of Zn-AgO 

Batteries During High Rates of Discharge 

Woo-kum Lee and J.W. Van Zee 

~ 

+~-

Center for Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

~ J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3, 1996 Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering ~. NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop :: University of South Carolina + 

OlIumbia, SC29208 

/ 

/ 

.,-

'" ~ r 

<~ 

-
...... 

'C 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ {; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

.f:>. 

00 

I 

~ 

t 

"'-

::,0 

§' 

I:l 

~ 

~ 

~ 

Outline 

• Objectives 

• Electrode Reactions 

• Prototype Battery 

• Model Development 

• Model Predictions 

• Concentration Distributions 

• Heat Generation Rates 

~ J,W. Van Zee, Dec. 3, 1996 

§' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Ce_or~l __ ,. Department of Chemical Engineering 

University ofSoulh Carolina + 

<l>1umbia, SC 29208 -
.... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<I> 

ci 

{l 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

.j:;:. 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ ........ 

~ §' 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

Long-Term Model-Objectives 

• Determine Local Heat Generation Rates 

• function of x,y,z in a cell 

• function of plate position 

• function of time & discharge rate 

• function of cycle 

• function of charge rate 

• For Heat Removal: 

• Consider Alternate Grid Designs 

• External Cooling 

1r J.W. Van Zee, Dec, 3,1996 

5' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

iliumbia, SC 29208 ::s +'-
--'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

fl2 

Electrode Reactions ~ 

~ -tl 

~ 

'" i 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

VI 

o 

I 

• Positive Electrode 

Ag 20 + H 20 + 2e2AgO +H 20+2e-

• Negative Electrode 

Zn(OH)4-2 

~ ZnO + H 20 + 2e- ~ "-

~ §' 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3,1996 

5' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop ::s 

discharge 

---- 2Ag + OH- Ue = 0.342 V 

discharge 

---- Ag 20 + OH- ue = 0.642 V 

..... .... ZnO +2(OH)- K eq= 0.003 

discharge 

---- Zn +2 OH- ue= -1.35 V 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering T- ~ 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina +_ 

Cblumbia, SC 29208 
...... 

\Q 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:. 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

..... 

I 

Prototype Battery 

• 135 A-h Capacity 

• 12-25 knots 

• 50 -250 Amps 10 -100 mAlcm2 

• 250V 

• 168 cells -:- 24 cells/case = 7 cases 

• 15 in2 

r • Nylon, Cellophane, FRSC = 0.130 in. 

~ • AgO, Zn thick. = 0.039, 0.060 in. ~ 

~ 

! fr J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3,1996 

5' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

::: 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

<llIumbia, SC 29208 

M 

+ Jt -
~ Schematic ofa 135 A-hr Zn.lAgO Battery 

<: 

~ (Only 15 of the 24 positive (Ag) and 25 negative (Zn) plates are shown 

~ separators not shown 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

V\ 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ "-

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ g. 
I~ 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -53-

.. 

.. 

\0 I ~ ------------~ .. . 

N 

00 

00 

" 

~ 

General/Primary Battery Session 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0-

s: 

~ 

::.:.. 

~ {l 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

Present Assumptions 

• - One-Dimensional Transport. 

• - No Convection in the Porous Electrode. 

I 

Vl 

..j:>. 

I 

~ 

~ -'-. 

~ §" 

~ 

J 

• - Dilute Solution Theory_ 

• - Constant Porosity. 

• - Large Matrix Conductivity 

~ ~ J.W. Van Zee, Dec.3,1996 

~" NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~ 

c_.r~_~I~~~ Department of Chemical Engineering ftr 

University of South Carolina +_ 

O>Iumbia, SC 29208 
...... 

~ 

~ 

fi2 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

.~ 

<'l:> 

IS' 

§ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

I 

VI 

VI 

I 

[ 

"-"I:l 

~. 

~ 

J 

f(l 

!:i 

~. 

One-dimensional flux expression 

Ni D. 

I 

8 r 

J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3, 1996 

NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

oC. I 

ox 

F z.D.C .O~ 2 I I I ~ 

rRT OX 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

UniverSityoC-South Carolina 

Ollumbia, SC 29208 + -
....... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:l:.. 

~ {; 

Governing Equations- in Zn electrode ~ 

f 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

0'\ 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ -

"-

~ 

l 

~ ~ 

~ 

B Z n 

oe K + 

ot 

iCOH -

8Zn 8t 

iCZn(OH)4"2 

8Zn a 

~ ~ J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3,1996 

g' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

-v · N K + 

asOH - In _ V . N OH- + 2R 

2 • In 2 _ R aSZn(OHf4 _ V· N Zn(OH):;j =- nF 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina + 

ruumbia, sc 29208 -
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {:; 

Governing Equations- in Zn el,ectrode (cont. ) 

!'; 

0:. 

i 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

-....l 

I 

~ 

i 

"-

~ §" 

~ 

~ l1> 

~ 

aM ZnO 

at 

L Z iC 

a i 2 

a x 

~ ~ J.W. Van Zee, Dec.3,1996 

§" NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

A 

1 o 

• 

a 1 n 

• 

slnSZnO 

nF 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina + 

O:lIumbia, SC 29208 -
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ c 

{; 

2 

Butler-Volmer Equation 

J 

~ 

;::-

~ in i 0 { Y ( ceo n- ) 2 e X p ( F" aT a 1J a ) - ( 1 - y ) ex p (- F" aT' 1J,)} 

{l 

I 

VI 

00 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ -'-

~ §' 

~ 

J 

OH - ,ref 

where y=MZn IMoZnO and 1-y = MZn o/Mozno 

~ ~ J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3, 1996 

~' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Cblumbia, SC29208 +'-
co 

· 0 

(J) 

-+-' -0 c 0 <l.) 

(J) U L 

C L -+-' .\ L U lO 0 

:J -+-' (J) · (f) 

U - 0 .-

W -0 

C N (f) 

0 U E (f) 

c <l.) 

-+-' 0_ U 

c :JN~ ~ 0 0-0« ~ ..q- (f) 

(j) c E · c ~ 0 00 <l.) ~ 

~ 

E 0 (f)o EEE 

NNN 

C LII () () () 0 ................................. 

0 0._ c c c -+-' ---_.-

-+-' 0 EEE L 

(f) 

:J L I I I 0 N 

...0 0 ««« -+-' · 

0... Lf)l.C)l.C) 0 0 

L O..-N L 

-+-' (J) 0 (f) (j) 

j . I 0.. 0-

<l.) 0 c T (f) 

0 

· 0 

0 N ..q- eD OJ 0 

0 0 0 0 0 ~ 

. . 0 0 . 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 

I I I I I 

(ZWJ/V) +ua .. unJ UO!+nlos 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -59- General/Primary Battery Session 
Cl) 

o 

u 

£ L 

+-' +-' 

~ ~ I WN 

I u E 

o c U 

4- • - ""-.. 

oCo 

CuE 

ON« 

0 0 

+-' ....---

::J (f) II 

...0 L 

L 0 

+-,+-' 

(f) L 0 

o 

G) 

0.. 

0 

(f) 

o 

()) 

t.{) 

i 

-' 

o 

CJ) 

..qI 

, 

I 

.I 

/ 

, 

I 

i 

! 

I 

, 

I 

I 

rI 

/ 

o 

CJ) 

n 

/ 

/ 

/ 

rI 

./ 

, 

/ 

.I 

Ii 

I" 

o 

CJ) 

N 

I 

i 

E :i -

f .j" E 

<:{., f 

/..{)J <:{ 

':1 /..{) 

\""-. C\J 

.:' 

.7 

.f 

~ 

o 

()) 

o 

()) 

o 

o 

OJ 

o 

C 

U 

Q) 

<.D .8 

o 

u 

(f) 

· o 

E 

Q) 

c 

(f) 

o 

C 

Q) 

(f) 

(f) 

~ 0 

o 

N 

o 

· 

o 

o 

· o 

-HO fO UO!"t0J"tU8:lUO:l SS8I UO!SU8W!O 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -60- General/Primary Battery Session 
EEE 

NNN 

ex:> 

uuu · ' ... :'" 0 c c c --.- .- E E E 

(]) I I I Q) 

+-oJ ««« 

() 0 Il)Il)Il) 

c fr:: O..-N 0 lO -+-' 

(J) 

H I · (f) 

0 0-

c • -0 

+-oJN (f) 

o E OJ 

(f) 

OJ 0 

c I .............. 0 fr::« v (f) 

-E · c 0 4-0 OJ 

°0 E c~ 0 

° II .- .- +-oJ 

::J N ..0 · 0 L 

+-oJ 

(f) 

0 

.-

I 

, 

0 

• · 0 

0 lO N CXJ V 0 

N ~ ..-- 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 

(r.W'J/M) 8io~ 5U!i08H ~I 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -61- General/Primary Battery Session 
., L{) , · , 0 N , 

, N 

~ \ 

!& ~ \ 

N \ 

I \ 

E \ 

\ .- 0 

(I) \ !& 

0 

" ~ • -0 \ C \ 

(I) 0 I N 

E I 

E l.- I +-' N "" I 

I !& I 

U I 

<C r- I 

(I) I I '---'" 

(1)- I 

(J)W ":I • L{) -0 .- I (J) !-& I l.- I ~ ()) 

0 U I L 

C I 0 .J:: .- I 

I ..c uN I 

0 I 

(f) C I (f) 

.- I 

0 .-

0 <I 

• 0 I 

I 

~ >-. '+- 0 I 

0 I -+-' 

+-' I 

0 

+-' C 0 

U (I) D-

(I)+-' N N 0 

4- 0 E ~ + E L{) u · '+-CL 0 : 0 0 W 

"" I "" C « :« 

0 E I 

E I 

0 \1.0 0 IN 

0 ~ <I • 

· 0 

I'-- ~ L() (J) f'I") I'-- ~ L() 

0 ,-- ,-- ,-- N N f'I") f"l 

~ ~ ~ ,-- .-- ~ .-- .--

/\ '8:) D Jj 8 + U! 8 P 0 j + :) 818 / j 0 + 0 j D d 8 S + D SID! + U 8 + 0 d 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -62- General/Primary Battery Session 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -63- General/Primary Battery Session 
o 

c 

-+-J 

L 

D 

::::J 

-+-J 

[J) 

o 

.-

Q) Q) N 

o 

-+-J6E 

L 0 

QlQ)<C 

o:::-z.;~ 

c w E 

OCO 

-+-JoO 

0)'-

INII 

c.-

o 

c·-

o 

-+-J 

o 

o 

L 

N 

0.-

• 

• \ 

\ 

~ 

\ 

o 

lO 

OJ 

\ 

\ 

.. \ 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

\ 

\ 

\ 

o 

lO 

f'. 

\ 

\ 

\ 

o 

lO 

L{) 

-64-

o 

lO 

n 

o 

lO 

..---

<I 

11 

I 

E 

'" 

c 

o 

E 

N 

<t 

<I L() 

o 

L{) 

OJ 

o 

L.[) 

f'. 

o 

L{) 

L{) 

0') 

· 

ro 

0 

· 0 

o 

c 

o 

Q) 

-+-' 

f'. (f) 

• ""'0 o 

c 

Q) 

(f) 

(f) 

lO 0 

o 

E 

Q) 

c 

(f) 

L{) 0 

· o 

· 

o 

n 

o 

General/Primary Battery Session 
0 

s:::: 

...... 

.-

.... 

CO 

...... 

0 

0 

s:::: 

0 

(1) 

s:::: 

0 

.... 

0 

J: 

I 

0 

s:::: 

...... 

0-

:::::J 

.-

..c 

.... 

C 

.-

UJ 

...... 

-N 

E 

< 

(.) 

E 

N 

Lt) 

II 

-

.-

C1> 

0 

"C 

.... 

...... 

en 

> 

Q) 

.... 

Q) -

Q) 

(.) 

o 

C\I 

C\I 

o 

N 

..--

t 

0 

-.;t 

o 

N 

o 

/I 

..-

en 

.;. 

I 

c--5 

0 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

0 

,...... 

0 

co 

0 

0> 

-r0 

c: 

u 

Q) 

<0 co 

+-' 

0 

en 

0 

en 

LO en 

0 

0 

c: 

Q) 

-qc: 

en 

0 

E 

Q) 

("I) 0 

0 

0 

0 

-r0 

C\I 

0 

0> co <0 LO ...- ...- ...- -ro o o o 

-65- General! Primary Battery Session 
0 

c: 

..... 

.-

'-

ca 

Q) 

c: 

..... 

0 

0 

c: 

(.) 

..... 

.-

0 

c: 

0 

\i0 

J: 

• 

:::l 

.-

.c 

'-

..... 

In 

C 

.-

-N 

E 

« 

to) 

E 

~ 

0 

0 

II 

-

.-

Q) 

'0 

"C 

'-

+01 

-

> 

Q) 

'-

Q) -

Q) 

to) 

UJ 

.-

o 

en 

LO 

N N 

E E to) to) 

- - c:: c:: "e E I I 

« ~ 

« ..... ~ en 

c:i ~ 

t • 

N 

E 

-c:: 

to) 

E 

« 

I 

t 

M 

0 

o 

ex:> 

LO 

" 

o 

LO 

o 

CO 

LO 

-HO JO uOlleJlue::>uo8 sseluolsuew!o 

o 

LO 

LO 

0 

0 

0 

~ 

0 

C\I 

0 

("') 

0 

'V 

0 

LO 

0 

CO 

" 

0 

0 

CD 

0 

en 

~ 

ctS 

c:: 

(.) 

Q) 

...... 

0 

E 

Q) 

c:: 

en 

0 

c:: 

Q) 

en 

en 

0 

en 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -66- General/Primary Battery Session 
e 

I 

e 

.-

ns - /!; 

Q) 

c 

....., 

I ....., - 0 0 I 

I 

D- o , ~ , II , C , >< I 

0 ~~ .... , 

.-

N 

u 

E 

.......... 

~ ctS 

....., - .- Q) 0 I 

"'C , ns 0 

*' c.. l- I 

ns .... [IJ I 

CJ :\. 0 -

Q) 

~\ ----- 'to- Q) C"l 

0 \ , \ a I- \ 

\ I U 

....., Q) I 

---- 0 > ~ Q) - , 

en I 0 

~ ..-

0 

w ... , , -a , "-" Q) ; N 

.c e I I 

... I 

I 

e , 

c:: 

N E 

I 

() 

eo 

Ceo 

·u 

~ 

--

« 

, 

~[I] , 

, 

• o 

I"-- <.0 L() -.::t ('I) N ~ 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

(1\) le!lU8l0d 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -67- General/Primary Battery Session 
...... 

\Q 

\Q 

0-

~ 

~ 

::t... 

(\l 

.... 

c 

{j 

I:l 

2 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::s-

.g 

I 

0\ 

00 

I 

~ ::s 

(\l 

~ "-

~ §. 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1:: 

c· 

::s 

0.58 

0.56 

0.54 

t:: 0.52 

0 

:;:; 

0 0.50 co 

s... 

u.. 

Q) 0.48 

0 

~ 0.46 

0.44 

0.42 

0.40 

Effect of Current Density on Silver Mole Fractions 

at 0.44 A-min/cm2 of Discharge 

A920 (at 25 mA/cm2 ) 

-.-- -- ------.-------... ~ - ------..----- ~ -----...,------- ~ ... ~ 

JJ.:-·-·-·-·-·-k·-·-·-·-·-.·-·-·-·-·-·A·-·-·-·-·-·A·-·-·-._._ .• -._._. 

A920 (at 100 mA/cm2 ) 

l-;gO (~;-1~0 ~/~~2 il I AgO (at 25 mA/cm2 ) I 

~l' = - • ~ _ _ ~f - - - - - - - -- ...:;~t - - - - - - - - - "'W' - - - - - - - - - 4'f: - - - - - - - - -~ ... - - - - - - - - - T - - - - - .. - - - v __ 

Ill· ........... lii! ............•...........•............ til ........... '!II ...........•........ 

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ (I:> 

... 

~ ] 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ :::-

~ 

c 

0 '- I t) 

0'1 co \0 L- I LL 

Q) 

0 

~ 

~ 

t 

'-

j: 

Sl 

~ 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

f(l 

?:l g' 

1.0 

0.9 

0.8 

0.7 

0.6 

0.5 

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 

0.1 

0.0 

Effect of Current Density on Silver Mole Fractions 

at 0.88 A-min/cm2 of Discharge 

A920 (at 25 mA/cm2 ) 

I=-·--==-:-:-· - -"'~-k' _. -' -~--'7' - - -' _.':.. _. -'A' .:-:~. -_. _. - .•. =. _/ _._. _. -.• -_._.-. 

/' 

A920 (at 100 mA/cm2 ) 

I AgO (at 100 mA/Cm2 )J 

'=' ij.-. -: -:-.-. -: -:-.-.-:-.-::r: m~' -:-.-. -: -:-.-: -:-.-. -: .. ~.\" -: if. -: -:-.-. -: -:-.-. .-. -: -:-.-. -: -:-·-m -:-.7. ~ -:-.-. -: -:-.-: ':.-. , -::r.. 'Wit -:if. -: -:-.-' -: -:-.-. ~ .-.' 

I A9~(~t 25 m~~~2 ) I 

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

i 

.g 

I 

~ I 

fil 

t 

""-

~ §. 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 1:; 

§' 

c:: 

o 

ts 

.~ 

lL 

0.> 

o 

~ 

0.5 

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 

0.1 

0.0 

Effect of Current Density on Silver Mole Fractions 

at 1.97 A-min/cm2 of Discharge 

A920 (at 25 mA/cm2) 

// 

.. "' ....... 

// 

A920 (at 100 mA/cm2 ) 

AgO (at 100 mA/cm2 ) 

'fI':" -_.-- _ ... -.• ----II- ---.-.---- --lW·· ------ill -. ----11- ---.. -~--- --*_. 

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Di&tance 
0 

C 

... 

.-

N 

CO 

.-

c.. 

0 -

CO 

I-

.-. 

N 

N E 

C (.) 

0 <c .- E 0 

... 

It) 

co N 

(I) II 

a::: 

(I.) -

oE "'C 

0 0 

I- L. 

~ ..... 

(.) 

(I) (I.) 

... 

- co (I.) 

a::: (I.) 

L. 

C) 

-

> 

C .- -- en 

J: 

(I) 

co 

... 

N N 

E E CJ CJ - -... t: t: 'E m E I I 

« « ~ co ~ co 0 0 

iii 

• 

. 

if 

• 

!®! 

ill 

o co <0 ""'" N 0 co N ~ ~ ..- ..- ~ 0 

o 0 0 0 0 0 0 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -71-

N 0 

E ~ -t: 

CJ 

'E I Q') I 

111 « 0 

..-

0> 

l"-

0 

co 

I 

~ 

I"'- (J) 

0 

ct:S 

s:: 

u 

...... 

1 <0 en 

0 0 

en 

en 

l!) (J) 

0 s:: 

I 0 

..,. 

s:: 

en ~ (J) d' E 

I 

0 I 

C') 

~ 0 

I 

0 

N 

.... I 

0 

~ 

..:. 0 

0 

<0 ""'" N 0 

o 0 o 0 

o 0 o 0 

General/Primary Battery Session 
E 

C -c 

0 

0 °E .- 0 I .., « ... ns 0 

N ("t) 

.-

ns 

a.. 

I 

- - 0 N I 

D.. E ~ (.) I 

~ 

::t C E 0 

. - Il) ~ .., 

0 N 

ns II 

CJ) - 0::: CI) 

"'C 

E 0 ~ ~ 

0 ...... a.. (.) 

..... -

CI) 

CJ) CI) 

.., ~ 

~ ns CI) 

0::: > I 

I 

C) en 

C 

.., .- ~ ns I CJ) 

::I: 

o 

~ 

o 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

°E 

-

c 

0 

« 

0 

• ..-

m 

I""-

rn 

m 

Wi 

m1 

fi 

a 

o o o 

o 

co 

-72-

o 

o 

CD 

o 

""'" 

o 

°E 

-c 

0 

E 

« 

0 

o 

o 

N 

0 

~ 

~ 

o 

o 

o 

0 

r-..... 

0 

00 

0 

0) 

~ 

0 

co 

c: 

(.) 

(]) 

CD ....... 0 en 

0 

en 

LO en 

0 

0 

c: 

(]) 

""'" en 

0 

E 

(]) 

c: 

C') 0 

0 

0 

0 

~ 

0 

N 

0 

General/Primary Battery Session 
...... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ n, 

.... 

c 

~ I:) 

2 

to 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

.g 

::s- C") 

--E 

t) 

-..... 

S 

-(I.) 

....... 

co I 

-..,J 0::: w 

I c: 

0 

....... 

eo 

L-

(I.) 

c: 

(I.) 

(9 

....... 

eo ~ (I.) 

:li: I n, 

~ 

'--

~ §. 

~ 

~ ... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

c· 

:li: 

0.21 ~ 

0.20 ~ 

0.19 l0.18 I0.17 I0.16 l0.15 ~ 

0.14 I0.13 I0.12 l0.11 ~ 

Total Heating Rate from Polarization 

Silver electrode (i=.25 mAlcm2) 

g ............ m········ .. ··m······ ..... iIIJi! .•••.••••••.•.•.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

I 0.88 A-min/cm21 

[3.0 A-min/cm21 

V ---------w- --------Vt --------~ --------~ ---------w- --------Y- _____ . 

I 0.4~-~~min/cm21 

... ~ -..-..---- ..... ..... ~ - ... ----------- -----...,---- ... ---------~--- - - - A,- . - . - . _. -.At- . _. - . _. -.... _. _. -' - A' _. _. -' -'A' -. _. _. _. A: _. _. _. _ ... _. _. -. 

I 

1.97 A-min/cm2 

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance 
0 

c: 

....., --

CU 

- N N -- E 

CU 

lCJ - :ct 

a. 

0 

E 

E 0 

0 

0 ~ 

l- II .... .-

CD 

- ....., CI> 

CU "C 

a:: a... 

0 

C) CJ 

...., 

c: CI> 

.-

- ....., CI> 

CU a... CD CI> 

J: 

-

> 

.-

- U) CU 

l0 

....., 

~ 

iii 

~ 

It 

~ 

~ 

Ii 

o 

N 

c 

-.. 

U 

E 

'E I 

a 

IX) 

IX) 

« 

o 

(j) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

I 

I 

N I 

I 

E I 

U I -.. tf> c 

'E I 

I I 

« I 

I 

0 I 

ct) I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

, 

I 

I 

I 

I ~ 

, 

I 

, 

I 

I 

I 

I 

~ 

, ~ 

, 

tt 

I 

~ 

, 

~ 

o 

ex:> 

-74-

N 

-.. 

u 

E 

E 

.£ 

I 

0 

-.::;t 

-.::;t 

« 

\ 

1 

I 

I 

• 

11 

11 

I 

~ 

• 

~ 

I 

o 

co 

0 

0 

0 

~ 

0 

N 

0 

(V) 

0 

~ 

0 

L{) 

0 

co 

0 

I"-

0 

ex:> 

0 

(j) 

~ 

0 

co 

c: 

0 

(I.) 

0 

en 

..foJ 

0 

E 

(I.) 

c: 

en 

0 

c: 

(I.) 

en 

en 

General/Primary Battery Session 
.... 

~ 

~ i Summary & Future Work 

1 

J 

~ • First Principles Model Developed {j 

I 

-....l 

VI 

I 

~ 

~ 

tl 

"--

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

• Local Isothermal Heat Generation Predicted 

• Include Temperature Feedback 

• Kinetics, conductivity, thermodynamics 

• Extend to 3-D Current Distribution 

• Solve 3-D Temperature Distribution 

~. J.W. Van Zee, Dec. 3,1996 Center of Electrochemical EngineerinL 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina § NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

CbIumbia. SC 29208 

M 

+ H -
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ Acknowledgments 

{; 

~ lI> 

J 

i . ONR Grant No. N00014-96-1-0795 ~ . .g 

I 

-.....) 

0\ 

I 

[ 

"-

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

• Naval Underwater Warfare Center, Newport 

• Mr. Steve Tucker 

• Mr. Chris Egan 

• J.R. Moden, JRM Inc., Bristol, RI 

~ ~ J.W. Van Zee. Dec. 3. 1996 Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering §' NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop University of South Carolina + I I _ 

OJIumbia, SC 29208 
"THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

M2-275 

POBox 92957 

Electrolyte Loss Tendencies 

of 

Primary Silver-Zinc Cells 

Lawrence H. Thaller and Gordon L. Juvinall 

Energy Technology Department 

The Aerospace Corporation 

Los Angeles, CA 90009 

(310) 336-5180 

thaller@courier8.aero.org 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -77- General/Primary Battery Session 
.THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

OUTLINE 

• BACKGROUND 

• CHEMISTRY ISSUES 

• TRENDS IN CELL DESIGN 

• FLIGHT USAGE 

• STATIC VOLUME-BASED MODEL 

• APPLICATION TO EXISTING DESIGNS 

• CONCLUSIONS 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -78- General! Primary Battery Session 
I"THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

BACKGROUND 

• SIL VER ZINC CELLS WIDELY USED 

• RECENT TRENDS EMPHASIZE LONGER WET STAND TIMES 

• DESIGN MODS TREND TOWARD WETTER CELLS 

• WETTER CELLS INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF EXPELLED 

ELECTROLYTE 

• THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF ELECTROLYTE 

LOSS PROBLEMS WITH FLIGHT ARTICLES 

• ELECTROLYTE LOSS CAN RESULT FROM SEVERAL 

DIFFERENT PROBLEMS 

• A TASK WAS CARRIED OUT TO INVESTIGATE A CELL'S 

TENDENCY TO LOSE ELECTROLYTE 

Silver-zinc batteries are used in applications where high energy density and high discharge 

rates are required. These batteries are mostly used in the primary mode where they are not 

required to be recharged. All launch vehicles use silver-zinc batteries in sizes ranging from about 

one ampere hour (Ab) to 250 Ab. For the launch vehicle applications addressed here, batteries 

are assembled except for the introduction of electrolyte and carefully stored until they are called 

up for use. At that time, electrolyte is added as part of the overall activation process prior to ' 

installation on the vehicle. Once the cells are filled, reactions take place that can result in small 

amounts of electrolyte being expelled from them. There have been several recorded instances 

where electrolyte expulsion has resulted in the rejection of either that particular battery or the 

entire production lot of batteries that were felt to have a generic problem. An in-flight failure of a 

battery suggested that the problem resulted from the effects of small amounts of electrolyte 

forming an ionic conduction path inside the battery box. This presentation will review the causes 

for the different kinds of problems within a cell that can result in the expulsion of small amounts 

of electrolyte. It will also present a static volume based model that was found to be useful in 

estimating the tendencies for different silver-zinc cell designs to expel electrolyte after they are 

activated and what precautions and remedies are available to minimize or preclude this problem. 

In applying this model to four different cell designs, it accurately predicted a problem with a cell 

design that was felt to be responsible for an inflight battery failure due to the expulsion of 

electrolyte from the cells. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -79- General/Primary Battery Session 
"THE AEROSPACE: ~ CORPORATION 

CHEMISTRY ISSUES 

• CELL PERFORMANCE DEPENDS ON 

ELECTROL YTE CONCENTRATION AND AMOUNT 

• GASSING RATE DEPENDS ON AMALGAMATION 

• OXALATE PROBLEM DEPENDS ON AMOUNT OF 

ELECTROLYTE 

The amount of electrolyte and the concentration of potassium hydroxide required for the 

cell's intended application is determined by the mass transport and the super saturation limits of 

the zincate ion under the conditions the cell is being discharged and the duration over which the 

discharge is required. Foundation studies carried out at Naval Research Laboratory in the late 

1940s were instrumental in helping manufacturers establish their own design codes in terms of 

surface area, porosity, and electrolyte quantities. 

Zinc is an amphoteric metal, and thus is thermodynamically unstable in aqueous potassium 

hydroxide. The reaction of the zinc with aqueous potassium hydroxide solution results in 

hydrogen evolution. In practice, the rate of hydrogen evolution is reduced by amalgamation of 

the zinc electrodes and by stringent quality control measures. The addition of mercury to the zinc 

electrodes (amalgamation) raises the hydrogen overvoltage and effectively inhibits the evolution 

of hydrogen by "local action", which is essentially corrosion of the zinc. Normally, the mercury 

constitutes about 1 % to 2% by weight of the finished anode. Increasing the mercury content from 

1% to 2% decreases the rate of evolution of hydrogen by a factor often. 

Besides the electrolyte requirements being dictated by current density (milliamperes per 

square centimeter) and capacity (milliampere-hours per square centimeter) there are other factors 

to be considered as well. The amount of electrolyte affects the rate of growth of potassium 

oxalate crystals that form within the layers of cellulosic separator material. These crystals, which 

result from the interaction of potassium hydroxide with cellophane, can lead to tears in the 

separator during the rigors of launch. Very often this results in potentially dangerous short 

circuits within the cell. The concentration of electrolyte affects the rate of formation of potassium 

oxalate as well as the gassing rate at the zinc electrodes. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -80- General/Primary Battery Session 
III THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

TRENDS IN CELL DESIGN 

• LONGER WET STAND TIMES 

From 15 days towards 90 days 

More electrolyte 

More separator 

• WETTER CELLS MORE PRONE TO EXPEL 

ELECTROLYTE 

• ABSORBENT PADS CAN BE USED 

Cells are of course designed so that excessive amounts of electrolyte will not be expelled. 

However, many of the current cell types were originally designed twenty or thirty years ago. 

Since that time, there has been an effort to extend the wet stand time from 15 days (for the very 

short wet stand limits associated with batteries using cells with only a few layers of separator) to 

up to 90 days for some requalified cell types. It is well known that extra layers of cellophane 

separator material can increase the wet stand time, but at the expense of an increased internal 

resistance. The addition of more electrolyte is another method used to increase the wet stand 

time since it retards the growth of oxalate crystals mentioned above. For these reasons, the net 

free volumes within some of these designs have gotten smaller. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -81- General/Primary Battery Session 
.THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CAUSES OF ELECTROLYTE LOSS 

• POOR AMALGAMATION STEP 

• NORMAL VENTING OF CELLS 

• IMPROPER PRESSURE ON "0" RING SEAL 

• EXCESS ELECTROLYTE DURING FILLING 

• DISPLACEMENT OF ELECTROLYTE BY 

HYDROGEN IN ZINC ELECTRODES 

• INADEQUATE HEAD SPACE 

This chart lists the major factors that have caused electrolyte to be expelled from silver 

zinc cells. Different manufacturers use different methods of amalgamating their zinc plates. From 

time to time the amalgamation levels or quality are ineffective or the surface of the zinc plates are 

unusually high. Either of these situations can result in excessive gassing when the cells are first 

filled. Following the addition of electrolyte, gassing will take place, but the vent valve will allow 

the hydrogen gas to be vented as the pressure builds up. As the gas escapes, small droplets of 

electrolyte can also be expelled as well. If the vent valve has been improperly seated against the 

"0" ring, hydrogen gas along with small amounts of liquid can be lost from the interior of the cell 

via this path. Another problem that is seen occasionally is caused by excess amounts of 

electrolyte being added to the cell as a consequence of incorrect amounts contained in the filling 

bottles that are assigned to each cell. However, cell designs that have an inadequate amount of 

free volume will be the main issue to be addressed in this presentation. Much of the electrolyte is 

designed to be held within the pore structure of the electrodes and separators. Zinc electrodes are 

typically 65% porous. The hydrogen gas forming at the zinc surfaces within the pore structure of 

these electrodes can push electrolyte out into the free volume of the cell. If there is an inadequate 

amount of head space within the cell, the electrolyte can be pushed out through the vent valve and 

onto the top of the cell. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -82- General/Primary Battery Session 
I"THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CELL FILLING PRIOR TO FLIGHT 

• REMOVE VENT VAL VE 

• ATT ACH FILL TUBE 

• V ACUUM BACK FILL CELL 

• LET STAND "N" DA YS 

• APPL Y VACUUM "Y" TIMES 

• INSTALL VENT V AL VE 

• MONITOR CELL/BATTERY VOLTAGE 

• INST ALL ON SPACECRAFT 

A general list of steps that are followed during the normal processing of a silver zinc 

battery at the launch site. These procedures are specific to the contractor, but the major elements 

are the same. Batteries are stored refrigerated and without electrolyte. The cells are filled with a 

prescribed amount of electrolyte that is contained with a fill bottle (one for each cell) by a vacuum 

back filling process and then allowed to stand for a period of time during which the open circuit 

voltages are monitored and the battery voltage under a test load is measured for compliance to 

specifications. Depending on the contractor, one or more reapplications of vacuum are applied to 

redistribute the electrolyte within the porous elements within the cell and at the same time 

disengage and remove the hydrogen gas trapped within the zinc electrodes. The cell vents are 

then installed and tightened to the proper torque and fjnally the battery installed on the spacecraft. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop General/Primary Battery Session 
"THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CELL BACKFILLING SETUP 

To VacuuM 

..... --t-Electl'olyte Resevoil' 

~---t- Bubbles 

,--L---.a.., .... .._t- EMPty Ce 11 

A schematic of a vacuum filling fixture. In actual practice, all the cells of the battery are 

filled at one time. In one arrangement, plastic tubes which are connected at one end to the 

individual reservoirs are threaded into the opening at the cell top at the other end. This threaded 

opening is later used for the insertion of the vent valve. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -84- General/Primary Battery Session 
tDTHEAEROSPACE 

~ CORPORATION 

FLIGHT USAGE 

• CELL VENT VALVE OPENS IN THE RANGE OF 3-5 

PSI DIFFERENTIAL 

• BATTERY HOUSING VENTS AT ABOUT 11 PSI 

DIFFERENTIAL 

• WHEN VEHICLE REACHES ALTITUDE, BATTERY 

VENTS TO SPACE 

• VEHICLES GOING TO GEO CAN VENT SEVERAL 

TIMES 

• LOSS OF 1.5 VOLTS DUE TO SHORTED CELL DOES 

NOT CREATE A PROBLEM 

• LOSS OF A FULL BATTERY DOES 

This chart lists a short description of the pressure environment the battery will see during 

its short useful life in space. To be noted is the fact that a battery will be expected to vent at an 

altitude when the outside pressure drops below about Ipsia. At this point the individual cells will 

also vent as they adjust to the lower pressures inside the battery box. This coupled with the slow 

or not so slow reaction of the zinc with the electrolyte will produce a small amount of hydrogen 

gas that will vent first to the battery box and then to space given the proper levels of differential 

pressure. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -85- Generall Primary Battery Session 
.THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CELL TOP AND VENT VALVE 

GAS PASSAGE 

"0" RING. SEAL 

\5 E/INTERHAL STAND PIPE OR CHIMNE'/ 

A close up view of the vent valve that is placed on each cell. The short piece of rubber 

tubing stretched around the gas passage within the valve allows pressure to be relieved as the 

rubber band is stretched away from the opening and then will reseal as the pressure is released. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -86- General! Primary Battery Session 
nTHE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

STATIC CELL MODEL 

• DISASSEMBLE AN UNACTIV ATED CELL 

• MEASURE THICKNESS, WEIGHT, POROSITY, ETC. 

• DETERMINE VOLUME OF ALL INTERNAL 

COMPONENTS AND THAT OF THE CELL 

• CALCULATE NET INTERIOR FREE VOLUME 

• DETERMINE VOLUME OF ELECTROLYTE IN ZINC 

ELECTRODES 

• DETERMINE WHETHER CELL CAN EXPEL 

ELECTROLYTE 

This chart outlines the steps in developing a static volume-based model of a silver zinc 

cell. It starts with an unactivated cell that will be completely disassembled. Each component is 

weighed and measured. For the electrodes, the active material must be removed so the substrates 

can be weighed as well. Knowing the density of the materials used, the volumes of each part can 

be detennined. As a double check on all these volume calculations, a cell's internal volume is also 

detennined prior to disassembley by using standard gas expansion techniques. This requires a cell 

to be connected to a standard volume and allowing the gas to expand into the cell that has been 

taken to a known pressure. The two values for net internal volume as defined in the next charts 

agreed to within 2%. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -87- General I Primary Battery Session 
nTHE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CELL VOLUME DEFINITIONS 

/

RUhber Band Vent .Ui\.lve", .. 

/ TerMinal ~'\ 

'\ ChiMney 

...... - WastetlHead Space 

Gross Interior Cell Volume Net IllteriorCell VOlUl11e 

These three charts describe how the different cell volumes that are within a cell are 

defined. The chimney that sticks down into the cell in effect wastes some of the head space but is 

needed to prevent electrolyte loss in case a cell is inverted. From the Net Interior Cell Volume, 

the pieces and parts of the plates and separators are accounted for and then subtracted. Finally 

after the electrolyte is added, the Net Interior Free Volume can be determined. However, 

depending on the amount of hydrogen gas trapped within the pores of the zinc plate material, 

different amounts of free electrolyte will be inside the cell. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -88- General I Primary Battery Session 
~THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CELL VOLUME DEFINITIONS 

/ Ruhhell Band Vent Valve,. 

~ ~TerMinal~ ~ 

~~~f_u~~ ~::!,a _~_ u_~tn~~ Hast" ""a Space 

Space /~ 

ChiMney ChiMney 

'~/ 

Electrolyte Level 

Plate Pack Plate Pack 

Gross Interior Free Volunte Net Interior Free Vo!unle 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -89- General/Primary Battery Session 
I.THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CELL VOLUME DEFINITION 

/ Ruhhel' Band Vent Valve 

~ .Q JIIIr Tel'Mi nal --.....-'-_.-' __ .-'-.1-.----'-_ • 

. Was ted 

.... --- Head ----7 ------. ---

ChiMney 

Plate Pack 

Desil'ahle Level 

Zinc Plates Mostly 

Filled With Liquid 

Space 

..... - Wasted Head Space 

lIigh. Electl'olyte Level 

Due To Expelled Liquid 

Plate Pack 

Desirable electroLyte distribution UndesirabLe electroLyte distribution 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -90- General/Primary Battery Session 
~. THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

RESULTS FROM FOUR TYPICAL CELLS 

Cell 145 Ah 13.5 Ah 10 Ah 4.5 Ah 

Parameter 

Zinc Porosity 68.7 % 66.5 % 62.7% 57.5 % 

Net Cellinte- 359 cc 77 cc 57 cc 19 cc 

rior Volume 

Gross Free 218 cc 47 cc 39 cc 11 cc 

Vol 

Net Free Vol 44cc 12 cc 16 cc 2.8 cc 

Minimum 1.1 cc -0.7 cc . -4.1 cc 2.0 cc 

Free 

Electrolyte 

Vol 

Permissible 41 % 80 % 163 % •• 114 % 

Loss rrum Zn 

* Pore volume greater than electrolyte fill ** No gross expulsion possible 

By applying the model to four different cell designs, the different dell volumes were 

determined. Cell designs where the porous volume within the zinc electrodes is large compared 

to the Net Free Volume are subject to electrolyte being forced from them during the course of cell 

standing or during discharge. When the permissible loss is greater than 100%, it means that all of 

the electrolyte contained with the zinc plates could be displaced by hydrogen gas and there would 

be no danger for electrolyte loss from the problem being addressed here. If electrolyte loss is 

asssociated with this type of cell design the problems may be related to surfactants in the 

electrolyte or or separator, or to vent valves that were improperly tightened during final battery 

processmg. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -91- General/Primary Battery Session 
IUTHE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

CONCLUSIONS 

• SILVER ZINC CELLS ARE NOT HERMETIC ALL Y 

SEALED 

• V ARIOUS FLIGHT P"ROGRAMS HAVE 

EXPERIENCED ELECTROLYTE LOSS PROBLEMS 

• SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAUSES FOR EXCESSIVE 

ELECTROLYTE LOSS HA VEBEEN SEEN 

Some related to quality issues 

Some related to inappropriate cell designs 

• STATIC MODELING CAN BE HELPFUL FOR 

ESTIMATING ELECTROLYTE LOSS TENDENCIES 

Since silver zinc cells are not hermetically sealed, care must be taken to prevent the loss of 

electrolyte which can re~ult in shorting paths within the battery box. Prelaunch battery processing 

is important in being able to minimize any problems with expelled electrolyte. Just as important 

are the quality issues related to amalgamation, soponifiable impurities, and the electrolyte 

quantities contained in the individual filling bottles. Static modeling of the cell design can be 

useed to determine the electrolyte loss tendencies of that individual cell design. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -92- General/Primary Battery Session 
~ 

~ f{: 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

1,0 

W 

I 

[ 

'-

~ §o 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ gO 

JPL Experience With The 

Mars Pathfinder, Mission Simulation Battery 

NASA Battery Workshop 

December 3, 4, and 5 1996 

Huntsville, Alabama 

Dave Perrone and Richard Ewell 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

~, -, 

~ ~ ~ 

\) "-l "- ~ ~ 

~~ I 

.< ~ 

'1\ 
• 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -94- General / Primary Battery Session 
·" . .... .: .... , 

.,; 

.,; 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ ~ 

Co, 

~ L.. 

;t 

~ .... 

~ ::. 

~ 

~ 

, 

~ :.I 

.... 

:.I 

Oooi C 

0-

~ ~ 

L.. 

~ -1' 

-

. ~ -:.I 

-

-J:, 

'.J 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -95- General/Primary Battery Session 
:e 

-( 

0:: 

en 

a. 

-( 

IJ: 

U. 

-

Z 

C 

W 

0:: 

..., 

a. 

...I 

C 

~ 

o 

J: 

-( 

0:: 

C) 

W 

-

=1:1: 

o 

u. 

m 

en 

Ien 

-

:e 

~ 

~ 

W 

~ 

-( 

IN 

It) 

o 

-

co 

::l 

z!i 

0::1-

WW 

:5~ 

l!!g; 

:;~ 

WO 

0Z 

... 

~ ~ 

d· 

U) . 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~ ::0-

1/ 

S110A 

-96-

, 

co . 

o 

o 

-

o 

N 

o 

C'? 

o 

It) 

o 

J: 

o 

::J 

0:: 

en 

I 

-( 

:e 

a. 

W 

0:: 

W 

General/Primary Battery Session 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

~ lii 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

\0 

-....l 

I 

~ 

! 

....... 

~ §o 

~ 

~ lii 

~ 

~ 

~ §o 

Mars Pathfinder Battery - Expected Mission Profile 

• 4 months discharge at 1 to 2 rnA 

- battery is inverted for duration 

- ambient temperature at lSOC 

• Launch 

- battery remains inverted 

- 4.2A for 81 minutes 

- 6.0A for SO minutes 

• Cruise 

- ambient temperature from 10° to -SoC 

- stand in a partial state of charge ('" 40 ampere-hours) 

• Entry, Descent, and Landing 

- 40 Ampere-hours 

• Mars Surface Operation 

- 30 cycles at SO% depth of discharge 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

\0 

00 

I 

~ 

t 

"-

~ sf 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

§" 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY (INVERTED) 

PRE-LAUNCH DRY RUN AT 3.0 AMPERES FOR 5 MINUTES AT 25°C 

1.9 r-- 47th DAY OF RESISTIVE 

DISCHARGE AT 28K-OHM AND 

25°C 

- 1.8 ~--~------+---------~+---·um~~~~~--~----~----~-----r-----------rCURRENT--~ 

vn 

1.5 

o 

~ 

~ 1.7 -1.5 ,::g 

::::0 

rr1 

(/) 

1.6 I 1- 1 -~1_O"27 AMP-HRS -t1--~--+-------t------f-------1 -3 

~ 

1.5 

o 20 40 60 80 100 

MINUTES 

120 

-4.5 

140 

D. PERRONE 1215/963:46 PM 
:!E 

« 

a:: 

f/) 

a.. 

« 

f-

::t: 

Uz 

C 

w 

a:: 

m 

f/) 

f-

-

00 

(J 

W 

..J 

..J 

« 

tn 

I N 

c 

f/) 

:!E 

::J 

..J 

« 

i= 

0 

Z 

m 

« 

ffW 

a:: 

>-

-

z 

> 

w 

a:: 

:s 

:::> 

z 

() 

::r: 

« 

I-

~ 

..... 

to 

« 

u. 

0 

a:: 

IX) 

..... 

:2: 

z 

:::> 

lw 

en 

I-

:c 

w 

Z 

~ 

to 

0 

« 

u. 

0 

0::: 

to 

0 

~ 

z 

:::> 

Iw 

en 

~ 

C'\I 

to 

l-

::r: 

w 

z 

..... 

to 

0 

() 

« 

:2: 

-

en 

-

00 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

SllOA 

-99-

. 

................. 

-

CD 

. 

N 

N 

&0 

::t: 

0 

::J 

a:: 

f/) 

-

~ 

, 

J 

o 

0 

&0 

-

General/Primary Battery Session 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ -§ 

I 

-

0 

0 

I 

~ 

~ 

i$ 

-....... 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ §" 

Vl 

I--

--l 

0 

>-

2 

1.9 

1.8 

1.7 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CHARGE #4 FOR 12 HOURS AT 1.960 VPC THEN 12 HOURS AT 1.860 VPC AT 25°C 

FOLLOWS 7 MONTHS WITH 28KOHM RESISTIVE LOAD 

- ~~ IYP' ~~ 

'"'= ~ ". '" '. 

. . , " 

, 

, 

, " 

"~ 

" 

" 

lWITH 1.14 OHM RESISTOR I 

, 

, 

, 

" " 

. 

" 

' ..... 

!.-

", ..... 1.6 I ! ' 

1.5 ,·,···,····,_·· ... , .. · .. ·t· .. ·t .. ··t ,'.· .. ! .. ···~··-r· .... r· .. ·!-··; I ••.••• , ........ ,"' ••• J ..... \~. ' 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 

HOURS 

1 

0.8 

D. PERRONE 1215/963:47 PM 
...... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

;s 

~ 

2 

f 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

...... 

o 

...... 

I 

~ 

t 

"-

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ §o 

1.8 

1.6 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

DISCHARGE #4 - EDL PLUS RESIDUAL CAPACITY -AT 15°C 

en • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • -- ---- -

~ 1.4 f--~:~+~"'" -1- ...... : .. C.U.!'r:.';';'RS 

1.2 

............... 

1 

o 2 4 6 8 

HOURS 

10 

CEll.1 

12 14 16 

o 

-2 

» 

s:::: -4~ 

-6 

-8 

:::0 

rr1 

V) 

Do PERRONE 12151963:47 PM 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::r-

~ 

2 

1.9 

MARS PATHFINDER - eST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag .. Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CHARGE #5 AT 8A TO 1.960 VOLTS PER CEll TO 0.2A CUTOFF AT 15/25°C - WITH 1.14 OHM RESISTOR 

7.5 

6 

1.8 4.5 

~ ~ 1.7 U~ I I I I I I I I 13; 

[ 

"-

~. 

1" 

2' 

! 

~ 

~ g' 

1.6 

1.5 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 

HOURS 

70 

1.5 

CURRENT 

AMP-HRS O 

80 90 

D. PERRONE 1215196 3:47 PM 
<c 

::!3 

z 

m~ CIJ 

UJ 

~~ 

~~ 

1=5 

o 

0 

c 0:: CIJ 

~ « 

<c 

CJ~ 

0:: 

:J 

£if2 

() 

:t: 

00 

CIJ I -I 

W « ~ ..... W Z 

:E 

a. 

W 

...J 

J 

~~ 

OI 

<cifj 

~ 

co 

00 

W-I 

W 

- u. I- 0 

~~ Q. 

~ ~ 

o 

W It) 

Z 'I:t: 

u.. 

- W C> 

:t: 0:: 

I- « 

~5 CIJ 

UJ a 

~ 

~ 

N 

-

co 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

-

<0 

SllOA 

-103-

-

N 

o 

N 

General! Primary Battery Session 
~ 

o 

4 

0.. 

o 

3: 

w 

0::: 

tn 

:::> 

aJ 

tn 

>-

tn 

Iw 

:E 

tn -

:E 

:::> 

::3 

i= 

o 

Z 

LL 

o 

0::: 

tn 

Iw 

« 

C 

>-

tn 

~ 

Iw 

:E 

« 

~ 

o 

0.. 

W 

~ 

,iT 

K .. 

..J 0 W W 0 a. 0 a. ~ W 

~ « 

en 

Ien 5 

0:: 

W en 

w 

W z a. 0:: 0 ~ w_ 

« 0.1-

0 «~ 

~« 

W ox 

(.) 

I- wo 

W ::::i0:: 

a. 0.0. 

>< 0.0. 

W «« 

· 

· 

· 

· 

· 

0 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~ 7 

~ =-: 

0 

0 

~ 

0 

0 

4 

· 

0 

0 

· 

0 

~ 

0 

~ 

· 

0 

0 

0 

0 ----

/.: 

- S3md~V 

-104-

-I 

~ 

~ 

.... 

(") -It) I I 

o 

N 

o 

o 

"lit 

o 

o 

CD 

o 

o 

CO 

o 

o -

o 

o 

o -

N 

o 

o 

:E 

z 

:::> 

IW 

tn 

General/Primary Battery Session 
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

...-

0 

VI 

I 

;:s 

~ 

'" .., 

I:l 

-. 

... 

~ .., 

~. 

I:l 

~ 

tl;) 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

c· 

;:s 

2 

1.9 

1.8 

(./) 

I--

.......J 

0 

>-

1.7 

1.6 1 

1.5 

0 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CYCLE #6 - CHARGE TO 1.950 VOLTS PER CELL THEN DISCHARGE AT 3.0A TO 20.0 AMP-HRS AT 25°C 

.. 

2 4 

,oo ' .. . .. 

6 

. . ... -. 

I: )\~ 

8 10 12 14 

HOURS 

5 

3 

1 

-1 

1 -3 

I -5 

16 

:> 

s:::: 

-0 

j1j 

::::0 

j1j 

(./) 

D. PERRONE 1215/963:49 PM 
en OJ 0:: 

Z :J: I 

0 a.. 

t= « 

:E 

:3 ci 

0 

::l N 

:E 0 - I- UJ « c 0 

~ ('") 

C) ~ e( W 

~ (!) 

::l « 

0:: 

e :J: 

J: 0 I en W CI a: z W w a. :J: :E le( ...J 

...J 

0 W 

"'It 0 

J 0:: 

...J a.. 

W 

0 

w 

len 

CC) 0 

...J 

-> I- 0 UJ 10 

OJ ..... 

0> 

a: I0 

w w 

C (!) 

Z 0:: 

- « u.. :J: 

J: 0 

e( 

l-

"<to. =I:t: 

..... 

UJ w 

a: 0 

...J 

e( >- ~ 0 

-

0') 

••• l 

. 

. 

. .. . . . . , 

... 

....... 

. 

-............ 

-

co 

SllOA 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -106-

-

CD 

1.0 

-

. 

-

0 

-

N 

a: 

UJ 

CC) 

J: 

e 

::l 

o 

General/Primary Battery Session 
I

~ « en m 0::: 

Z :c I 

0 0-

f:: ~ 

~ 

« 0 ..J ci ::l N 

:E 0 - .... en ~ c: 0 

N ct) I .... 

0{ 

«W 

C)~ 

c:> 

::l ~ 

0::: 

0 :c 

::I: 0 I en W 0 

W 

0:: z 

a. :c 

w 

:E .... « ...J 

...J 

0 W 

"I:t 0 

.J' 0::: 

..J W 

W en 

0-

0 .... 00 0 

...J 

or- > I- 0 en Il) 

co ..... 

(J) 

0:: .... 

0 

W W 

C c:> 

Z ~ 

0::: 

U. I 

::I: U 

l- I 

« .qa. 'I:t: 

N 

en w 

0:: 0 

...J 

« >- :E u 

('II 

orl 

(~ 

" 

\,~ 

~ I}J! 

~,,~ I 

\ 

~ 

\ 

--

._------

, 

0) 

. or-

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~ !-- ::::=--:...-:: ~ -- ~ ff ~ 

~ A ~~~ .. / 

~",,/ 

" 

" 

--------

_.----------

00 . 

or-

// 

--_.-------- -----------------, 

S110/\ 

-107-

or-

..... 

~ 

-..... 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

CD . 

or

It) 

. 

oro 

oro 

or-

('II 

o

General/Primary Battery Session 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

A 

~ {3 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

2.1 

2 

1.9 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CYCLE #32 - CHARGE TO 1.950 VOLTS PER CELL THEN DISCHARGE AT 3.0A TO 20.0 AMP-HRS AT 15°C 

. " 

':iiiiil;}li!I!f:!fi3:::p

-

7

,~*- -. ". 

...... - .1 

. -' . . 

7 

5 

3 

~ ~ ::: I I 1 I:· .. · .... : I·········'··I~ 1 1 I :1 ; 

1.6 -3 

~ :l! 

~ 1.5 I ~'"- I -5 ~ -"-

~ §. 

~ 1.4 I I -7 

tXl 

:a. 

~ 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 ~ 

~ 

~ 

HOURS 

c· 

:l! 

D. PERRONE 1215/96 3:50 PM 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ ~ 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

-

o 

1.0 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ '-

~ §' 

~ 

..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ §' 

50 

40 

Vl 30 

0:::: 

=:> 

o 

:::r: 

I 

w..J 

0:::: 

w..J 

D-

~ 20 

10 

0 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CHARGE TO 1,950 VOLTS PER CELL THEN DISCHARGE AT 3.0A TO 20.0 AMPERE-HOURS 

• • 1, 

.. ' wit, 

: I: 

: .a...*. ..... -.. I , II • 

I ' I' . ,'''" -_ .. _ .. _, .. ,'-i+··,..-,---I--.. _··_ .. - I' , 'II 

" ~ I , " , I • r-~ .• - •. - •• - ·1. - .. t !... ' •• 

, - • • ' •• , • -c I 0 RATIO = 1 • 01- .. -.. -... '-" 

• .' " I -' " 

0 

1

+· '... . .•. I . - . . •.. 

• #~"""'. -- • ..,,'. 

: I .. '0-'. _. . . . , . , 

" 

I I: 

: ... t· ~ 

I 

, " 

I : " , . 

---..-- ~ ..... 

I 

I' , POWER:"PPLY I ":::'" '-, -+- l'!' '- --, + I 

PROBLEM I I . - . - . -

" :; , I : ' ; , I • ! I t !. ! i j ' 'it--iSJ-I .......... \, f ,1:-1· . .1: -11 • *= • • .: •• ~ •• 1· .~.. .,~ ',. ... -I- • ..... "A 

'~ . :' I I .' I ~ .~. :1 : 

I •• * . ·CHARGE J. :j; • ••• 'DISCHARGE 

• • - •• EST, SOC AT END OF CHARGE 

· . + .. CHARGE TO DISCHARGE RATIO 

';~------~--------~------~-t~-------t--------~ 

,', 

-oj. 

',' 

'. t - •• - C I 0 RATIO'" 1.0 

- • - • 25 TO 15C AMBIENT 

- • - • 15 TO 10C ANBIENT 

- • - • 10 TO 15C AMBIENT 

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 

CYCLE 

1.05 

0.99 

0.93 

0.87 

0.81 

0.75 

D. PERRONE 1215196 3:48 PM 
..... 

IC 

IC 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ c 

{l 

2 

J 

~ 

~ {l 

I 

...... 

...... 

o 

I 

~ ::s 

~ ..., 

t:l -........ 

~ §. 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

c· 

::s 

<.n 

36 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CHARGE TO 1.950 VOLTS PER CELL THEN DISCHARGE AT 3.0A TO 20.0 AMPERE-HOURS 

..... t... ~ -. r···.···_· .. -···- ............. •...• ......... ··• .. ·t···· .. ···;· .. ::·::·t ....................... . ........... ..•.. " ". .,':' .,........ ...... " 

.. 

32 H····.···· END OF DISCHARGE BATTERY VOLTAGE 

....•.... END OF CHARGE BATTERY VOLTAGE 'l" 

. 

.... - .... RANGE OF CELL VOLTAGES AT END OF CHARGE 

':::i 28 o 

> 

1 t ...... ·• .. ·A .. ·• .. ·t··· ' ... i-A .... : ........ . 

24 

20 

0 

.................................................. .. ..................... + \ Af ..... '1' ........ .. 

. . ... . , 

.... ~ 

... -' ... .+ 

+ .. 

5 10 15 

-.' " , . 

· , · , · , , , 

· . " " " 

... 

CYCLE 

1'" . .' , , 

.i.: 

20 25 30 35 

160 

120 

s:: 

r= 

c 80 a 

~ 

40 

o 

D. PERRONE 1215/96 3:49 PM 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::... 

~ {; 

I:l 

(";) 

(\) 

ttl 

I:l 

::t 

(\) 

~ 

~ .., 

s: 

~ 

I 

---I 

~ 

~ 

~ 

-

"-

::; 

§' 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~' 

V1 

f-

--' 

~ 

2.1 

2 

1.9 

1.8 

1.7 

1.6 

MARS PATHFINDER -- BST 18 CELL, 40 AMPERE-HOUR, Ag-Zn SIMULATION BATTERY 

CHARGE TO 1.950 VOLTS PER CELL THEN DISCHARGE AT 3.0A TO 20.0 AMPERE-HOURS 

1.5 t t·:: . ---1--1 -25 ~ 

1.4 

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 

CYCLE 

D. PERRONE 12/5/96 3:49 PM 
.... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ ! Mars Pathfinder Battery - Conclusions 

2 

~ ~ 

~ ° ~ • Battery survived 47 days at 25 C and supported launch loads 

.g 

I 

.... 

.... 

N 

I 

~ 

t 

'-

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ 

§' 

• Battery survived a 7 month stand at 10 to -5°C 

• Battery met and exceeded 40 ampere-hour capacity for EDL 

• Battery met the 30 cycle minimum for Mars surface operation 

• The projected power profile for Mars surface operation does not yield 

energy balance 
..... 

;g 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {:; 

2 

J 

~ 

a-

::r-

.g 

I 

--

W 

I 

~ 

t 

"-

~ §' 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ §' 

Acknowledgment 

• This work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California 

Institute of Technology under contract with the National Aeronautic 

and Space Administration. 

• This work was sponsored by the Mars Pathfinder Project and the 

NASA office of the Chief Engineer (Code AE) 

• Thanks to Zoe Adamedes and Mike Solis ofBST Systems for battery 

engineering and manufacture. 

• Thanks to Steve Dawson, Mike Shirbacheh, Burton Otzinger, and 

Subbarao Surampudi of JPL. 
Page intentionally left blank 
INVESTIGATION OF AN ABERRANT CELL VOLTAGE 

DURING THE FILLING OF A LARGE LITHIUM TIllONYL 

CHLORIDE CELL 

By: 

Lawrence H. Thaller and Michael V. Quinzio 

Presented By: Margot L. Wasz 

The Aerospace Corporation 

For Presentation AT: 

THE NASA AEROSPACE BATTERY WORKSHOP 

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 

DECEMBER 3-5, 1996 

An investigation was carried out to explain the out-of-family voltage trace 

associated with one of the 250 ampere hour lithium-thionyl chloride cells 

produced for an Air Force flight program. The voltage trace was generated 

during the manufacturing step where electrolyte is added to the cell while the 

open circuit voltage is monitored and recorded on a strip chart. Instead of 

recording a constant increase in cell voltage, there was a decrease in the open 

circuit voltage followed by a second period of increase to its expected value of 

greater than 3.6 volts. The intervening and unexplained drop in cell voltage 

was a cause of concern and an investigation into its cause was initiated. The 

investigation was carried out in several steps. First, discussions were held with 

the manufacturer. The manufacturer was able to suggest theories that were 

consistent with the observations that were available for review. The theories 

were later tested in the electrochemical laboratories of The Aerospace 

Corporation. Using specially constructed cells equipped with reference 

electrodes, the individual contributions of the anode, cathode, and cell 

container to the overall voltage transients associated with an interrupted cell 

filling process were measured. These results validated some of the 

manufacturers theories. What had been suggested as a minor contributor to the 

aberrant voltage trace was found by experimentation to be the most important 

one. That was the contribution of the porous carbon electrode. Our 

experiments added further support to the earlier conclusion that the out-offamily voltage signature seen in this cell was not indicative of a problem 

within the cell. 

"5S-.·ifY 

...... , ;; ..... ~-. c::--

oJ (P 7 fJ"'q 0 

ad?' 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -115- General/Primary Battery Session 
CELL DESIGN 

• Manufactured by 

SAFT (Poitiers) 

• 3.3 volts 

• 250 A-hr, nominal 

capacity 

• 300-500 Whlkg energy 

density 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

POSITIVE 

TERMINAL 

NEGATM 

>-- TERMINAl 

ICD------::>----It---Il" (Z-PlACES) 

ANODE AND 

CATHODE 

SUBSTRATES 

CEll CASE 

[~]THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

SAFT manufactures large, 250 ampere hour cells using the lithium-thionyl 

chloride system. The cylindrical cell consists of a series of anodes, cathodes, 

and separators which are stacked horizontally within a stainless steel can. 

Electrodes are attached to bus bars located near the outer periphery which 

connect to two anode terminals and a single, insulated, cathode feedthrough. 

The cell container is held at the same potential as the lithium electrodes. The 

electrolyte is SOCl2 with proprietary compounds added to alleviate the voltage 

delay. A single burst disk protects the cell against excessive internal pressure 

build-up. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -116- General/Primary Battery Session 
PROBLEM: An out-of-family voltage trace was 

found during the filling of a production cell 

• Voltages between the positive and both of the negatives 

are monitored during the filling process consisting of: 

- Integrity check 

- Pull vacuum 

- Electrolyte filling (1-2 minutes) 

- Settling (15-20 minutes) 

• Was the out-of-family trace caused by a short that 

cleared? Could the short re-establish itself? 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

laTHE AEROSPACe 

lilltCORPORATION 

An out-of-family voltage trace was discovered during the review of the strip 

charts recorded during the filling of a number of the lithium-thionyl chloride 

cells. Two strip charts are used during production to measure the voltage 

response during filling and settling between the anodes and cathode of the cell. 

Prior to filling, the integrity of the cell is measured by checking the resistance 

across the electrodes and a vacuum is established inside the the case. Filling is 

usually accomplished on the order of a few minutes and the cell is allowed to 

settle for 15-20 more minutes. An unexplained voltage drop was discovered in 

one of the traces for a cell. Although the chart showed that the voltage 

recovered to an acceptable open circuit voltage 25 minutes later, there was 

concern as to whether or not it might have been caused by a momentary short. 

A fully developed short can cause venting or an explosion. A short that has 

burned clear might be prone to reestablishing a destructive short at a later time. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -117- General! Primary Battery Session 
VOLTAGE TRACES DURING FILLING PROCEDURE 

Fig. I-a, Stglized "No!,Kal" Filling 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

TiKe - Minutes 

Fulu!'! 2 

3.6 Vol Is 

r2fTHE AEROSPACE 

I.S!!JCORPORATION 

The top figure is a schematic of the typical voltage changes observed during 

the filling of a lithium-thionyl chloride cell with electrolyte. The two 

characteristic voltage dips occur just after electrolyte filling commences 

(Feature 1) and after the vacuum is broken when filling is complete (Feature 

2). The abrupt change in slope prior to Feature 2 indicates a change in strip 

chart speed during settling. The lower figure is a schematic of the out-offamily voltage recorded for one of the cells. It was characterized by a steep 

voltage drop of about 75 millivolts, followed by a linear region which lasted 

about five minutes, and then another short duration voltage dip. However, 

after these events, the cell voltage exponentially increased to an open circuit 

voltage of about 3. 65V . Upon review of their records, the manufacturer 

discovered that the filling of this cell had been interrupted to clear a blockage 

in the filling apparatus. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -118- General/Primary Battery Session 
THEORIES 

• SAFT records indicated that filling had been interrupted 

due to a line blockage. It was suggested that the voltage 

dip upon resumption could have been caused by: 

- Transient Mixed Potential of the Lithium Electrode 

- Passivation of the Stainless Steel Cell Container 

- Oxidation of the Cathode 

• Aerospace initiated laboratory testing to verify which, if 

any, of these mechanisms were correct 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

IiiBTHE AEROSPACe 

_CORPORATION 

The manufacturer of the cell offered several explanations for the series of 

voltage dips encountered during interruption and restarting of the filling 

process. The lithium electrode may act as a combination lithium anode and 

rapidly corroding cathode as electrolyte covers its surface. During the time it 

takes the surface of the lithium electrode to passivate, it should display a mixed 

potential. The stainless steel cell case can act as a rapidly pacifying cathode 

when connected to the lithium electrode which might depress the open circuit 

voltage until passivation is complete. Finally, the porous carbon cathode could 

have sites which are oxidized by the thionyl chloride electrolyte upon contact. 

Though plausible, the magnitude of these three mechanisms, and the time 

scale upon which they acted, was unknown. Therefore, The Aerospace 

Corporation initiated a series of tests to evaluate each separately and together. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -119- General/Primary Battery Session 
CELL PARTS USED IN ELECTRODE STUDIES 

<D 

1 l.i thiuK Electrode 

2 Stainless Steel Cill 

3 Porous Carbon [lee trode 

4 Rd ere nee the trode 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

lul'Sl li.e 

"" 

Insulal" 

rosi Ii .. Tt ... i •• 1 

r--t-L....1..-IIt----/-..., Li,.id Lml 

Porous Cllhodf 

~~~~~~-ts.,.nlo, Lithi ... Anod. 

Crn Cln 

PJmIHE AEROSPACE: ~CORPORATION 

Several experiments were designed to explore the transient response of each 

of the three mechanisms separately. The figure above defines the schematic 

utilized in the following vue graphs to denote the various cell structures used 

in the studies. The lithium was battery grade foil from Lithcoa, the electrolyte 

was 1.5M tetrachloroaluminate dissolved in thionyl chloride. The cathode was 

a mixture of carbon black and Teflon pressed and heated on a stainless steel 

screen. The cell container was simulated using 304L stainless steel. The 

reference electrode was a strip oflithium that had been equilibrated in the 

electrolyte for at least five minutes to render it immune from any time 

dependent transients. Experiments were conducted in a glass beaker. Filling 

commenced using a burette and interrupted after adding 10% of the electrolyte 

to the test cell. After a two minute pause, the rest of the electrolyte was added. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -120- General/Primary Battery Session 
TRANSIENT MIXED POTENTIAL OF THE LITHIUM ELECTRODE 

~ 

00 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

First Step 

~ 

00 

Second Step 

d'1THE AEROSPACE: ~ CORPORATION 

This schematic shows the arrangement used to measure the transient voltage 

of the lithium electrode. When a fresh lithium surface is exposed to the 

oxidizing thionyl chloride, the surface is rapidly corroded as it forms a 

protective layer of lithium chloride. 

4Li + SOC12 = 4LiCI + S + S02 

When the second portion of electrolyte is added, the upper portion of the 

lithium will function as a redox cathode for a short period of time until it too 

has become passivated. Although most of the reaction occurs within seconds, 

the lithium chloride layer can continue to grow for days which contributes to 

the voltage delay. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -121- General/Primary Battery Session 
TRANSIENT RESPONSE OF THE LITHIUM ELECTRODE 

'40.00 r-~------------------, 

120.00 . 

100.00 . 

20.00 

0.00 .t==::!.~==""""'''''''''''------------~ 

-20.00 .I----.----,-----.---.----,---r---l 

2SO 300 350 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

400 450 

TIme (a) 

SOD 550 600 

~]THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

The above voltage response was measured during the final addition of the 

electrolyte in a cell containingjust the lithium electrode. The voltage rose very 

sharply, about 135 millivolts above the reference electrode of passivated 

lithium. The transient only lasted about 5 seconds before returning very close 

to the potential of the reference electrode. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -122- General! Primary Battery Session 
REINITIATION OF LITHIUM COVERAGE 

Exposed Electronic 

Cunduc tor Ac Is 

As Redox E\ec trode 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

1.;" + CI· ~ LiCII + c· 

LiCI forKs 

On fresh Corrosion 

Surface 

Discharging Li thi"" 

Displaces Stahle 

Corrosion Laye!' 

p;mTHE AEROSPACE 

L!'JCORPORATION 

The chemical and electrochemical reactions taking place in the lithium 

electrode during the transient are shown schematically. Once a stable 

passivation layer is formed in areas that have been exposed to the thionyl 

chloride electrolyte, and new areas are subsequently exposed, the newly 

exposed areas function as an electrode for the discharge ofthionyl chloride 

while the previously exposed areas are discharged. Electrons from the 

previously passivated portion of the lithium are supplied to the portion that is 

discharging thionyl chloride. As the passivation process progresses, the 

amount of current flowing between the two portions ofthe lithium diminishes. 

The reaction taking place at the lower portion of the the electrode is: 

Li + CI- = LiCl + eThus the lithium electrode is acting as a redox electrode, and the surface 

functions only to interchange electrons to soluble species in the electrolyte. 

The reactions occurring on the newly exposed surface as it corrodes are: 

4e- + 2S0Cl2 = S + S02 + 4CI4Li + SOCl2 = 4LiCI + S + S02 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -123- General/Primary Battery Session 
SHORTING OF THE STAINLESS STEEL CELL CONTAINER 

CAN SHORTS OUT TO TIlE LITHIUM 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

BELATED TOUCHING OF TIlE CAN 

(flDTHE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

kceft4 Slf, 

The influence of the stainless steel cell container was investigated using two 

different scenarios. In the first, the can is shorted to the lithium and the current 

measured while the stainless steel acts as a redox electrode for the the 

reduction ofthionyl chloride until it is passivated. In the second configuration, 

the electrolyte does not contact the stainless steel can until after both the 

lithium anode and carbon cathode are wetted. When filling is resumed, both 

the lithium and the stainless steel act as rapidly passivating redox cathodes. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -124- General/Primary Battery Session 
TRANSIENT RESPONSES DUE TO THE CELL CONTAINER 

... .a.oo 

.... u. 

~ .•. ~ 'uo .... /r- . ...•. - .... .00 

r ... .... I ..... '.4S 

.... f H.' 

t--- ... ... . - I ... i u. ~ 

, ... j .... De 

4-4'0 _ , ... ~~ 

~ ,.DO '.as .... ...... " .. "'0 . ... , ... '.tS - t (COI,a '0 liulIUmJ 

.o'GO.GO .... ·z .• . , .. 200 >DO 

- ... ... .. .. 0 .. , .. ... >GO ,10 >DO 

n..101 """'I>' 

CAN SHORTS BELATED CONTACT 

Energy Technology Department (e) THE AEROSPACE 

Electronics Technology Center CORPORATION 

The figure on the left shows the transient of the current and voltages 

measured against the reference electrodes ofthe stainless steel shorted to the 

lithium electrode. The top curve shows a small voltage rise measured between 

the stainless steel and the lithium anode. The middle curve depicts the voltage 

drop as measured between the lithium anode and the reference electrode. The 

bottom curve is the measured current between the case and the lithium anode. 

The figure on the right depicts the voltage measured following belated 

contact of the stainless steel to the wetted lithium and carbon electrodes. The 

traces shown are the voltage between the lithium anode and carbon cathode, 

and the current measured between the stainless steel and the lithium anode. 

The transients from both scenarios are rapid and last about 10-20 seconds. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -125- General! Primary Battery Session 
DIFFERENT STAINLESS CONDITIONS 

BaH 

Stainless 

Stfel 

Surface 

Partiil 

Fill 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

electl'OnS, 10 LithiuM 

FOl'Ming 

Portion 

of Layer 

Passivation 

Layer 

Interopted 

Fill-Can Neutral 

Rapidly 

e' Passiviling 

Redox 

Ehctl'Ode 

Exposed Electronic 

Conduc tal' fie Is 

e' As Redox Ehelrode ~' ... 2SOCI, = so ... so, -I- 4CI" 

Interopttd 

Fill-Can Negative 

raIHE AEROSPACE 

II!!.iICORPORATION 

The stainless steel portions of the cell are protected by a passivation layer of 

chloride as a result of being oxidized by the thionyl chloride (left-hand side 

figure), When connected to the lithium anode, a complete electrochemical cell 

is formed which discharges active material until a passivation layer is formed 

on the stainless steel at which time the reaction falls to a negligible rate. In this 

case, the stainless steel acts as a redox electrode as shown in the right-hand 

side figure. In the case neutral position (center figure), the stainless steel still 

reacts with the thionyl chloride to form a passivation layer which protects the 

metal against further oxidation by the thionyl chloride. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -126- General/Primary Battery Session 
SEARCH FOR CATHODE TRANSIENT 

~~~~ first Step 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

Second Step 

~THE AEROSPACE ~CORPORATION 

The porous carbon electrode is a candidate for the lowered voltage transients 

seen because it is formed in a reducing atmosphere and thus may have 

oxidizable surface sites that react upon exposure to the thionyl chloride. Also, 

the carbon electrode is partially non-wetting which could affect the rate of 

oxidation by the electrolyte. The above schematic shows the configuration 

used to measure the relative contributions ofvoltages from the lithium anode 

and carbon cathode in an interrupted filling process. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -127- General/Primary Battery Session 
CATHODE VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS (FRESH CATHODE) 

3.60,------------------. 

I uo· ········~~·F········· .......... ~~.~ .................................................... . 

1I ~ 3A5 .•..•....•..........•.••••.......•.........•..•.........••..........••.....•..........•.......•..•...... 

8. 3.40' ..................................................................... _ ................................. . 

! 

3.35 ............................................................................................................ . 

3.30 01----~50-----,,00---,..,...50---200.----I250 

Time (s, 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center [~]THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

This expanded voltage transient was measured between the reference 

electrode and the carbon electrode. It shows the characteristic initial dip 

(Feature 1) common to the normal filling process as well as the final dip at the 

end of filling. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -128- General/Primary Battery Session 
VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS FROM REFERENCE ELECTRODES 

3.60,-----------------_--, 

100% flU 

3.551----~7_"'1---___:>~-------

... - V (Ref vs Carbon) 

'ii 3.50 

~ 

.. 

!.'! '" 

g 

- V (Li vs Carbon) 

3.40 .. -~i:}---------------­ .'~ 

. "'0%UU 

3.35±-----c~--r-'":"'":'--r--r-----r--.---,--......--! 

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 

TIme (s) 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

r.BUHE AEROSPACE: 

"'CORPORATION 

This figure shows the relative contributions of both the lithium and the 

carbon electrodes to the second filling transient shown on the last figure. It is 

evident that the majority of the response is due to the oxidation ofthe porous 

carbon electrode. Note that this voltage transient is much longer than the 

transients associated with the passivation ofthe lithium anode and the stainless 

steel can. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -129- General/Primary Battery Session 
SCHEMATIC OF CARBON REDOX ELECTRODE 

2S0CI. + 4Red = 40xCI + 5 + 50. 

5 + 50, + 4CI- - 4ef + 2S0CIt ""'-- ./ 

E = E" 

1'\ 

- (RT/nF)ln[SOCI,]'/[5](50,][CI-], 

A A AJ1f ~ 

W Porous CarLon Eleclrode 

Energy Technology Department Electronics Technology Center ~THE AEROSPACe 

trrSICORPORATION 

The figure above depicts the internal oxidation reaction by the thionyl 

chloride on the porous carbon electrode. The oxidation reaction can be 

described by the Nernst equation where the voltage is a function of the 

concentrations of species present. : 

When new portions of the carbon cathode are exposed, there is a rapid drop in 

voltage (Feature 1), but not all interior sites are immediately oxidized. There is 

a slow recovery as reaction products diffuse out of the carbon electrode into 

the bulk electrolyte, and as a result, the voltage exponentially approaches the 

open circuit value. Porosity and wetting behavior also affect the rate of the 

oxidation of the cathode_ Many of pores are at a higher pressure than the rest 

cell during the vacuum-filling process, and once vacuum is broken at the end 

offilling and the cell is exposed to atmospheric pressure, the electrolyte 

quickly penetrates these regions causing the final, short voltage dip identified 

as Feature 2 in the normal filling process. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -130- General/Primary Battery Session 
CA THODE VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS (USED CATHODE) 

4.00.,-------------------.., 

3.S0 --;---. 

3.00 ----jOO%""RlI'------------------

2.50 .--- - -- -_.-

!!! l 2.00 - --- ---------------------------- ---.. -

.. 

~ 1.50 ---1------------------ --- -,,--- ----- ~ - AefvsCC 

1.00 --1----------------------

0.50 - LivsCC ,-----=~--=--=-------------------- .. -

O.OO-j..4.,-.J-=:-------,----·--------·-----

~ 10%011 

-0.50+--,---,.-----,r-----r--,.---r--..----.----.---i 

o 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center 

TIme (5) 

"THE AEROSPACE ~ CORPORATION 

To test the hypothesis that the voltage transients were indeed caused by the 

oxidation of the carbon cathode by the thionyl chloride, the previous 

experiment was repeated with a fresh lithium anode and a used porous carbon 

electrode. The above voltage transients between the reference electrode and 

the carbon cathode, and between the lithium anode and the carbon cathode, 

were measured during the interrupted filling procedure. Note that there are no 

voltage dips, and Features 1 and 2 are absent. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -131- General/Primary Battery Session 
SUMMARY STATEMENTS 

• An aberrant voltage trace was noted during the review of 

cell filling data 

• Incident was traced to an interruption during filling 

• Experimentation suggested oxidizable sites within the 

carbon electrode were responsible for the drop in voltage 

• The voltage anomaly could be reproduced by interrupting 

the filling of similar cells 

• Anomalous voltage dip was not due to a short 

• The battery containing this cell is scheduled for flight 

Energy Technology Department 

Electronics Technology Center ~'THE AEROSPACE 

!!III CORPORATION 

The out-of-family voltage signatures seen in the filling of the 250 ampere 

hour lithium thionyl chloride cell can be attributed to the response of the 

carbon electrode to interrupted filling. It is controlled by the rate of oxidation 

of the carbon cathode by the thionyl chloride. Both the magnitude and the 

time duration of the response, which were experimentally measured, were in 

accordance with the initial anomaly. Other interrupted filling tests ofIithiumthionyl chloride batteries by the manufacturer reproduced the signature on 

similar cells. These studies showed that the response ofthe production cell 

was appropriate for an interrupted filling procedure and not indicative of a 

temporary short. The cell is now part of a nine-cell battery scheduled for 

flight. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -132- General/Primary Battery Session 
~6-f?f 

C/ ,,)/ ,,:~.~ 

NASA ARC "'ltaOi) ;2~ 79q I 

/C)p. 

GALILEO PROBE BATTERY SYSTEM 

B. P Dagarin, R. K. Taenaka, and E. J. Stofel 

Hughes Space and Communications Company, EI Segundo, CA 90245 

Presented at the 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

December 3-5, 1996 

At the Huntsville Hilton Hotel 

Huntsville, Alabama 

®oOPYIfiHl1888 

HUIIHfI ElfCROIICI 

Galileo Probe Battery System 

CONCLUSIONS NfR~ 'HlIaO!) Deoomber 1 ... 

• Battery performance met mission requirements, with margin 

• Extensive ground-based and flight tests of batteries prior to 

Probe separation from Orbiter provided good prediction 

of actual entry performance at Jupiter 

• Li-S02 battery was an important choice for Probe's main power: 

- good energy density, 

- established manufacturing processes, 

- excellent energy retention in extended storage, 

- acceptable limit on voltage delay at start-up 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • The Gallleo Probe was designed and built by Hughes Space and Communications 

under the direction of the NASA Ames Research Center, Contract NAS 2·10000 

• LI·S02 batteries were manufactured by Alliant Techsystem Power Sources Center 

(previously Honeywell PSC), with continuing technical support during entire mission 

• Thermal batteries were manufactured by Eagle-Picher Industries 

• Dual use of Li-S02 and thermal batteries was suggested by General Electric 

• Supportive dIagnostic measurements and helpful dIscussloris were provIded by 

several personnel at the Sandia National Laboratories 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -133- General/Primary Battery Session 
Galileo Probe Battery System 

GALILEO PROBE MISSION ~':t~A "iltd"f1 

Deoomber1. 

• Gameo Probe was the first spacecraft to enter and measure 

an outer planet atmosphere 

• There was a 6-hour pre-entry and entry operation in addition to 

the 1-hour atmospheric descent on the main parachute 

• 6 science Instruments measured various atmospheric parameters 

• Data was telemetered to the Orbiter spacecraft, which later 

relayed the data to Earth (in non-real time) 

SCHEDULE 

• 1977 - Program approved by Congress 

• 1979-81 - Fabrication of principal Probe hardware 

• 1982-86 - NASA made several revisions to launch schedule 

• 1981-88 - Multiple rebuilds of Li-S02 batteries 

• 1989(oct) - Launch by Shuttle, with Probe attached to Orbiter 

• 1989-95 - Cruise, via Venus+Earth+Earth Gravity Assist (VEEGA) 

• 1995(Jul) - Probe separated from Orbiter, for trajectory divergence 

• 1995(Dec) - Jupiter Encounter 

The Galileo Probe required an internal source of electrical power. The source was required to remain 

quiescent for several years with minimum loss of stored energy, then be activated to drive the scientific 

instruments and the radio transmitter for a few hours as the Probe approached and then entered the Jovian 

atmosphere. Primary batteries were ideal for this application. 

The Li/S02 batteries were built by Honeywell Power Sources Center, in Horsham, Pennsylvania 

(recently renamed Alliant Techsystems). Because the Galileo Program was very ambitious, several times 

during its development the launch schedule was postponed. Most of these were due to difficulties in providing an adequate launch vehicle for the mission. None of these delays were ever due to any problems with the 

batteries-nevertheless, with each Program delay new Li/S02 batteries were fabricated so that the freshest 

possible units would be available for the revised launch schedule. Thus, battery manufacturing and testing 

was repeated several times at Alliant. The fIrst acceptable flight units were from manufacturing Lot 3, the 

final units, as used for the actual Galileo flight, were from Lot 10. While most of the intervening lots 

demonstrated adequate performance during their respective lot qualification tests, it is interesting to note that 

Lots 3 and 10 showed the best performance. The commonalty between these two great lots was the fact that 

their electrolyte was mixed by hand rather than by a mechanized batch mixer that was common to the intervening lots. 

The thermal batteries were built by Eagle Picher Industries in Joplin, Missouri. Development of these 

had included a redesign of the header insulation. The batteries of manufacturing Lot 6 passed all qualification tests well. Because of the Galileo Program delays, there were recertification tests run on samples of 

these thermal batteries, but these tests showed that there was no need to rebuild fresher batteries. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -134- General/Primary Battery Session 
Dec '90: 1st Earth 

Gravity Assist 

.-!I!!!!I....-III!~ 

""~A .llIm!!!, Feb'90:-_~ 

Deoombor 1181 Venus 

Gravity 

Assist 

GAll LEO 

VENUS-EARTH-EARTH 

GRAVITY ASSIST 

TRANSFER ORBIT 

TO JUPITER 

Jul '95: Probe 

Release 

Dec '92: 2nd Earth 

Gravity Assist 

Oct '91: 

Gaspara Asteroid 

Fly-by 

The VEEGA mission was devised by JPL in 1986 as an alternate to the originally planned direct route 

to Jupiter. That direct route had to be abandoned after the required Centaur upper stage was declared unsuitable for use with any future Shuttle launch-it was deemed to be potentially too dangerous by the committee that conducted the in-depth NASA safety review that had followed the disastrous launch attempt of the 

Challenger Shuttle in January 1986. Upon the acceptance of the VEEGA alternative, the transit time from 

Earth to Jupiter escalated from the 2 years that had been planned for the Centaur driven direct transit to a 

6 year VEEGAjourney following a circuitous route of approximately 2.4 billion miles. 

The tripling of the transit duration was a real concern to the battery engineers-there were insufficient 

data available at that time to assure that LilS02 batteries would remain fully viable for such a long duration. We initiated a life-time assessment study at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) under the direction of 

Dr. Sam Levy, using representative sample cells subjected to a variety of elevated temperatures. That 

comprehensive and enlightening study is documented in SNL Report No. SAND88-2218·UC-94C. The 

shelf life changes found by the SNL work indicated a worse case loss of no more than 0.04 Ahlyr, assuming a 6 year temperature of O°C, the temperature expected for the VEEGA transit. This was considerably 

more optimistic than the 0.2 Ah/yr assumption that had been used until that time. This represented a 

substantial reduction in the estimate of the battery capacity loss, giving the battery engineers and the Probe 

Program Office a great deal of confidence in the stability of our primary power system. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -135- General/Primary Battery Session 
• As Probe approached Jupiter, . • LI-S02 battery turned on, by timer, 

• -.A.- 6 hr before Jupiter encounter :'.: 

.... , 

Probe arrived at Jupiter, Ai~ NASA 

High-G deceleration,.. .... tl!',. ,.... ARC 

as atmosphere : ~ ',"'. • • . was encountered •••• 

(atE+Omln) •• ". \ 

Pilot parachute deployed' •• " '. 

(E+1.8 min) •••• 

. Aft cover removed' •• 

iliiN!!!' 

D ....... ...,.,. .. 

DEPLOYMENT (E+1.9mln) ", 

SEQUENCE Main parachute deployed'" I, ,. .. OF THE (E+1.9 min) .. 

GAll LEO PROBE 

FOR ENTRY Heat shield dropped off: ....... 

INTO THE ...... ... .. (E+2.1 min) (::.!::::::;~" ';':;~':<$ JOVIAN .. ~..,< .•••• , ~ •••••••• :~~ ~.:;; ••••• - '":::~:,,: "<:~. : 

ATMOSPHERE ,'"''''-''' -=->,Telemetry of data, ."" .. c.:~ ' ............ , .•• _.i' (",." .. , tI:I.rough atmosphere, r~. "', .. j.",<~: to the Orbrter I ;: .... t~:~~~ .. , :·::.:·· ... :::::-:·:.~i ~~~· .. :·::.t·:-. I 

{<;:~~') ~':::.:·:;·:r ~.~:'.::~.:.:.~~.~~ .... :'. ~; .. : .. ; ..~:~ 

, .•. ~..... ;';:;.\ Probe mlsslo~ ~~;~;~~~e~{·'· f; .. ;) ~/\,.} (E+61 min) Ck:.~··\j;; ··v./· 

"¥~ ... ~' , .. i'-;" t .... 

,:: t",-;.; 

The Probe was separated from the Orbiter near midnight on July 12, 1995. The.~obe was released on 

a ballistic trajectory toward its target zone on Jupiter at 6.57 deg ± 0.5 deg north latitude near the night-day 

terminator with an entry flight path angle of -8.6 deg ± 1.4 deg. We were well within the tolerance on 

both parameters. 

Before Probe release, the modest power requirements of the Probe had been supplied by the attached 

Orbiter through an umbilical cord. After release, all Probe power was supplied by its on-board batteries. For 

the subsequent 5 month Coast phase the only significant electrical load was the on-board clock, set to 

awaken the Probe's electronics 6 hours prior to Encounter. The clock was set just before Probe release. It 

ran from oIlly battery Module 3, leaving the other two modules undisturbed. The 5 month wake-up 

occurred with precision-within 18 seconds of the nominal time even though a tolerance of 8.6 minutes 

would have been permitted. 

The Probe functioned flawlessly throughout the Coast and the Pre-Entry Periods. All of the Coast and 

the first 5.5 hours of the Pre-Entry period were single string operations. Initial turn-on, at Entry-6 hr, was 

the time at which the three battery modules underwent their battery clean-up (or depassivation) of the 

lithium anodes. 

At the atmospheric Encounter, the Probe survived entry deceleration and its heating very nicely but was 

53 seconds late in deploying the main parachute. This was due to a harness wiring error-the thermal and 

Li/S02 batteries satisfied all their Entry deployment functions properly. 

The parachute controlled Descent phase operated well, with the Li/S02 batteries providing all required 

power. The Probe achieved a depth equivalent to 24 bars pressure before we lost our RF link due to extreme 

temperature and pressure on the RF transmitter. This Probe performance exceeded our core mission requirement, which had been merely to reach at least 10 bars. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -136- General/Primary Battery Session 
LOCATION OFTHE 

BATTERIES 

WITHIN THE 

GAll LEO PROBE 

DESCENT MODULE 

Diameter of Descent Module 

=32 Inches 

Note: 

The Descent Module was launched 

within Its Entry Heat Shield, which 

had external dimensions of: 

~-- 49 In. ---i~ 

Total Weight of Probe = 747 lb. 

(Descent Module and Heat Shield) .. Forward direction 

The descent module was designed and built by Hughes Space and Communication Company. A major 

subcontractor was the General Electric Re-Entry Systems Division (now part of Lockheed-Martin) who 

designed and built the deceleration subsystems, i.e., the heatshields, separation mechanisms, and the 

parachutes. 

The descent module was designed to be as compact as possible to minimize the size and therefore the 

weight of the surrounding heat shield. The electronics and all other components therein were very densely 

packaged. The mechanical design of the battery modules provided a conformal shape to match the limited 

space. It also provided mechanical ruggedness to survive Entry deceleration along with thermal isolation 

during discharge to protect sensitive surrounding electronics. 

The Probe's science instrument compliment and principle investigators are: 

Neutral Mass Spectrometer: Hasso Niemann, NASA-GSFC 

Helium Abundance Detector: Ulfvon Zahn, Univ. of Rostock, Kiihlungsborn, Germany 

Atmospheric Structures Instrument: Alvin Seiff, San Jose State Univ. Foundation, San Jose, CA 

Nephelometer: Boris Ragent, San Jose State Univ. Foundation, San Jose, CA 

Net Flux Radiometer: Larry Sromovsky, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 

Lightening & Radio Emissions Detector: Louis Lanzerotti. Lucent Labs., Murray Hill, NJ 

Energetic Particle Instrument: Harold Fischer, Univ. of Kie!. Kiel, Germany 

Doppler Wind Experiment: David Atkinson, Univ. ofIdaho, Moscow, ID 

The science instrument package weighed 66 lb, 24% of the 278 Ib descent module. 

The three Li/S02 modules weighed a total of 16.5 lb, 6% of the total descent module. Each of these 

battery modules was 2.8 in. by 3.5 in. by 14.0 in. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -137- General! Primary Battery Session 
'1~~A i!iiidliiJ 

o.-bor 1"' 

SCHEMATIC 

CIRCUIT OF 

GALILEO PROBE 

Li-S02 BATTERY 

3 modules In 

parallel for the 

Probe battery 

13 cells In series 

In each module 

Bypass diode 

across each cell 

~~o- Indicates 

series and parallel 

redundant switch 

-0""'0""'0- Indicates 

series only 

redundant switch 

To voltage telemetry 

circuits for: Module #J3! 

Module 

Module#J1 

62 

Coast 

Timer 

The Probe power subsystem was a simple but well planned design with careful effort put forth to 

assure that the Li/S02 battery modules were provided the utmost protection from detrimental effects of any 

inadvertent single part failure. Special attention was given to circuit failures that might prevent any module 

from being coupled to the mission loads under command or that might inadvertently drain any battery 

module prior to the Probe's arrival at Jupiter. The above schematic battery circuit shows locations of key 

redundant series+parallel switches. 

The modules were also designed with internal by-pass diodes across each cell so as to prevent the loss 

of a complete module if anyone of its constituent cells would have failed due to an open circuit, an abnormal capacitiloss, or by any other means. 

Each module was equipped with two sets of electrical connectors: a power connector and a testlby-pass 

connector. The latter permitted fusing, as a safety precaution, during all ground-based system tests. 

Furthermore, whenever the by-pass fused plugs were physically removed, the modules became disarmed so 

that it was impossible to discharge any of them even if a power switch had been closed inadvertently during 

any test operation. As final preparation before launch, at the launch site, the fused by-pass plugs were 

removed; and hard wired plugs substituted. After that time, the three module power connectors provided 

direct access, without fusing, to the above indicated switches leading to the Probe's power bus. 

Just prior to launch, as well as multiple times during the preceding ground tests, we measured the wire 

harness between the modules and the power relays under applied system voltage to verify that any current 

leakage was less than 150 nA. This low leakage requirement was especially important for assuring that any 

external battery drain during the 6 year transit from Earth to Jupiter would be negligible. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -138- General/Primary Battery Session 
Galileo Probe Battery System 

THERMAL BATTERY 

Used as the energy source to fire 

the large, staging pyrotechnics for 

release of heat shield and parachute 

Two Independent thermal batteries on 

Probe, each wHh two electrically parallel 

cell stacks, thus providing redundancy 

Each thermal battery activated by firing 

Its internal squibs (two, for redundancy) 

using energy from LJ-S02 battery 

Ca and CaCr04 Electrodes 

KCI+LlCI Eutectic Electrolyte 

Zr+BaCr04 Thermal Paper 

storage Temperature = Room 

Activation Temperature> 400 C 

(above the melting temperature of KCI+LICI) 

Battery Voltage = 37 V (open circuit) 

Current requirements: 

'1r:.~A ,: (ltd Ii tl D .... m!»r 1118 

6 pulses, ranging from 5.3 A to 15.9 A, 

each 22 ms In duration, distributed 

sequentially within an Interval of 13 s Hermetically Sealed Container 

The CalCaCr04 thermal batteries were used for the sole purpose of supplying the few large current 

pulses required for firing the pyrotechnic pressure cartridges that jettisoned the heat shields and deployed the 

parachute. The use of these supplemental, single purpose batteries avoided placing large pulses on the main 

power bus which could otherwise have had a deleterious impact on the Probe's command sequencer. 

The two miniature squibs within each thermal battery were redundant, fired sequentially from an 8-cell 

tap on each of the three 13-cell Li/S02 modules. The later three modules operated in parallel, for redundancy. The demand for the pulsed power to activate the large cartridges occurred within an interval of less 

than a minute, so thermal batteries were the logical choice for this application. They remained hot, and 

therefore active, for longer than was necessary to satisfy the pulsed current requirements. 

Systems development tests demonstrated that a small, resistive load connected continuously across the 

activated thermal batteries aided the maintenance of their voltage stability during the pulsed load demands. 

The thermal batteries had more than enough capacity to supply that small continuous load as well as the 

large pulses. 

The performance of the thermal batteries during the actual descent of the Probe into the Jovian atmosphere was not monitored directly-their rise in voltage and their all important current pulses would have 

been too rapid to have been recorded at the low data rate that had been allocated for monitoring functions 

within the Probe. However, from our analysis of the overall flight data we can deduce that the thermal 

batteries performed their required function, releasing the heat shield and parachute upon demand. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -139- General/Primary Battery Session 
Galileo Probe Battery System 

FLIGHT & LABORATORY DATA ~~~A 'iii'dii!' 

D_ber1tH 

FLIGHT DATA OF BUS VOLTAGE COMPARED WITH LABORATORY TEST 

OF SIMILAR BATTERY SYSTEM DURING 7 hr MISSION SEQUENCE FDAT 

40 

Clean-up sequence = 76 0 for 0.016 s; 6000 for 0.10 s; 9.660 for 10s; 1.44 A for 10 s, for test 

. ... 

, 

+ 

, 

. . ',-

< 

~ 

CD 

... 

< < ~ ~ CD CD 

... ... 

9 t 

< < < < II) II) II! II) 

CIi CIi ell CIi 

... t t ... ... 

t

attery 

oads 

~ l"'" J. ". 

Clean 10 1 2 3 4 5 61 0 10 20 30 40 50 ~q 

~p I+-- Time (hr) •• Time (min) ------~., pu ses (before entty) X X X Data from Right, 7 Dec 1996(after entry} 

60 70 

- Right Descent Antecedent Test (FDAT). Feb 1996, at ATS, 

using 3 parallel Lot 10 modules after mUlti-year aging 

To say that we were pleased with the performance of our LilS02 battery modules on December 7, 

1995, would be an understatement. They performed precisely as predicted. 

The solid line in the above graph represents the performance of three similar battery modules in a 

real-time laboratory simulation of the 6-hour Pre-entry and the hour of Descent. This was the concluding 

portion of the Flight Descent Antecedent Test (FDAT), a test executed to simulate total flight performance 

in real time as closely as practical and thereby provide a useful tool for predicting flight performance. The 

test modules were from the same manufacturing lot as the flight modules. Their temperature was controlled 

meticulously the entire time after manufacture to mimic the temperature history of the flight modules 

during the La:unch, Cruise, Coast, Pre-entry, and Descent phases of the Probe's mission. The Coast phase 

simulation lasted 155 days, including a simulated clock load. The FDAT was completed on February 21, 

1995-in sufficient time before the Probe's release from the Orbiter (July '95) to permit analysis of the 

FDAT data and to consider their systems operational implications. 

Our two voltage data points from the Pre-entry flight time matched the FDAT predictions very well. 

The first flight point is a little low, as expected because the flight load was slightly larger than the FDAT 

load at the equivalent time. On the other hand, the Descent voltage profile from flight was slightly higher 

than that from the FDAT, due to both lighter loads in flight and a higher temperature beginning at 

Entry+30 minutes. The jump in flight voltage at = Entry+47 minutes was due to the loss of RF String B 

and the resultant decrease in bus loads of 4.1 A. 

We believe that the flight LilS02 battery had sufficient remaining energy to have lasted, even if full 

load had been maintained, to reach our predicted battery operation duration of Entry+ 76 minutes. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -140- General/Primary Battery Session 
I Cfiallfao I Galileo Probe Battery System 

~ FLIGHT & LABORATORY DATA ~':t~A 'hllmif) o-tMr1H. 

'4 

::I 

m 

25 

FLIGHT DATA OF BUS VOLTAGE COMPARED WITH LABORATORY TESTS OF 

4 SIMILAR BATTERIES DURING THEIR 7 hr MISSION SEQUENCE LOAD TESTS 

.. 

, 

-,.. 

~. 

~. , .. .,. , 

20 V·~~~~,~,~~,;~--~----~--~--~--~ __ ~ __ ~ __ ~ 

Clean 10 1 2 3 4 5 61 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 ~ 

pu~~es .. Time (hr) • r( Time (min) -------1., (before entiy) X X X Data from flight, 7 Dec 1995 (after entry) 

- Descent Antecedent Test, Feb 1995, with multl-year aged Lot 10 

" .. " Real Time Qualification Test, Aug 1988, with 6-month aged Lot 10 

+-I- Accelerated Time Qualification Test, Mar 1988, artificially aged Lot 10 

• • - Aged Module Evaluation, Dec 1987, with multi-yea, aged ~t 3 

This interesting graph compares the flight data with the results of several preceding laboratory battery 

tests. The solid line is for the FDAT, our best ground simulation of flight conditions, as explained with the 

preceding graph. The line with the slanted stripe pattern is the Real Time Lot 10 Qualification Test, 

completed 6 months following manufacturing. It had a real time simulation of the 5 month Coast interval. 

However, the preceding simulation of the 5.5 year Cruise phase was highly accelerated-a 1.1 Ah 

discharge ~over 4.5 hr) of each of the three module to approximate the capacity loss estimated for 5.5 years 

of quiescent storage. The line with periodic crosses depicts the result of the even faster Accelerated Lot 10 

Qualification Test wherein a 60 hr, 6.0 Ah discharge of only Module 3 was used to simulate capacity loss 

for all modules for both the Cruise and the Coast phases. The dotted line is the result of testing Lot 3 

modules which had been quiescently stored for several years as an approximation for the Cruise phase (but 

without the precise temperature control used for the Lot 10 FDAT). Following this Cruise approximation, 

the Lot 3 modules had a real time, 5 month Coast simulation with the standard clock load. No accelerated 

loads had been applied to those Lot 3 modules prior to the discharge depicted in the above graph. 

One can clearly see the difference in voltage response (to the 9.6 A ground test simulation of the 

Descent load) between the Real Time and the Accelerated Lot 10 Qualification Tests. This difference was 

common to every lot for which their testing had included both versions of time simulations. This provides 

a clear justification for real-time system level testing for this electrochemical system. This 7 to 8 minute 

difference in time to reach the 27 V lower limit for satisfactory systems operation is significant for its 

importance to the mission performance prediction, as it represents 10% of the critical Descent portion of the 

mission. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -141- General/Primary Battery Session 
MODULE 

CURRENTS 

FOR FINAL 

PART OF THE 

LABORATORY 

FLIGHT DESCENT 

ANTECEDENT 

TEST 

( in February. 1995 ) 

MODULE 

DISCHARGE 

FOR FINAL 

PART OF THE 

LABORATORY 

FLIGHT DESCENT 

ANTECEDENT 

TEST 

(In February! 1995 ) 

6 

o 

:i:25 

~ 

I 0.35A 

Total Battery Current 

)II 1.52 A )II 9.60 A 

~~ ~ 

0 

Cl 

""0-1. 

ftftOa 

5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 

Time (h). from lurn-on for: 0 :Mod 1; A :Mod 2; C =Mod 3 

Total Battery Current I 0.35 A _, 1.52 A )II 9.60 A 

)II 

~ 

.........o:J 

7.5 

.."., &20 

"-II 

.l! 

¥ 15 ..J ~ 

is 

~10 ....... :::I 

S 5 :::I 

~ 0 

C ClCCC 

J. .c..c.A4 

~ ~ 

5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 

Time (h). from turn-on for: 0 =Mod 1; A =Mod' 2; CI =Mod 3; • -Bus 

These two graphs illustrate the efficiency of our Probe battery system in terms of sharing current as 

well as delivering Ah capacity. The top graph depicts how Module 1 and Module 2 supplied most of the 

current during the 9.6 A. Descent phase of the FDAT simulated mission. Module 3 had already expended 

more than half of its capacity supporting the clock during the real-time 155-day Coast phase, yet during the 

Descent phase even that module was still able to contribute all of its remaining energy to the common bus. 

The Descent phase of this FDAT concluded when each of three modules simultaneously reached the same 

limit in their capacity, as can be seen by comparing the delivered Ah results in the lower graph. This was 

the expected result, arising from the parallel design of the three-module battery. 

The cross-over (Le., the wave pattern in the top graph) of the currents that were supplied individually 

by Module 1 and Module 2 during Descent was a pattern noted throughout the several discharge tests at 

Honeywell (Alliant) and was also seen the during systems test on the Probe. We believe this also occurred 

in flight (but individual module currents were not monitored in flight}-it answers the question of why the 

temperatures (which were monitored in flight) of the two modules differed in their rate of change. 

Module 2's flight temperature initially rose at the faster rate but then slowed down. Module 1 at fIrst rose 

slowly but ended with a more rapid rate. By the end of the 60 minutes of available flight Descent data, both 

modules had arrived at similar temperatures, indicating by that time they had supplied equal amounts of 

integrated Ah during their respective discharges, another aspect of the expected response for modules 

connected in parallel. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -142- General/Primary Battery Session 
.... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

(\) 

C5 

~ 

~ (\) 

tl::I 

(6aGr~o J'roll~ 

Galileo Probe Battery System 

LESSONS LEARNED 

NASA 

ARC HUGHES 

December 1996 

! · Command System Back-up Modes provided for variety of potential failures: 

~ - G-switch override-for potential coast, pre-entry failures 

~ {J 

- Lock-out option, at release from Orbiter, of either string A or string B 

- Option, at release from Orbiter, to use 5 month timer or G-switch mode 

- Provided early time-out shut-down, to protect remaining battery energy 

~ • Using thermally activated batteries to provide major pyro-firing pulses 

~ was effective in preventing transient overloads on main battery 

• Minimizing parasitic electrical loads on battery (by initial design, verified 

by preflight testing on assembled spacecraft) was vital for assuring 

retention of stored energy during 6 year interplanetary transit time 

f 

~ • LilS02 Battery isolation was made adequate for the 6-year cruise 

~" by providing series-parallel switching (relays) in all paths including 

'! those for the battery module OCV telemetry measurements. 

! 

~ 

~ §" 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::... 

~ 

;s 

{:; 

I:l 

(6oUfc6

o 

!'ro (? 

Galileo Probe Battery System 

MORE LESSONS LEARNED 

NASA 

ARC HUGHES 

December 1996 

~ • Spares and Testing Philosophy: ! Require ample spare cells and modules, with appropriate storage, to 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

-.j:::.. 

.j:::.. 

I 

~ 

t 

"-

~ §, 

accommodate foreseen and unforeseen needs for special ground testing 

before and after launch 

• Life Time Assessment Study Program, conducted at SNL prior to launch, 

proved to be a valuable tool in mission planning, both prior to and 

following launch 

• The continuous, methodical evaluation, at NASA-ARC, of cell and module 

life was valuable in demonstrating high reliability of these Li-S02 units 

• A real-time, ground-based simulation of the flight-lot battery performance 

preceded the schedule of the actual flight operation by 10 months, thus 

providing timely and precise information on how best to select the 

options for battery management at time of Probe separation from Orbiter 

I:l 

~ • Enthusiastic coooperation among NASA-ARC, Hughes S&C, SNL, and ! Alliant Techsystems contributed heavily to the success of myriad 

f(l 

~ §' 

ground tests and analyses programs and was certainly responsibile for 

the mission success in terms of the battery performance 
Nickel-Hydrogen Battery On-Orbit 

Reconditioning Experience Focused Session 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -145-
Page intentionally left blank 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -147- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
~ s;: 

~ 

~ 

~ 

?:l 1 

~ <i> 

~ 

~ 

~ ::-

-§ 

I 

..-

~ 

00 

I 

~ ~ 

~ l:} 

6ll 

~ 

~ ~ t:l"' 

;;;: 

~ ..., 

g 

!a: g' 

~. 

~ 

~ g' 

Outline 

• SS/L Reconditioning Implementation 

• Reconditioning Conclusions 

• Superbird Reconditioning - Pressure/Capacity 

Growth 

• INTELSAT VII/VIlA Reconditioning - Cell 

Voltage Plateaus and Life Testing 

• N-Star Reconditioning - Cell Voltage Plateaus 

(Capacity Fading and Recovery) 

• Questions and Answers 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
...... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

Cl 

{l 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

-

~ 

'P 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::::: 

(") 

~ 

§ 

e.: 

... c" 

;:: 

~" 

~ 

~ §" 

SSIL Battery Reconditioning Implementation 

Battery 

Capacity = C 

Continue Resistive 

Discharge until 1st 

cell = 0.5 V 

Temperatures (BOR) ~ 

-10°C to -SoC 

Resistance = R 

Such that the Average 

Reconditioning 

Current = C/60 hours. 

Performed ~ 2 - 3 weeks prior to each eclipse season 

(Le. early February and late August) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
Reconditioning Conclusions 

+ Provides no appreciable increase in 

performance 

but, provides an excellent way for ... 

+ Measurement of pressure/ capacity growth. 

+ Correlation with Life Test Data 

• Verification of Capacity Fade and Recovery 

and is therefore recommended when 

possible, but not required. 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 4 

• Battery performance being amp-hour capacity and 

cell voltages. 

• Used mainly as a diagnostic tool and for trending 

data to observe any capacity reductions during life 

and to observe the presence and reduction any 

capacity fading / voltage second plateau. 

• Only way to perform a consistent battery test since 

length of eclipses vary through the season and 

spacecraft power needs may change from season to 

season. Remember, the satellite is nothing mote 

than a two terminal battery test station (right?) ! 

• Therefore on single bus satellites, anomalies in 

orbit, or LEO applications, it is not required to 

maintain performance. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -150- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
110.00 

lOB.OO 

106.00 

104.00 

] 102.00 

S 

~ 100.00 

i 

a 98.00 

96.00 

94.00 

92.00 . 

Trend 

In Orbit Spacecraft Post Reconditioning Recharge 

Capacity 

-+-SuperBird 1, Battery 1 

__ SuperBird 1, Battery 2 

~.- SuperBird 2, Battery 1 

-N-SuperBird 2, Battery 2 

90.00 ~--t----+--__ --_--+----+---+------t 

AE92 VE93 AE93 VE94 AE94 VE95 AE95 VE96 AE96 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 5 

• Superbird capacity growth chart. Note that 

increase in end of charge pressure corresponds 

almost exactly with the capacity increase (Le. no 

pressure increase due to degradation of cell 

components). Capacity shown here is the pressure 

reading (via a strain gage on the battery cell) 

compensated for the cell temperature to get amphours. 

• Trending to flatten out per predictions. 

• Note that at times some of the batteries were not 

reconditioned but performance still increases. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -151- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
I-vn In Orbit vs. COMSAT Life Test l<or,nnr1 

In Orbit vs. Life Test Reconditioning Capacities 105.00 

. ---... 100.00 

~ ~ 95.00 

! 

"" c " 

.,g 90.00 :; 

" ! 

85.00 

---.. .. .. .. .. 

, • 

, 

Life Test ,. Life Test 

lOoe "'--+---f!II.~.~~ ooe .. 

....... Average In Orbit Reconditioning 

-.. COMSAT Labs Life Test Reconditioning 

SO.OO +---___--_+_--1-----+----+--___---1 

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Reconditioning (Eclipse Season) Number 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

• I-VII Life Test vs. In Orbit Reconditioning. 

6 

• Note that the life test batteries have more seasons than the 

actual orbit. 

• Scale is quite zoomed up, so the data is actually pretty 

tight with a few percent. 

• The life test battery was tested extensively before the the 

first reconditioning, so all of its capacity building was 

already done. Therefore the reconditioning data is 

constant (except for effect of changing temperature). The 

flight batteries however go through minimal acceptance 

testing only and thus still has potential for capacity 

building in orbit, which is shown by the increase in 

reconditioning capacities. 

• Note effect of decrease in life test temperature on the 

COMSAT reconditioning. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -152- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
I-VilA In Orbit vs. COMSAT Life Test 

145.00 

140.00 

135.00 "i: 

~ -; 130.00 

"0 

~ Q 125.00 lOt .. 

I>D 

C 

~ 120.00 

:;; ! 115.00 

110.00 

105.00 

.... 

In Orbit vs Life Test Reconditioning Capacities 

.. 

II-VilA I 

" 

Life Test « "". -I- soe ~ 

.. "" - "" "" 

...... Average In Orbit Reconditioning 

- .. COMSATLabsLifeTestReconditioning 

til' 

"" 

.-

"" 

., 

-- .- ., • 

UfeTest 

... -3°e 

l00.oo'of--------t---------II---------; 

1 2 3 4 

Reconditioning (Eclipse Season) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

• 1-VIIA Life Test vs. In Orbit Reconditioning. 

7 

• Note that the life test batteries have more seasons 

than the actual orbit. 

• Scale is quite zoomed up, so the data is actually 

pretty tight with a few percent. 

• Note effect of decrease in life test temperature on the 

COMSAT reconditioning. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -153- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
I-VTI and Sut)ert)ird 

-~Sup8rbird 1. Battery 2 I 

...... Superblrd 2. Battery 2 I 

--I-VII FM-1. Battery 2 I 

-I-VII FM-2. Battery 2 ! 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 8 

• This chart shows the reconditioning capacities in 

reconditioning order (not necessarily 

chronological) . 

• Note the great capacity increase between the first 

and second reconditionings, on the order of 10% to 

20%. 

• Also note the nameplate capacity is 85.5. 

• This chart includes Superbird and I-VII, both are 27-

cell batteries with the same cell (Superbird has no 

diodes, though) 

• Note decrease in capacity between last two 

reconditioning on the I-VII spacecraft is due to an in 

orbit change of the battery heater setpoint points 

(battery temperatures were increased). 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -154- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
I-Vlland 

... 

.r:. 

105.0 . In. Orbit Spacecraft Reconditioning Capaciti i" .................. , ............... ........ . .. . .. ... . . ." .................... J. ................. . ;- ....•........... __ . ... I 

[:::::::::":::: ... :~"::::::::::::::":::::::::."::::··:"':::::::1:::::::::::::::::: 100.0 ---I--_____ ~~---,---:----~--""""""::--'------

95.0 --1--11-'--

~ 90.0 -I--H---... !AI---J'-'--+---..Io~----------+---,---

!' 

U 

i 85.0 +-1----.;.J,..,{::2?~.....:..;-~ __ ~s=up=er=bir:-d =-:-1, ~ba=tte=ry~1~---: .• ~ ... -;;s:::::up=erb;:;::ird:;-:-1, -::ba:::tte=ry:-:;2~ u ., ___ Superbird 2, battery 1 __ Superbird 2, battery 2 

80.0 "-f--H---/--------;; __ I-VII FM·1, Battery 1 --I·VII FM·1, battery 2 

-l-I·VII FM·2, battery 1 -I·VII FM-2, battery 2 

-I-VII FM·3, battery 1 "-+··I·VII FM·3, battery 3 75.0 "':II-_--L ____ ~ :...; 

; ~ ~:: E~lip~e· 6~d~~ r ~ ~ ~ I ..... _--- __ :::_::_:_::_::_:_::_:~_: __ --__ :::_::_:_::_::_::--:-:_:~_:_: j 

70.0 ~~~::::::::~~~===============~ Recond 

Cap 

before 1st 

Eclipse 

12/3/96 

Recond 

Cap 

before 

2nd 

Recond Recond Recond Recond Recond Recond Recond Recond 

Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap 

before 3rd before 4th before 5th before 6th before 7th before 8th before 9th before 

Eclipse Eclipse Eclipse Eclipse Eclipse Eclipse Eclipse 10th 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 9 

• This chart shows the reconditioning capacities in 

order of eclipses. Mostly to show that some 

batteries were not reconditioned until after the 1st 

eclipse season, while others had one after launch 

before the 1st eclipse season. 

• Of particular note is 701, battery 1 which is only 

reconditioned once per year (due to an anomaly). 

Its first reconditioning was between 1st and 2cd 

eclipses but its 1st reconditioning was similar to the 

2cd reconditioning of battery 2 on the same 

spacecraft. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -155- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
~ 

~ 

~ .:t.,. 

~ 

~ 

~ 

&i 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ :::-

is 

I 

...... 

Vl 

0'1 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ <:J-

:::: 

~ 

§ 

~ 

§' 

~. 

~ t; 

§' 

• The following graphs show the last 4 to 5 hours of 

reconditioning and up to the first hour of recharge 

from several spacecraft (I-VII FMl and FM2, I-VIlA 

FM6, and N-Star FM-a and FM-b). 

• This representation is an excellent way to monitor 

second voltage plateaus (capacity fading) and their 

recovery_ 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ i3 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..... 

VI 

-...l 

I 

~ ~ .... 

~ !} 

~ 

"" :s 

~ 

~ ~ 

:::: 

~ (') 

c 

:s 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

:> 

I-VII FMl, Battery 1, 1994 Autumnal Recond· Cell Profiles 

Battery 1 Cell VoltageS 

Data min = 0. 701111 max = 1.38902 1.4; .. . ......................... ,.... ...... ........................... . ...... ·r .................. · ...... , ................................................ .. .............. ,..... .. ............................................................................................................................... j 

I I I I I I 

1.2~~~~~ .. .,~~~~~~~~ .. ~~~~-.. ~1'.~~~~~~~~~iI!!II~~~ 

i······· 

1.01 .• ·•· .. ································ ................................ j ................................ \... . .. ·········1····· .... · .... ·· ...... ·· .. ··· .. ····· .. ······· ·· .. · .. · .. ·· .... · .. · .. ··1·· .. ······· .. ···· .... ···· .. ·· .......... ··· .... ·· ............ .. 

0.8!··· .............................. . 1\ ···f 

~. 

0.6 

0.4 ...................... 

0.21 +.... .. ............................................. -1-.......................................................................... j 

"A\; .. ,J. .... J J ..1jJ t J J .. ~ .... , ......... L ... , .... , .... L. i·" .,. ."- -" ... ' i ." ... '--'.-" ... ~ ... "-.,.-.L-' .. ',-"-,'-,,b NO 0 0 0 C) <::) 0 .......... 00 .0 '0 I. I. I. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ !tN ('r) <d't LC) to I""- 00 ~_ ...... .-t ...... ..... ..... -

I .. ·· 

~ Time (lIrC) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
....... 

~ 0-

s: 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

a-

;:s.. 

.g 

I 

...... 

VI 

00 

I 

~ ~ 'i""' 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

::s 

~ , 

~ <::J-

:::: 

c 

~ ::s 

~ 

g" 

~" 

~ 

~ c" 

::s 

I-VII FM1, Battery 1, 1995 Autumnal Recon Cell Profiles 

Battery 1 Cell Voltages 

1.4j··········· .. ···1 ................... ····················r···· 

I·:·' I I 

""""""'';''"1 ~ ~IIOl """""""": !'1"""""""""-"""""-"""-""""""""""""""""""""""---T"-""-""" 

:> 

1.2f··'~··--:."-:T~~~~""""" \ ................... 1 ................................................................................................................... c··· ...... 1 ................................... . 

I I j I' BT:z.6-J . I : i I I 

r""" 1 ! ! t I I i I I I . 1.01··········· ................... ····1·· ............................................................. j .................................................................... , ....................................................... ········· .. ·· .. l· .. ·············· .. ············ .. ············· .. ··········· .. ··············,[""""""""""""""""-"1""-""""""1 

i· iIi I ' 

i. I I I I 

0. 0/. ···1····· ... ...................................................,.................... . ............... .j ................................................. , ................................................................ / ... · .. · .. · .. ··· ...... ······ .. ··· .. ··· .. · .... ··1···1·· .... ····+· .... · .... · .... ·· .. ·· .. · .......... 1 

i· I j I I i 

!..! I I I ! i , I i·' I j' I I o.s! ..... ·········1······ .................................................... ··· .. ··························J··1 iii 

··· ........ ········ .... ··· ........................... \ ......................................... \ ............ , ............................... .. 

I ' 

Iii 

r \ ! i j i i 

j ... " ... 1"1.. .~: .. ".. ... .~~j ~ .•••.••••••••• "........ .. . •• t .. 

J .. ."" ' !JIIL J IIIJJ .. IJIJJJ11"LLJJ""""L J""""J"" __ "_ !::8 g 8 g g 8 .......... ., .0 II I. It 

mo 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 0 Co:) <::10 

~i i i ~ i @ 

~ Tjre (UTG) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::to. 

~ {; 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ;::-

~ 

I 

-

VI 

\0 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<::to 

~ 

=-: 

r 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

:> 

I-VII FMl, 

1.4' 

1. 

0. 8' .... 

o. 

0.4 

0. 2,· 

0.0: 

~~ ...... 

~ 

12/3/96 

I 

..J 

1, 1996 Autumnal Cell Profiles 

Battery 1 Cell Voltages 

Data min = 0. 480302 IIlID = 1.38Z71 ......... »........ . .~ . . .. .. . ......... .. 

······· .. ······· .. ··· .... ······ .. ···· ... ······ .. ······· .. 1 ........................................... ..j ..................... \ .... + .................... · .. · ........ ·\· .......... ·· .... · .. ·· ............ ··1 

g 8 

Time (ure) 

I . .... ~ ... ! ......... j ......... ..!. ......... 1. .......... 1.. ........ I .......... t .......... L ......... .l ........... .I. ......... .! ........... L ......... .1 - C> "f! 

g 

~ 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..... 

0'1 

o 

I 

~ .,... 

~ t;. 

~ 

~ 

~ I 

~ c::r-

::::: 

~ <"l 

§ 

~ c· 

;:s 

~. 

~ 

~ g' 

:> 

I-VII FM1, Ba 2, 1994 Vernal Rec Cell Profiles 

1.4,., 

I 

I" r' j ; 

1.211 

I I 

1.01 + . I I . I I 

I I I ' 0.8L··I·· 

I I I i . I 

0.61 .. 1· i I 

I I 

0.411 

j.. i ! i 

!. I ,.... I 

0.2\" ............. j 

i I 

I 

J 

I ............................. ..... 1 ........................ . 

I 

I···· 

ljJJLg ~.. .. .. 08 g 8 

!!I:tD cD r.:. ~..... ..... .-. 

~ g 

"'''''' , c.u -

"".... '""-"""--T" -" """- ""-"""-"T""-" r -"-"----"-"- _ """"---"""~ I 

1 1"_ I ., .... , ....... 

............ 

.~ 

C> 

~ 

Tire (11l'C) 

I 1--"-----" 

I _ 

j-""--1 

.J.......... . 

I . . I I • ! ! i I I I 1 I I . I , I Ii! I I 1 

___ 11 111tJJL ! Jl" ___ LL_! ? 

g 

2i ... 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

~ 

~ 

f;:: 

::to.. 

~ {; 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

;::,. 

{5 

I 

........ 

0'\ 

,.... 

I 

~ ",,' 

it 

~ ~ <:> 

~ :::s 

~ , 

~ t::J-

;:;: 

~ 

"" <:> 

;:: 

S:-

~. 

:::s 

~. 

~ 

~ 

0' 

;:: 

I-VII FM1, Ba 2, 1995 Vernal Recondi" Cell Profiles 

Battery Z Cell Voltages 

Data "~~ .~. 

::> 

. i 

.. IH 

Time (1frC) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::". 

~ {; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

, 

-

0'\ 

N 

I 

~ it 

~ ~ 

0<& (I) 

::I 

~ 

I::!-

~ ::::: 

~ 

g 

~ g" 

~. 

~ 

~ g" 

I-VII FM1, Battery 2, 1995 Autumnal Cell Profiles 

Battery 2 Cell Voltases 

... 

Tim (IIIC) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

10 

~ 

~ 

fr2 

~ 

~ c 

{3 

2 

J 

~ 

a-

;::r-

.g 

I 

..-

0'1 

w 

I 

~ ~ 

~ Ii} 

~ ~ 

:s 

~ 

~ <:l-

~ 

~ g 

~ g' 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

:> 

I-VII FM1, Battery 2, 1996 Vernal Recond Cell Profiles 

Battery 2 Cell Voltages 

1.4 . Data min = O. 439456 max = I •........ " ..; ............. . 

I.l .... \'11 It fl. C. 1111/ I \1 1 I hiAt hiE" • ·~i:;;~~It·l .. · .......... 1g::¢fp.r.I ••• 

1.0- ... 

0. 

0. 4' 

0. 21 ·1 .. 

0. 

\ ..... 1 ..... 

s8 

~ 

~s 

~ 

12/3/96 

~ <:> 

C> 

~ 

i i 

! \ \ 

i ! i i I I ... 1. ....... t. , .... J . 

rime (me) 

~ 

~ s 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

.... 

.... 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ 

r 

~ 

~ 

a- ;::-

~ 

I 

--

~ I 

~ 'i" 

~ Ii} 

~ 

~ 

¥ 

~ <:::r 

;::: 

r 

~ g' 

~. 

~ 

~ 

c· 

::: 

I-VII FM1, Ba 2, 1996 Autumnal Cell Profiles 

... " ..................... ".j.. ............................ " ......................... ·········1· .. ······•· .. ·,,···· 

~ H,' • 

, 

I 

! 0. 21'" 

I 

," 

! 

o ..Jl.~ _0 

....... 

~ 

~~ :;;: 

~ 

12/3/96 

I 

········r .. 

I ! " I I i { , I ,. .. ...... L ....... ;;l-.;-......... L ........ L ......... J! ...... L ...... L.. 

lie (Ill'e) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

I 

..k' ...... t..._ ..... I ... _ ...• 1 .......... l .. _··J· .... ··_1 

S 
...... 

~ 0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

-

0\ 

Vt 

I 

() 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

"" :::s 

~ 

~ ::::: 

~ § 

~ gO 

~O 

~ 

~ gO 

1-VII FM2, Bat 1, 1995 Vernal Cell Profiles 

Battery I Cell Voltages 

Data min = 0. 7(f70l2 max = 1. 40276 1.4j' ················· .... ·· .. r···· ..................................................................... "1.................. ············· .. ··•·· .. ·············T··· .. ··· .. ············ .. , ................................................. j' ............................................................... . 

I I 

1.21::::::··············[ ,............... ............. ·············1· 

,. 1 I I 

1.0! .. ···········1··· ···················1 ... ........! 

I I I I 

0.81 ······f ..................................... ... j. .................................. .................... j .............................................. . 

006' 

i 

0.4!'··'·· .. ··········t· ········1····· .............. 1-................................................. , .................. " .......................................................................... , .. ".-. 

0.2\" ......... ! ··'t ............................ . 

! ..... .. 

"" • ."" .. " ..... "" ..... , . . .... " '- ... L ...•. ""1 " .. .J ...... j "J" "_" .iL"_" '""""L __ ,"_","_" L" L_. "'_" __ L"_"'_" ""L_' __ "L_J_"-'-_""'"_J M,g g g g ~ 8 .. .. g g ~ g 

o.ot .. 

'" fj ~ ~g s 

lime (IITG) 

T~pn..D' 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

~ 0-

s: 

~ 

~ 

~ {j 

~ ~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..-

0'\ 

0'\ 

I 

~ ~ 

~ F} 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ :::-. 

~ § 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 

~ 

c· 

~ 

---

I-VII FM2, Battery 1, 1996 Vernal Reconditioning Cell Profiles 

Battery 1 Cell Voltages 

Data min = 0. 240009 max = 1.39012 1.41· .. · .. ··· ....... [...... ·1····· ············· .. ···· .... ······1··················,·········· ......... , ............... , ........... j ...... , .... , ..... , ... ,· .. ············ .. ···· .. · ..··, .. " ..·, .. ···· .. ·· .. ·1 .............. · .......... · ............ · .... · ........ ·j·ilj'jf?A

1

, 

,. I I ' I 

l"I'\dil:"'~fil.' I' ;. -. •• Mr.lIWIJnn'.'_.MiIr.Y':tMP._'.1"W4lal~ 1.2i ............ ,....... . .... i···· ... ··1········ ................................ : .............. , .... , ...... 1 ..................................... . 

I .. ····· I I I 

I I 

,. I I I 1.01... ······1··· ................................... , ................... , ..... ! ................................... , .................. , .......................... , ................................................................................................ j ....................................... , 

I I I I • ! I 1 

1 ....... . ,I I 1 

0.8r·· ! I i . "'1 .................... , .............. I.... . ..... j... ....,..... .. ............................................................................. . 

I! I! I • • I I I 

0.6r" I ................... ......... .. ................................. I ,..... .. ........ · ...... ·· .................. ·1 I ................................................. 1· .. ,· .......... ··· .................... · .......... · .. · ........ • .......... ·1 .... · ............................................. lI ............................................ · .... .. 

, I I I ' ! ! I II i i !....... 1 ! ! I 

I Ii! I ! ! I J 0.4!·········+ ···'····1········ .......... , ....... ......... .j ...................................... . 

I II! I I 

1··· i ! i I 

j! I I I • I.... I I I j I i I I I 

]t ... 111 ~c; J. I,r c; II .... tJ .11 ~o J JJJl11J:I~~~LL[J~T~ii~~_-=~ 0 0 c; C><;:) C) cx:::> C) C) 0 

!ll~\ ~ !ll8 g i:i B 

5 £ 

g g lime (IJTC) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

A 

~ ~ 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ -§ 

I 

...... 

0\ 

-....l 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ <Ii 

::s 

~ 

~ ()-

:::: 

~ 

g 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 

~ 

§' 

I-VII FM2, B 

1.4\ .. 

... 

1.21 ..... 

I 

1······· 

I 

I 

1.0\ i 

i 

I 

I 

0. 81 j 

0. 6i 

I 

0.4! , 

0.21 ! 

i··· 

I ! ..... 

I 

j .... 

i· 

.. 

I ! 

I, 1996 Autumnal Rec Cell Profiles 

r 

Battery 1 Cell Voltages 

Data min = O. 246388 max = 1.3838 ········1··································· .. 

! 

i 

1····················································· ..................... / ........................................................................• 

I 

I 

. .................................... ="'."""-' . ! ........ ··· .... · .. · .. 1· .. ··· ...... ···· ........ · .. ···· .. · ........ · .. ·· 

I I ... , .............. t .................................. , .. 

I I I ..... I 

I I I ! ! 1 ! : , i ! I ...... ) ................................................... ! ............................................................... \ ........ . ! I ! 

! I ! 

i ; 

I ! .. j.......................... .\ 

I I 

I ! 1 I 

.J ....................................... ···1······ .................................................... . ! I 

'i 'i i , j , I ' j I I I ' I 

i 

o~ .l L .. . .tLI.L I.LLJJ.l11.L1JJ .. ~ g g g , .. !!!Sg 

llli:i 

~ 

12/3/96 

g 

c; 

? 

~ 

~ 

~ iii i i fi .... 

...... 

c::l 

T\~(urcl 

1996 NASA Aerospace'Battery Workshop 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

"'" 

~ {; 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..-

0\ 

OQ 

I 

~ ~ 

~ e;. 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 0-

::::: 

~ 

§ 

~ ~. 

s· 

()q 

~ 

~ 

~. 

I-VII FM2, Battery 2, 1995 Vernal Rec Cell Profiles 

1.4l 

1.2!····· 

o. 

o. 

0.21+ 

0. 0············ .... "';:;::,:. 

12/3/96 

Battery 2 Cell Voltages 

Data min = 0. 71178 max = 1. 3969 

~ l~ .. ~ t .. t J ~.J~ .. L.~.t .. ~. o ..~., ~~~"~.'-.~.,~ .. , ~~-' ~ ~.~, ~ .. ~'~.~'.~.~L.'-_~.'.~." _ _."~.~"~~..L.~.L_L.~l_~.I.~_J _ 

s 

TjlOO (me) 

g 

IS s 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

A 

~ -ti 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

....... 

0\ 

\0 

I 

~ ~ 

~ !} 

C 

~ ;:s 

~ 

~ 

f 

~ c· 

;:s 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

I-VII FM2, Battery 2, 1995 Autumnal 

Battery 2 Cell Voltages 

Data min = 0.388249 max = 1.39006 

1. >·········T .. ·· .............................. Y' •• "....... .. ................................... j" 

I 

1. 

1 • 

0.8; ..................... j.......+ ..................... ···· .. ········ .... ··1 

o.~; . 

0.4' 

o. "' 

0.0' I.,~ , .. ~g 

~~ 

~ 

... i C> 

C> 

g 

~ 

1 

.i. 

Time (lITe) 

Cell Profiles 

... .... g 

.:.l 

.... 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
...... 

~ 

~ 

fi? 

~ 

~ {3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

...... 

-......l 

o 

I 

~ ~ 

~ :} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

::::: 

~ <"l 

g 

e. 

~ ~. 

~ 

~ §' 

I-VII FM2, B 2, 1996 Vernal Reconditioning Cell Profiles 

.Lvv .... lJ(I,"lNl.,1 tl.L.L VOJ...&. 

Battery 2 Cell \/oltages 

Data min ~ 0.242343 max = 1.39056 1.4;-····· .. ......................... ·············r ............................. ..............., ................ ..···T .. · .. · ...... · ...... · .... · .................... · ................ r ........ ~ .. ·........... , ................................................ 

I· 

1"1' 4 Ii' ·, .... ·-r'.., ...... IM''l'mmTW 

1.21 ···f .. ·· ·,,····i 

I 1\ 

1.0i·· \ 1\ 

. 

i 0. e· .. ··· .......................................... . •.••••••.. .1 .. -. ..................... . 

0.6!· ......................................... .j. ..................................................... ···f .. · .. · .. · ............................................ ······1· .. · .... ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ··· .... ·· .. ·· ...... · .. ·· .. · .... · ..· ...... · ..· ...... ·1 .... · .. · ...... · ........ · .... · ............ ·· ....... ·· ................ I .... U ........ , ..................................................... j 

0. 41.... ., i ····,··t··, 

1··· .. 

0. I ---t 

I ; 

iii' iii iii ! 1 iii ! 1 i! i i ! ! 1 iii ! ! i i .', I I I • ; I I I I I! I! iiI i , 1 ! I ! I I i I ! ; ! I I j o.~g' ... 1 ......... 1. ..... ," i .......... 1.. ....... ~ " .. g'" ..................... L ........ L ........ ,; ....... g ....... 1 .•...... ~ ......•. ~ ... . 

........ .. .. NO <::) <::) 00 C) C) 

~ ~ ~ ~ => 

:=: 

T;"""" nrrM 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

.... 

.... 

8 

~ ~ 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..... 

--..l 

..... 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

::os 

~ 

~ <:l-

:::: 

(") 

~ 

~ 

~ ... §' 

~' 

~ 

~ §' 

I-VII FM2, Ba 2, 1996 Autumnal Recondition Cell Profiles 

Battery 2 Cell Voltages 

1.4;-.. ·· Data orln = 0. 274002 IIlaI = 1.:"'~ .......................... . ... ,.............. . ................................... ,...... . ........................................... ! ........................................................ ······· .. ·· .. ··T··· .. ····· .. ············j·~ 

. I ""fZf";Mfln 

1. 71 . 

1 ... •····· 

o. 

o. 

0.4' 

o. 

0. 

Time (lII'C) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:-.. 

~ 

1i; 

1 

J 

~ 

~ ::s-

.g 

I 

--...l 

IV 

I 

~ ~ 

~ !!} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<::r-

~ :. 

f 

!:!:, 

.... g" 

~" 

~ 

~ g" 

I-VIlA FM6, I, 1995 Autumnal Reconditioninf! Cell Profiles 

Battery 1 Cell Voltages 

lime (l1fC) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
....... 

\Q 

\Q 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

::0.. 

~ ~ 

~ 

"" 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..... 

......... 

W 

I 

~ it 

~ t} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<:J-

~ ::::: 

(") 

~ 

§ 

§:: 

§' 

~. 

~ 

~ 

§' 

I-VIlA FM6, I, 1996 Vernal Cell Profiles 

1 off 

1. 4r··· .. ·········!"' .. · ....... · ...... T ...... ·':"1·~~··: .. ":1.·'.~'.·v.::' "''''''J ..... ~ .. : .. !.~.!~ ........................... :.:t""""""":a:':"~ 

1. 

1.01····· ........ · .. · .... · ............ + ................................................ · .. ·I .... · ..· ..·· ........ · .... ·· ........ · .......... ·· .... · ..···!·~: ...... · .. ·~!.~ ....... 1 .......................................................................... 1 ......................................................................... j 

0.8'·· .. 

0.'" .............................. .. 

0.4\ ............ + ........ ··f 

0.2 

e:; 

C) 

~ 

TiM nrrr.) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

5:: 

~ 

~ c 

i; 

2 

r 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

--...l 

~ I 

~ 

~ !:} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ <:l-

:::: 

~ 

c '"' ::: 

~ g' 

~. 

~ 

~ g' 

I-VIlA FM6, Battery 1, 1996 Autumnal Recon Cell Profiles lWI.: Datter)' All lAU Voltases 70s-bat 1 ASS: 1 of 1 

Batter)' 1 Cell Voltases 

1. 4r:···.·····,,· ·········r·······························m .............. """1m ........................... ···········I!II~~T~?J.>.~~··············~··::··!·!~9.?f!·····················,,····························· .. ·······r··············· ... ····:······;·····=Fif',.TV· II i q 

0.81··· ............................ j .............................................................. / ........................... 00 ··+·········································1 ........................................................ ·············l····,,·········'\··~····························· .. ················1··········.················.·" ... j 

0. 6:'1 ····································1·········· ................................ ......... +............................. ....................... + ............. ·····················································1····················U····································· ....... · .. ·I.·· ................................. j 

0.4'" 

o. 

! I ! 

! I I 

iiI 

I ' I 

0.01 ...... L ... 1 ;:;;.~ ..... J ...... L . ..1 ....... J ..... J .J, ...... . ........ 1... .... J ......... 1. ...... 1 .. J, ..... J ....... .1 .... L .... 1... ... ..I .......... J. ...... .i ........ 1... ..... L. ....... .l .......... .l. ......... ck .... ...1 .........• 1... ...... J... ........ l... ........ I... ....... J,; ......... L ........ l... ........ 1 

c; 

C> 

:i!l IS 

TilM 000 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
.... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

"" 

~ 

{5 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

-......:. 

VI 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ <Ii 

::s 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ § 

~ 

5· 

::s 

~. 

~ 

~ 

§' 

I-VIlA FM6, Ba 

0. 8! 

Q.6' 

o. 

0.2 

~~ 

::::: 

~ 

12/3/96 

2, 1995 Autumnal Cell Profiles 

I ..., ....... " ..... , ..... . .. , ........ , .... , ... L .... ' .. L. L. ... ' .... L. L. .L .. l._J.._J. ... L.L._L.L_LJ - g 2 Q _ 

g 

~ 

Time (\Il'C) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
--

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

ci 

{j 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ::-

.g 

-....l

0\ 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ (I; 

;:s 

~ ~ g: 

(") 

~ 

~ 

e.: §. 

~. 

~ 1:; 

c· 

;:s 

I-VIlA FM6, Battery 2, 1996 Vernal Reconditioning Cell Profiles . _ .. w ... _ .. -.. ... " u.u. \.IC.&..L VU.L1.QKt2J 1\,KlI-OSt I; 

Battery 2 Cell Voltages 

1.4,· .. ···············, Data orin = 0. 386597 IIIIlX = 1.41263 ......... ..... '1 ............ . ..... ... .. ........................ · .. ,.............· .... · .. , .... · ...... ·: ...... ·T .. i'j" .... ·4ij·ii·ij .. r .. 'jj·'''r • , , Mii" ': 

i :' IldJifi I I 

1.211ihl hiau:A~Ji.~i~ .~i~i5:iI~ .. i~~.~.~.t. 

1.0' .. 

0. 

0. 

0. 

i I j I ! j! j 

0. 0' .. l·ll ..... .! ..... L 

&8 

0= 

!fit; 

§ 

12/3/96 

§j 

! I I I I i I I .... t .. J .... 1 ........ . 

~ 

lime (\1l'C) 

..... j ............................ , ................. j............................... ······· .... · .. · .... · .. 1· .... · .......... ·· ............ 1 

g 

i:i 

8 

C> 

t:i 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

E; 

1 

~ <it 

~ 

.... 

~ 

~ ::s-

~ 

I 

....... 

"" "" I 

~ ~ 

~ f} 

~ 

~ 

~ :::t 

.~ 

§ 

E:, 

... g' 

~. 

~ 

tl 

o· 

;:s 

I-VIlA FM6 , Ba f-f-r."I4' 2, 1996 Autumnal H .. '-.A .. lJ.l.U .. U.L.HJ.I. Cell Profiles .................. "".tI4C11 I~t. ~~: 1 Of 1 

Battery 2 Cell Volta&es 

" 1. 

0. 41··· .................................................... . ............ + ....................................................... ··· .. ·· .... ··1·· ................................ . ............................... ) ............... ··· .. ·· .. ·· .. · .... · .... · .... · .. ··· .... , .... · .... · ........ l·· .. · ...... · .. · .......... -.... -.... · .... ·· ...... · .......... ·l .... +-.... · .._ .... · .... · ...... · .......... · .. _· .. · .............. ~ 

s 

r., (UIC) 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
.--I 

§ 

co 

:t: 

~ 

:::s ~ -!oJ 

< 

:::s 

l"""1 

0\ 

0\ 

\.0 

... l"""1 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -178-

~ 

0\ 

0\ 

\.0 

Z 

< 

Cf) 

< 

< 

(l) 

~ 

0 

00 

~ 

cO 

u 

(l) 

~ 

cO 

.j...I 

2 

J-t 

>.. 

~ 

0 

J-t 

~ 

00 

..c: 

0 

~ 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::... 

~ i; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

--....l 

\0 

I 

.., 

~ 

~ 

~ E} 

~ (\) 

::s 

~ 

~ :::: 

r 

~ 

§' 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

N-Star FMa Batte 2, 1996 Vernal Reconditionin 

330/1996 11/25 23:38:24.9604 nstar: FH-a Battery Reconditioning Battery 2 Cells Only: 1 of 1 

vaRNA.L 'fib 

:> 

Battery 2 Cell Voltages 

r .. ::::·········· .. ······ .. ···,····· ....................... , ................... . ........ ~~~~ .. ~~!!~~~.~~ ................. , .... ~~~~;~.~~ ......... , ............................. , .............................. , ............................. , ......... :: ..... ;~ 

/;;zprp,. 1.2!·: ... : ................ . i······ i 

~ ...... 

i·· .. ·· 1·°1 .... ·· .... · .... · .... · ..······ .. ·· .... ··· .... · .. ·+···· .. ······ .. ········ .. ····1······· .. ····················1 .. ·· .. ········ .. ····· .. ··· .. ·1····· .. ··················· .. ··i ...... ········ .. ·· .... ··'·i .. ~· .. ·;;l·········+······ .. ····;;·\::·,+···· .. ·· ......... · .......... i 

r····· 

~." ... ! ...... 

O.B!·· .. ·· .. ·· ........ · ... · .. . ~ ..... . 

~ ..... , 

j ..... . 

0.6j ........................ . .................... : ...................... . 

f .... ·· 

l······ 

i······ 

0.4: .... ··· ........ . ......................... : .......... . 

j ..... . : 

~ .. ,,, . 

I .... ·· 0.21· .... ·· .. ·· .... ·· .. ·· .... ·· 

I .. ··j- 1 i ! 1 i I .. ··'· : : : : : : : : : : : : cJo .. i .... i .... i .... i .... i ... ,;.. . .. : .... i ... .; ... : .... : .... : .... : .... L..; .. : .... ~ ... : .... : ..... : ... ;!: ... : ... 

~o 0 0 0 ~.. .. .. .. 08 ~ 8 ~ 

I~ ~ if if 

Tillie <UTC) 

MO 

~§ 

~g 

~ 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

IC 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::... 

~. 

&; 

1 

i 

~ 

~ 

~ ==- iii 

I 

...... 

OQ 

o 

J 

<: 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ :::.' 

i\? 

<'l 

~ 

e.. 

~ ~' 

~ g' 

2, 1996 Autumnal Rec0n..~~tioning Capacity 

1.0 

0.7 I 

I 

.t 2..5 "'r ~ 

III ., •••• to .. a 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
.... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

s: 

~ 

::... 

'" (S 

~ 

~ 

'" 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

...... 

00 

....... 

I 

$: 

",," 

~ 

~ t} 

~ '" ;::s 

~ 

~ <:l-

:::: 

~ 

"" 

~ 

~ §" 

~" 

~ 

~ §" 

N-Star FMb Battery I, Post 1996 Vernal Eauinox Recon 

• 

al 

I. 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Batt-ery Workshop 

~ 

I 

I 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {J 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

-' 

00 

N 

I 

~ ~ 

J; 

iii-

~ § 

~ , 

~ tr-

~ 

~ g 

~ g' 

~' 

~ 

1:l g' 

N-StarFMb 

o 

. ., 

I, 1996 Autumnal 

'1IH'.IlI .. 

·•· ..... r ... '. "\ " 

(; 5.5 HE<: ')11 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

~ 

.~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

..... 

OQ 

W 

I 

~ ~ 

~ E;-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::;: 

1\? 

~ §: 

g' 

~' 

~ 

~ g' 

N-Star FMb Battery 2, Post 1996 Vernal city 

Nts ttr"'Ott. 'ttMaI,ed ".fth'" , •• , .~".... ¥, ,f? 

. 

" j 

J 

> 

, . 

, : 

i 

• , 

• 

~ 

l: 

" 

r 

~. 

. ,I 

" • 

'~ ", ~. .. ',''"'IA~ a: .. t: • 

I I ; k . , ~ il'; t: ' i, E-

, 

II 

., 

I ,~, .. 1'" , I j, I . 't' ,,:(, J" I" .' . I I '.,. 

.. '" 3:0;7 " j.. w Jt t' • •• ;1 

',' .::." I "I Ii 

I '''1 I ~ Ii 1 

<.. , I ' 

", ., i1 : i; if I 

I • it :1!1 \: .I 

" J I , .. ,' t • • if ' ,':1 'J ;1 , ·J,I ,1' 'I ' ." I I ... '-" "", I· ,.. "Ii , ' ...., I' ,{ ; 'i, ,i .1 ' -' ,.-. -, I . .. .I I· ~ , ,\ 

i j _.. --. "1' .,' 1 ·1 j 'I'" ': .\ 11' ! .. ~. ,,·1 ,I "U ., ... • , _. ¥ I .f" "" 'l~ '\ -,. , ... 

,; , • ., -'. ," "I 1" -, ... ", , I i " _: ~: :::, oj 

.. "" t ., , 

, 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
..... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

...... 

00 

~ I 

~ ~ 

J 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 0-

:::: 

~ § 

~ ... g" 

~" 

~ 

~ g" 

N-Star FMb Battery 2, 1996 Autumnal Reconditioning Capacity 

"t-

... 

!! 

~ 

.. ... 

, 

2 

; 

1"1 

4E fl.:4S H1Z. )t I 

I 

~ 

:I 

2 

; 

2 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
-

~ 0. 

s;: 

~ 

::t.. 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

! 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

-' 

00 

Vt 

I 

~ it 

'i'" 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

Cl-

~ ::::: 

~ <') 

~ 

~ §' 

~' 

~ 

~ 

0' 

::s 

Acknowledgments 

• Marty Earl - COMSAT 

• Steve Grippando - Lockheed Martin Aerosys 

• Rick Hayden - Space Systems / LORAL 

• Steve Lenhart - Space Systems / LORAL 

• Jim Lemon - INTELSAT 

12/3/96 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 
Page intentionally left blank 
f:J 1996 NASA AEROSPACE BATIERY WORKSHOP 

THE IN-ORBIT BATTERY RECONDITIONING 

EXPERIENCE ON BOARD THE 

ORION 1 SPACECRAFT 

S. A. Hoover and S.Daughtridge 

ORION SATELLITE CORPORA nON 

ROCKV~LE,MARYLAND 

P.J. Johnson and S. T. King 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE UK LTD. 

STEVENAGE, ENGLAND 

The Orion 1 spacecraft is a three-axis stabilized geostationru:yearth 

orbiting commercial communications satellite which was launched on 

November 29, 1994 aboard an Atlas II launch vehicle. The power 

subsystem is a dual bus, dual battery semi-regulated system with one 78 

Ampere-hour nickel-hydrogen battery per bus. The batteries were built 

and tested by Eagle Picher Industries, Inc., of Joplin, MO and were 

integrated into the spacecraft by its manufacturer, Matra Marconi Space 

UK Ltd. 

This paper presents the results obtained during the first four in-orbit 

reconditioning cycles and compares the battery performance to ground test 

data. In addition, the on-station battery management strategy and 

implementation constraints are described. Battery performance has been 

nominal throughout each reconditioning cycle and subsequent eclipse 

season. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -187- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporatioll C Overview 

• Battery Specifications 

• Power Requirements 

• Cell and Battery Characteristics· 

• Power Subsystem Block Diagram 

• Power Subsystem Capabilities 

• Objectives for Reconditioning 

• Reconditioning Procedure 

• Data 

• Conclusion 

This paper will discuss the battery specifications and power requirements 

that Orion Satellite Corporation presented to Matra Marconi Space for the 

Orion 1 satellite design. The selected cell and battery characteristics 

which satisfy the requirements will be identified. A brief description of 

the Eurostar 2000 power subsystem and its capabilities will be presented. 

Following the objectives for reconditioning and procedure outline, the inorbit results will be displayed and compared to ground test data. Finally, 

the achieved objectives will conclude the presentation. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -188- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion SateUite Corporation 

~:~ Orion 1 Battery Specifications (1) 

• Capable of supplying power to support launch, transfer 

orbit, and on-station eclipse operations (worst case: one 

failed cell per battery) 

• Maximum depth of discharge < 70% (no cell failure) of 

nameplate capacity, DOD < 75% (one failed cell) 

• Adequate charging system to recharge between eclipses 

• Automatic end of charge control based on charge/discharge 

ratios or battery voltage/temperature limits 

• Ability to override and/or inhibit the automatic end of 

charge control by ground command 

The specifications that Orion Satellite Corporation (OSC) presynted to 

Matra Marconi Space (MMS) for the Orion 1 satellite design were 

basically industry standard. The specifications were written to ensure that 

the power subsystem and all appropriate units of the subsystem were 

designed, manufactured, and demonstrated to meet the worst case power 

requirements during the various phases of the spacecraft mission over the 

entire designed orbital life-time of 10.5 years. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -189- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporatioll 

~:J Orion 1 Battery Specifications (2) 

• Sufficient telemetry to assess battery performance (voltage, 

current, temperature, pressure, etc.), including individual 

cell voltages 

• Each battery shall be equipped with battery cell by-pass 

diodes for charge/discharge protection 

• Capability to reconditioning each battery independently 

• High and low discharge rates shall be selectable by ground 

• No single point failure of the Power Subsystem shall inhibit 

the ability to charge and/or recondition either battery 

In addition, the specifications were written to ensure that the, battery 

performance can be monitored and protected automatically or by ground 

control. These requirements allow autonomous operation as well as 

operator intervention, if necessary, in the event of a failure. The power 

subsystem was designed such that no single point failure would affect the 

normal operation of the spacecraft; thus, all requirements of the Orion 1 

spacecraft technical specification were satisfied. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -190- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion SaJellite CorporaJioll 

L.~ Orion 1 Power Requirements 

• Based on power estimates from unit manufactures 

• The 75% DOD limit yielded a 78 Ah capacity battery 

• Selected Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. Ni-H2 RNH-78 cell 

The total power budget was derived from the power requirements 

estimated by the unit manufactures. The batteries must support 2824W of 

power for the eclipse season. An average battery terminal voltage of 31.2 

V (27 cells at 1.2 V per cell, with 1 failed cell) and a 700 m V drop across 

the battery diodes were used to calculate the minimum voltage. In 

addition, a maximum 5% imbalance between the two buses was also 

factored in the battery eclipse analysis. 

2842 W + 2 x 1.05 +(31.2 - 0.7)V x 1.2 hr= 58.3 Ah 

Therefore to meet the 75% depth of discharge specification, a battery with 

a capacity of 78 Ah was selected for this mission. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -191- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:~ Orion 1 Cell Characteristics 

• Manufacturer: 

• Type: 

• Capacity (lOOC): 

• Dimensions: 

• Mass: 

• Heritage: 

Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. 

Mantech design, 

Slurry-asbestos dual stack, 

Axial terminals, 

Hydrogen pre-charge 

78 Ampere-hours 

Length = 12.6", Diameter = 3.51" 

1.87 ± 0.06 kg 

Telecom 2 and Hispasat 

The EPI (Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc.) nickel-hydrogen RNH-78 cell was 

an established design with in-orbit heritage on MMS' (Matra Marconi 

Space) Telecom 2 and Hispasat programs. The standard EPI "Mantech" 

design is a dual back-to-back stack of pineapple sliced plates with axial 

terminals. The electrode stack geometry provides optimal thermal 

characteristics for heat rejection capability. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -192- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~;~ Orion 1 Battery Characteristics 

• Manufacturer: Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. 

• Type: 27 series connected 78 Ah cells, 

By-pass diode network 

4 heater circuits, 

Voltage, current, temperature, and 

pressure sensors 

Individual cell voltage monitoring 

• Dimensions: Length=39.8", Width=18.8", Height=12.9" 

• Mass: 67.4 kg 

• Heritage: Telecom 2 and Hispasat 

One battery pack consists of 3 rows of 9 cells with all 27 connected in 

series. Each cell has a by-pass diode network for failure protection. The 

network consists of 3 diodes in series for by-passing the cell during charge 

and 1 diode in parallel for the discharge case. In addition, each battery has 

individual cell voltage telemetry which is sequentially scanned 

approximately once a minute (i.e., every other format). 

Each battery has one terminal voltage, one pressure, two current, and three 

temperature sensors for telemetry monitoring. Two of the thermistors are 

located on the top (i.e., the dome of the cell that points towards the interior 

of the spacecraft) of two separate cells. The third thermistor is located on 

the bottom (i.e., the dome near the radiator panel) of one of the two 

previous cells. This thermistor configuration provides a cell-to-cell 

gradient as well as a cell temperature delta to calculate radiator panel 

efficiency. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -193- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion SaJeUite CorporaJioll 

~:l Orion 1 Power Subsystem Block Diagram 

I=======~~ BUSl #===i)l MAAY SWITCHING REGUlATOR 

~======:::==:) BUS2 

MAIN 

a: a: 

~ ~ 

CHAAGE BATTERY 

BATTERY 1 BATTERY 2 CONTROl MONITOR MONIT R UNIT 2 

The power subsystem (PSS) provides electrical power to the spacecraft 

subsystems and payload for all phases of the mission. The power supply 

is regulated in sunlight and unregulated in eclipse. A functional block 

diagram of the PSS is shown above. The PSS may be described as a twin 

bus, twin battery, semi-regulated system. The power is generated from 

silicon n-on-p solar cells which are mounted on two solar array wings, 

each wing consisting of four panels. Power is transferred to the array 

switch regulator (ASR) by the solar array drive mechanism slip-rings. The 

wings are independent rotated about the pitch axis of the spacecraft to 

maintain sun pointing. 

During periods when solar power is not available, the satellite is powered 

from energy stored in two nickel-hydrogen batteries. The batteries are 

recharged in sunlight from dedicated solar array sections. These sections 

provide a constant current source for charging. Trickle chargers are also 

available to assist main charge; however, the chargers are primarily used 

to maintain the battery state of charge. There are four such chargers, two 

in each battery control interface unit (BCIU). 

Each battery provides a supply voltage of nominally 27 to 42 V at the PSS 

output interface. Battery 1 supports main bus 1 and battery 2 is dedicated 

to main bus 2. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -194- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporatioll 

~d Orion 1 Power Subsystem Capabilities 

• Solar array main charge sections to either battery (CIl?) 

• Flexibility to charge with both main charge sections (C/9) 

• Trickle chargers can be set to variable rates (0 to C/65) 

• All 4 trickle chargers can be configured to assist main charge 

• Automatic EOC, EOD, over-temperature, and under-voltage 

protection provided 

• Independent battery reconditioning, discharge at high or low 

rate (C/39 or C/l05) 

The MMS Eurostar 2000 power subsystem provides various cap.abilities 

and configurations for flexible operations. The numerous charge rates 

which can be selected by ground control combined with the autonomous 

protection functions allow the user to optimize the power subsystem. 

However, minimizing the configuration changes reduces the number of 

variables in the battery capacity analysis and produces comparable results. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -195- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:J Objectives for Reconditioning 

• To provide a health check of the battery 

• To measure cell performance and characteristics 

• To provide a bi-annual assessment of the "usable" capacity 

• To help decrease or remove the capacity "fade" due to prelaunch storage 

• To increase capacity and maintain the battery at the highest 

level of performance 

Reconditioning provides an opportunity to assess and status the health of 

the each battery twice a year. The procedure also allows the operator to 

trend the performance of the cells and identify any end of life concerns 

regarding power margin. It should be noted that the battery capacity 

"fade" due to pre-launch storage may be reduced or even eliminated by inorbit reconditioning. However, reconditioning allows one to identify and 

track the useful capacity of each battery and maintain the batteries at the 

highest performance level. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -196- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:l Reconditioning Procedure (1) 

• Initial discharge 

- Trickle charger switched off(l per battery) 

- Battery connected to primary and secondary loads of 36 ohms each 

- Discharge current of approximately 2.0 Amps 

- Discharge until minimum cell voltage reaches 1.05 Volts 

• Reduced rate discharge 

- Secondary load disconnected 

- Discharge current of approximately 1.0 Amps 

- Discharge until minimum cell voltage reaches 0.5 Volts 

In order to maintain the highest level of performance, each battery is 

sequentially reconditioned. One battery remains fully charge to optimize 

satellite safety. The reconditioning battery is connect to both the primary 

and secondary loads and discharged until the minimum cell voltage 

reaches 1.05 V. After disconnecting the secondary load, the battery is 

further discharged until the minimum cell voltage reaches 0.5 V. The 

reconditioning loads are located on the battery radiator panels. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -197- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~;~ Reconditioning Procedure (2) 

• Recharge 

- K-factor (C/O ratio) set to 1.25 

- Charge via main charge (approx. 4.5A, C/I7) until 700 psi is reached 

- Update K-factor to 1.15 

- Set Amperehour meter to derived parameter value (PIT) 

- Charge via main charge until Amperehour meter reaches 82 Ahrs 

- Monitor battery voltage < EOC voltage threshold (42.45 V) 

- Monitor battery temperature profile (rate of increase < 4°C/hour) 

, The over-temperature threshold is 26°C 

• End of charge 

- Trickle charger switched on 

- Set trickle charge rate to 0.48A (C/I63) 

The battery is recharged to 700 psi with a CID ratio of 1.25. At 700 psi, 

the on board integrated coulometer is updated to the ground derived 

amperehour value. The derived parameter value is based on the actual 

battery pressure and temperature from telemetry with correction factors 

determined from ground tests. Following the amperehour update, the 

battery is recharged with a CID ratio of 1.15 to 82 Ahrs. Charge is 

terminated manually. The 82 Ahrs is the maximum battery capacity value 

set by ground command. This value was also determined during ground 

testing. While approaching end of charge, the battery voltage and 

temperature are closely monitored to ensure that the hardware logic 

threshold for EOe is not violated. In addition , the exothermic 

characteristics of the Ni-H2 battery are monitored for over temperatures. 

Finally, the battery is placed on trickle charge using the nominal on-station 

electronic trickle charger configuration and rate. Once the exothermic 

characteristics taper off, the trickle charger provides the remaining charge 

to the battery in order to approach 100% state of charge. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -198- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

""''''i 

Lt~ Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (1) 

• Four cycles completed with nominal results 

• Capacity increase has stabilized 

BATTERY I (N) BATTERY 1 (5) 

HI Nl .3 N4 HI Hl N3 N4 

WS9!i SS9!i WS96 SS96 WS9!i SS9!i WS96 SS96 

Start 12125194 7117195 2111196 7129196 116195 7131195 1129196 8111196 

End 12128194 7121195 2115196 812196 1110195 814195 2JlI96 8116196 

High Ratt 39:52 45:23 46:15 46:32 39:44 45:51 46:39 46:55 

Duration (br) Low Ratt 52:56 57:12 59:10 58:01 55:57 58:34 59:08 58:54 

Clwge 19:15 26:09 24:41 25:36 19:48 26:21 25:41 26:18 

High Ratt 81.59 91.95 96.25 96.95 83.45 93.40 97.24 97.60 

Discharlc (Ahr) LowRatt 11.90 9.76 11.00 9.55 12.89 10.67 10.03 9.51 

Total 93.49 101.71 107.25 106.50 96.34 104.07 107.27 107.11 

High Ratt Cell 10 Cell 10 Cell 10 Cell 10 CellI Celli Celli Cell 2 

Stop Disch.rEe LowRab:: Cell 10 Cell 10 Cell 10 Cell 10 Cell 5 Cell 5 Cell 5 Cell 16 

Charge S2Ahr 82Ahr 82Ahr 82Ahr 82Ahr 82Ahr S2Ahr 82Ahr 

High Rate 242 230 230 219 200 188 188 188 

Pressure (psi) Low Rate 150 150 150 150 100 100 100 112 

Charge 956 967 978 967 923 969 969 992 

High Ratt 33.42 33.13 33.13 32.93 33.59 32.73 32.33 31.52 

Min Voltage (V) Low Rate 24.74 23.85 24.09 24.30 23.46 23.29 23.29 22.93 

Clwge 42.3 42.12 41.76 42.12 42.30 42.12 41.96 41.96 

Charge IAhr) Total 106.50 111.04 112.67 111.15 112.30 115.18 115.87 116.31 

The first reconditioning cycle was performed by MMS prior to acceptance. 

Due to timing constraints, the procedure used during the first cycle was 

modified to expedite the activities. The subsequent cycles have been 

performed by Orion Satellite Corporation with consistent procedures. By 

the fourth cycle, both batteries have exhibited an increase in end of 

discharge (EOD) capacity of approximately 10-12% compared to the first 

reconditioning cycle. The increase was expected as the capacity "fade" 

due to pre-launch storage decreases during the first few cycles. 

It should be noted that cell 10 on battery 1 has consistently been the 

driving cell for terminating discharge. Cell 10 also demonstrated weaker 

characteristics compared with the other battery 1 cells during ground 

testing. The battery 2 cells, on the other hand, are more closely matched. 

The discharge termination cell on battery 2 has varied. 

The return capacities have increased by 3-5% compared to the first cycle. 

The minimum battery voltages and pressures have been consistent 

throughout the first four cycles. However, due to the location of the 

batteries and the thermal influence of solar input, it is believed that a 

season to season comparison provides an improved assessment of the 

results. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -199- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:J Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (2) 

ORION 1 ORION 1 

Battery.1 RecondHlonlng Hlatory aattery .2 Reconditioning History 

-r=- ---!n!~f~l-:h~t!._ - - - - - -j". . ..l-----_E~d~f.!'~~,,-rg~ - - - - - -j". 1$0 ~-- - - - - - - - - - - - 110 I 1'0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - no i 1- ------------------ '., 1,. ~-------------- , .. ~ E so ___________________ 80 i ! 50 ___________________ .0 i 

o .0 0 I aD 

12345171"0 1 2 3 ... 5 • 7 • • 10 

.4IfCycl .. ..rcye ... 

ORJON1 I ORION 1 

I aattery'1 Reconditioning History aattery.2 Reconditioning History 

I End of Charge End of Charge 

I " •• r ---~ ---------------I 12. " •• r;.:..::-:-:-: ------------J'" 

I 1050 ~-- - - - - - - - - - - - 110 f 1 t050 T ------------------ ]'10 i 'II ,_L _m ____ --- ------ '"! ! '-r;;z---------- --4"'! I 

I :::C-------------_::·,~ :::c=------------1:: !'I J

I

, 1 2 3 • 5 f 7 a '10 1 1 2 3 ... 5 I 7 • • 10 

.~c~~. 'OfCYC~'! 

! __ fOC Pr ••• tUl EOC Cspacity\ ._fOC Pr.nura EOC CIIP.cilyl j 

The end of discharge capacity increase provides evidence that the capacity 

"fade" due to pre-launch storage has decreased during the first few cycles. 

The "knee" shown in the EOD curves indicates that the capacity increase 

may have stabilized for both batteries. In addition, the end of charge 

capacities have increased by 3-5% from the first cycle and appear to have 

also stabilized. The EOD and EOC pressures have remained relatively 

constant (± 1-2 telemetry bits, where 1 bit = 12 psi) throughout the first 

four cycles. 

The following graphs illustrate and compare the actual in-orbit discharge 

and charge cycles performed by Orion Satellite Corporation. Both 

batteries have exhibited consistent results. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -200- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~":J Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (3) 

42 4. 

•• •• J : 

.. 

2. 

2' 

Battery'1 • VOhage 

Discharge Profile 

-,-j-,.-r-r-'-..,-r-r-'-I-' 

-,- -1-' - ,-,- -I-I - T - r -,- -,- 1 -,-,-r-r,-,-r-r-r'-l 

:tj:i~~~~;=~=:=~:C3~~ _L~_~_L_L~_~_L_L_\~_J 

_1_-J_..1._L._'-_I_.J_J..._'-_1 \.-I_.J 

-1_ -1_ '* _ "- -I- -1- -4 - + - ~ -1- -I 

2'+-~ __ ~4--* __ +-~~ __ +-~ __ ~~~ 

5 10 15 a ~ ~ H ~ ~ 9 H U 

T ...... ou,. 

Aoa5Cya...2 _ .... AOasCydrlI3 ____ A085Cyde."I 

10 

10 

10 

10 

•• i :~ 20 

10 

Battery'1 • Capacity 

Discharge Profile 

-,-., - T -1-'-"T - r -1-" - T -r -1- 1 

-'-T-r'-~-r-~'-T-r'-' 

--r-r'-l-r-~'-r-r'-l 

--CJ:~:~:CJ:I:C~:~ -1 _ ..I. _ 1.. _1_ ..J _ J.. _ I.... _1_ .J 

t- -1- -4 _ ~ _I- _1_ -l 

--1-;--1--1-" 

-10 t::.:.::.2-=--r...::!:.::..:....:::....:~.:!~::::::::::::=::::.::, 

I

I ':: 

II j :: 

J 10 15 20 U H '5 U .5 " " " .5 

Tjm.,hounI 

L030 eye"'2 • ~ •• LOSO CJ'C .. '3 ____ L030 CJ'CII "'I 

Battery'1 • Derived Capacity 

Dllchargl Profile 

-,- -'-1-' - T - r -r -,- -,- 'l-"-' - 1-;. _1- -1_.J _1._ L _L _1 __ I_.J _ J. _ J 

-I-~-':>·-~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -:- -: - ~ - ~ - ~ 

I 2. 

I I, -2. -l---+-~------+---<-+--+--<-----+'~ 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 .5 50 55 80 

Tn., hOUR i j Tim., hours 

i_A092Cycle .2 ___ .A092 Cycle '3 ____ A092 eye"'4: l! 0104 Cy,.,..2 _. _ .0104 Cycfe" ____ 0104 Cycle'" I ~~==================~~~==================~ 

Orion Satellite Corporation 

~"''''~ ~b~ Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (4) 

BIHery.1 • Voltage 

Charge Profile 

!!~t~:: 1 I 1 ; : I ! I ; 

~r--:-~--~--:--~--~-~--- 3'~ ________________________________ __ 

o 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 

Time. hOUR 

A08S Cye.'2 ••• _",085 eye.'3 ___ •. A085 Cye .... ; 

Battery'1 - Pressure 

Cha'1le Profile 

'~~t ~ ~:~ ~ 3~ ~ t~-~~ ~ 

'nkd1I~~mr t20 1 ; : i : J • I 

o 5 10 15 ~ ~ ~ 35 ~ 

Time, hour. 

A092 Cyc:le'2 • _ •• "092 Cydetl ____ "092 Cycle.4· 

Battery'1 • Capacity 

Cha'1le Profile 

~r--r-~--'--T--r--r-~--l 

, ~mn~·~·;~;~r~n~jH 10.!... 

o , -10 .;.' __ ....; ____________ 

_____________ _ 

o 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 

Time. hour. 

alHery'l • Derived Capacity 

Cha'1le Profile 

':: I I = =:= I = = I = = ~ I = = ~ I = 

.... ~ 

~ ~~ --I 

I 

- - : I = = ~ I 

"~--~----~-~~-r-'--'--, i .o~--:----c':;; "'~_L __ ! ___ ; __ .J __ J 

20 ~ _ -1- -; , 

_~' ____ ~ __ L ____ ~ __ J __ J 

-20 , I I J I .l-"O--_____________ ________ -< 

,. 15 2. 30 35 .. Time,houn 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -201- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporatioll C Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (5) 

Battery'2 - VoHage 

Discharge Profile 

-r-r'-'-'-'-T-r-r-r-r, 

-r -1- -,-.,-, - i - T - r - r -1- -1--, 

.2 

•• 

•• --r'-'-'-'-T-r-r-r-r, .. I - , - .,. :- T - r - r - 1- -,- -, 

.. 

•• 1 • 

•• 50 

Battery n -Capacity 

Discharge Pro'" 

-,- -,- -,-, - T - T - r -r -,- -,-.., -, - -,- -1- I -'1 - T - r -,- -,- -,- I - I 

~-~-1-T-r-r-r~-~-1-1 

_1 __ ,_: -:J:: 1:: I: L:C :.: :': J: J -r-I--'-'-'-" :-r-,--, t - r -,- -1- -, - , - I - T - r - r ~r -1- -, 

•• 

.2 _1 __ 1_ -'_ ..L_.L _L. _L..._L _1_ -J_.J S :: 

•• 

2' 

2' 

2. 

0 

.... 

... 

.00 

700 

" • 00 

<- sao 

400 

300 

'00 

.00 

-r-r'-'-'-'-T-r-r -r, - r -1- -,- ., - , - j - T - r - r - . -,- -, -r--l--'--'-'-'1-T-r-r-'''' - .. -, 

A0I5Cyde'2 ........ AOlScrca-n ___ ~AO'5C""'1 

Battery'2 - Pr ... ure 

Discharge Profile 

.. -,- -1-" - T- r -r -1- I-I -r -r-, "-1-" - T - r -r -1- -,- i - r -r-, -1- .. ~ - T - r -r -,- -,- i -r -r-l -1- -1- - r -r -1-1-'- r -I-I 

-1- -,--, - .. r -1- -1-"'-"- r-r-I 

=:= =:= ~ = ~:= ~ -I~·~~ = ~ = ~:= ~ =: 

5 10 1S ~ ~ 30 35 ~ ~ " ~ ~ 

Time, hour. 

A102Cyde.2 ...... A102Cyclel3 ____ AI02Cyclef4] 

i 

20 

•• .1: t:.r:...:::..::..:::..::..:..:::..~:...:.r..:J=::::::::=:::~ 

.00 

•• 

'0 

•• 

20 

·2. 

... • 

5 ~ " n H ~ U ~ ~ u " " T ...... llour. 

LOU CyQ'2 ........ LOIO Cyca.3 ____ LOIO C,c. '''I 

Battery n -Derived Capacity 

Discharge Profile 

-r'-'-'-T-r-r-r'-'-'-' 

.. --1- -i- -t - + - r -t- -1- -1- -t- -t --I 

_L"_ .. • _ J _ 'J. _ 1. _ L _, __ ,_..J _..1 _ J 

I I 

-,--;--,- I 

-'--'-"'-'-T -1- -I _..j. _-I 

_' __ ' __ '_J_l._L_L_I ___ I J I I I I I I I' 

5 W ~ ~ H ~ U ~ ~ ~ " " 

Tim., hour. 

Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:J Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (6) 

Battery'2 - Voltage 

Charge Profile 

1 

i 

J!! 

::t~~ ~ ~:~ I ~ ~;~ :.._" ~ J 

, 

~ = ~ 1 ~ ~-~-~.~:'= I 1 =:= I ~~' i 

I;! 31 t ---.- --: ---l - - l- - -I- _ -1- __ l 

I •• +/ --:- --: --~ --~ --~ --~ --:- --: 

! 3. I I t~ ,~ ,10 ,~ 3~ 3~ .~ I Time, hours 

j ... 095 Cyi:M.2 ........... 095 Cyc:le n . ____ "'095 Cya. '" ! 

Sattery'2 .. Pressure 

Charge Profile 

, '§H,muuamnm 

~E f;(1= = ~ = = ,== =: = = ~ = = = = =: o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 .0 

Time. hour. 

A102 CycIe.2 ....... A102 Cycle.3 ____ ... 102Cyde f4 I 

i 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -202-

Time,hours 

lOSD Cye.'2 ........ lOGO eye .. 13 ____ LOSO Cye .. I. 1 

Battery'2 - Derived Capacity 

Charge Profile 

':: ~ = =:= = : = = : = = : = = ~= --, ---, -= : :t==~=~==~ __ L ~~_~ __ ~ __ J 

.. O~ ______ ~ ______ -+ ________________ ~ 

w .. 20 " 30 .0 

Tlme,houn 

0105 CycJe 12 ........ 0105 Cye. 13 ____ 0105 Cyc:cle ,. ! 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
BATTERY 1 OCH & CHG 

O~~~~~~~~~~~~==~ 

29JUL96:12:00:00 02AUG96:12:00:00 

Time 

000 A088 lJlJlJ A086 

BATTERY 1 VOLTAGE 

43 

42 ~ 

l!\ rI>' wH~ .... ..,34 "~. ~ 33 \ 

> 32 \ 

II ; 2~~--------------------~----------~ 29JUL96:12:00:00 02AUG96:12:00:00 

.... 

'" 

Time 

000 A085 

BATTERY 1 PRESSURE 

1000'"~~--------------------------------' 

\. F-'F= 

900 ~ I 

\.\ / 

/ 

800 

700 

600 

0.. 500 \, / 

"v 

400 

300 

200 

100~----____________________________ ~ 

29JUL96:12:00:00 

Time 

000 A092 

02AUG96:12:00:00 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

u 

., -1 ., 

~ -2 ., 

'" -3 

-4 

-5 

-6 

BATTERY 1 TEMP 15U, ISU, 15L 

-7~------------~--------~~-=~~ 29JUL96:12:00:00 02AUG96:12:00:00 

Time 

000 A090 lJlJlJ A091 

<> <> <> 1032 

BATTERY 2 TEMP '5U, #BU, 15L 

7r-------------------------------~ 

2 

1~ 1!\~ #-1\ ~ 1 ;j t~ #1\\ ~ opli r+!h "" 

~ =~ II: \\~il~/jl \t~~~: _"" 0> l 11 ., ;:1) i . tV - 3: .,...: ....... 1 

"0 =;11 L·:~ik~.iJ. r l~J'." ""/" -6

1

£ t/V\9 'tm • ,l,. \j\"" -7 ; i lj'l: ':1 \ A\l' , -Sf "r;Fl., I 

- 9 • 't " 

-10 1 

29JUL96:12:00:00 02AUG96:12:00:00 

1.6 

1.5 

1.4 

~ 1.1 .. ... 

,., 1. 0 o 

> 0.9 

o . 8 

Time 

000 A100 lJlJlJ A101 

<> <> <> 1033 

BAT 1 CELL MAX, MIN ANO AVERAGE 

~I 

0.7~--__________________ 1 L-__________ ~ 

29JUL96:12:00:00 02AUG96:12:00:00 

-203-

Time 

000 Dl14 lJlJlJ 0115 

<><><>0117 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
BATTERY 2 DCH & CHG 1 

4 

'" C. 

;& 

... 2 

I I 

O~~~~~==~==~bb~~~~ 

12AUG96:12:00:00 16AUG96:12:00:00 

... 

'" 

Time 

000 A098 000 A096 

BATTERY 2 VOLTAGE 

Time 

000 A095 

BATTERY 2 PRESSURE 

16AUG96:12:00:00 

1000 - i~ 

900 \ ! . 800 \ i 

\. i ~ r \. Ii 

700 

600 

'" 5 0 0 

, 

~ I ,/ 400 

300 

200 

100~--------------------------------~ ~ 

12AUG96:12:00:00 

Time 

000 A102 

16AUG96:12:00:00 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

BATTERY 2 TEMP 15U, 18U, 15L 

U 

IV -1 

IV 

... 

tn 

IV 

't:l 

- 8 

-9 

-10~~ ______ ~ ____________ =-~ __ ~~~~ 

12AUG96:12:00:00 16AUG96:12:00:00 

u 0 

IV -1 IV 

... - 2 ' 

~ ~! ¥ 

t 

- 5 i 

Time 

000 A100 000 A101 

<><><> 1033 

BATTERY 1 TEMP i5U, #8U, 15L 

~!~r ________________________________ ~ 12AUG96:12:00:00 16AUG96:12:00:00 

~ 0.9 

~ 0.8 -' 00.7 

> 

0.6 

0.5 

o . 4 

Time 

000 A090 000 A091 

<><><>1032 

BAT 2 CELL MAX, and MIN 

0.3~--------------------________ ~ 

12AUG96:12:00:00 16AUG96:12:00:00 

Time 

0000118 000 D119 

-204- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:J Orion 1 Reconditioning Data (7) 

• Reconditioning was performed by MMS during spacecraft 

solar simulation (SST) and simmer (TVT) tests 

• In-orbit data is consistent with ground test results 

Jl.\1"llRY1 ~ 1m"ImY2(S) 

, . $I' 1Vf $I' 1Vf 

Salt 4'27194- &'1]J94 4'27194- &'1]J94 

FBI S']J94 &'16-94 S']J94 &'16-94 

HgJJ.R£ 95.1 93.1 9t.9 924 

Ikbarge(Abry LowR£ 125 11.9 129 126 

Tdal 107.6 IOS.0 107.8 1OS.0 

During spacecraft ground tests, reconditioning was performed on each 

battery by Matra Marconi Space. The results are shown above. These 

results have been compared to the in-orbit data and found to be consistent. 

The discharge and charge profiles have also been compared to the in-orbit 

profiles and found to be satisfactory. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -205- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Orion Satellite Corporation 

~:l Conclusion 

• Four cycles completed with nominal results 

• In-orbit data is consistent with ground test results 

• "Usable" capacity has been assessed 

• Capacity increase appears to have stabilized 

• Battery performance has been satisfactory during subsequent 

eclipse seasons 

The Orion 1 satellite has satisfactorily completed the first four. in-orbit 

battery reconditioning cycles. Both batteries have exhibited consistent and 

nominal results compared to ground test data. Battery reconditioning has 

provided a bi-annual assessment of the "usable" capacity, established an 

in-orbit performance baseline, and furnished an opportunity to trend the 

current performance which may identify any end of life power margin 

concerns. After two years on-station, the Orion 1 batteries have performed 

nominally with no present concerns. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -206- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
S'J-¥Y 

The INTELSAT Experience 

with 

Reconditioning ofNIH2 Batteries 

iJ-2;/ d 

Ol(c 7Y,C;;b 

/~~; 

Frank Scalici, Andrew Dunnet, and Daphne Xu 

International Telecommunications Satellite Organization 

Washington, D.C. 

INTRODUCTION 

INIELSAT has been reconditioning 

NiH2 batteries since 1983 when the INIELSAT 

V F-6 geosynchronous communications satellite 

was launched. This was the first commercial 

use of NiH2 batteries. INIELSAT has 

continued this practice on all 46 NiH2 batteries 

it has operated in-orbit. The batteries are of 

several types including the classic INTELSAT 

cell, the HAC re-circulating design, and the 

Gates Mantech design. 

Reconditioning is perfonned twice 

each year, prior to the Eclipse Season. At this 

time Water Migration problems, ifpresent, are 

dealt with. Temperature limits are imposed for 

the discharge and charge cycles as a safety 

precaution. 

In support of in-orbit operations, it is 

INTELSAT's practice to perfonn ground based 

life tests. In-orbit data and ground tests results 

are presented and the benefits of reconditioning 

noted. 

PROCESS 

Prior to each eclipse season the Power subsystem 

is configured such that half the batteries aboard 

can maintain the satellite in an emergency while 

the remainder are placed on the reconditioning 

load until a preset cell voltage limit is met or, in 

cases where cell voltage telemetry is 

unavailable, until a battery voltage limit is met. 

Where available, automated systems calculate 

amp hours removed by comparing battery 

voltage and the size of the load and then 

integrating over the period of the discharge. On 

the INIELSAT K and INIELSAT VI, the 

average voltage over time is used to integrate the 

amp hours removed. AU other series use the 

average voltage method as a backup to the 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

automated processes. The batteries are then 

recharged to a pre-determined 

ChargeIDischarge (CID) ratio. When these 

batteries have completed the cycle, the 

remaining batteries are then started. 

The CID is intentionally set 5% less than would 

be used for a typical eclipse recharge in keeping 

with INTELSAT policy of avoiding overcharge 

whenever possible. The schedule allows a 

sufficient amount of time spent at trickle charge 

to return to a full state of charge prior to the first 

eclipse. In addition to voltage limits, 

temperature limits are set to ensure safety. 

Table 1 lists the various types of cells used. 

REASONS TO RECONDITION 

There are several reasons INTELSAT continues 

to recondition NiH:! batteries in-orbit and 

require a reconditioning capability on its future 

satellites. INTELSAT's position is that 

reconditioning NiH2 batteries provides for: 

-207-

- an assessment of state of health prior to 

each eclipse season. 

- a method for dealing with water 

migration within NiH:! cells should it 

occur. 

- an evaluation of pressure increase to 

establish whether the increase is due to 

capacity gain or corrosion. 

- an enhancement of perfonnance in 

EODV and cell voltage matching during 

discharge. 

- a correlation between life test data and 

in-orbit performance. 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
- a source of flexibility for battery 

operations. 

RESULTS 

1. Assessment of State of Health. 

A assessment of state of health is derived 

during the reconditioning by collecting and 

tabulating various data (see Table 2). The total 

capacity to the voltage limit, battery EODY, cell 

EODY, and delta pressure or capacity are 

analyzed. These data are then compared to 

previous seasons to identify net changes. 

Particular attention is paid to the total capacity 

which should only val)' seasonally and cell 

voltage spread on discharge. Recently, capacity 

below 1.0 volts to the voltage limit has been 

characterized to assess whether or not the 

amount of capacity below 1.0 volts is changing. 

This is of particular interest on new INTELSAT 

VIl or VIlA batteries which tend to have larger 

capacities below 1.0 volts when launched then, 

with cycling, recover useful capacity. 

2. Method for Dealing with Water Migration 

The use of reconditioning as a method for 

dealing with water migration was documented 

in reference 1. Each eclipse season "Frank 

Plots" are made for the longest eclipse day for 

each battery in-orbit. Frank Plots show each 

cells minimum and maximum voltage over 24 

hours referenced to the average voltage at either 

end of discharge or end of charge. These plots 

are analyzed for changes in cell impedance 

which is thought to be symptomatic of water 

migration from the stack. If problematic cells 

are identified the battery is subjected to the 

COMSATIINTELSAT developed procedure to 

rejuvenate the cell. 

As an example (see Figures I and 2), the 

plots for Spring 1996 longest eclipse indicated 

problematic cells on both INTELSAT V-F6 

(506) Battery 1, (Cell 22) and lNTELSAT VF15 (515) Battery 2, (Cells 4 and 26). Both 

batteries were subjected to the procedure prior to 

the Fall 1996 eclipse season as part or the 

normal pre-eclipse reconditioning. 

506 Battery 1 Cell 22 EODV increased 

0.026 volts with a 0.6 amp greater load and the 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

cell voltage spread (minimum to maximum) 

decreased from 0.051 volts in Spring to 0.025 

volts in Fall. 515 Battery 2 Cell 26 EODY 

increase 0.063 volts with a 0.6 amp lighter load 

and the cell voltage spread decreased from 0.102 

volts in Spring to 0.045 volts in Fall. 

3. Evaluation of Pressure Increase 

An accurate measure of pressure increase 

due to the effects of corrosion can be made by 

tracking the pressure at the end of 

reconditioning discharge. This is especially 

important on tile INTELSAT VI which has a 

dry powder sintered positive and used the 

alcohol EC impregnation. These positive plates 

tend to corrode. 

A study ofINTELSAT VI-F2 in-orbit 

reconditioning data revealed that BOD pressure 

increased each season with cycling while EOD 

pressure remained essentially constant for the 

first five seasons in orbit. This rise in BOD 

pressure without a corresponding increase in 

EOD pressure shows up as increased useful 

capacity during the reconditioning. Beginning 

in sixth season the EOD pressure begins to ramp 

up and becomes the major component of the 

increase noted in the BOD pressure while a 

corresponding leveling and gradual decrease in 

capacity takes place. This increase in BOD 

pressure can only be excess hydrogen which has 

been liberated by the consumption of o:-.:ygen in 

the corrosion reaction. The data gained at end 

of reconditioning discharge is a measure of 

pressure grO\\1h due to corrosion. 

4. Enhancement of Performance in EODV 

The INTELSAT V1 batteries were the first 

for INTELSAT with a Nickel pre-charge, the 

INTELSAT V's all having been Hydrogen precharged. In 1985 INTELSAT commissioned 

HAC, the prime contractor on INTELSAT V1 

program, to perform a series of life tests on 

flight representative packs of battery cells. Four 

packs were built up. two were the standard 16 

cell design but with Hydrogen pre-charge. The 

other two packs contained 16 Hydrogen precharged cells and two Nickel pre-charged cells 

which were fitted into the growth area of the 

pack structure. It should be noted that at tlus 

time HAC had not yet made the decision to use 

Nickel pre-charge ceI1s. The tests subjected one 

-208- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
16 cell pack to real time simulated life test 

which was terminated after six seasons. The 

second 16 cell pack was placed in cold storage 

with capacity checked every six months. The 

two IS cell packs were put into "a semiaccelerated life test, real time eclipse, with a 

solstice varied by the time necessary to 

recondition one of the packs. The eclipse season 

simulation was a daily 27.4A discharge for 

periods starting at 15 minutes, increasing to 70 

minutes, with a corresponding DOD of 69.2%, 

and then tapering back to 15 minutes over a 46 

day period. The recharge was at the standard 

ClIO for a return of 110%. Following each 

eclipse season Pack Q004 was put on trickle 

charge while Pack Q003 was reconditioned. 

The reconditioning involved a let-down of the 

pack using a 20 ohm, 35 watt resistor across the 

pack terminals until 5 volts was reached. The 

capacity to 1.0 volts was noted Following the 

reconditioning, the pack was recharged at 4.SA 

for IS hours in an attempt to match the capacity 

of the two packs, a practice which stopped after 

Season 13 being replaced by a ClIO recharge to 

lIS%. 

Comparison of the data after season 30 shows 

that the EODV for reconditioned Ni pre-charge 

cells was 42m V higher than those not 

reconditioned (see Figure 4), an EODV increase 

of 1.34 volts on a standard INTELSAT VI 32 

cell battery. For the H2 pre-charge pack the 

EODV was 21m V higher or 0.67 volts for the 

standard INTELSAT VI battery. In addition, 

across the 18 cells in each of the two test packs 

the EODV spread for reconditioned cells was 

26m Vat BOL and 24mVat EOL. The spread 

for non-reconditioned cells was 26m V at BOL 

and 42mV at EOL. Review of the INTELSAT 

VI-F2, which has completed 14 seasons in-orbit, 

shows a cell voltage spread of 25mV on Battery 

1 and 26mV on Battery 2. INTELSAT V 

satellites which have completed more than 22 

seasons in-orbit show similar results with a 

25m V spread on both batteries. 

5. Correlation Between Life Test Data and 

In-Orbit Performance 

All INTELSAT sponsored life testing is 

run in real time, including solstice. The tests 

are started several seasons ahead of the first inorbit use. All operational requirements and 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

environmental elements are simulated as closely 

as possible. 

The INTELSAT VI life test at 

COMSAT Labs has completed over 20 realtime seasons, while the oldest INTELSAT VI in 

orbit, 602, has completed 14 seasons. Similar 

testing at HAC ran for 30 accelerated seasons. 

Both life tests simultaneously teste ed) identical 

cells with a Hydrogen and Nickel pre-charge. 

The first concern to arise on these cells 

was a significant pressure increase. The initial 

assumption was that the batteries were being 

subjected to an excessive amount of overcharge 

thus contributing to corrosion of the positives. 

Examination of the first five reconditioning 

cycles showed that while the BOD pressure of 

the cells was increasing the EOD pressure was 

essentially constant (see Figure 5). Analysis of 

the reconditioning data showed this to be an 

increase in useful capacity due to cycling and 

not a deleterious effect. In season six the 

capacity peaked and has remained essentially 

constant on the Hydrogen pre-charge cells and 

slowly decreased on the Nickel pre-charge cells. 

A corresponding increase in EOD pressure has 

occurred over the same period on the Nickel precharge cells. The in-orbit data from 602 agrees 

well with the Nickel pre-charge line (see Figure 

6). 

When first launched INTELSAT 

VIIIVllA batteries experienced a capacity fade 

which showed up as reconditioning capacities 

that were lower than the battery nameplate. 

INTELSAT was unsure at this point as to the 

high rate useful capacity of the batteries. The 

correlation between reconditioning capacity and 

high rate capacity is of great importance to the 

satellite operators but a C/2 discharge capacity 

measurement to 1.0 volts is not feasible in orbit. 

In order to resolve this problem the real time life 

testing, that COMSAT Labs perform for 

INTELSAT, incorporates a CI2 discharge 

capacity measurement in each odd eclipse 

season. As cycling continued the in-orbit 

capacities increased until the reconditioning 

capacity exceeded nameplate, as expected, and 

closely matched the results from the life test. 

When the in-orbit reconditioning capacities 

were of the same order as those of the life test 

-209- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
battery, the assumption was made that the high 

rate capacities were also similar. 

6. Source of Flexibility 

The reconditioning circuitry has proved 

valuable to satellite operators for purposes other 

than reconditioning. INTELSAT VIIIVIIA has 

the reconditioning resistors configured as a 

backup battery heater, a feature which is now in 

use on one of the batteries. 

Another use involved electro-thennal thrusters 

which run directly from the batteries. The 

process, which was developed by Lockheed 

Martin allows the thruster start-up transients to 

be minimized by offsetting the battery voltages 

for the first few seconds of the maneuver. This 

is achieved by charging one battery to elevate 

the voltage and USing the reconditioning load to 

suppress the voltage of the other battery. 

Conclusion 

The INTELSAT position on 

reconditioning ofNiH2 batteries has been stated. 

It is beneficial to the health and operation of the 

batteries in-orbit. Further, the availability of the 

circuitry has proven to be helpful for dealing 

with anomalous situations. 

Reference: 

1. "Method for Rejuvenating NiH2 Battery 

Cells" by Earl, Burke, and Dunnet, 

27th IECEC 1992 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -210- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
.... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t... 

~ {; 

~ 

! 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

IV 

--I 

~ ~ 

~ !;-

~ II> 

::s 

~ 

::::: 

~ 

f 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

Manufacturer 

Cell Diameter (cm.) 

Total Length (cm.) 

Cell Mass (gm.) 

Cap (AH) to 1V @ 10°C 

Nameplate CAP (AH) 

Stack Design 

Plate Shape 

Configuration 

Arrangement 

Terminal Design 

Positive Electrode 

Plaque 

Impregnation 

Thickness (mm.) 

No. of Plates 

Separator 

% Electrolyte by wt. dischgd. 

Negative Electrode 

No. of Plates 

Thickness (mm.) 

Reconditioning 

Began 

Cell Voltage Limit 

C/O Ratio 

Change 

Cell/Battery Limit 

C/O Ratio ----------_ .... _---_ .. -

INTELSATV 

EPI 

8.9 

21.2 

890 

36 

32 

Truncated Disk 

Single Stack 

Back-to-Back Pas. 

Ziegler/Axial 

Wet Slurry 

Aqueous EC 

0.775 

24 

Asbestos 

38 

24 

0.137 

Fall 1983 

1st Cell to 0.9 V 

110% 

Fall 1987 

1st Cell to 0.5 V 

N/A 

Table 1 

INTELSAT 

NiH2 Batteries 

INTELSATVI INTELSAT K INTELSAT VII INTELSAT VilA 

HAC/EPI EPI Gates Gates 

8.7 8.9 8.7 11.8 

28.0 29.1 29.3 20.2 

1460 1413 1840 2640 I 

56 55 96 130 

44 50 85 120 

Pineapple Slice Truncated Disk Pineapple Slice Pineapple Slice 

Single Stack Single Stack Single Stack Single Stack 

Recirculating Back-to-Back Pas. Back-to-Back Pos. Back-to-Back Pos. 

Teflon/Axial Ziegler/Axial Ceramic/Axial Ceramic/Rabbit Ear 

Dry Powder Wet Slurry Dry Powder Dry Powder 

Alcohol EC Aqueous EC Aqueous EC Aqueous EC 

0.880 0.762 0.920 0.920 

40 48 38 

2 Layer Zircar Asbestos 2 Layer Zircar 2 Layer Zircar 

31 38 31 31 

41 40 48 38 

0.148 0.178 0.116 0.116 

Spring 1990 Fall 1992 Spring 1994 Spring 1994 

1st Cell to 1.0 V 1st Cell to 0.5 V 1st Cell to 0.5 V 1st Cell to 0.5 V 

100% 110% 110% 110% 

N/A Fall 1994 Spring 1996 Spring 1996 

N/A Batt to 25 V (2&4) N/A N/A 

N/A N/A 105% 105% 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

.., 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

I 

tv 

-tv 

I 

~ ~ 

~ t} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

S? 

c:Joo 

:::: 

::s 

~ 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 1':; 

c· 

::s 

RECONDITIONING 

SEASON HRS MINS 

F83 52 30 

S84 32 54 

F84 48 17 

S85 52 38 

F85 56 32 

S86 49 27 

F86 57 5 

S87 51 51 

F87 55 20 

S88 51 40 

F88 54 3 

S89 54 16 

Fa9 59 0 

S90 56 3 

F90 58 40 .-- S91 53 38 

F91 60 0 

S92 57 21 

F92 63 27 

S93 57 0 

F93 61 35 

S94 55 58 

F94 61 54 

S95 56 55 

F95 61 0 

S96 57 19 

F96 61 0 - -

TABLE 2 

BATTERY RECONDITIONING 

CAPACITY AND MINIMUM VOLTAGE 

INTELSAT V F-6 (506) 

BATTERY 1 

ETT TOTAL BATT CELL CELL S/G RECONDITIONING 

A"H A"H EODV EODV # CAP SEASON HRS MINS 

35.70 25.40 0.896 27 F83 56 8 

16.00 36.30" 26.80 0.896 27 S84 52 5 

8.10 40.00 26.40 0.889 6 F84 55 30 

35.80 30.00 0.896 27 41.6 S86 55 20 

38.40 27.00 0.896 6 44.3 F86 55 12 

33.70 31.80 0.889 27 39.9 S86 55 46 

38.80 26.60 0.180 27 42.1 F86 55 17 

35.30 30.00 0.230 27 37.4 S87 46 55 

37.60 28.40 0.200 27 38.0 F87 54 43 

35.20 30.00 0.240 27 35.6 S88 56 59 

38.80 28.20 0.260 5 41.0 FB8 55 37 

36.90 29.80 0.240 27 38.0 S89 54 16 

40.10 27.00 0.380 5 41.0 Fa9 59 3 

38.10 29.60 0.240 27 41.0 S90 56 42 

39.90 27.40 0.100 27 41.0 F90 52 59 

36.50 29.00 0.230 27 38.0 S91 58 6 

40.80 27.40 0.220 5 44.0 F91 57 20 

39.00 30.00 0.240 27 42.0 S92 58 9 

43.10 28.00 0.240 5 45.0 F92 57 0 

38.80 29.80 0.220 27 41.0 S93 59 26 

41.90 28.00 0.210 5 44.0 F93 60 52 ---

38.00 30.00 0.090 27 41.0 S94 59 43 

42.10 29.00 0.140 27 43.6 F94 58 9 

38.70 30.20 0.200 27 41.6 S95 59 21 

41.50 29.00 0.000 27 42.1 F95 61 55 

39.00 30.20 0.220 27 42.3 S96 59 24 

41.50 32.30_ 0.000 27 40.3 £96 ___ - . 62 . 57 -- _._--

I 

I 

! 

BATTERY 2 I 

ETT TOTAL BATT CELL CELL S/G I 

A*H A*H EODV EODV # CAP 

38.1 25.0 0.901 5 

35.4 27.2 0.895 5 

37.7 27.8 0.895 5 

37.6 34.0 0.895 5 48.6 

37.5 30.8 0.895 5 48.5 

37.9 29.2 0.895 1 47.6 

37.6 28.6 0.220 5 48.6 

7.3 38.3 27.8 0.260 5 39.2 

37.2 28.8 0.310 5 38.8 

38.8 26.2 0.270 5 39.9 

37.8 26.8 0.230 5 39.0 

36.9 28.8 0.340 5 38.0 

40.2 25.6 0.220 13 42.0 

38.6 29.0 0.410 5 40.0 

36.0 29.8 0.290 5 37.0 

39.5 28.2 0.310 5 41.0 

39.0 28.6 0.290 5 41.0 

39.6 28.6 0.310 5 41.0 

38.8 29.4 0.320 5 41.0 

40.4 27.6 0.360 1 43.0 

41.4 26.8 0.950 5 43.4 

40.6 28.4 0.350 5 42.5 

39.5 29.2 0.490 5 41.5 

40.4 28.2 0.490 5 42.5 

42.1 26.2 0.460 5 43.5 

40.4 29.6 0.320 5 40.4 

._--'--- . .i2.!l _ 25.9 _O..!ZQ 5 43.6 
....... 

'0 

'0 

01 

~ 

fl:: 

::t.. 

(\> 

ti 

{; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

J 

N 

..... 

w 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ()-

~ 

() 

~ 

c 

::s 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 1;; 

§' 

1.260 

1.240 

1.220 

11/ 

a. 200 ::: 1. u 

w 

"Tii 

II 

CI 

C 

o 

...J 

~ 1.180 

o 

w 

1.160 

1.140 

1.120 

Figure 1 

506 Battery 1 

Spring 1996 vs Fall 1996 

Spring Load =12.4 Fall Load =13.02 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 

Cell Number 

-+-Batt 1 Min Spring 

_Batt 1 Avg Spring 

""'-Batt 1 Min Fall 

-+-Batt 1 Avg Fall 
~ 

N 

N 

N 

N 

(W) 

N 

~ 

N 

It) 

~ 

"!t 

.... Ol 

-u 

c-i 

IX) 

en 

en't:J 

U) 

CII _ 0 

""" _...I 

~&I.. 

Nii_ 

CII <0 N CI)&I.. 

~ cu > 

iU)o It) ... ::l cu Ol men""": .Q 

ii: enM E V) ..- ..- ~ = - el lI :z V) c"C ._ CII (W) a; ... 0 (J 

c,...1 

tn eI N C 

.;: 

c, 

tn 

N 

M 

"'t 

It) 

<0 

""" 

IX) 

Ol 

.... 

0 

~ N 

0 

"": "": 

asdlP3 Isa6uOl AC03 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -214- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
~ 

en 

(J) 

\I) 

u. 

(J) 

\I) 

en 

:g 

U) u. 

(J) 

-

CIS 

N 'i) 

Ll- e III I 

e til 

:; ~ ... M III ::s (J) .c ~ en u CD U) III .... « U) 

c Cl 

::J (J) e Q. 

u:: ..Jc,. .!! 

~i!' M en (J) 0 Z CD u. ~ -:; 

CIS II 

m 

c 

• 

M 0 Ol III 

en 

en 

III 

III 

g 

en 

Oi 

en 

Ol 

N 

U. 

Ol 

N 

8 ou. 

ISd eJll~a 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -215- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
-II) 

:; en C) II) ... 'O:t ....... cu 

II) «11)':: .... f1)!t:'l :;, ..J..JII) Cl 'It: 

u: .... 

UlO'" £L c Z «.- III 

0 

-:t:Z 

en 

CII 

III 

~ 

/\003 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -216- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
~ 

It) 

<0 

..... 

.-

CO 

~ 

-

en l") 

.! 

~ 

III ::i N 

~ :; 

Cl 

::s I- .- u:: c:( .- C 

VJ III 

0 

...J IV 

W QI 

.... 0 en 

Z 

N 

..... 

CO 

Ol 

IS g ~ 

sJnoH d~ U! Al!:lede:> 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -217- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
~ 

co 

u:: 

Cl 

::::I 

..... 

ID 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

18 15 :g 

sJnoH d~ U! ~l!:)ede:> 

-218-

N 

..-

..... 

..-

Ill) 

CIl 

QI 

III 

III 

o 

c 

o (I) 

N 

CIl 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Telstar 401 Reconditioning Experience 

Dr. Dean W. Maurer 

McKnight Associates Inc. 

292 Johnston Dr. 

Watchung, NJ, 07060 

(908) 753-4457 

or (908) 949-6690 

Fax (908) 949-8082 

Telstar 401 was launched December 15, 1993. It has two 58 cell 50 AH Nickel Hydrogen 

batteries of the Comsat design. Reconditioning is carried out with relay selected resistors across the 

entire battery for rates of approximately C/50 and C/IOO. There are individual cell voltage 

monitors and the discharge is carried out until the first cell reaches 0.8 volts. 

Figure 1 is a composite plot to the maximum and minimum battery voltage and pressure 

by day since the beginning of the Spring '94 eclipse. Note that the minimum pressure is a unifornl 

"smile" curve for each season; the minimum battery voltage is similar except for the Spring '95 

season when it has become a "smirk" Note also that there is no reconditioning before the latter 

season. (Seen most clearly in the pressure plot). The variable depth discharges that occur between 

the eclipse seasons are for Arc Jet firings for station keeping. 

Figures 2 & 3 are the Fall '94 and Spring '95 seasons respectively in close up. The 

"smirk" has been attributed to the effects of silicate poisoning for reasons beyond the scope of this 

talk, however, what follows is some Figures generated in ground tests at our Murray Hill 

laboratory on cells from the same manufacturing lot as the flight cells which show what is 

occurring. The silicate poisoning effect shows up most clearly in a depressed voltage in the 

discharge follO\'Ving an open circuit stand such as in the "charge retention" test. 

Figure 4 shows the discharges following an open circuit stand of various duration at a 

temperature of _5° C typical of flight. 

Figure 5 shows the same experiment plotted as the minimum voltage reached for the best 

and worst cell in the study as a function of open circuit time. Included are measurements of the 

internal resistance of the cells 

Figure 6 shows the same type of test except that the charge time is varied keeping the open 

circuit and discharge the same. The worst effect is seen in the most fully charged case. 

Figure 7 shows the effect of discharge temperature for the charge retention test nm at 

+ 1 0° C. The resistive effect is seen to be very temperature dependent. 

Figure 8 shows the surprising effect of the temperature of the open circuit stand period on 

the subsequent discharge at _5° C. The warmer the open circuit stand the worse the effect! 

Figure 9 shows that a brief (3 hour) excursion to 30° C during an otherwise _5° C. 72 hour 

stand has a large effect on the voltage depression 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -219- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
Finally Figure 10 shows the effect of a prolonged trickle charge on the discharge of a 

_5° C cycle. Thus trickle charge has an effect similar to the open circuit stand. 

In all cases the voltage depression is wiped out by the discharge itself and subsequent 

cycles will have normal appearance Therefore the data suggest that the "smirk" is a result of the 

prolonged trickle charge of the solstice period interspersed with the shallow (15%) discharges of 

the arc jets coupled with no reconditioning. Later eclipse seasons which have reconditioning are 

more normal but some deleterious effect is seen from the 2 to 3 week period between reconditioning 

and the start of the eclipse season. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -220- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
PSI 

900.000 

843.750 

787.500 

~ 731.250 

0'\ 675.000 

~ 618.750 

;: 562.500 (l> 

.... 506.250 c 

{J 450.000 \:) 393.750 (") 

(l> 

~ 337.500 

~ 281.250 ~ 225.000 

~ 168.750 

~ 112.500 

.g 

I 

tv 

tv 

..... 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ !} 

~ (l> 

::s 

~ 

~ 

56.250 

0.000 

VOLTS 

90.000 

88.125 

86.250 

84.375 

82.500 

80.625 

78.750 

76.875 

75.000 

73.125 

71.250 

69.375 

67.500 

65.625 

63.750 

I-PSCN2 

............ , ............ .. 

.. .. ............ • 0 " .. ........ .. -.... .. ...... .. .... I -0" .. ........ .. ;, ................. ... 0 " ...... .. .... .... ..... io ...... .. 

.......... '. ~ .. eO .. .. ........ e ' e ' .. ............... I .0 .......... ........................ ' ....... ' ....... .. .... ' ....... .. .... .. ..' . .... ... ;" ... ' ................ 'e ' .... ' ....................... ,. ' .... ' '. 'e ' ';' ;" .. 

.... e' .. ;,' ...... e O ...... ............ " ...... '. ' ... '. _I .............. -.. .. .. '. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........ .. .... L ;. .... '. ;, ;, .... 1.'-.. '. ;. -...... .. .. '. " ................ '1' .. '. '. '. ' • . " e ' . ' .. " .... ' .... ..... ~ .. 

............ . ........ . .. . ·1··· ·· ··· ·· · ......... :- . . .. ............ ,. .. ................•.................. 

. . . . . . .. ... . . . . .. .. . .. .. . . J!' .;. . ... ...... . . . . . . . ;. . . .. . ........... L •••••••••••••••••••• • •• • • • ••• • •• ••• • • 

••.••••...••••••• • • , • • . • ••• ~ •.. . • • • • • •• • •• • •••••• •• • ••.••. , ••.•• • .• ~ .••••••.•• , •••••••• f.· ••• • • ••• , •• • ••••• 

' . .... -.. -...... .. ·0 · .. ........ ,; ..... .. ' ....... ;. ....... ' ............... -" .' ........ '. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .............. .. ........ .. .... fl . .............. ....................... '. ' ......... ............... ;;. . .. .. 

I-BAlN_V 

a ........... 

; 61.875 I· .... . . . ' . ' . . ......•... . .... '.' . •. . ....•.. .• 

~ 60.000 00:00:00.0 02:00:00.0 04:00:00.0 06:00:00.0 08:00:00.0 ~ 1214193 3/3/94 5131/94 8(28194 11(25/94 .... §' 

. 

~ 

~ 

§' 

12:00:00.0 14:00:00.0 16:00:00.0 18:00:00.0 22:00:00.000:00:00.0 

2(22195 5122/95 8119/95 11116/95 2113196 5112196 8/9/96 1117/96 

h,l 
VOLTS 

75.000 

74.063 

73.125 

::0 72.188 

~ 71.250 

~ 70.313 

~ 69.375 

:t.. 

~ 68.438 c 

{j 67.500 

~ 66.563 

'" 

~ 65.625 

t:l 

~ 64.688 

~ 63.750 

~ 62.813 

~ 61.875 ~ 

.g 60.938 

60.000 

PSI 

900.000 

856.250 

812.500 I 

~768.750 

~725.000 

681.250 

637.500 

~ 593.750 

~ 550.000 

~ 506.250 

E} 462.500 

~ 418.750 

~ 375.000 

:r 331.250 

~ 287.500 

~ 243.750 

JeB~ .. V. •• Ui.Ojl~J3~IWj'" •• ) I ........ t ........... .. I. .. : · ....... 1··········,· 1:1 ..... .. ~ .. .. .. :.. .. .. .. .. .. .... ,........ r" 

ru1·, .-!- ." .......... .. r""" .. "." .... ",. 

...... . ' ................. " .............. .. . 1.1 ... ·.'.1 . .1 • .,' ................. L ............................ .. 

.............. · ...... .................. . .. .. · .................................................... , .. · . .................................... .................. .. · . . · . .......................................................... · , , 

................ ",,, ................ , ................ ".- r" ................ " .................. , ................ "." .............. .. 

......................................................................... .., ... ~ .. Jo t ... -I- t ... -.- t "'I -I- to t •• - to t ... "." t ........... '!L._.- .......................... " .................................... -.............. .. ................................................................................. ~.;- .~.~ •• , ............ 1 ....... I .................................................................................... t ............. .. 

• ........ .,1., ............ L • .. • .. .. • • • .. • .. .. .. .. .... • ................................ , • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .............. \ ............... e' ............... \ ....... _ ...... " ............ . 

• • I ••• .. .... ... .... ........" .... . . • I ... . 

OO" .. oo ... .oo '".. .... .. .. • I I .. " • 

.0. ..... , '"0· .. , ·0" , .. If I I , -." 

I-PSI N2 (NBATCEL20APRES) 

r

" ~::: .............. : J' :~~:~~i " 

1 ................... ~:~iI'I:~ ~~:~ oo ......... ~~:I::l' "'. "l:r:1' oooo ['j: .oo :l~ , !: oooo :1'1'1' :1:]:":1:1",: .... 

•• 

I .... .... ! :1'1' :,' oo... :1'1'1' :1"1'1' .... :1::1'1'1: ... ... :1'1' '1:1~ • '" l' ":1:[' ...... 'I:I:Ij~~ • ........................................ 

0'" 

~rI' i~:~~ 'r:r: ~ ~i.~ ~I' _ .. :1' '" I' .. .. ~:I • .... oo ..... : ............... : .. oo ........ oo:... ... ...... ..:... •• :.. ... .... •• ... ..... .. .. oo: .............. oo:oo ......... oo: ... oo ..... oooo 

... 1 ............ : ................. : .............. :........ ....... .. ... :.. •• :... •• ... ... •• ••• • .... : .......... oo .... : ...... oo ..... :oo .. oo ........ .. 

.. .. . • .1 ...... 1 •••• " ..... " ................. oooo ... .. .1· .. • .. ·" "0 ••••• •• ... oo ....... ••• .................. .. 

..... 1"" -I... .. ..... 0 ... 0 .............. .. ........... r" _.1. ...... ·0· ............ r ............ •• oo .. 

..... 1°. -I." ......... oo .. oo .... oooo ................................................ 0 ....... - .• - •• .... • ....................... oo.. .. .. '" ................... '"...... .. .. '" ........ .. 

..... '0 ... 1." .. ·.oo .. 0 0 .... 0 •• ° ........................ oo ............ " .. ".oo ........ oo .... oo oo •• oo ......................................... • ........... oo ............ 0 ........... .. 

• .. • .., 0 ..... l"" .. I ........................ 0 ...................... oo ............................................................... ": ............................................. ·t· .... · .. oo .... " 

• .... I." .1 ............. oo .. 0 .. oo ............. ".oo .................... 0 ...................... oo .... oo ... "'0· .. ••••• .. ·:· .. ••• .. • ............... oo .................. ·0" ........ • .... • 

°

0

0 ...................... oo.. • .............................................. r .... •• .. • .. oo ..................................................... oo ......... ·tOO 

................ ............. .. ............... 0...... ."...................... ..oo ......... oo ......................... oooo...................... .. ........... .. 

g 200.00000:00:00.0 

§, 8/10/94 

6:00:00.0 

8/17/94 

12:00:00.0 

8/24/94 

18:00:00.0 00:00:00.0 06:00:00.0 12:00:00.0 

9/22/94 

18:00:00.0 00:00:00.0 06:00:00.0 

9/29/94 10/7/94 10/14/94 

12:00:00.0 

1O/21JY4 

18:00:00.000:00:00,0 

10/28/94 11/ 5/94 

§. 

~. 

~ 

~ 

~. 

8/31/94 9/ 8/94 9/15/94 

r;'J z. 
PSI I-PSCN2 (NBAT CEL20A PRES) 

900.000 

868.750 

837.500 

;0 806.250 

~ 775.000 

~ 743.750 

~ 712.500 ~ 

~ 681.250 

~ 650.000 2 618.750 

~ 587.500 

~ 556.250 

~ 525.000 

~ 493.750 ." 

~ 462.500 

.g 431.250 

I 

400.000 

VOLTS 

90.000 

88.125 

86.250 

~ 84.375 

~ 82.500 

80.625 

78.750 

~ 76.875 

~ 75.000 

~ 73.125 

~ 71.250 

~ 69.375 

~ 67.500 6 65.625 

ti- 63.750 

~ 61.875 

. . . '" .... '" ............. " ..................................................... '" '" ...... '" '" .... '" '". '" ............ '" .................. '" ........ '" ...... .. · . . . . . 

,~:~~; ;;:~ i·!: : .. ' :~~ i; :I:~~ 1

11:1 ... : :1: I· ;1:1:1:1·,· ·J:1:1·.I·1 ·:r:l·,·1 ·:1:1: ,. ·r·j:l: 1· ·1J·:I:: 1·,·J ·:I:,·,·I ·:1:1·1· ·1·1· :li .. • .. .. .. .. .. .. 0'.... ............ \ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. '.. .... .. ... ~..... .. ..... ..... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. I. .. ...... .. .. 

~~:~ • • I·r· .. :1:I:i~i:ii .. .. .. " .. .. .. .. .. .. i i:'i.i '" .. .. .. .. i:I:I·l· .. .. .. .. ~~: .. · . . .. ... . .... "" ......... : ....... .......... : .......... ....... :-.... .. .... :..... .. .... : .... .... ............. ...... :.. '" .. '" .:. '" '" '" ...... : .. '" ............ : ............. .. 

.............. ... : ..... ............ : .............. ... :. .... ...... :...... .. .... : .... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ,"" :.. ... '" •• : •• '" '" .. '" '": .. '" .. '" '" '" ..... : ... -I .... '" ,"" 

.. '" .. '" '" .... "0"· .... •• .... '" ,""" '" '" ...... ',. :1 0

." • '1· .... ·"·· .. "." .. " .. ,,, ............ , '," 

........... •• '.. • • • .. .. .. .... ............. • • . . • • .. • .-.. l ~ .. 1.1 .. I. .. ............................ " ......... " ..................... " .. 

.. '" '" .. '" ...... -: ......... ........ .'. 0 .. _. .. .. "" ............ · " ................... " .......................... . .. · . , . '" ............ '" '" .. '" ................ " ............................................... .. .. ................ .................................... ................................ .. · . . . . . ·0' .... "." "," ',' ',' 

I-BATN_V (NORTH BATTERY ) 

i::ii i::::i rlii~~~iiil,:~ I :!I~f~~ 'I~~!~~n~ ~~~I '1.~11.1·~Ii::i .. , 

... .... .......... . '" .1 ..... " .. \ .. ...... I ...... 

.. ............. ... . .. I ..... • .. t .. ..... 1 •••• 

, . ··r· , . .. .. ...... 

. . ... .... 

"I ...... \ ................ ' .. 

................... 

.................... 

r" ................ " ... 1. 

... .. " .. , .. " ... , ... .. 

........ . : .. '1"·1·····:········ .: ... 'I. L 1.1. ........ ·1··· .......... . .. • ............ · .. .................. . 1. : .. "; ... . ................. . 

· . ...................................... " ............................ .. · . ................ ................. ....... ".... .. -. ........... --~--.-.- r" ...... "" ••.. ..................... ------ t ........ • .. ............... ................. too .............. t .... • ...... ·.. .. ...... " .... .. 

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. " "." • • .. .. .. .. .. • ~ .. .. .. .. .. .. • .. ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. r .. .. .. .. .. .. • .. ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. r .. .. • .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. r .. .. • • .. • • " .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • .. • • • • .. .. .." • .. .. .. .. .. • • 

2 60.000 00:00:00.0 

~ 2/4/95 

16:(X):OO.O 

2/11/95 

ox:oo:oo.o 

2/19/95 

oo:oo:(X).O 

2/27/95 

16:00:00.0 

3/6/95 

08:00:00.0 

3/14/95 

00:00:00.0 

3/22/95 

16:00:00.0 08:00:00.0 00:00:00.0 16:00:00.0 08:00:00.000:00:00.0 

4/21/95 4/29/95 5/7/95 

~: 

~. 

~ 

~ g" 

3/29/95 4/6/95 4/14/95 

/-17 3 
..-

o . 

LO . 

...... 

-----.. ---- ·-~-·---·--------~,f-HH----------l 

~ 

o 

.. -~~-.--.-.. ---,---

-.. 

J: 

~--.-'--~---4 

.R--~"t.-,-----.........j .,.", ... --,-----i--'JI. o 

------~-~~~~--~~~ 'I"-

-.-- ·,,-------I~-ll____li~ 1---&---

" "3 

c.> 

. 

o 

Q. 

(I) 

c 

c.> 

: 

- ~,..--- .~.- ......... +---

.... 

t'O 

,._.- -.- J: ---". 

-- ---.~ \ 

'I"-

M 

LO 

..-

M 

o 

N 

LO 

N 

o 

. 

'I"- 'I"-

'I"-

LO 

(Sol 101\)3~V 1101\ 113:> 

... 

CI) 

, ... _I .. _~_ 

...... 

N 

..-

'I"-

o 

..-

o 

LO 

o 

o 

LO 

..-

o 

00 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 

0: 

u: 

- )-

J: 

C 

-- .~ 

w II 

t= 

~ 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:A. 

~ 

~ 1 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

tv 

tv 

VI 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ Ii} 

~ (Ii 

::s 

~ 

0-

~ :::: 

~ 

§ 

~ g' 

~. 

1(1 

~ 

c· 

::s 

(f) -

~ o 

> 

w 

(!) 

<{ 

~ o 

> 

~ 

::> 

~ 

z 

~ 

1.30 r I 1.30 

1.28 

1.26 

1.24 

(1.30 mOHM) 

1.22 

1.20 

1.18 

(1.933 mOHM) 

1.16 

1.14 

1.12 

1.10 

1.08 

i I 

12~ '3'23~OHt'/l v 

I 

~"I I 

'. 

~ I I 

I 13.767mOHMI I ~I I 

I 

I 

WORST CELL 

... j ... 

I 

(3.67 mOHM) 

, 

I I (5.430m~HM) .. .. 

I 

1.28 

1.26 

-. 1.24 

1.22 

1.20 

1.18 

1.16 

1.14 

1.12 

1.10 

1.08 

1.06 I 11.06 

o 30 60 90 1 20 150 

OCV STAND TIME(HOURS) 

,hJ ~ hllnV-t 
1---------.--.-- -

u 

o __ tn-----·-

~ 

~ 

" 

N---

:I: 

..:... 

_ .. 

o 

u 

>--

W CD U Ol ..... ---Cij----- -_._- -----_._---

en .r::. 

a: u ~ ~~---------

Ol 

CD 

- -. . ... - ._. __ ._.- --- ,---_ .. _--

to 

.r::. •• ~ 

- U_... - - - --------r----------

. --!-~-:----.------.. ----I 

- ._----._-----------1 

-----------_. 

~----------.----

. __ ._--.. __ ._. __ .. __ . 

~ ....... --_._--_._------_._-----1 

r--~-l--------------------~ 

.---.. _._-----------1 

{J----l~·------·--------__l 

---- ---- - - .. -.---.-- -v----

~ .. . . 

~ ---_. 

\ \--J---"---'---... ---.-.. ----.--.. --------

o 

· 

o 

N 

· 

o 

o 

It) 

· 0 0 

(S1101\)3DV 1101\ 113::> 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -226- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 

.... 

-
..J 

..J 

--w---- .--

..... 

U 

--

~ 

0---------------

a:. 

(J) 

------~----------------~---~-~ 

o 

· N 

r 

----------~-.,-

M 

u 

c 

---11~-----,---------------·---

f-----+~------------------

-- --------0 ------t-----lit-----~- ~----.....; ..... 

- ---------------

LO 

o 

LO 

· 

o 

o 

· N .- 00 . . 

(SllO/\}38V,110/\ 113::> 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -227- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 

:::> 

cc 

(J) 

-

t'<t 

:r: 

0 

~ 

w 

- ~ 

~ 

::E 
f---r- . ,---~-----.-.. -. 

D..-4-+--4------

---------~~~!-t-_t_---· -

(S1 

,... 

10/\)3£)'9' 110A 113::> 

o 

· 

r.n 

N 

· 

--~ 

-=~ :3 

i 

j 

.-.~ 

Ir.n 

1 

I 

-------- 0 

J 996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -228-

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 

I-

-

~ 

W 

-

:r.: 

0 

.::J 

a:: 

en 

-

\t 

o!\ 

~ 
- . - ._"-

:::s 

... 

o 

~ 

---"-u--

Ul> 

---:s 0--

o . 

.c .... -- CO 0-------- ---------- -

~< 

....... 

..J 

-00----

- M 

..J < ... W-lO a;l---- ------------------

CfJ 

IU 

I--

I 

l~ 

r-o 

Ie:: 

- -"-

I 

l 

I 

! 

U 

o 

10 

... _._-_._-

t .-----

------------------------1 

--- -----------____ ---l 

-

J: (.) U 

N ----- ---cC--

C 91O---------l 

f' <"'l ...!.. 

-------- -------------.-g-.~ l:I.-----~-/-'~-~--~----- :r-(.) Uo 0 

---.---------:i;---- ------------------

o 

· 

LO 

· 

o 

o 

LO 

..-

o 

· 0 0 

(SllOtd3D'v'1.10/\ 113:) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -229- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 

.... 

-

~ 

w 

-

::I: 

o 

::::> 

c: 

en 

-
o:;t 

o 

M 

LO 

M 

o 

u o .. _ ... 

-

o 

1 

C'.I 

LO 

C'.I 

o 

(S110A)38'v'110A 113:> 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -230-

CJ o 

.oC . 

1 

........ 

. ~-~--~- .. -----

LO 

o . 

o 

LO 

C'.I 

o 

LO 

r-

~ 

w 

-

:c 

0 

::> 

a: 

en 

-

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 

\,( 

~ 

~ 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ {5 

I 

N 

W 

,.... 

I 

~ ~ 'i'" 

~ Ii} 

~ 

.~ 

~ 

~ e--

;:;: 

f 

~ ... c' 

;::: 

~' 

r 

§' 

On-Orbit Health Check of Hubble Space 

Telescope Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries 

Gopalakrishna M.Rao and Harry Wajsgras 

Space Power Applications Branch 

NASA I Goddard Space Flight Center 

Stanley J. Krol Jr. 

HST, EPS System Engineer 

Lockheed Martin Technical Operations Inc. 

Betty Colhoun 

HST, Data Systems Engineer 

Computer Sciences Corp. 

NASA AEROSPACE BATTERY WORKSHOP 

Dec. 3 - 5, 1 996 

':.+ ,i 

.. 

'. 

·.~.f . ,,' ",.. . ,. 

~ kJ 

~~ t

J 
0 

-c 

.-

......, --

Q) 

u 

0 

c: 

~ a: ......, 

.?2 --

::J 

U t) en Q) "- Q) -- C) ..c:: 0 "-

() ::J c: 

en -c c: ~ c: Q) 0 

......, -- t) -- .- c ......, 

u 0 -- ('(j 0 "- -c -- a.. c c. --

......, 

0 ('(j -c en () c u 

C 0 c: Q) -- a: en -c "'l- t) C 0 C 0 Q) 0 C 

"'I- 0 -- ::::s Q) a: -- 0 ~ ......, -- 0 0 > -- en -0 en ::J "- .- ~ ::J C) ......, c ......, 

u "- - - -c ~ Q) Q) 0 ::::s t) 

u ......, t) en c: 0 ......... ......, 

('(j ..c ('(j Q) Q) 0 ~ 

CO 0 co a: a: 0 

-

c 

~ 

• • • • • • 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -232- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
.... 

~ 

~ .) 

t Background 

2 ========================================== 

'.',+ 

~. 't 

'... ~ . " ',' . • 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

N 

w 

W 

I 

~ ~ 

~ !} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ Cl-

::::: 

1\? 

o 

c 

;:s 

~ g' 

~. 

~ 

~ g' 

• The Hubble Space Telescope is a one-of-akind spacecraft that pushes technology to its 

limits. Housing an 8-foot (2.4 meter) mirror 

and several sophisticated cameras and 

detectors, the telescope is the largest orbital 

astronomy observatory ever placed in space. 

- Launch date - April 24, 1990 

- Deployment - April 25, 1990 

- First Servicing Mission - December 4, 1992 

- Second Servicing Mission - February, 1997 
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ i3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

I 

tv 

w 

..j:::.. 

I 

~ 

~ Ii} 

c 

~ :"$ 

~ 

~ ..... 

~ § 

~ g' 

~' 

~ 

~ g' 

Background 

• Battery Design 

- Two Modules Each Containing Three 88 Ah NiH2 

Batteries (Six total) 

• Manufactured by: Eagle Picher / Lockheed 

• 23 Cells in Each, Only 22 Cells Are Electrically 

Connected (Position #22 Inactive) ~ 

- Dry sintered nickel positive electrodes stacked with the 

platinum negative electrodes, zirconium oxide cloth 

separators and gas screens on a polysulfone core. 

I"" 

..... ~ •... ~~ '.' . • 
r0> 

co 

co 

- co (]) co C 0> :::J 

J r-

. 

> . 0 .0 Z 

c 

u. 

(]) 

c 

(]) 

- :::J 

~ J 

C en c 

0 U. 

- -- C\J +oJ 

.-

(]) ~ () 

~ :::J U. 0> 0> .t: "'C -- CO CO .c 0 C\J 0> ()) 

~ ~ Q) r- orLL (]) :::J . C C ~ 

Q) ~ 

"'C ~ +oJ al 0 0 ~ 

~ ~ 0- .- J 

\J en ~ +oJ 

- ~ c c 

C a.. +"'" +-' > ..c ..c .- ~ C\J Q) +oJ 

C> C> () ~ :::J > .- « en 

0 +oJ U. U. U. U. --

en I J J J s.- o Q) 

0) a.. () 

:::c:. • • 

CD 

CO 

() 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -235- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
w 

> 

4: 

:I:: 

4: 

z 

~l 

\ 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

.... 

... 

o 

... 

-

&') 

w 

z 

o 

-' 

II 

-236- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
..... 

~ 

~ i Background ~ 

~ 

~ 

i-Each Battery Has the Following Dedicated 

~ Monitors and Controls: 

I 

tv 

w 

-....,J 

I 

~ 

.,.. 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ c:t< 

~ 

~ § 

~ 

~. 

::! 

~. 

~ 

~ 

c· 

::! 

• One Temperature Monitor for Tel,emetry 

• Four Charge Control Thermistors 

• One Primary and One Backup Heater System With 

Controllers 

• One Current Monitor (-25 to +25 Amps) 

• Two Cell Pressure Monitors (0 to 1500 PSI) 

- One telemetered through the Data Interface Unit (DIU) A 

side, the other through the DIU 8 side 

• Only one read at a time 

I."+ 

~.:, ~., . 
...... 

~ 0-

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ i; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

N 

w 

00 

I 

~ ~ 

~ F} 

~ <IS 

;:s 

~ 

~ :::: 

r 

~ §' 

~" 

~ 

~ 

§" 

Background ~ 

... + 

.' 

.~ ,~ ":.' . ; ~ .. '-

• Charge System 

- Charge Managed for Each Battery by Charge 

Current Controllers (CCC) 

• Provide Multilevel Control of Battery Charging Based on 

Voltage and Temperature Characteristics 

• Control Relays Inside(the Power Control Unit (PCU) 

- Charge Modes 

• Hardware Charge Control 

- Utilizes eee "K" relays to remove Solar Panel Assemblies 

(SPA's) from batteries 

- Relays open based on battery voltage & temperature 

(Taper Charge) 

. '.' . 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

:t.. 

~ {; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

N 

w 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

'i"'" 

-? 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ , 

~ c:!-

::::: 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ :::. 

~ 

~. 

f(l 

.... 

~ 

§ 

.. ... 

E 

~ 

'C 

I! 

Ii 

u 

. l': 

. =

ID 

Background 

• Software Charge Control 

DF-224 controlled 

':,+ 

.' 

~. ,~ .....••. ~ .... ".' . • 

Initiated when two CCC "K" relays open 

Commands SPA Trim Relays open to drop charge current 

down ,to the database defined level (Trickle Charge) 

Hardware Charge Control 

Current Profile 

80 r----·-·-···-----··-·---·-·-----------·-·-· ------------.-- Ente, Orbit Day 6 Battery System 

60 1 sl K·Relay Open 

200 K·Refay Open 

40 !3rd K-Relay Open 

20 4th K-Relay OpP.tl 

'--------,IEnler Orbit Night 

o t-----I-;;----;-~------;;----~~-----~-----··~-----;~----;;;-----~~ I 

-20 

-40 

6 0 4._ ....... _ ... __ .......................... ___ . __ .................. _ ... _ ..... -.... -.--._ ...... -.... -.-.-.... -................ - .. -.... -.. -.. -... -.. _ ............. ----._._.--. 

Tim. (min.) 

Software Charge Control 

Current Profile 

8 0 T······----.. ····--·--.. · .. ··----·----.. ·-·· .. -· .. ···---·.. . .. __ ... _ .... --...-. 

.. 

~ 

~ 

60 

40 

_ 20 

! 

~ 

u 

!II 

~ -20 

I -40 

Enter Omit Day 

1st K-Relay Open 

200 K-Relay Open 

DF·224 Commands Trim Relays Open 

to Reduce Charge Curm'" to < 12 Amps 

Enle' Orbit Nighl 

-+ ___ +-____ ~ ______ 4-____ _4~--__ ~-----_+ 

10 20 30 40 so 6 70 

6 BaHery System 

80 .~ 

I.. ........ : ..~: .................. -.----.. -.-... --.. -..... ---.-----__ ._ ... _____ ._._~ .. _.~ __________ _ 
...... 

::g 

0\ 

~ i Background 2 

J i · Battery History ~ 

I 

tv 

+:>. 

o 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ <I; 

:s 

~ 

~ <::!-

:::: 

~ § 

... 

~ 

§' 

~' 

~ 1;; 

§' 

- Batteries were Charged and Installed Prior to 

Transfer to Launch Pad 

• Standard Baseline Charge used During Development 

and Testing of Cells and Batteries 

- Charge 10 Hours @ 9 amp rate (-C/1 0) 

- Charge 14 Hours @ 4 amp rate (-C/24) 

- Launch Delay 

• Batteries Removed for Reconditioning and Recharge 

• At Time of Release in Orbit, Pressure-based Capacity 

~ 61.7Ah / battery 

:'~ 

,f 

~ 't 

" . .. ' .. .-
..... 

~ 

~ i Background 

'.'.~ 

,~, . 

2=============================== 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

N 

..j:::.. 

-I 

~ ~ 

~ !i} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::::: 

i\? 

n 

§ 

S: g' 

~. 

~ 

~ §' 

• Current Status 

- Six and One Half Years of Nominal Performance 

- Hardware Charge Control Operation Mode @ 

K1L4,K2L3 

- Completed 35982 Eclipse Orbits 

- Depth of Discharge Ranges Between 5 and 8.50/0 

- System Capacity ~ 461 Ah 

- Average Recharge Ratio ~ 1.05 

- Last Reconditioning - March 25, 1996 

• Battery 3, Coulombic Capacity to 26.4V ~ 74.7 Ah 
........ 

10 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

i 

~ 

a-

::r-

-§ 

I 

tv 

~ 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ !i} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ <::to 

::;: 

~ g 

.... 

~ 

§" 

~" 

~ 

1:l §" 

Objective of Reconditioning 

• The Reconditionings: 

- Determine Actual Battery Capacity for Trend 

Analysis and Mission Planning 

- Provide Verification of the Accuracy of the 

Pressure Transducers 

- Provide Data to Assess Battery Health 

- Reduce Battery Pressure 

- Restore Cell Balance 

'''"+ 

~~~, + 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ <I) 

~ 

{; 

~ 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

t 

~ 

I 

IV 

e 

I 

~ it 

.... 

$ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1:1- ~ :::: 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 1;: 

~. 

Battery Reconditioning Circuitry 

• Switching Circuitry 

- Contained in the HST Power Control Unit 

• Two Paranel 25 Amp Latching Relays Isolate the Test 

Battery by Connecting the Solar Array (SA) Section 

Directly to the Diode Bus 

• Two 15 Amp Latching Relays Connect the Battery to 

Either the "High Rate" or "Low Rate" Reconditioning 

Resistor 

- SA section must be switched from the battery first 

- Discharge is autonomously terminated if HST enters 

safemode 

:.+ 

,\ .~, . '.. ~ 
~ '-

ccs 

~ ccs 

+-' Q. --

::J c 

U +-

en ~ ~ c 0 

-- CD (t) 

() E +1 

CD a C> w 

- r-.... 

C • 

(J) '- 0 -- "- CD LO 

C 0 ccs 

+-

~ >< 0 +-' CD (J) 0 

-- .- I (t) 0 

+-' (J) +1 ~ 

-- Q) C> ............ 

-0 a: c a a c .- r-.... en • ~ 

0 0):::::> 0 • 

C LO LO 

U . - "0 ... 

... c CD ... CD CD ... 

0 +- CD +- U +- ccs a: .- ::J ccs +-' c: c: .- '-

-0 +-

~ en S J:: C C C> ~ 0 0 0 .-

CD (.) 0 ....J I 

"" "" +-' Q) "" .... 

CO 

+-' a: 

CO • 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -244- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

... 

ci 

{; 

~ 

r 

~ 

~ 

a-

::-

.g 

I 

N 

4::0-

Ul 

I 

~ ~ 

~ f} 

c 

~ ::s 

~ 

~ t:l-

:::: 

(') 

~ 

§ 

s,. 

g' 

~. 

~ 1::; 

§' 

Battery Reconditioning Circuitry 

-------...., 

5.10 HIGH RATE ;\ 

I. 

I .. 

~ 

... . .I 

~ ,~ .: .... . : - . 

~.' . 

DIODE 

BUS Bore 

(TYP.) 

DIODE 

~ ~ ·BUSA 

(TYP.) 

SA SECT. (I) Bat (V) 

Bat (1) BATTERY 

BATRTN BUS 
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ ,f 

f Reconditioning Procedure 

2=============================== 

''','+ 

, ~ ~ '. , :.., . 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 0\ 

I 

~ 

~ 1} 

c 

~ ::s 

~ 

~ :::: 

~ c 

::s 

~ §' 

~' 

~ 

~ 

§' 

• Test Preparation 

- Normalize Test Conditions to Previous Test of the 

Specified Battery 

• Sun-to-Orbit Ratio, (within +2 minutes) 

• SA / Sun Incidence angle (+10°) 

- Other Preparations 

• Schedule TDRSS Support to Configure, Initiate, Monitor 

and Reconfigure HST for the Test 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:J:.. 

~ }) 

~ 

2 

J 

~ 

2-

::s-

.g 

N 

~ 

......:J 

I 

~ 

~ ~ -

~ 

~ t1:i 

::"li 

~ 

Q-

~ ::::: 

~ § 

s:., 

... c' 

;:os 

~' 

i/> 

~. 

'" '" §' 

Reconditioning Procedure 

• Schedule At Least One 15 min. Forward Link / Orbit 

During Discharge for Contingency Test Termination. 

- "Go For T est" Conditions 

• Two Orbits of Charge In Which Full Charge Cut-off 

Attained 

• DO NOT Interrupt Sciencel 

:.+ 

•.... ~ •.. :' ~., ~ 

. 
..... 

'0 

8 

~ 

~ 

:l:.. 

(\) 

~ 

{J 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

N 

.j:::.. 

00 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

::;: 

~ !'l 

§ 

~ ~. 

~. 

~ 

~ 

~. 

Reconditioning Procedure 

• Test Procedure 

- The Battery is Reconditioned to 15V 

• Autonomously Terminated by the "Special Hardware 

Limit Test" 

• Battery is Discharged "High Rate" Through the 5.1 n 

Resistor 

- Average current = 5.4 Amps 

- Du ration of discharge is about 15 to 18 hou rs 

- Data is Monitored and Collected During Discharge 

• Current, Voltage, Temperature and Pressure 
"-

\0 

\0 

0-

:<: 

.... 

~ 

:... 

"" (S 

{; 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

N 

.p. 

-0 

I 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ !} 

~ ::. 

~ 

:::;: 

~ 

~ ~ 

g 

§; 

c· 

::. 

~. 

f(l 

~ 

c· 

::. 

Reconditioning Procedure 

''','' 

.'~'.' :,' ~., . 

• Criteria For Test Termination 

- Flight Software State of Charge (SOC) Below 275 

Ah for the 5 Battery System * 

• Benchmark SOC for 5 Battery System = 345 Ah 

- -8.0Co > Test Battery Temperature> 7.0°C ** 

- 15.0V > Test Battery Voltage> 33.5V ** 

- HST Safemode Entry *** 

* Terminated Manually 

**Terminated by Special HW Limit Test 

***Terminated by Safemode Macro 
..... 

~ 0\ 

.~ 

~ 

:.:... 

~ il 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

tv 

VI 

o 

I 

~ 

~ !} 

c 

~ ::s 

~ 

(J-

~ 

::::: 

~ g 

... 

~ 

§' 

~ . 

. ~ 

~ 

§' 

Reconditioning Procedure 

BAITeRY CAPACITY TeST FLOW 

Set up Spec HW Lim 

Test to monitor 

~'i1nlt~i'1~ and 

N 

~ 

..... .' 

~ '. .: ........ : -: ~.' . 
..... 

10 

10 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {3 

~ II> 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

I 

N 

VI 

-I 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ II> 

::s 

~ 

St 

~ 

<') 

~ 

~ 

~ §' 

' 

~ §' 

Reconditioning Procedure 

y 

N 

y 

N-. Manually terminate 

battery discharge 

Execute · COP 4.22 

~ 

.. '~ 

,I 

,:"~, : ~~ . ' .' . 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ {; 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

N 

vN 

I 

~ it 

~ ~ 

~ .,. 

:s 

~ 

:::: 

~ 

:s 

~ 

~ §' 

~. 

f(J 

~ 

o· 

:s 

Results of Reconditionings 

.'.-t 

.' 

..•..••. ~ ~ •.. ,~ 

• Capacity 

- Batteries Reconditioned During April 1990 through 

-Sept. 1992 Yielded (Current Integrated) Capacity 

Between 85.6 and 94.2 Ah 

• Indicated (Pressure Based) Capacity Prior to 

Reconditioning Ranged Between 88 and 102.6 Ah 

- Pressure transducers are recalibrated following each 

battery reconditioning 

- Capacity Recovery Very Gradual, Never Reached 

Original Level 

• Average Loss of ~ 4.8 Ah/bat/year 

.. , . 
'" '0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {3 

2 

~ 

~ q 

~ 

~ .g 

N 

VI 

W 

I 

~ ~ 

~ E} 

c 

~ ::s 

~ 

<:)-

~ ::::: 

~ § 

So: §o 

~o 

fI:l 

~ gO 

Results of Reconditionings 

- Decrease in Capacity Led to Disabling Primary 

Battery Heaters, Nov. 1995 

• Two Battery Reconditionings Since Heaters Disabled 

- Battery #5, yielded a decrease of 4.6 Ah in capacity, 

Jan. 1996 (previously tested Feb. 1995) 

- Battery #3, yielded an increase of 1.2 Ah in capacity, 

Mar. 1996 (previously tested April 1995) 

':O" 

..•. . ~.:, 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {j 

2 

i 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

N 

VI 

~ I 

~ ~ 

'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ I 

S? 

<::l-

:::: 

() 

~ 

c 

::s 

....: ~ 

c· 

::s 

~. 

~ 

t:l 

c· 

::s 

Results of Reconditionings 

:e-

~ 

£ 

u 

0 

Q. 

0 

U 

~ Q) 

+-

+-

0 

co 

Q) 

0> 

C 

Ui 

90 

82 

74 

I---T~'-

BAnERY CAPACITY TEST DAtA 

SLOPE COMPARISON 

: .... 

: . " 0l: . i .... ! : , 

.............................. iii J ................................. t ...... : .. '" ................. ~.~; .... ~ ....................... + .......................... ·····+································t··············· .............. . 

iii" 

i __ Reconditione<\ After Primary i 

i ~ Battery Heaters Were Disabled i 

: I ·1· \' J ~~ _ L --1- - It-=I=:g~· ty~:~~tl 

66 F~=IIII~t:,,<--I-- I I i 

, 

58 _ _ ..•.. ...•.. _- _- Ball Ball +- - Bat 3 o· o . . Bat Bat 6 6 

-. -- Bat 2 2 - -,. - - Bat 5 , 

'1 

SO 

1990 1991 1993 1994 1996 1997 1999 2000 

Year R. Fredo 3/26/96 

,.,-t 

.' 

~ '+ ...•..•.• ~ .. " - . 
-'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ i Results of Reconditionings 

':." 

,~~ <' 

• 

@============================== J 

~ 

a-

:::-

{i 

I 

tv 

VI 

VI 

I 

~ .., 

,... 

~ 

~ 

~ c 

~ ::s 

~ I 

~ :::;: 

::tl 

<\) 

.., 

c 

::s 

~ 

~. 

::s 

~. 

~ 

.... 

~ 

c 

::s 

• Cell Balance 

• 

- Reconditionings Following the Lowering of Charge 

Levels (Dec. 1993) Exhibit a Sluggish Voltage 

Knee in Contrast to an Earlier Sharp Knee 

• Indicates Cell Imbalance in the Battery 

Residual Pressure 

- Increases in Residual Battery Pressure @ 15V 

Typically Range Between 6 and 19 PSI 

• Most Recent Data Yielded an Increase of 0 PSI 
...... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ {J 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

tv 

VI 

0'1 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

a& 

~ 

~ 

~ <::to 

:::: 

~ g 

f1 

... §' 

~' 

i(l 

1:l §' 

Results of Reconditionings 

• The Battery 4 Capacity is an estimate based on the other 5 battery tests, 

No test of battery 4 was conducted due to pcu relay failures, 

~ 

.. ' -t 

, I 

,:"~, '.' . :~, • 
OJ ~I-- 'z ..... ~ .. ~'~ ... /z .. ~> ......... ~ .. ~'~ ... " .... < ........ ; ....... < .. !,,>~;":·{i:!ict: ·t{::.>.·· · 

J ! _ 235/1 994 .. ~':.~~z/ ,-;.-; .. /~~~-:.~~;;:z".:.':.!;;%~~~ .. ;z ", .. .. :::~, :··0::;~5~::~, ~ . 

OJ 

&t{.~fftjN~ftfj%~}~_fjf%?11t.rNt[#.~$irft.~t~~~f*~{~ ~~~I~?\? I ! 

I\) 

~ .J~!~!~~:~#: }~1 

!~ESUmated194I9~ i;,\(.j~ : OJ· ~~!§I 

~ ~it . ~Jtt".Jk."~ 

OJ 

! 

C11 

OJ 

!a. 

m 

C - I II ..-+ 

CJ) 

0 

~ 

JJ 

aJ 

CD » 

~ 

~ () m 

JJ 

0 -< 

0 

:::J » 

» 

" a. 0 

::j -- -< ,...... 

0 -- 0 0 !!: 

" :::J » 

JJ 

en -- 0 :::J z CO 

en 
..... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

:t:.. 

~ {; 

2 

~ Ii:' 

~ 

~ 

t 

~ 

, 

N 

VI 

00 

I 

~ ~ ..... 

$ 

~ 

~ <IS 

::s 

~ 

:::: 

~ 

~ § 

~ 

§' 

~. 

~ 

~ 

§' 

Results of Reconditionings 

LoTTS for the Hubble Spoce Telescope Page: HST004.PS 

RECONDITIONING COMPARISON - BAITER'( 3 Thu Apr 4 15:19:48 1996 

1992:2++ va 1995:115 'IS 1996:0B5:01 :~5-199B:085:18:00 Minor frame quality: 100.00" 

Dc:rla for day: 1996:(]85 Dc:rla lSource: ESS ASCII file 

IITLE: Battery J Voltoge (volt) 

\fIN= 1J.6a MAX= 30.15'<) AVC= 26.95 STD= 3.220 MEI)= 213.06 PT$= 7646. DQ= 100.000 I)ESR=MC1d TIme -00;49;32 

~!N'"' 15.m~ MAX"" 3tU?. (NO"" 2.0J'fi sru"" :'5.750 MED .. 2.7.92 PTS"" 81.m3. DQ"" , OO.DO.') DE5R ... Moo Time -00:49::3.2 

\lIN= 14.61 MAX= 30.150 AVC= 26.69 SID= 3.293 IIIED= 2.7.92 PTS= 1630. DQ= 100.000 DESR=Mcd TIme -01:44:00 

.35' 

30 

2.0 

2.Q 

Hi 

,. ~··i 

,·······,.,·Ti' 

.... 1 _ 

------ --~--1 26.+0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ \~ 

\ 

\ \, 

~., 

... 

.\ I"'" '1\ ; ( ' 

" j: 

'\\ I:' 

\\:1 il 

101~-L __ L--L __ L-~ __ ~~ __ ~~~-L __ L-~ __ L--L __ ~~ __ ~~ __ ~~~~ __ L--L~ 

00;00;00 05;00;00 10;00;00 15;00;00 2.0;00:00 

Time (Hrs:Min:Sec) 

£11199.2 

4ftOOS 

- - 311996 

'.'.+ 

...•. ~ .• ,: 

:... . 
-c 

--

--

o 

c 

--

a: 

CD 

() 

o 

.c 

-

O 

"t1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

c: 

.2 

iii 

W 

CJ 

:1 

-259-

Co 

() 

.c 

.:.< 

()' 

ro 

Ill' 

iii III 

iii 

C') 

W 

CJ 

c: 

III 

iii 

"<!" 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
.... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

Cl 

~ 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

tv 

0\ 

o 

I 

Conclusions 

• Battery Capacity, From Reconditioning Data, 

Decreased Over Time (1990 - 1996) 

- Battery Temperatures Were Decreased by 

Disabling Primary Heaters, Nov. 1995 

• Allows Batteries to be Charged to Higher Voltage 

~ 

.. ''"> 

" 

.~ ~ ,~ ...• ~., ~.-. 

~ 

~ • Last Reconditioning Indicated Improvement, Mar. 1996 

::t: 

~ - Development of New Charge Scheme is in ::s 

~ Progress to Mitigate the Battery Degradation 

;;. 

:::: 

i\? 

<') 

§ 

~ §' 

~' 

~ 

tl §' 
"-

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

:A. 

~ {j 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

;:s-

~ 

~ 

I 

N 

0'1 

...... 

~ ~ 

~ E} 

~ (\) 

::s 

~ 

0-

~ 

:::: 

~ n 

§l 

e.. [-

~' 

f(l 

~ §' 

Conclusions 

• Health-Check, Capacity Data Indicated no 

Need to Refurbish Batteries in the Second 

Servicing Mission - Feb. 1997 

• Reconditioning Decreased the Battery 

Operating Pressures 

• Calculated Battery Capacity, Based on the 

Pressure Transducers, was Found to be 

Inaccurate 

- Recalibrated Pressure the Transducers 

~ 

.. ' .. " 

~ ,~ . ~'. ~ . -. 

;'., . • 
Page intentionally left blank 
5;...<,-~ 

/""\ 2 / ~). 'J ,~ L.-/~' ,>" ..... - / 1996 NASA AEROSPACE BATTERY WORKSHOP • I 

0/&/90 

NiH2 BATTERY RECONDITIONING FOR LEO APPLICATIONS I1?,O. 

ABSTRACT 

J. D. Armantrout & D. P. Hafen 

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space 

1111 Lockheed Martin Way 

Building 149, 0/E6-01 

Sunnyvale, CA 94089-3504 

This paper summarizes reasons for and benefits of reconditioning nickel-hydrogen (NiH2) 

batteries used for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) applications. NiH2 battery cells do not have the classic 

discharge voltage problems more commonly associated with nickel-cadmium (NiCd) cells. This 

is due, in part, to use of hydrogen electrodes in place of cadmium electrodes. The nickel 

electrode, however, does have a similar discharge voltage signature for both cell designs. This 

can have an impact on LEO applications where peak loads at higher relative depths of discharge 

can impact operations. Periodic reconditioning provides information which can be used for 

analyzing long term performance trends to predict usable capacity to a specified voltage level. 

The reconditioning process described herein involves discharging NiH2 batteries at C/20 rates or 

less, to an average cell voltage of 1.0 volts or less. Recharge is performed at nominal CIS rates to 

specified voltage/temperature (V IT) charge levels selected to restore required capacity with 

minimal overcharge. Reconditioning is a process of restoring reserve capacity lost on cycling, 

which is commonly called the memory effect in NiCd celt's. This effect is characterized by 

decreases in the discharge voltage curve with operational life and cycling. The end effect of 

reconditioning NiH2 cells may be hidden in the versatility of that design over the NiC<,l cell 

design and its associated negative electrode fading problem. The process of deep discharge at 

lower rates by way of reconditioning tends to redistribute electrolyte and water in the NiH2 cell 

electrode stack, while improving utilization and charge efficiency. NiH2 battery reconditioning 

effects on life are considered beneficial and may, in fact, extend life based on NiCd experience. 

In any case, usable capacity data obtained from reconditioning is required for performance 

evaluation and trend analysis. Characterization and life tests have provided the historical data 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -263- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
base used to determine the need for reconditioning in most battery applications. The following 

sections briefly describe the background of NiH2 battery reconditioning and testing at Lockheed 

Martin Missiles & Space (LMMS) and other aerospace companies. 

BATTERY RECONDITIONING BACKGROUND 

Reconditioning is a discharge-charge sequence normally applied to NiCd batteries to minimize 

degradation of the battery electrical performance, specifically capacity measured to a nominal 

voltage of 1.1 volts per cell. The process involves discharge of the battery at C/20 rates or less, 

to an average cell voltage of 1.0 volts or less. The subsequent charging process must be 

sufficient to restore rated, or actual measured capacity, whichever is greater, in order to 

compensate for charge efficiency. Reconditioning is a process of restoring reserve capacity lost 

on cycling, which is commonly called the memory effect in NiCd cells. It is characterized by 

decreases in the voltage of the discharge curve with operational life and cycling. Although NiH2 

battery cells do not have the classic voltage degradation problems that NiCd cells have, the 

nickel electrode has a similar discharge voltage signature during cycling for both cell designs. 

The effects of reconditioning on NiH2 cells may be hidden in the versatility of that system over 

the NiCd system and its associated negative electrode fading problem. Water loss from the 

electrode stack can occur in NiH2 cells by evaporation from the stack and condensation at the 

pressure vessel wall. This is normally compensated for in MANTECH NiH2 cell designs by a 

wall wick inside the pressure vessel which returns any electrolyte loss or water loss from the 

stack by way of the separator in contact with the wall wick. COMSAT cell designs do not have a 

wall wick and therefore are more subject to adverse effects of electrolyte loss or water loss from 

the cell stack. Such losses are usually encountered during cell overcharge, which must be 

minimized in COMSAT battery cells. Hydrogen gas is oxidized to water during discharge and 

reformed to gas during charge for both COMSAT and MANTECH NiH2 cell designs. COMSAT 

cell designs have teflonated pressure vessel walls that are not hydro scopic which tends to repel 

any water loss from the stack back into the stack in a zero G environment. The process of deep 

discharge by way of reconditioning tends to redistribute electrolyte and water in the cell stack, 

and improve utilization and charge efficiency. Reconditioning effects on life are considered 

beneficial and may, in fact, extend life based on NiCd experience. In any case, the capacity data 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -264- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
obtained from reconditioning can be used for performance evaluation and trend analysis. This 

has been documented in Reference (1) for GEO applications for COMSAT cell designs. In-orbit 

performance of batteries is normally judged by the minimum end-of-discharge voltage (EODV) 

during peak loading. GEO batteries are usually reconditioned prior to each eclipse season to 

verify capacity to an end voltage. LEO batteries are reconditioned as required to verify long term 

capacity fading trends such as described for HST MANTECH NiH2 batteries in Reference (2). 

Capacity tests at nominal reconditioning rates have shown a trend of decreasing capacity with 

cycle life for the HST mission. Extrapolation of that data has provided a basis for determining 

the useful life of the HST batteries beyond the specified design life of seven years. Recondition 

discharge of the HST batteries is performed through a 25 ohm resistor to an end voltage of 15 

volts (0.7 volts per cell). This voltage limit minimizes the potential for cell reversal at end of 

discharge when actual discharge rates approach a C/150 rate. It also allows for more complete 

redistribution of electrolyte for improved utilization and charge efficiency. The following 

section summarizes testing background which has provided the historical data base for 

determining the need for reconditioning NiH2 batteries. 

BATTERY TESTING BACKGROUND 

Battery test facilities for characterizing and life testing. cells and batteries exist at most aerospace 

companies. TRW's battery test facilities were established in the 1960's following battery 

problems associated with various NASA programs. TRW performed extensive characterization 

tests for NASA on NiCd cells in the 1960's and 1970's as documented in Reference (3). GSFC 

began characterization testing of various cell and battery designs at NWSC in Crane, Indiana, 

during the same time period. Ford Aerospace Company (now Loral) and Hughes Aircraft 

Company (HAC) established battery test facilities in the 1970' s for the Intelsat IV, V and VI 

satellite programs. Martin Marietta, GE Valley Forge and RCA battery test facilities were also 

established in the same time period for other military and commercial satellite applications 

utilizing NiH2 batteries. Development and test history for these and other NiH2 designs are 

documented in Reference (1). As NiH2 and other advanced battery designs have been integrated 

into more sophisticated spacecraft programs at LMMS (HST, Milstar and Iridium), increased 

battery test costs have forced descoping of tests to reduce costs. The trend to reduce overhead 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -265- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
costs of long term battery and cell performance characterization testing by descoping tests 

requires some risk assessment analysis. Battery problems usually drive the need for more 

extensive development and test programs, such as happened in the 1960's when battery failures 

affected end item operations, as documented in Reference (4) for the Orbiting Astronomical 

Observatory (OAO) satellite. Batteries normally fail gracefully and in a predictable manner 

which can be reliably quantified based on a relatively large test data base as reported in 

Reference (5). The need to maintain battery test facilities can only be determined by an 

assessment of whether or not the existing data base can be used to predict battery life for 

particular spacecraft power requirements. The following section summarizes results of NiH2 

battery life testing for a specific LEO application which uses reconditioning to predict usable 

capacity to a specified voltage level. 

BATTERY RECONDITIONING 

A series of tests were initiated at Eagle Picher Industries (EPI) to evaluate effects of 

reconditioning on long term performance of RNH-76-3 NiH2 cells. The testing consisted of 

cycling at 41°F to a maximum depth-of-discharge (DOD) of 33 Ah. Test articles included a 9-

cell pack and a 20-cell battery. The objective of the 9-cell pack reconditioning test was to 

evaluate the reconditioning effectiveness for a battery configuration between a 25 ohm discharge 

to 15V and a 5.3 ohm discharge to 25V, then 25 ohm to 15V. The following tests were 

completed on the 9-cell pack: 

TASK NUMBER 

4A 

4B 

4C 

4D 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -266-

RECONDITION RATE 

2.2 Ohm to 6.14V 

2.2 Ohm to 6.14V 

2.2 Ohm to 10.64 V 

10.2 Ohm to 6.14V 

2.2 Ohm to 10.64V 

10.2 Ohm to 6.14V 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
The actual recondition discharge tests performed did not significantly change the discharge 

voltage stabilization levels for Tasks 4A, 4B or 4C as shown in Figure 1. However, a significant 

improvement in the discharge voltage level occurred during performance of Task 4D following 

one week of discharged open circuit stand after reconditioning, also shown in Figure 2. A 

reconditioning sequence designated D2 was then performed according to the same test procedure 

as the reconditionings for Tasks 4C and 4D. The comparison of reconditionings D and D2 

plotted in Figure 3 show very stable voltage performance to 10.64V. The reduced capacity after 

removal of approximately 86Ah was due to lower capacity of one cell in the pack during the D2 

reconditioning discharge. The significant voltage improvement during performance of Task 4D 

was attributed to 'redistribution of electrolyte and water in the cell electrode stack following one 

week open circuit stand after reconditioning at the lower discharge rate (10.2 Ohm to 6.14V). 

The objective of the 20-cell battery test was to verify long term battery performance under 

similar test conditions as imposed on the 9-cell pack. Figure 4 illustrates improvements in 

minimum daily voltages after 12,000 cycles following capacity checks or partial reconditionings. 

The capacity checks consisted of discharging at 15A to 13.6V, or until the first cell reached 0.7V. 

Figure 5 shows voltage performance versus cycles experienced since reconditioning events 

shown in Figure 4. A trend in decreasing EODV with cycle life similar to the 9-cell pack test 

was observed for the battery test. The following section summarizes conclusions reached from 

analysis of data presented herein. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The end effect of reconditioning NiH2 cells provides usable capacity data for performance 

evaluation and trend analysis. NiH2 battery reconditioning effects on life are considered 

beneficial and may, in fact, extend life based on NiCd experience. Characterization and life 

testing have provided a historical data base to determine the need for reconditioning to improve 

~voltage performance to a specified voltage level. Although NiH2 battery cells do not have the 

classic voltage degradation problems that NiCd cells have, the nickel electrode has a similat 

discharge voltage signature during cycling for both cell designs. The process of deep discharge 

by way of reconditioning tends to redistribute electrolyte and water in the NiH2 cell stack, and 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -267- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
improve utilization and charge efficiency. In-orbit performance of batteries is normally judged 

by the minimum EODV reached during peak loading. GEO batteries are usually reconditioned 

prior to each eclipse season to improve voltage performance and verify capacity to an end 

voltage. LEO batteries are reconditioned as required to verify long term capacity fading trends 

such as summarized herein. Extrapolation of reconditioning discharge data provides a basis for 

predicting cycle life performance for both NiCd and NiH2 batteries. 

REFERENCES 

1. J.D. Dunlop, G.M. Rao and T.Y. Yi, NASA Handbook for Nickel Hydrogen Batteries, 

NASA Reference Publication 1314, September 1995. 

2. G.M. Rao and J.D. Armantrout, Hubble Space Telescope Program Battery 

Experience, 1996 Space Power Workshop. c. 

3. W.R. Scott and D. W. Rusta, Sealed-Cell Nickel-Cadmium Battery Applications 

Manual, NASA Reference Publication 1052, December 1979. 

4. F.E. Ford, G.M. Rao, and T.Y. Yi, Handbook for Handling and Storage of NickelCadmium Batteries: Lessons Learned, NASA Reference Publication 1326, February 

1994. 

5. D.P. Hafen, Comparison of NickeJ-Hydrogen and Nickel-Cadmium Reliability, 

IECEC Paper 929257, August 1992. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -268- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

N 

0\ 

\0 

I 

~ ~ 

~ F} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<:::J-

~ :::: 

~ ~ 

§ 

.... 

~ 

§" 

~" 

~ 

~ 

§" 

A 

LOCKHEED MARTIN -rj;T 

Missiles & Space ,/1 

NiH2 BATTERY RECONDITIONING 

FOR LEO APPLICATIONS 

Jon D. Armantrout 

Douglas P. Hafen 

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space 

Presented at 

The 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Focused Session on NiH2 Battery On-Orbit Reconditioning Experience 

December 3, 1996 
..... 

Yl 

~ 

~ 

~ LOCKHEED 

Missiles & Space 

MARTIN 

' 

~ I NiH2 Battery Reconditioning in LEO 

~ OBJECTIVE ~ .g 

I 

IV 

-...l 

o 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

::: 

~ 

<:)-

~ 

:::: 

~ § 

~ §' 

~' 

~ 

tl §' 

• RESTORE RESERVE CAPACITY LOST ON CYCLING 

• IMPROVE VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE AND CYCLE LIFE 

• REDISTRIBUTE ELECTROLYTE AND WATER IN CELL STACKS 

• IMPROVE ELECTRODE UTILIZATION AND CHARGE EFFICIENCY 

• ESTABLISH DATA BASE FOR LONG TERM PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 
...... 

~ -+ Y:l 

~ LOCKHEED MARTIN 

~ Missiles & Space " ! NiH2 Battery Reconditioning in LEO 

! I PROCEDURE 

.g 

I 

tv 

-....l 

..-

I 

~ 

~ 

~ !} 

0% 

~ 

~ 

~ ... 

::tI 

~ 

§ 

~ 

~. 

~' 

~ 1;l g' 

• DISCHARGE AT C/20 OR LESS TO 1.14 V/CELL NOMINAL 

• DISCHARGE AT C/100 OR LESS TO 0.7 V/CELL NOMINAL 

• RECHARGE AT C/5 TO TEMPERATURE-COMPENSATED VOLTAGE LIMIT 

• REPEAT AS NECESSARY TO STABILIZE CELL CAPACITY AND VOLTAGE 

• COLLECT DATA FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND TREND ANALYSIS 
--

Y:l 

~ -;f ~ LOCKHEED MARTIN 

~ MissIles & Space ' 

1 NiH2 Battery Reconditioning in LEO ~ 

~ 

~ LIFE TESTING ~ .g 

I 

N 

-.....l 

N 

I 

..., 

~ 

~ 

.... 

~ E;-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::::: 

~ § 

9, 

... g" 

~" 

~ 

~ c" 

::s 

• SERIES OF TESTS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE EFFECTS OF RECONDITIONING 

• TEST ARTICLES INCLUDED 9-CELL PACK AND 20-CELL BATTERY 

• TEST CONDITIONS BASED ON 90 Ah NOMINAL CAPACITY 

- 96 MINUTE CYCLING AT 41°F (5°C) 

- 33 Ah MAXIMUM DOD ONCE PER DAY 

- 15 A NOMINAL LOAD / 25 A PEAK LOAD 

15 A CHARGE TO TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED VOLTAGE LIMIT 
..... 

10 

~ YJ -;f ;: LOCKHEED MARTIN 

~ Missiles & Space .' ! NiH2 Battery Reconditioning in LEO ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 9 .. CELL PACK TESTING ~ .g 

J 

tv 

-....} 

W 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

c:;,.. 

~ :::: 

~ 

g 

~ g' 

~. 

~ 

~ g' 

• RECONDITION PERFORMED FOLLOWING SEVERAL TEST CONDITIONS 

- 2.2 OHM TO 6. 14V (AFTER TASKS 4A AND 4B) 

- 2.2 OHM TO 10.64V 

10.2 OHM TO 6.14V (AFTER TASKS 4C AND 40) 

• MINIMUM EODV CHANGED FOLLOWING RECONDITIONING AFTER TASK 4C 

- IMPROVED VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE ATIRIBUTED TO REDISTRIBUTION OF 

ELECTROLYTE AND WATER IN CELL STACK DURING ONE WEEK OPEN CIRCUIT 

STAND FOLLOWING RECONDITIONING AFTER TASK 4C 

- FIGURE 1 SHOWS IMPROVEMENT IN EODV DURING CYCLING 

- FIGURE 2 SHOWS LESS EODV IMPROVEMENT WITHOUT OPEN CIRCUIT STAND 

FOLLOWING RECONDITIONING AFTER TASK 40 

- FIGURE 3 SHOWS VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE DURING 15 A DISCHARGES 
Q 

0 C en en en en en D'O 

0 0 0 0 0 0 DID LC) 

en l- I- f- l- I- IDI .- iIDIl "-

+ 

o«JO 

c. 

ca 

00<10 • GIl 

• «III E • ~. 

0 • ~ 

(.) • ~0C) 

0 • 00 ~ CD • Dl>4l 

C') • ..ca 

ca • .~ 

... • DO 

- • De 0 • D«)Q 

> • • en CD • .. 

• ~ 0 ~ C') • .0 I"') 0 "- • 04) ca • ~ 0 .c • DlO (.) • DO) ~ 

en • do. . - • o • C • o • 

""'" • DC» 0 • D_ O "C • 1:0 • N • OO~ 

C • OO~ 

W • OO~~ 

• o .~ 

• 04 ~ ,... • O~~ 

CI) • OOQ ~ 

1- • 00 ~ 

:::J • o 011 ~ 

0 C') • DO ~ 

. - • OO~ ~ ~ 

u. • 004 ~ 

• • ~ 

• o GIl ~ 

• 0 4) ~ 

• 0 ~O~ 

• 0 4<>0 

• O~ ~ 0 

0 

rr) C\J ~ ~ 0> CO f"'.. . . . ~ 

0 0 0 ~ ~ ~ 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

850t1O/\ AJ8+t08 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -274- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
I 

c 0 -- 0 C TO 

0 

C 

"C 

. -

...... 

.-

a: 

CD 

(,) 

N 

0 

0 .... C CO 0') CD 

...... "0 c .... 'c as c 0 

> as 

:s 

;; 

c c c 

0 0 en (,) 

W C) a:: 

CD 

CD C 

C 0 ..... .-

0 (I) 

CD c: 

co «I 

- 0 ..J 

(,) -- CD ..... ~.- (,) 

(.)"g c 

'iii .... 0 

(I) 0 (J CD 

C CD (3 a:: >- 0 

0 (J . - .... 0 en 0 .- 'V .... u.. 

0 

E 

c. 

as 

C\l1 (.) 

O)! 

0: . ci N -2 1 

CD 01 0 , ........ 1 0 .... :01 C\I :::l C. 0) 

~I u.. 

.-

ct:1 

I I 

~ 

0 

C") C\I ..- 0 0> CO ...... ,... .... .,... 0 0 0 .... .,... .,... .... .,... ..... ..... 

(SlIao 6) a6elloA )toed 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -275- Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
-

C\I 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

-276-

co 

o 

o 

CO 

o 

Nickel-Hydrogen On-Orbit Reconditioning Session 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {:l 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ -§ 

N 

-...l 

-...l 

I 

~ 

~ E} 

~ 

"" ;:s 

~ 

~ :::: 

~ (") 

§ 

e.: 

... §' 

~' 

i(l 

[::l 

§' 

LOCKHEED MARTIN -+ 

Missiles & Space " 

NiH2 Battery Reconditioning in LEO 

20 .. CELL BATTERY TESTING 

• CAPACITY CHECKS OR PARTIAL RECONDITIONINGS IMPROVED MINIMUM 

EODV AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 4 

- CAPACITY MEASUREMENTS MADE AT 15 A RATE TO 13.6V OR FIRST CELL TO O.7V 

- PARTIAL RECONDITIONINGS DUE TO TEST EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS 

• TREND IN DECREASING EODV WITH CYCLING OBSERVED 

- FIGURE 5 SHOWS VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE VERSUS CYCLES 

- TREND SIMILAR TO 9-CELL PACK DATA SHOWN IN FIGURE 1 
..... 

~ 

~ 

fi? 

~ 

~ {) 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

N 

-....) 

00 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

§ 

~ §' 

~. 

~ 

~ §. 

26.0 

25.8 

25.6 

25.4 

CD 

~ 25.2 

!:: 

o 

> 

>- 25.0 '-

l! 

C'II m 24.8 

24.6 

24.4 

24.2 

24.0 

Figure 4. Qual Battery Performance 

SIN -1005R, RNH76-3 Cells 

20-cell configuration 

~:~~i~ ~~~jJ [-~ .. -_.--.----..--.-.--.. --. ----·--T ·-----,.---.--_-_---.-1 -~-_--,-I._-_~~~,...I -._--_T'+.-_,,_-_.-_ ..~--r_-._~~~ 

... '" .... [Capacity Check June '941_.. -... --.-.... -.• --r·-'-h'. r--:.-..... 1._ ... :-"_ ....... ___ ... _ .•.. '''_'' "'.'h __ . _ ....... _ .. _. __ ... __ ._ 

----,-------. -,----~;~~!~~~_eC_k _Se_pt _'9~1 •••. - I ."_ -· ___ I_. ____ ._. __ • __ ~ ___ ._ 1 _____ 1. ___ . __ •. ____ .&. ________ '-___ _ 

_. -·--.---·I-~··-·· ."' I Partial I 

1-1 Reconditionings -- i J i i 

--_· .... · .. -·1 .. --····-·1--.. '-1 -1 

.. _.0 ..... _ ._. 1_ .•.•••. __ .•.•.• 1 _____ 1_ •• ___ .• _. __ • 

12000 14000 16000 18000 20000 22000 24000 26000 28000 

Cycles Experienced 
-'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

r 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

N 

-....) 

\0 

I 

~ ~ 

'i' 

~ !} 

~ 

~ 

~ 

()-

~ :::.: 

~ 1'\ 

~ 

~ ~. 

~. 

~ 

~. '" 

26.0 

25.8 

25,6 

25.4 

II) 

~ 25.2' .... 

"0 

> 

>- 25.0 .. 

! 

.... 

CIS 

m 24.8 

24.6 

24.4 

24.2 . -'.-.- ---...... 

Figure 5. Qual Battery Performance 

SIN -1005R, RNH76-3 Cells 

20-cell configuration 

____ .H ••• ______ •

----I _______ .. _____ · __ 1 __________ -~ ___ of ,._ •• , ,- •• - - ------

r

----·----· FoiioV;ing-g-mo. downtl'me-' 

::-: :-: :~:: ~:~: ~~:~~ ~:~. 119999: 1-------- 'P"-~-~ -:.;~~~,.~~~~;.~~.-----•.• ---.. 

---Post Cap. Check June 1995 I 

--------~-.-----.------------"...-.--

'-"-'-'-' \._----- ·f -----\-----

--.- .. _ ... _-." --.-... -..... -... -.---.. ---.. -.-.-.-~-- ~--·----·--I 

PR 

. __ ... _ .. _ .... _u __ .1 ~~'-'I--- -I ......... -.- .1 

--"§l-- ~ Ii 

.. ____ .. _Ll.. L .. __ .\ _____ . ____ \ __ 

I 'I 

-_ LPRJ _:..--: 1 __ 1 ____ \-__ _ ... _-, ._--- , " 

" .... "'" I. "of 

~~.... ..d.. II 1-1-'· 

24.0 ., ...... ·1 

o 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 

Cycles Experienced Since Reconditioning 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

1:; 

l 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

N 

00 

o 

I 

~ ~ 'i"""" 

~ f} 

~ 

~ 

~ a 

cs. 

:::: 

~ 

§ 

~ §" 

~" 

~ 

~ 

§" 

A 

LOCKHEED MARTIN 7 

Missiles & Space "" 

NiH2 Battery Reconditioning in LEO 

CONCLUSIONS 

• RECONDITIONING PROVIDES USABLE CAPACITY DATA FOR PERFORMANCE 

EVALUATION AND TREND ANALYSIS 

• DEEP DISCHARGE BY WAY OF RECONDITIONING TENDS TO REDISTRIBUTE 

ELECTROLYTE AND WATER IN CELL STACKS 

• RECONDITIONING RESTORES RESERVE CAPACITY LOST ON CYCLING AND 

IMPROVES VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE 
Nickel-Hydrogen Session 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -281-
Page intentionally left blank 
5/3 ~f't 

O~)/53:JDevelopment of Sintered Fiber Nickel Electrodes c2 0 7CJa.J 

For Aerospace Batteries (;rt' 

Jennifer Francisco, Dennis Chiappetti, Jack Brill 

Eagle-Picher industries, Inc. 

Joplin, Missouri 64801 

ABSTRACT 

The nickel electrode is the specific energy limiting component in nickel battery systems. A concerted effort is currently 

underway to improve NiH2 performance while decreasing system cost. Increased performance with electrode specific energy 

(mAh/g) is the major goal of this effort. However, cost reduction is also an important part of the overall program, achieved by 

reducing the electrode weight. A lightweight, high energy density nickel electrode is being developed based on a highly porous, 

sintered fiber, nickel substrate. This developing technology has many applications, but is highly applicable to the military and 

aerospace industries. 

Introduction 

The aerospace industry has used the nickel-hydrogen battery system for more than 20 years developing both an extensive history and a large database. The aerospace industry 

demands a high degree of performance and reliability in 

which the nickel hydrogen battery is able to maintain. Advances in technology are constantly being made. The focus 

of the present work is to develop an aerospace flight qualified nickel electrode. Rapid growth in earth orbital satellite 

applications, including small satellites, and increasing spacecraft power system performance requirements, have created 

a need for improved flight qualified nickel hydrogen (N iH7 ) 

battery technology. However, these performance improvements must not compromise the inherent safety or reliability 

of the NiH2 battery. A concerted effort is currently underway to improve the NiHz performance while decreasing system cost. This effort involves work at the component, cell 

and full battery level. Component level development work 

includes performance enhancement and cost reduction at the 

basic electrode level. Increased performance, with electrode 

specific energy (mAh/g) as figure of merit. is the major goal 

of this effort. However, cost reduction is also an important 

part of the overall program. 

Electrode Substrate Material 

Eagle-Picher Ind., Inc. currently manufacture the sintered 

carbonyl nickel powder electrode substrate. This forms a 

rigid, highly porous matrix into which the nickel-hydroxide 

active material may be introduced. Sintered nickel powder 

is very strong and dimensionally stable, but it contributes 

adversely to the overall electrode weight. This type of electrode may account for more than 50% of the total weight in a 

typical aerospace nickel electrode. A lightweight substrate 

would greatly improve the electrode specific energy. The 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

approach used in this development effort has been to utilize 

fiber based nickel electrode substrates, prepared using proprietary micro-diameter metal fiber technology. This material is superior to prior fiber substrates based on the small 

fiber diameter, smaller equivalent pore size and dimensional 

stability. Two vendors which produce such substrates are 

Memtec America Corp. and Ribbon Technology Corp. Due 

to proprietary reasons, the data will not specify to which company it refers. 

The active material loading obtained typically with fiber 

based substrates has been relatively low. An additional problem is that the active material utilization has also been typically low. This results in an electrode with a relatively low 

specific energy (in terms of milliampere-hours per gram), 

even though the fiber is lighter in weight than sintered nickel 

powder. 

In general, the electrochemical impregnation method deposits the nickel hydroxide active material directly into the 

pores of the electrode substrate from the "inside out". Nickel 

hydroxide is produced inside the pore structure of the electrode by the nitrate reduction process. Since the outer pores 

near the electrode surface are filled last with active material. 

the entire electrode structure is used. This technique provides for much more intimate contact between the active material, and the current collector, which results in a lower effective current density during electrode operation. The resultant electrode has lower impedance, increased rate capability_ higher electrochemical utilization based on theoretical energy density and improved cycle life. 

The small pore structure retains active material much better than a corresponding larger pore size material, wh ich con-

-283- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
tributes significantly to charge/discharge cycle life. As the 

electrode is cycled, the active material undergoes significant 

chapges in phase, oxidation state, state of hydration, structure, crystallinity, and density. These changes in the active 

material cause the gradual extrusion of the active material 

out of the substrate and into the electrolyte/separator matrix 

in the cell. The smaller pore size In the electrochemically 

impregnated substrate and the more intimate contact between 

the active material and the substrate minimizes this active 

material extrusion loss during cycling. 

Electrode Active Material Impregnation/Formation 

The highly porous substrate material allows the nickel hydroxide active material to be inserted into the electrode. This 

work is being performed primarily for aerospace applications. Therefore, the nickel hydroxide active material insertion method primarily being investigated is a close variation 

of the aerospace electrochemical impregnation method. 

In general, the porous electrode substrate is cathodically 

polarized in a bath of aqueous nickel-nitrate. The charge/ 

discharge cycle then forms the active material, creating a 

working nickel electrode. The basic chemical reactions are 

listed in Table 1. The electrochemical reactions at the catalytic electrode are similar to basic alkaline fuel cell chemistry. When the nickel electrode is charged, the nickel active 

material is oxidized to a higher oxidation state at the nickel 

electrode. This is typically shown as a charge from nickel 

(II) to nickel (III). The reaction at the gas electrode is essentially the alkaline electrolysis of water, in the presence of a 

catalyst, to produce molecular hydrogen gas. This is essentially a reduction reaction. When the electrode is discharged, 

the nickel active material is reduced to its original state and 

the hydrogen gas is oxidized to form water, producing two 

electrodes per molecule of gas that reacts. 

Table I. Electrochemical Reactions Experienced 

by the Electrodes 

Water and Ion Balanced Reactions 

Positive: NiO(OH) + Hp + e => Ni(OH): + (OH)-

Negative: 't:,H, + (OH)- => KO + e 

Net Reaction: -~H: + NiO(OH) => Ni(OH): 

Unlimited Overcharge Capabilitv 

Positive: 2(OH)- => 2e + ~02 + H:O 

Negative: 2H,O + 2e => 2(OH)- + H, 

't20: + H: => H:O -

High Cell Reversal Tolerance 

Positive: H,O + e => (OH)- + 't2H, 

Negative: Y:zH2 + (OH)- => Hp + -e 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Process parameters such as temperature, current, pH, and 

others are precisely controlled with specific limits. 

Electrochemical Impregnation Results 

A number of electrodes were tested within nine separate 

groups. 

Individual results were obtained, however,Table II shows 

all 80 electrodes averaged according to the category from 

which they belong. 

The column labeled "Standard" is similar data for a standard aerospace grade electrode. The initial substrate thickness for the R&D substrate was measured using a dial micrometer. The average initial substrate thickness is indicated 

along with the standard deviation, which is a measure of substrate uniformity. Table III shows the calculations used for 

each electrode and how the information was derived. 

Electrode Parameters after the 

Electrochemical Impregnation 

The sample area is constant since there is no measurable 

change with the length and width of the substrate. The thickness, however, does increase during the impregnation process. This is the result of filling substrate voids with nickelhydroxide active material. The substrate is dimensionally 

stable in the length and width because of the way the that the 

fibers are randomly oriented within the electrode during the 

layering process. They are essentially interwoven in interlocking layers. The substrate is much less stable in the thickness direction. Even though the substrate is sintered to provide additional strength in this direction, the forces invol\'ed 

in the active material changes that occur cannot completely 

overcome. One of the major factors effecting ultimate electrode performance is this tendency towards thickness growth. 

Minimizing this effect is essential, particularly for a long life 

aerospace application, and is one of the major goals of the 

current study. 

As can be seen from Table II, the impregnated electrode 

thickness increases from 63.5% to 181.91 %. This is considerably more than the corresponding increase observed in 

aerospace sinter powder electrodes. Growth occurs mainly 

during impregnation due to the addition of the nickel. GrO\\1h 

also occurs - although not as much - during formation as the 

result of active material expanding during the charge/discharge cycle. Considerable progress has been made in optimizing fiber substrate parameters to minimize growth. While 

excessive thickness increase is not desirable. it is not necessarily prohibitive in an electrolyte starved compressed cell 

stack design, such as a NiH2 cell design. Figures 1 & 2 show 

-284- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
.... 

\C 

~ Table II A Listing of the Average of AliSO Electrodes Used in the Study 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<':> 

2; S7~fNDARD (JruU/l A GroupB {:l I I I I ~ I 2 3 4 I 2 3 4 5 

~ iii AVGS ~ 

AVGS AVGS AVGS AVGS AVGS AVGS AVGS AVOS AVOS 

~ Approximate size (in2) 7.900 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.000 2-

~ 

Substrate Weight (g) 8.610 1.599 1.782 2.254 2.337 2.295 2.371 3.056 3.242 3.221 

fl Raw Weight with Tab (g) 6.950 6.768 7.269 7.670 7.739 7.858 8.550 8.923 8.538 

Initial Thicklless 1\ vcrage (in) O.OlO 0.045 0.050 0.059 0.061 0.044 0.047 0.053 0.062 0.066 

Initial (thickness) Porosity (%) 80.000 93.958 93.883 93.490 93.441 90.988 91.249 89.810 91.010 91.605 

Initial Volume (cc) 3.880 2.975 3.278 3.894 4.016 2.870 3.050 3.446 4.052 4.311 

Initial Void Volume (ccvv) 2.940 2.795 3.078 3.641 3.754 2.612 2.784 3.102 3.687 3.949 

Number of Impregnation Cycles 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 I Final Thick Average (in) 0.031 0.076 0.080 0.104 0.094 0.088 0.088 0.090 0.106 0.117 tv Final (thickness) Porosity (%) 80.000 96.372 96.147 96.263 95.697 95.454 95.284 93.908 94.742 95.174 00 

VI Final Volume (cc) 4.984 5.221 6.798 6.136 5.773 5.784 5.919 6.949 7.663 I 

Final Void Volume (ccvv) 3.050 4.805 5.021 6.544 5.873 5.515 5.525 5.575 6.585 7.301 

Final Weight (g) 13.640 11.072 12.074 16.150 12.217 15.314 12.307 9.109 17.282 18.090 

Finished Raw Weight (g) 5.721 7.088 11.135 6.884 9.869 6.820 14.603 11.602 12.773 

Finished Pick-up (g) 5.030 4.122 5.306 8.881 6.915 7.575 6:885 6.053 8.359 9.551 

Total Thick Increase (in) 0.001 27.791 33.855 42.311 33.930 79.407 69.868 55.141 39.988 62.588 

Total Thick Increase C%) 5.880 63.569 68.040 71.412 56.111 181.910 149.097 109.629 65.195 94.980 

Final (thickness) Load (g/ccvv) 1.650 0.851 1.048 1.359 1.163 ·1.377 1.245 1.091 1.271 1.306 

Flood Capacity* (Ah) 1.740 0.737 1.159 1.780 1.330 1.719 1.685 1.630 1.653 2.021 

Theoretical Capacity (Ah) 1.450 1.191 1.533 2.567 1.998 2.189 1.990 1.749 2.416 2.760 

Utilization (%) 120.000 61.411 76.634 70.260 67.739 79.206 86.231 93.629 68.450 75.519 

~ mAh/in2 184.286 290.079 444.893 332.921 429.643 421.587 408.190 413.214 505.714 ("l 

~ Ahlin 1 

- 2.404 3.621 4.304 3.529 4.906 4.825 4.521 3.908 4.421 I mAh/cm2 

~ 28.564 44.962 68.959 51.603 66.595 65.346 63.270 64.048 78.386 

E;- mAh/em1 146.687 220.937 262.608 215.337 299.313 294.406 275.850 238.409 269.743 c 

00 Active mass (%) 36.870 71.466 74.056 79.596 73.916 76.528 73.835 65.521 72.060 74.311 "' :: Inactive mass (%) 63.130 14.543 19.496 14.003 20.545 15.024 20.571 25.885 18.751 21.601 ~ Specific Energy (mAh/g) 127.850 127.029 163.517 161.061 144.171 174.928 183.065 176.605 142.469 160.941 ~ 

6' 

:: 
Table'" A Listing Of The Mathematical Formulas Used 

Approximate size (in2) 

Substrate Weight (g) 

Raw Weight with Tab (g) 

Initial Thickness Average (in) 

Initial (thickness) Porosity (%) 

Initial Volume (cc) 

Initial Void Volume (ccvv) 

Number ofImpregnation Cycles 

Final Thick Average (in) 

Final (thickness) Porosity (%) 

Final Volume (cc) 

Final Void Volume (ccvv) 

Final Weight (g) 

Finished Raw Weight (g) 

Finished Pick-up (g) 

Final (thickness) Load (g/ccvv) 

Flood Capacity* (Ah) 

Theoretical Capacity (Ah) 

Utilization (%) 

I 

mAh/in2 

Ah/in3 

mAh/cm2 

mAh/cm3 

Active mass (%) 

Inactive mass (%) 

Specific Energy (mAh/g) 

SAMPLE 

0.06 

9 

3.63 

9.2101 

AVERAGE OF THICKNESS 

1 OO*INITIAL VOID VOLUME/INITIAL VOLUME 

APPROXIMATE SIZE*INITIAL THICKNESS A VERAGE* 16.39 

(INITIAL VOLUME)-(SUBSTRA TE WEIGHT/8.9) 

2 

AVERAGE OF THICKNESS 

100*FINAL VOID VOLUME/FINAL VOLUME 

APPROXIMATE SIZE*FINAL THICKNESS A VERAGE* 16.39 

(FINAL VOLUME)-(SUBSTRA TE WEIGHT/8.9) 

22.4668 

SUBSTRA TE WEIGHT +GREEN WEIGHT 

FINAL WEIGHT-RAW WEIGHT WITH TAB 

FINISHED PICKUP/FINAL VOID VOLUME 

3.1177 

FINISHED PICKUP*O.289 

1 OO*FLOOD CAPACITY/THEORETICAL CAPACITY 

1 OOO*FLOOD CAPACITY / APPROXIMA TE SIZE 

FLOOD CAPACITY/(APPROXlMATE SIZE*FINAL THICKNESS AVERAGE) 

1000*FLOOD CAPACITY/(APPROXIMATE SIZE*2.54*2.54) 

1000*FLOOD CAPACITY/ 

(APPROXIMATE SIZE* 16.39*FINAL THICKNESS AVERAGE) 

1 OO*FINISHED PICKUP/FINISHED RA W WEIGHT 

100*SUBSTRATE WEIGHTIFINAL WEIGHT 

1000*FLOOD CAPACITY/FINISHED RAW WEIGHT 

the percentage of weight and thickness gained and lost. This 

shows the greatest thickness occurring at the final formation 

and the most weight at the last impregnation. 

test conditions. This attests to the efficiency of the electrochemical impregnation process. Low utilization has typically been one of the major disadvantages of fiber substrates 

in the past (along with excessive active material bleeding 

and the thickness growth). The utilization problem has been 

essentially solved during the development phase of this program. 

The electrode flooded capacity is determined by cycling in 

KOH. The electrode is charged at a constant C/2 rate until 

150% overcharge is reached. The electrode is then discharged 

at constant current at the C'2 rate and the time measured rela~ 

tive to an end voltage (typically -I .7VDC verses the nickel 

counter electrode). The electrical capacity is then expressed 

in milliampere-hours. The electrode theoretical capacity is 

calculated from the finished active material weight in grams 

mUltiplied by 0.289 Ah/g, which is the theoretical energy 

density of the nickel-hydroxide electrochemical reaction, 

based on a one electron reaction (Ni++iNi+++). State-ofthe-art aerospace electrodes manufactured by Eagle-Picher 

typically yield about 120% of theoretical capacity under these 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Active material weight is typically lost during the formation process due to simple extrusion and expUlsion through 

vigorous gas). Also, any surface loading is easily lost during 

this step. In some respect, the measure of weight loss during 

formation is indicative of the efficiency of the impregnation 

step. A lower weight loss in formation indicates that the 

active material is more tightly held in the substrate pores and 

is not easily lost during electrical cycling in KOH. The active material weight loss during formation (expressed as a 

-286- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
ELECTRODE A ELECTRODES 

100 100 

90 90 

.. 

.. 80 

" eo e 

., 

.. 70 

fjl 

.. 60 .. 70 

60 

f! 

u 50 £ 50 

.. 40 0 40 

>-

0 30 

'E 

.. 

~ 

I __ --h'--_________ -+-thickness ~_ 

____ weight ! 

30 

20 

.. 

Q. 10 

0 0 

hHial Data Impteg Form Impteg Form hi~alData Impreg Form irYl>teg Form 

fm pregnationlForm ation Cycles ImpregnationlFormation Cycles 

Figures 1 and 2 

Electrode A is the electrode with the lowest specific energy. Electrode B has the highest specific energy. 

Group A - Comparing mAhfg to Thickness Increase Group B - Comparing mAhfg to Thickness Increase 

200.00 200.00 ---_ .. _. ----------"- 180.00 

160.00 

140.00 

120.00 

.!2' 

~ 100.00 < 

E 80.00 

60.00 

40.00 

20.00 

0.00 

c:::::J Spec energy (mt\h/g) 

__ % Thickness Increase 

n l . - ---~-. 

-------

.-- I 

r-- I 

I 

I .. .. I 

I 

.... 

180.00 

160.00 

140.00 

120.00 

.!2' 

~ 100,00 < E 80.00 

60,00 

40.00 

20,00 

0,00 

,--- nfl ,---

,.-

j c:::::J Spec energy (mt\hfg) 

__ % Thickness Increase 

--_ .. ---- -_.-- _.---

.... ... ...... 

2 3 4 5 

2 3 4 Percent Thickness Increase 

Percent Thickness Increase 

Figures 3 and 4 

Comparing the specific energy to the % thickness increase. 

percentage of the impregnated pick-up) varies from 5.823% 

to 12,055%. 

The final active material loading (grams of active material 

per cubic centimeter of electrode void volume) is calculated 

from the difference in the substrate weight and the final weight 

after formation, The actual grams of active material loaded 

into the substrate can be very accurately determined on an 

analytical balance. Finished loading ranged from 0.851 gl 

ccvv to 1.377 g/ccvv. Electrode specific energy is the energy storage capacity per weight of the electrode and is figured by watt-hours per gram (converted to mAh!g). Specific 

energy ranges from 127 .0~9 mAh/g to 183.065 mAh/g. In 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

general, one group has higher specific energy. utilization. 

and flooded capacity, but also have higher thickness swelling. 

In general, the single biggest disadvantage of the nickel 

electrode can be conveniently expressed in terms of the ratio 

of active material in the electrode to inactive material in the 

electrode. In a state-of-the-art sintered nickel powder aerospace electrode, about 63% of the total weight of the nickel 

electrode is electrochemically inactive. This weight is comprised of the sintered nickel powder substrate and the nickel 

wire mesh current collector. These components provide no 

energy storage capacity in the electrode, Correspondingly. 

-287- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
only 37% of the electrode weight is electrochemically active 

material. This is the reason that although the active material 

has a theoretical energy density of 289 mAhlg, the nickel 

electrode is much lower e.g. 120mAhlg, which is about 42% 

of theoretical. By comparison, fiber nickel electrodes are up 

to 60% active mass. This corresponds to an electrode specific energy of 180 mAh/g of the theoretical specific energy 

of pure nickel active material. An increase of specific energy from 120 to 180 mAh/g, 42% to 62% of theoretical, 

makes a very significant increase in overall specific energy 

at the full cell and battery level. The fiber based electrode, 

therefore, has the potential of significantly increasing the 

specific energy of the nickel hydrogen cell. 

Conclusions 

Most of the specific work done was primarily directed towards aerospace nickel hydrogen batteries. However, the 

nickel electrode technology developed is usable in a wide 

range of applications. Optimized electrode substrate microstructure, micro-fiber diameters and small equivalent pore 

size have greatly improved the fiber electrode substrate. The 

electrochemical impregnation process allows more efficient 

active material loading into the substrate and yields higher 

active material utilization. Specific energy was increased 

and overall weight was decreased, both being the m~or goals 

of this project. Electrodes yielding up to 180 milliampherehours per gram, with high utilization, have been prepared on 

a laboratory scale. Scale-up to full flight weight nickel hydrogen cells is underway. 

REFERENCES 

1. Kohler, D.A., et.al., Metal-Carbon Composite Electrodes From Fiber Precursors, 24th IECEC, 1989, 

p.1441. 

2. D.L. Britton, Characterization and Cycle Tests of 

Lightweight Nickel Electrodes, ECS Proceedings 

Volume 90-4, 1990. 

. 3. W. Taucher, et.a!., Development of Lightweight 

Nickel Electrodes for Zinc/Nickel Oxide Batteries, 

186th ECS Meeting, 1994. 

4. R. Rouget, et.aI., Connection of the Charge Efficiency 

and Self-Discharge of the Fibrous Electrode With 

the Structure of the Support, ESC Proceedings Volume 90-4, 1990. 

5. MJ. Vanderpool, et.a!., Development of the FiberBased Nickel Hydroxide Electrodes for Nickel-Iron 

Batteries, ECS Proceedings Volume 90-4, 1990. 

6. D.K. Coates, et.a!., Advances in Lightweight Nickel 

ElectrodeTechnology, Space Electrochemical Research and Technology, NASA Lewis, 1988. 

7. J.M. Francisco, et.al., High Energy Density 

Microfiber Based Nickel Electrode for Aerospace 

Batteries, l1 u1 Annual Battery Conference, 1996. 

There is a considerable amount of literature available on 8. D. Coates, et.aI., Advanced Dependent Pressure Vessel (DPV) Nickel Hydrogen Spacecraft Battery Design, 19th International Power Sources Symposium. 

1995. 

the nickel electrode in general. Several papers have been 

published on fiber type nickel electrodes specifically (1-5). 

Eagle-Picher has done substantial work in the past on fiber 

nickel electrodes (5-7) and in conjunction with specific battery Research and Development programs (8). 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -288- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<'l> 

.... 

o 

~ 

~ 

f 

~ 

::s- ~ . .g 

~ 00 

\0 

I 

?l; 

(') 

~ ja: 

~ o 

~ ::! 

Studies of the Codeposition of Cobalt 

Hydroxide and Nickel Hydroxide 

C. H. Ho, M. Murthy, and J. W. Van Zee 

~ 

+~- Center for Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

COlulubia, SC 29208 

~ J. W. Van Zee, University of Souili Carolina Center of Electrocllemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of Sooth Carolina 

Columbia., SC 29208 

~. PreRented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

::! Dec, 4, 1996 

~ 

~.~ 

}~ 

'" 
~ Outline 0'1 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ • Chemistry 

:;; 

b:l ! • Experimental Measurements ~ ~ . . I • Planar FIlm Model Development 

• Impregnation Model Development 

t5 • Results & Conclusions 

o 

I 

• Effect of Ni4(OH)4 4+ 

• Effect of Cobalt Concentration on Deposition / Loading 

• Effect of Current Density on Loading Distribution 

~ • Acknowledgment ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:s 

~ 1. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 1'0 6' Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

;:s Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 +,. 
"-

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ c 

~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

N 

\0 

..... 

I 

~ 

Current Collector 

--------. 

Electrolyte 

Ni Plaque 

.... _----_ .. -

x=o x=Ll2 x=L 

Electrode Reaction 

!No-+lHO+e-~!Nf-I +9 0H- 8 3 4 2 8 3 8 

~ Precipitation Reactions 

~ 

~ 

~ Ni 2+ + 20H - ~ Ni(OH)2 ~ 

~. C0 2+ + 20H - ~ CO(OH)2 

Pores in Ni Plaque 
~ Nickel Chemistry 0.. • 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

1 • Dilute Solutions (Ni2+ < 0.1 M, pH < 7) 

J 

~ Ni 2+ + H2 0 ~ NiOI-I+ + I-I+ 

::r-

.g 

• Concentrated solutions (Ni2+ > 0.1 M, 5 < pH < 7) I 

N 

tS 

I 

4Ni2+ +4H 0 ¢::> Ni OH4+ +4H+ 2 4 4 

References: Baes & Mesmer (1976), Kawai et al. (1973), Burkov et al. 

(1965), Kolski et al. (1969) ~ 

~ 7'" 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 1. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

'" 

~. Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

= Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

+ 
-'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

l.. 

~ ~ 

2 

if 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

tv 

\0 

w 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ::= 

l(l 

~ 

o· 

::= 

,....-{ 

Q) 

~ 

() 

• ..-i 

Z 

,....-{ 

cd 

...j.-J 

0 

~ 

t.H 

0 

...j.-J 

P 

Q) 

() 

~ 

Q) 

0.. 

Equilibrium Concentration of Ni 2+,Ni(OH)2) and 

Ni~(OH)4+ Species 

_._._._ ........ - 100 i----m2+ ~.-"-.-.'- ....... "....... " Ni(OH)2 (8) "- / '" , 

I I \ \ 90 I 

\ \ I / 

\ \ I I 80 \ 

I \ \1 

4 Mil I 2 Mi 

I 70 \ 

\ I I I \ i 

\ I . I 60 \ , , I 

\ \ . \x \ ! '50 \/ \ ! 1\ 

V I \! 0.5 M I 40 ;' i .~ . I . . I \ 

I \" 

Ni 4(OH):!+ II '/ \ 30 \' . ~ \ 

20 / ! " '\ 

10 

::~=< ,/ 

I I . '--~.---. ___ o t -' ..- . _, J 

I . I I 

5 6 7 8 9 

pH 
...... 

~ 0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {3 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

N 

'f 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ;: 

Cobalt Chemistry • 

• Dilute solutions (Co2+ < 0.1 M, pH < 7) 

Co2

+ + H 0 <=> CoOH+ + H+ 2 

• Concentrated solutions (C02+ > 0.1 M, 5 < pH < 7) 

4Co 2

+ + 4H 244 0 <=> Co (OH)4+ + 4H+ 

• Cobalt Keq ~ 0.1 Keq of nicl(el species 

Reference: Baes & Mesmer (1976) 

• IOllic strength important 

l(l J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

'" l:i. Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop <:::> 

;: Dec. 4, 1996 

+ 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a 

{; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

N 

\0 

VI 

I 

~ <"'l 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ 

~ :: 

Equilibrium Chemical Reactions 

• Two Step Deposition Mecllanism (Streinz et al. 1995) 

Ne+ + OH- ¢:>1. Ni4 (OH)!+ 

4 

1. Ni4 (OH)!+ + OH- ¢:> Ni(OH)2 {. 

4 

• Cobalt Deposition Mechanism (Baes and Mesmer 1976) 

Co2

+ + OH- ¢:> 1.Co4(OH)!+ 

4 

1. C04(OH)!+ +OH- ¢:> CO(OH)2 {. 

4 

~ J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

[g. Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 :: Dec. 4, 1996 +'r-
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

i ::r-

.g 

I 

ti5 

0\ 

I 

~ 

.,.. 

~ 

~ t} 

i 

~ 

1:l §. 

Equilibrium Chemical Reactions[Contd.,) 

+ Reactions for Nickel Nitrate Complexes (Fedorov et ale 1976) 

Ni 2+ + NO; ¢:> Ni(N03 )+ 

Ni 2+ + 2NO; ¢:> Ni(N03 )2 (aq) 

+Reactions for Cobalt Nitrate Complexes (Fedorov'et ale 1976) 

Co2+ + NO; ¢:> Co(N03 )+ 

Co2+ + 2NO; ¢:> CO(N03 )2 (aq) 

1. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

Presented at the NASA Battery- Workshop 

Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia., SC 29208 +,. 
...... 

~ 

'" 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {j 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

N 

\0 

-..J 

I 

~ 

~ "i" 

~ l:} 

~ ::: 

~ 

1:; 

c· 

::: 

.....-i 

Q) 

~ C) 

.,..-j 

z 

.....-i 

ctS 

..j-J 

o 

f-4 

'+-t 

o 

o+J 

~ Q) 

C) 

~ 

Q) 

~ 

Equilibrium Concentration of Ni 2+,Ni(OH)21 

Ni 4(OH)4 4+,NiNO! & Ni(N03)2 Species 

100 

90 

80 .-

70 Ni 2+ 

0.5M -'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-.-.~ 

60 It-----

1M 

50 

2M 

................. 

10 

a I = _.-'-

6.0 6.5 

.... ...... 

Ni 4(OH)4 4+ 

7.0 

pH 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

~.-:;. . ..-. 

~.:'--Ni(OH)2 (s) I 

I 

7.5 8.0 8.5 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:l.. 

~ ~ 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

tv 

\0 

00 

I 

~ <"I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ::: 

~ 

~ c:;. 

::: 

glass 

electrode 

saturated Kef solution 

volt 

meter 

salt bridge 

Ni(N03)2 KOH 

nickel nitrate water/alcohol solution 

Schematic Diagram for Nonaqueous pH Measurement 

.I. w. Van Zee, University of South. Carolina 

Presented at tile NASA Battery Workshop 

Dec. 4,1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University ot: South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

reference 

electrode 

+ 
..... 

10 

~ 

~ §:: 

::t:.. 

~ 

Sl 

] 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

IV 

\0 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 7" 

~ £;-

~ ;:s 

f(:I 

~ o· 

;:s 

EXfJerimental Measurement 

• Hydrolytic reaction 

qNi2

+ + pH20 = Ni

q (OH)~2q-P)+ + pH+ 

Q = [Niq (OH)~2q-P)+] [H+ r 

p,q 

• Material Balance 

BO= BN + B+b 

[(B+b)]Z =h-H+Kwh-1 

= (Q bh-1 + 4Q b4h-4 + Q b2h-1

) 1,1 4,4 1,2 

J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop' 

Dec. 4,1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

+ 
CO ,

..... 

· C'J CO 0 ~ 

z L() 

..q-t ~ 

0 • ...-l · Z CO 

(f) ..---. 

::J u C\2 0 La 

0 

CO • ,--.j C\l 0 

ro 

~ 11 0 

>- Q) 0 0 . · ~ ........! CO ::r:: ~ ;::s 

~ ro .j..l 

cO 

::e ~ 

CO Q) 

~ 0.. lD S 

(f) Q) 

~ :> E-< CO '-" 0 · ,--..... lD ...-! 

C\2 

..c: 

I 

~ ~ 

~ lD 

~ 

+ 

C\2 · I lD 

~ 

..c: 

0 

0 1O 0 L() 0 L() 0 lD . . . . . . O'J C\2. C\2 ........! ........! 0 0 

(I/810UI) 201 x 1C_11M.:>I+H-ll) 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -300- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
0 ..--I 

S LD 

· C\2 CO Q) 

f-! ,........,., 

rn !:! Ci.l 

· ;:J 0 LD 

0 -i-o> 

.- -....-I ;j 

r-- h 0 

~ 

· OJ rn to 

::> C\1 

-t-J ,........,., (") 

LD :I: OJ 

Z 

0 

to ~ 

~ ........... 

~ Z 

. - CI') - ~ · UJ. U to 

> 0 0 

".--...... .,....-t 0 .,..-I LD ..--I ........... I to ~ U 

~ LO 

0 

~ r-- Ci.l 

+ ~ 

~ n 

I o 0 r--

~ 0 ~ '--'" 

LO 

r-- CO to ~ C0 C\2 ..--I 0 ~ 

(I/8IOUl) 201 x (1_LJ:M.:>I+H-LJ:) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -301- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
(f). 

C\2 T""-4 .....--.... · t::l CO 

Z 

0 

0 '--'" 

· • ....-f CO Z -. 

~ u 

Q) 0 

0 lD 

LD C\2 

~ II ....... CO ~ Q) 0 

s... ..c · ::r: LD · ,....; ;:; 0 ~ .....,;I () 

~ ('Ij <C 

....... 

0.. s... ~ ["- Q) 0 ~ LD tD 

'(f). S C\1 0 . 

:> Q) 

CO E- .....--.... "--" tD ~ 

I .......... 

..c:: 0 tD ~ ..c 

0 tD ~ () 

+ < 

.......... 

~ ~ ~ 

0 tD I 1O 

..c:: 

'--'" :---! 

tD 

Ct') 

CO ~ C\2 0 CO CO ~ C\2 0 . . . . . T""-4 .....-I .....-I T""-4 0 0 0 0 0 

(l/alour) GO 1 x( 1-teA)! + H - q) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -302- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
-.0\ ~ 

s:: 

~ 

::t.. 

!!l 

~ 

~ is' 

~ 

~ 

~ -§ 

I 

W 

o 

W 

I 

~ a: 

~ 

~ ::r 

Ethet oilonie Strength 

• Equilibrium reaction 

4Ni2+ + 4H2 0 = Ni4 (OH):+ + 4H+ 

Qeq = [Ni4 (OH):+] [H+ r 

[Ne+f 

• Effect of ionic strength 

a 1112 

log Qeq = log Keq + 1 + 11/12 + bmx 

f(l J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

~ Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop o· 

;:s Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ i; 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

o 

~ I 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ::: 

~ 

~ 

0' 

::: 

Effect of Ionic Strength on the Equilibrium Quotient 

of Nickel Complex 

7.46 ( 

) Qe<l_----

J -6.92 

7.44 . -6.94 

M- Ni O~~C2g~------ 7.42 - 1.0 ----- Q -6.96 

+ _---- eq C\2 ~~ ...-... ...-... 7.40 -6.98 ::c ::c .... - ..... - 0 0 -- "'-- "--" 

~ 7.38 -7.00 Z • r-I 

Z tH 

'4-i -7.02 0 

0 7.36 p.. 

rn 

cr' 

Q) a 

C1 7.34 -7.04 0.0 

0 ttO ~ 0 ..... 

~ -- -- -- 7.32 C)_~ -7.06 -- ........ 

7.30 l- I ----!~~~ 4 -7.08 ---___ Qsp 

7.28 I --------1 I -7.10 

0 1 2 3 4 

Apparent Ionic Strength of NaN03 (M) 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:::... 

~ 

~ ] 

~ 

! 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

140 .-. 

120 .. -

~ o 

~ 100 cd 

u 

~ 

~ I Cr ~ 80 

'i" 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ :: 

~ 

~ §-

P.. 

~ .~ 

~ 60 ~ 

I 

40 .-

20 

2.8 

(-R In Kp,q) VS. liT for hydrolytic reactions of 

Ni 4 (OH)4+ and Ni(OH)+ 

Ni 4 (OH)1+ 

-- ~~7±2.9 kcal/mole (43, Arnek) 

Ni(OH)+ 

• • ---_ .......... ----------

llHO== 12.4 Kcal/mole (11.8, Arnek) 

2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 

1000/T, l/oK 
Schematic of an Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance 

Gold WE 

Quartz 

Crytstal 

EQeM 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Potentiostat 

SCE RE 

Platinum CE 

Nickel Nitrate Bath 

-306- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
ifi Go (OR) 4+ • 4 4 

:; 

I N~(OH)2 

~ C9(OH)2 iif>':, • 

fI,;. - ;(F .. 

I ~ t;.. ~ 

~ i Growing Film 

Electrode Surface 

I 

I 

:8 

:6) (.;:\ 

: ~ : 8 Bulk 

I Electrolyte 

:0 8 :G6J6J IQ N03-

I 18 :0 

Moving Diffusion Layer 

Schematic of the Deposition Process on Planar Electrodes 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -307- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
...... 

:g 

0'1 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ {; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

o 

00 

I 

..., 

~ 

~ ~ 

.~ 

~ 

i 

Governing Equations for Planar Film Model 

• Mass balances for species: Ni2+, Co2+, N03 -, OH8Ci _ n N° R ---=---y. 1+ . 8t 1 

• Equilibrium reactions for remaining species, H+, NiN03 +, 

Ni(N03)2' CoN03 +, Co(N03)2' Ni4(OH)44+ , and 

Co4(OH)44+ 

• Electroneutrality for solution potential, ~ 

• Eleven concentrations and ~ 

~ 1. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina !;.o 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia., SC 29208 

5' Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

:: Dec. 4, 1996 +'-
...... 

'0 

'0 

0., 

Boundarv Conditions {or Planar Film Model ~ e 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {J 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

I 

W 

o 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ ;::s 

• Diffusion layer-electrolyte interface 

C. =C· 1 1, b 

~=O 

• Electrode surface 

• flux balances 

• equilibrium reactions 

• electroneutrality 

f(I J. W. VanZee, University of South Carolina 

~. Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

;::s Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 +'-
...... 

10 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

~ 1 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

...... 

o 

I 

~ $ 

E;-

~ ;::s 

~ 

~ 

0° 

;::s 

----.. 

QO 

:i 

---- rn 

rn 

co 

::;g 

110 

Effect of Ni(N03)2 on EQCM Mass Gain 

Ref: Streinz et al., JES , 147, 1084 (1995) 

100 ~ i=2.5 mA/cm2 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

T 

20 T 

10 

o I -/- A ___ .. -_11--.------ · • • 2 M Ni(N03)2 

o 100 200 300 400 500 

Time (s) 
...... 

~ 

~ 

52 

::t:.. 

~ 

z; 

] 

IS' 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VJ 

...... 

...... 

I 

'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

::s 

f(! 

!:l 

0" 

::s 

I 

::c: 

0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

C) 

~ 

Q) 

.,..... 

C) 

.,..... 

4-i 

4-i 

w 

Efficiency of Utilization vs Inverse Concentration 

Comparison of Model and Experimental Data 

1.1 

1.0 

0.9 .-

0.8 

0.7 

0.6 .-

0.5 

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 

0.1 l 

0.0 

0 

Effi ci~D-.gy - J_ - - ~-"--v---- - --:-. :;:::a-::-:::-:::-~-==I -'-'-- ---- ~ .-> 

rc~oH);- --.:-~:~;;-- I '" "' ...... , I / """" 

I / ,,' / , 

I ./ ,,' 

/ , 

I . , / I . , 

I / Jw' / I 

I . I 

I I . , 1// 

i /:1 Ni (OH)2 I, t" I, 

.t. 

I. 

.. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Inverse Concentration (l/mol) 

9 10 

18 

16 ,-... 

~ 14 '.-1 

~ 12 gf 

"'-"" 

10 2 

8 

6 

4 

2 

o 

~ 

~ 

~ 

o 

• .-1 

~ 

'.-1 

rn 

o 

~ 

Q) 

o 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:t.. 

~ {; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

W 

..... 

N 

I 

~ 

[ 

~ ~ ~ 

~ ::s 

~ 

~ g' 

Determination of Keq and Kspjrom Film Experiments 

• Determine least square error between experimentally 

measured mass and model predictions. 

E= !CmeXP _mpred,)2 + !CmeXP _mpred,)2 

i=l 11 II i=1 12 12 

where m = f(Keq ,Ksp) and Keq , Ksp correspond to zero ionic strength 

E =E1 + E2 

m: mass gain ofNi(OH)2 

11' 12: Ionic strength of medium 

q: number of experimental data 

1. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

Presented at the NASA Battety Workshop 

Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Deparunent of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

+ 
I 

/ 

I 

/ 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -313-

\ 

I 

I 

\ 

\ 

· 

C\2 

l'--

I 

C\2 

l.'-

m 

, 

C\2 

l'--

lD 

I 

· 

N 

CXJ 

I 

N 

CXJ 

cv:> 

I 

CXJ 

lD 

ON 

. I ~ 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
..... 

'0 

~ 

::t,;: ~ 

Percentage Co in Film vs CO(N03)2 Concentration ~ 

~ 

"'t 

C 

{; Comparison of Model wi th Experimental Data ~ ~ 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 30 - 1 ,-- 1 ' -I -- r --)-- -'---1 '---,--~-' 

~ --- ~ 28 1 M Ni (N03)2, i =0.5 rnA ,.---------

.g ,. ,." . 

26 ,. * ,. 

S • Exp 1 ,. 

6 ,. 

,. 6 24 Exp 2 ,. ...-i 6 ,. • ,-l ,. ~ • Exp 3 ,. 

,. ~ 22 ,. , • Exp 4 ,. w .,-l 

,. ...... 

~ ,." II 0 20 Model I ----- ,. 

u ,. ,. ,. (]) • 18 ,. ,. 0.0 ,. 

ro ,. 

• ,. -+-> 16 ,. ~ £ 

(]) ///t 

0 14 H / 

,. 

(]) / 

~ 12 / 

/ 

/ 

/ 

~ 1: ~ f< / 

'i"" 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 0.05 0.@7 0.09 0.11 0.13 0.15 0.17 0.19 0.21 0.23 0.25 :: 

~ 

~ 

0' CO(N03)2 Concentration (M) :: 
...... 

~ 

s: 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

2-

:::-

~ 

I 

W 

..... 

Vl 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

::: 

r §. 

S 

.-

• ...-I 

~ 

~ • ...-1 

0 

U 

Q) 

oo 

(1j 

-+-> 

~ 

Q) 

C) 

~ 

Q) 

~ 

Percentage Co in Ni(OH)2 Film with Time 

1 M Ni(N03)2 wi th Varying Co Concentrations 

I I I I I I 

100 r90 f80 r70 r60 f50 r40 f30 r20 IITI\\\ 

I: \~ \ ,

'!\I\ :~ \ . I II !

.I\ \ \ 

:11 \: \ 

" 1 p! \. \0.25 M Co 

i

!'\ \ \ : I '\'. '\.. 

.1 \ \\ "'-

1;1, \'. "" r.' . '. "-

'1 \ \ "'. ° 2 M co---" i

I ' "." ,........ "- __ _ 

,I \ , ... _ ... _ ... _ ... _ ... _ ... _ .. :::.:::.=-==.= ____ = \:11 \ " , .. \ .......... l!' \ -.... , 

j

-I , 

I, "-, 

:\ ........ 

I 

i=O.5 rnA 

--- ----_._-------- __ ._ 0.1 M Co 

._.-._._._.-.-._._.-. 

I 

-

-

-

-

-

-

lOr- h fi ------------ ------______ 0_:.9_5.M Co___ -

o r- --.fJ - I I I J I I I I 

o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

Time (min) 
..... 

~ 0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

.... 

0'1 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ::s 

~ 

~ g. 

aqueous 

Ni(N°3)2 

+ 

Ethanol 

Pump 

Electrochemical Impregnation System 

J. w. Van lee, University of South Carolina 

Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

Dec.4,1996 

Impregnation Cell 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

Nickel 

Plaque 

Anodes 

+ 
v, CI,b 

COUNTER 

ELECTRODE 

s 

J.. 

x=o 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

CURRENT COLLECTOR 

& TAB 

v, C. b 

J.. I, 

-317-

COUNTER 

ELECTRODE 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
.... 

\0 

\0 

0'1 

Governing Equations ofor .Im12regnation Model ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ i3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::r-

~ 

I 

I.J.) 

-

00 

I 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

• Mass balances for species: Ni2+, Co2+, N03", OH~ 

8BCi = _ ~ 8i2 _ aNi + R 

8t nFax ax 1 

II Flux: Diffusion and Inigration only 

• Equilibrium equations for: H+, Ni4(OH)44+, Co4(OH)44+, 

Ni(N03)+' Ni(N03)2' Co(N03)+' Co(N03)2 

• ~2 is governed by electroneutrality 

~ J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, se 29208 

§. Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

Dec. 4,1996 +,. 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ til 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ..g 

I 

VJ 

-\0 

I 

~ ~ ... 

~ f} 

~ til 

::s 

til 

Governing Equations [Cant.,) 

• The rates of precipitation are related to Qsp of the 

hydroxides. ( rpptl ' fppt2 ) 

Bi2 . - == a in 

ax • Solution current: 

• Porosity: 

-=- 88 r (M) pptl -

at P Ni(OH)2 r

ppt2

( ~) CO(OH)2 

~ J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

g' Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

Dec. 4,1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 +,. 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ i; 

~ <I> 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

, 

w 

tv 

<? 

'i'" 

~ 

~ !:;-

~ ~ 

~ 

Q' 

::s 

0.24 

0.22 

0.20 ...---.. 

" 0.18 Q) 

'0 0.16 

S 

__ 0.14 

§ 0.12 .,.... 

-+-l 

ro 0.10 

H 

-+-l 

Q 0.08 

Q) 

g 0.06 

0 

u 0.04 

0.02 

0.00 

0.0 

Concentration Profile of Ni 4 (OH)t4 in Ni Plaque 

(aio= 1 0-3A/cm3,T)lx=o= -375rp.V,T= 1.6,£o=0.8,L=0.lcm) 

t=30min,i =-48.1mA/cm2,Wavg=O.872gfcm3 

t=30sec,i=-53.9mA/cm2,Wavg=O.OOlg!cm3 

t= lOmin,i =-50mA/cm2,Wavg=O.262g/cm3 

t=15sec,i=-54.3mA/cm2,Wavg=O.Og/cm3 

t=O 

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4· 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Di mensi onless Di stance ~ 
I 

\.;J 

N 

-I 

~ 

2-

'i"" 

~ !:} 

~ f(J 

f:l 

o· 

::: 

1.8 

1.6 

1.' 

--..... 

'"d 

....... 

0 1.2 > 

() 

() 

" 1.0 0.0 

""--' 

~ 0.8 

0.0 

~ 

;a 0.6 

ro 

0 

~ 0.4 ........ 

ro 

() 

o 0.2 ~ 

0.0 

50% EtOH,i =-43. 9mA/cm2,Wavg= O. 929g!cm3 

J I 100% EtOH,i=-43.1mAjcm2,Wavg=0.989g!cm3 

t=O 

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance ~ 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::to. 

~ 

Sl ] 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

\,;.) 

tv 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ 

~ ::s 

f(:l 

~ 

0' 

::s 

Non-Uniformi ty vs. Current Densi ty at Various Solutions 

( Temp=25°C ,'t= 1.6 ,co=0.8) 

,.-.... 80 ~ -......-

,.-.... 70 :x: 

2M Ni(N03 )2 1M Ni(N03)2 

-......- - ~ 

>. 60 

-+-> 

• r-4 

S 

~ 60 

0 

~ 

• r-4 

~ 40 ~ 

I 

~ 30 0 

z 1 M Ni(N03)2 (without tetramer) 

-+-> 

~ 20 

Q) 

() 

~ 10 Q) 

P-t 

10 30 50 70 90 110 130 160 

Current Density (mA/cm2) 
" 'C 

~ 

~ 

52 

::t... 

<II 

ti 

~ 

~ <II 

is' 

l;:t 

~ 

~ 

a-

::s-

~ 

I 

w 

tv 

W 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ E} 

~ <II 

;: 

~ 

~ (5' 

;: 

.....-.... 

~ 

'--"" 

-+-l 

~ (]) 

-+-l 

~ 

0 

U 

-+-l 

......... 

ro 

..c 

0 

0 

Cobalt Content of the Acti ve Material in Ni Plaque 

(T==25°C,i==-60mA/cm2,E==0.8, 1M Ni(N03)2) 

50 

40 

30 

20 t=24min 

O.2M Co(NOa)z Wavg=1.08 g/cms 

10 Wavg= 1.01 g/cm3 

O.lM s 

~ -- = Wavg=O.95 g/cm O.05M 

o Ii 

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 1 7 19 21 23 25 

Time (min) 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ {; 

2 

J 

~ 

2-

:s--

-§ 

I 

W 

N 

.r::. 

I 

?; 

~ 'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ 

"' ;:s 

~ 

1:! 

o· 

;:s 

Loading Distributions of CO(OH)2 in Porous Nickel Plaque 

~ (1.0M Ni (N0 3)2,0.lM Co(N0 3)2,i = -60mA/cm2) (l) 

S 

::J 

-o 

> 

'"d 

• .-4 

o 

0.6 .- 20 min 

~ 0.5 

S 

Q.O 

"-'" 

-(l) 

l> 

(l) 

.....:l 

Q.O 

~ • .-4 

"0 

cO 

o 

.....:l 

..-I 

cO 

C) 

o 

.....:l 

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 2 min 

0.1 

0.0 I V .e I 

0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensi onless DIstance ~ 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0>-

~ 

~ 

~ 

!1i 

I:l 

1 

~ ~ 

\;'! 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

N 

VI 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

f{l 

~ 

s· 

;::s 

,..-.... 

Q) 

S 

~ ..--t 

o 

:> 

"'d 

...... 

o 

.z 

on 

"'--'" 

..--t 

Q) 

:> 

OJ 

~ 

0.0 

.~ ...... 

"0 

ttl 

o 

~ 

..--t 

ro 

CJ 

o 

~ 

Distribution,s of Ni(OH)2 & CO(OH)2 in Nickel Plaque 

(1.0M Ni(N03 )2, i=-60rnA/cm2 , Wavg=0.85gm/cm3) 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

Ni(OH)zA O.05M Co(N03 )z 

/\ 0.1M CO(N03)2 

I \ 

r . ,\ 

I / \'" I I \ \ I! \ \ O.2M CO(N03 )2 

I : 

I i 

I : 

I i 

I : 

! i 

I 

I , 

I : 

I /, -... ' 

------------- --------

I I , ' t I~---'---- -_ --------- J 0.0 I I ! I, I !. 9==r:::-e---,=::e:-::=,--,,! 

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance ~ 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

VJ 

N 

0'1 

I 

';"-

~ 

~ 

£t 

~ ;: 

~ 

i:l 

o· 

;: 

('..J 

~ .......,> 

• .-l 

IZl 

0 

~ 

0 

P-t 

Effect of CO(N03)2-Conc. on the Porosity Distribution 

(£°=0.8, 1.0M Ni(N03)2, i=-60mA/cm2 ,Wavg=0.85 g/cm3) 

0.8 I \ \ 

0.7 

0.6 

0.5 

0.4 

0.3 

~ \ t 

: \ 

: \ 

: I 

: I t I I _--- _---__ _------------- __ ---

---- ----- I ,-------- t 

I I -" _' _____ " ~ -- I ",," ~ 

: I ,,' ./ I I ,/ / I I ,,' "/ 

: I " / : \ ,/ / 

\ \ / / /0.2M Ni(N03)2 

t " ".-" / I I ,," "/ 

I ",,\ I , 

" v 

0.05M O.lM 

0.2LI~~----~~~~~----L-~-L~~----~~~~~~ 

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance ~ 
"-

10 

~ 

~ 

~ .~ 

~ {;l 

~ !II 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

IV 

~ 

~ 

~ ... 

~ £;-

~ 

~ 

f(:l 

!:'l g' 

Loading Distributions of Ni(OH)2 & CO(OH)2 in Nickel Plaque 

(1.0M Ni(N03)2,O.lM CO(N03)2,T==25°C,Wavg=0.75 g/cm3) 

".--.. 

Q) 

S 

;:J 

~ 

o 

> 

'"d 

...... 

o 

.z 

QO 

-....-

~ 

Q) 

> Q) 

~ 

QO 

~ ...... 

'"d 

ro 

o 

~ 

~ 

ro 

C) 

o 

~ 

Ni(OH)2 

-75mA/cm2 

2 -BOmA/em r-" 

"\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

" ........ I 

I 

I 

J " 

' .. -30mA/cm2 

I 

I 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\~---------------

1-. ~ '""-1_.__ I ________ _ _ I 

0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 

Dimensionless Distance ~ 
! Summary ~ 

~ 

~ 

lI> 

j • Titration Experiments Deternline Qsp' and Qeq lI> J • f(T, Alcohol, [Ni(N03)2]) 

I • Raman Spectra Identifies Ni4(OH)44+ 

.g 

I 

W 

tv 

00 

I 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ E} 

~ :::r 

~ 

~ 

6' 

:::r 

• Absorbance is f(PH) 

• EQCN ExperiInents and Fihn Model 

• Confirm Values of Keq, Ksp ,and Ionic Strength 

Equations 

• Porous Electrode Model 

• Agree with Ni(OH)2 Distribution Measurements 

• Porous Electrode Model Predicts Ni/Co Distributions 

J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

Dec.4,1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

+ 
...... 

\C 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

J 

Conclusions 

• For Unifortn Total Deposit 

• Decrease Effect of Tetramer ~ 

~ .g 

• Lower pH for deposition (decrease Qsp) 

• Decrease formation constant (Qeq) 

• Lower [Ni(N03)2] for fixed Qsp and Qeq 

I 

W 

tv 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ;:s 

• Optimum current density (low) 

• Decrease Current Density 

• Quantify the Amount of Change 

~ J. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina 

~. Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

;:s Dec. 4, 1996 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 +,. 
...... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ tl 

~ 

t::l::l 

tl 

! 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

W 

o 

I 

'i"'" 

~ 

~ !:l.. 

(:l 

~ 

Conclusions (Cont.,) 

• Factors Affecting Qsp and Qeq 

• Increase in T yields decrease in Qsp and increase in Qeq 

• Increase in Alcohol conc. yields same as T 

• Increase ionic strengtll yields same as T 

• CO(OH)2 and Ni(OH)2 depends on [Co(N03)2], Ionic Strength, 

[Ni(N03)2], T, and Alcohol Concentration 

;: 

CI:l J. w. VanZee, University of South Carolina 

"" 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

~ Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

g. Dec. 4, 1996 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ "ti 

~ II> 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ :=-

.g 

I 

W 

W 

-I 

a; 

~ 'i" 

~ !} 

~ 

Acknowledgment 

• Office of Research & Development ofU. S. Central 

Intelligence Agency. 

• Department of Energy by Cooperative Agreement DEFC02-91ER75666. 

::s 

~ 1. W. Van Zee, University of South Carolina ~ 

Center of Electrochemical Engineering 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

University of South Carolina 

Columbia, SC 29208 

~ Presented at the NASA Battery Workshop 

~. Dec. 4, 1996 +'r-
Page intentionally left blank 
5/S--~, /~:~~j ~~ 

o!~ ??cllb 

Nickel-Hydrogen Battery Fault Clearing 

at 

Low State of Charge 

C. Lurie 

TRW Space and Electronics Group 

Redondo Beach, California 90278 

The 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

The Huntsville Hilton 

Huntsville, Alabama 

December 3 - 5,1966 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -333- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
BACKGROUND 

• Battery fault clearing requires high rate, short duration 

discharges. 

• Spacecraft batteries may be at low state of charge when a fault 

occurs, e.g., during reconditioning discharge to 1.0 volt per 

cell in a single battery power subsystem architecture. 

• There is little relevant data available for this operating mode. 

• Accordingly fault clearing data was obtained experimentally. 

• The SCOp9' of the effort reported here includes determination of 

nickel-hydrogen battery fault clearing capability at low state of 

charge and comparison with capability at high state of charge. 

Battery fault clearing requires high rate discharges for a short periods of time. 

F autt clearing events are assumed to consist of fuse blowing and durations are typically 

a few milliseconds. Faults can occur at any time and battery state of charge can vary 

from full to very low state of charge. For example, a fault occurring at the end of a 

reconditioning discharge, to 1.0 volt per cell, in a single battery system, could require 

the fault to be cleared with little faradaic capacity in the battery. 

Battery operating data describing short duration high rate discharge at low state 

of charge is not available. Accordingly a relevant data base was determined 

experimentally. Fault clearing data was obtained at high and low states of charge. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -334- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
APPROACH 

• Fault clearing events are simulated by 3-millisecond 

discharges into resistive loads. 

• The resistive loads are sized to provide data in the range 

C/2 to 3C. 

• All testing is performed at 10° C. 

The experimental approach includes several assumptions and constraints. 

Fault clearing events are simulated by 3-millisecond discharges into resistive 

loads. Fuse blowing generally occurs in less than 3 milliseconds and the load 

presented to the battery is closely approximated by a constant resistance. 

The resistive loads are sized to provide data in the range C/2 to 3C (75 to 450 

amperes with the 150 ampere-hour nickel-hydrogen cells used). This range provides a 

broad and conservative data base. 

All testing is performed at 10°C. This is a "typical" battery operating 

temperature. A single temperature was considered adequate because fault clearing 

capability is a weak function of temperature over the usual spacecraft operating 

temperature range. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -335- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
PLAN 

• Fault clearing discharges are performed at high and low states 

of charge. 

• Test Sequence 

- Charge at the CliO rate for 14 hours. 

- Discharge at the C/20 rate. 

- Add the fault clearing load, for 3 milliseconds, at 3 hours 

into the C/20 discharge. (High state of charge event 

SOC = 85%) 

- Continue the C/20 rate discharge 

- Add the fault clearing load, for 3 milliseconds, at end of 

discharge. Three end of discharge voltages were 

considered: 0.9, 1.0, and 1.1 volts. (Low state of 

charge event) 

Comparison of data obtained at low and high states of charge provides 

additional insight into the cell level processes taking place during the fault clearing 

events. 

The test sequence is designed to provide data at a high state of charge defined 

by C/20 rate discharge to 85% state of charge and at three low state of charge 

conditions defined as C/20 rate discharge to 0.9, 1.0, and 1.1 volts per cell. The 

difference in capacity at 0.9, 1.0 and 1.1 volts per cell is small, but, as will be seen from 

the data, the difference in fault clearing parametric performance is significant. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -336- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
Test Set Up 

Test Controller (PC) 

. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ; .................... -... , 

Low Speed 

Data Logger 

: 

. ~-----------­ High Speed 

Data Logger 

'. Test Cells -- 150 Ah NiH2 

---_ .... _ ..... '- ...... --- ........... .,j--- ............................... --- .. 

Programmable 

Power Supply 

(Charger) 

Programmable 

Electronic 

Load 

(SS Load) 

Fault Load 

(Resistive) 

,-- _.1. 1 , , , , , , , , , 

, 

, 

, 

, 

, 

, 

, 

l~ 

• RNH 150-2 

• 0.030" slurry Ni electrodes 

• 2 layers of Zircar s~parator 

• 31 % electrolyte (final) 

• Nickel precharge 

The test equipment was designed to control all aspects of charge, discharge, 

thermal management, and data logging, automatically, with a PC as the primary test 

controller. Separate data logging was provided for the low speed requirement to 

provide continuous overall charge/discharge data, and the high speed requirement to . 

provide adequate data during the millisecond fault clearing discharge pulses. The fault 

loads were superimposed on the C/20 steady state discharge loads at the appropriate 

times. 

The test cells were Eagle Picher (Joplin) RNH 150-2 150 ampere-hour nickelhydrogen cells packaged in a battery module shown on the next chart. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -337- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
12-Cell 150-Ah Battery Module 

• RNH 150-2 cells 

• Cooling via VCHP to 

secondary mirror 

• Fluid loop cooling capability 

• Individual cell bypass 

• Modular design 

- 11 or 12 cells per module 

- 110 to 210 Ah 

The test cells were packaged in the 150 ampere-hour battery module shown 

above. The packaging is modular in design and can accommodate 11 or 12 cells with 

capacities from 110 to 210 ampere-hours. Each cell is protected against cell open 

failures by individual cell bypass switches. Thermal management capabilities include 

cooling by moving heat from the cells to center-of-gravity mount thermal sleeves and, 

using variable conductance heat pipes (VCHP), to a secondary mirror for radiation to 

space. Fluid loop cooling capability is also provided for thermal management where 

active control is desired. The fluid loop cooling was utilized during the testing reported 

here. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -338- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
120·AMPERE 3-MILLISECOND PULSE 

AT HIGH STATE OF CHARGE 

2.0 

• • • Minimum Cell Voltage (volts) 

II 

"'" I-- - - Maximum Cell Voltage (volts) 

a ~ ~I -3.5 volts 

125 

1.8 100 

-Current (amperes) 

J~ (, 1.6 75 

1.4 " 50 

iii 

== 

-~ I~- --.-r---t---.-

!. 1.2 

w 

C) i! 1.0 oJ 

o 

> :::l 0.8 

w 

o 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 

-0.5 

-: :-:. ":" .............. J"" 

-

\ 

\ 

\ 

h-.,. 

0.0 0.5 1.0 

-_ . ............... ............ ----.--.,. 

._----r--

• .. ,_" II 

1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 

TIME (milliseconds) 

.. 

3.5 4.0 4.5 

~I o 

5.0 

!z 

~ ·25 0:: 

::) 

o 

·75 

·100 

·125 

The 120-ampere discharge curve shows a typical fault clearing discharge at high 

state of charge. Only maximum and minimum cell voltages are plotted because the 

cells are well matched and the range of cell voltages is small. As can be seen from the 

curves the voltage is very stable during the discharge period. The dip in cell voltage at 

the leading edge of the pulse, as well as the "rounding" at the front end of the current 

trace, are due to the non-linear (inductance and capacitance) elements in the battery 

and test equipment. The large voltage excursion at the pulse turn-off is due, primarily, 

to cell inductance. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -339- Nickel·Hydrogen Session 
450·AMPERE 3·MILLISECOND PULSE 

AT HIGH STATE OF CHARGE 

2.0 

1.8 

1.6 

i'1.4 

g 

-1.2 

w 

(!) 

~ 1.0 

....I 

o 

:> 0.8 

....I 

....I 

W 

00.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 

-0.5 

-

- Maximum Cell Voltage (volts) I i I ••• Minimum Cell Voltage (volts) 'I 

--Current (amperes) I. I' ' .... 

-. I ...... 

~-- ~.~ .":"":' .- ~-. -.-P.- I 

- \ .. . -

\ 1-------

\ ------- ... - r- -------- --

'\ 

, 

i"o-

--- 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 

TIME (milliseconds) 

-.-.-.-10- -

500 

400 

300 

200 _ 

2! 

100 Xl 

o ... 

z 

w 

-100 0:: 

0:: 

::l 

_200 0 

-300 

-400 

-500 

3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 

The 450-ampere discharge also shows excellent voltage "stiffness" during the 

fault clearing discharge. The difference between the starting voltage, e.g., the voltage 

prior to the fault clearing event, and the plateau voltage is greater than observed with 

the 150 ampere discharge. As will be seen in the succeeding charts the relationship 

between the initial and plateau voltages is a function of cell impedance and follows 

Ohms Law. 

This relationship suggests that the energy expended during the fault clearing 

event comes from cell capacitance and that mass transfer processes do not occur to 

any appreciable extent. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -340- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
AVERAGE PLATEAU VOLTAGE 

3-MILLISECOND PULSES AT HIGH STATE OF CHARGE 

1.30 

-:! 1.25 0 

> -

W 

C) 

~ ..J 1.20 g 

:::l 

c:t 

w 

5 1.15 

Q. 

IZ 

(5 

Q. 

q, 

" '" '" 

30 Millisecond Pulse, Midpoint Voltage 

-- / 

K 

'" '" I Midpoint Voltage = -0.000512 x Current + 1.327 1 

R2 = 0.9997 

C 1.10 ~ :E 

~ 1.05 

o 50 100 150 200 250 300 

CURRENT (amperes) 

350 400 450 500 

Mi~point plateau voltage data obtained at high states of charge are summarized 

in the plateau voltage versus pulse current chart. The slope of the voltage versus 

current plot is the cell resistance; the linear relationship is an expression of Ohms law. 

The 30-millisecond data point is included to demonstrate the stability of the 

plateau voltage. Stability in this time domain indicates that voltage decay due to 

faradaic and mass transfer effects require longer discharge durations at these 

conditions. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -341- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
AVERAGE MINIMUM VOLTAGE 

3-MILLISECOND PULSES AT HIGH STATE OF CHARGE 

1.30 

~ 

Minimum Voltage = 2.59 x Current .0.158 

i 

! 1.20 

UJ '" 

R2= 0.996 

~ g 

'\ 

G ~ 1.10 ~ ;:) 

~ 

Z 

~ 

w 

(!) 

~ 1.00 

w 

~ 

0.90 

o 50 100 150 

"'-~ ~ ~ 

200 250 300 

CURRENT (amperes) 

350 

-.......".. ~ 

400 450 500 

The minimum voltage observed during the fault clearing event may be of interest 

in terms of spacecraft bus voltage regulation. This chart shows the relationship 

between the average minimum voltage and the pulse current for the fault clearing data 

obtained at high state of charge. 

It is interesting to note that an excellent fit is obtained with a power curve. If the 

voltage dip were due to cell inductance only the best fit would be provided by an 

exponential model. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -342- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
75-AMPERE 3-MILLISECOND PULSE 

AT LOW STATE OF CHARGE 

2.0 - - - - Minimum Cell Voltage (volts) ~ ~ I 

1.8 - - Maximum Cell Voltage (volts) -2.5 volt 

1.6 -Average Cell Voltage (volts) 

- - Current (amperes) 

-1/1 1.4 l 

w 1.2 

C) 

~ 1.0 

...I 

0 

> 0.8 

., - --- - 1.002 volt - - r- ---- ----- ~-- 0.959 volt 0.999 volt 

- ' .. - - -------- 1\- - - - r - - - - --.... ..... - -- ------ I 

...I , . ...I , . W 

U 0.6 "'- ---- , I 

0.4 

-... . , -,- -- =u&. ... !,I"'_-*~ r»-L\t'. .... ,~ llll\.JlI\I- . 

0.2 ----r------ ----f----

0.0 

-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 

TIME (milliseconds) 

125 

100 

75 

50 

~-- 25 

4.5 

0 --.. -

-25 

-50 

-75 

-100 

-125 

5.0 

The next series of charts shows similar plateau voltage versus pulse current 

relationships obtained at low states of charge. 

'iii' 

G) 

... 

8-

E 

.!!. 

... 

Z 

w 

" " ::J 

U 

The 75-ampere curve shows fault clearing data following a C/20 discharge to 

1.0 volt per cell. As can be seen from the chart the plateau voltage is stable and the 

voltage level, following the pulse, returned to within a few millivolts of the starting 

voltage. This is interpreted as meaning that very little mass transfer occurred. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -343- NickeL-Hydrogen Session 
3S0·AMPERE 3·MILLISECOND PULSE 

AT LOW STATE OF CHARGE 

2.0 

- - - Minimum Cell Voltage (volts) 

1.8 - - Maximum Cell Voltage (volts) 

1.6 -Average Cell Voltage (volts) 

- - Current (amperes) 

Ii) 

~ 1.4 

0 

~ 

w 1.2 

- ....... - C) 

« 1.0 I1.000 volt .~ 

, 

----I-- - - 0.985 volt 

500 

400 

300 

200 Ii) 

e 

100 !. 

E 

.!!. 

..J -- 1---- ---- ---- ---.. ------ --- o IZ 

w 

-100 0:: 

0:: 

:;:) 

0 

> 0.8 l\ -- 0.794 volt I 

..J 

..J 

, , .. .. -. -----.. -. -...... .. ~ - - - - - '1 

W 0.6 () '- . 

. -200 () 

0.4 

, 

....... , .... ~- - --.. , - ~- --- -300 

0.2 400 

0.0 -500 

-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 

TIME (milliseconds) 

The 350-ampere curve shows data following a C/20 rate discharge to 1.0 volt 

per cell and is similar to the previous 75-ampere rate curve. However the plateau 

voltage is lower than the 75-ampere case and the post fault clearing voltage is lower 

than the starting voltage. The lower plateau voltage is simply a function of the higher 

current (Ohms Law) and the lower post fault clearing voltage is due to reduction of the 

cell capacitance by an amount equivalent to the energy expended during the fault 

clearing event. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -344- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
200·AMPERE 30·MILLISECOND PULSE 

AT lOW STATE OF CHARGE 

2.0 200 

- • - Minimum Cell Voltage (volts) 

1.8 - - Maximum Cell Voltage (volts) 150 

1.6 -Average Cell Voltage (volts) 

--Current (amperes) 100 

- 1.4 ::a 

g 

- 1.2 

w 

C) 

~ 1.0 

..J 

= -- ----r-- - - 1.001 v - 0.961 v 

. - -

50 -en 

! 

0 !. 

E 

CU 

-50 -... 0 

0.858 v .... -----.... ---. --- Z 

> 0.8 -.. . .. -.. .. .. - -- --- -100 w 

0::: 

..J 0::: 

..J 

W 0.6 0 

0.4 \ 

:::l 

-150 0 

-200 

0.2 -250 

0.0 -300 

·5 o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 

TIME (milliseconds) 

Thirty-millisecond pulse data, at low state of charge, is shown to demonstrate 

that the plateau voltage trajectory exhibits a negative slope as energy is removed. This 

slope, plus the lower post fault clearing voltage, is interpreted as indicating that the cell 

capacitance is changing significantly, in this time domain, at these operating 

conditions. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -345- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
AVERAGE PLATEAU VOLTAGE 

3-MILLISECOND PULSES AT LOW STATE OF CHARGE 

i 

g 

1.10 

- 1.00 

W 

C) 

~ .... 

g 

:I 0.90 

~ 

5 

a.. 

t-

:z o 0.80 

a.. 

Q 

:E 

0.70 

o 

0.... I Midpoint Voltage = .().OOO573 x Current + 1.10 

-..... - R2 = 1 

- _ Following Discharge to 1.100 volts --~ 

-.. r-_ 

'"-- --1'_ 

~ ............. ----- Following Discharge to 1.000 volts ~ u 

Midpoint Voltage = .().OOO583 x Current + 1.00 I ~ R2= 0.999 ~ I---........... 

• ~ 

Following Discharge to 0.900 volts 

~ 

I I I 

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 

CURRENT (amperes) 

I 

400 

Midpoint plateau voltage data obtained at low states of charge are summarized 

in this plateau voltage versus pulse current chart. As in the case of the high state of 

charge data the slope of the linear relationship is cell resistance. Inspection of the 

chart reveals that the intercept of the regression line is the voltage at which the fault 

clearing pulse was started. The intercept, by definition, is the value of the plateau 

voltage at zero current. In fact, the C/20 discharge rate is non-zero, but is low 

compared to the fault clearing rates. Simple linear regression analysis yields intercept 

values statistically indistinguishable from the starting voltages. The slopes at low 

states of charge appear to larger than observed at high state of charge. It is 

reasonable to assume that the cell impedance is slightly higher at lower states of 

charge, however the statistical significance of the difference is marginal. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop. -346- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
AVERAGE MINIMUM VOLTAGE 

3-MILLISECOND PULSES AT LOW STATE OF CHARGE 

i 

~ 

1.10 

"- ... - 1.00 

111 

~ 

~, 

~ 

Following Discharge to 1.100 volts 

o 

> 

:::) 0.90 

~ 

5 

Q. 

IZ 

, ... 

" . ~ 

............ 

Following Discharge >-:o~ 

r- -- -- -- ........ 

I-----r--

--tJ 

o 0.80 

Q. 

Minimum Voltage = 1.56 x Current -0.1184 

R2 =0.992 -r----

C 

:E -~ 

I I I ~ 

0.70 

Following Discharge to 0.900 volts ~ 

o 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 

CURRENT (amperes) 

This chart shows the relationship between the average minimum fault clearing 

voltage and the pulse current for the fault clearing data obtained at low state of charge. 

As in the case of the data obtained at high state of charge, this data can be fit with a 

power curve. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -347- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
NiH2 Cell Equivalent Circuits 

Millisecond Time Domain 

• Applicable to the 3-millisecond pulse 

Ro L 

• Applicable to the 30-millisecond pulse 

c 

R 

L 

Cell performance can be described by simple equivalent circuits for the 

simulated fault clearing events presented here. A complete description of cell 

impedance includes inductive, resistive, and capacitive elements. as well as terms 

dealing with electrochemical phenomena. A "complete" cell equivalent circuit would 

contain all these elements and would be very complex. However, in the time domain, 

and at the operating conditions studied, significant simplifying assumptions are 

possible. 

The "3-millisecond" data can be described simply by an inductance in series with 

a resistance. Cell capacitance is large enough and the time constant long enough to 

allow the capacitance term to be ignored. Mass transfer effects are insignificant in this 

time domain and are also ignored. Because the time constant for the inductive term is 

very short it too can be ignored if only the plateau voltage is needed. 

If the pulse duration is extended, as in the 30-millisecond pulse data, a 

capacitance term is added to provide the proper plateau voltage trajectory. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -348- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
SUMMARY 

• Fault clearing currents were achieved and maintained at 

discharge rates from C/2 to 3C at high and low states of 

charge. 

• The fault clearing plateau voltage is a strong function of 

- discharge current and 

- voltage-prior-to-the-fault-clearing-event 

and a weak function of state of charge. 

• Voltage performance, for the range of conditions reported, is 

summarized as 

= ( x -) - ( x -) x )x + 

where 

VMPP = 

SOC = 

IDSCHG = 

VSTRT = 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Fault clearing midpoint voltage, volts 

State of charge, % 

Fault clearing current, amperes 

Voltage at the start of the fault 

clearing event, volts 

-349- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
Page intentionally left blank 
...... 

'0 

~ 

<: 

A 

~ 

:t.. 

~ ~ 

~ 1:0' 

! 

~ 

~ {l 

I 

W 

VI 

...... 

I 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

~ 

~ 

0" 

;:: 

4~. It~~~" .. sf) COMSAT LABORATORIES 

LOCKHEED MART~ 

EOS-AM1 Nickel Hydrogen Cell Interim Life Test Report 

by 

C. W. Bennett 

Lockheed Martin Missles and Space 

D.J. Keys, G.M. Rao 

NASAIGSFC 

H.E. Wannemacher 

Jackson and Tull 

H. Vaidyanathan 

COMSAT Laboratories 

~~ .• ~ ~ ~ ~ u\ ""- ~ ,\'- \ 

CS: 

(Performed under NASA Contracts NAS5-32500 and NAS5-32600) 
~ Abstract .LOCKHEED MARr'N/r 

A 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {3 

~ I:!:l 

~ This paper reports the interim results of the Eatth Observing Systen AM-1 project (BOS-AM-1) nickel hydrogen cell life test being conducted 

~ under contract to National Aeronautics and S pace Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) at the Lockheed Martin Missles 

~ and Space (LMMS) facility in East Windsor, NJ; and at COMSATLabs., GJarksburg,MD. The purpose ofthe tests is to verify that the EOS-AM-l 

~ cell design can meet live years of real-time Low Em"Lh Orbit (LEO) cycling. The tests include both real-time LEO and accelerated stress tests. i At LMMS, the first real-time LEO simulated 99 minute orbital cycle stalted on Febmary 7, 1994 and the test has been mnning continuously since 

that time, with 13000 LEO cycles completed as of September 2, 1996. Each cycle consists of a 64 minute charge (VT at 1.507 volts per cell, 1.06 

CJD ratio, followed by 0.6 ampere trickle charge) and a 35 minute constant power discharge at 177 watts (22.5% DOD). At COMSAT, the 

accelerated stress test consists of 90 minute orbital cycles at 60% DOD with a 30 minute dischat"ge at 60 amperes and a 60 minute chat"ge at 40 

amperes (VT at 1.54 volts per cell to 1.09 C/D ratio, followed by 0.6 ampere tlickle chatge). 

w The real-time LEO life test battery consists of seven, 50AH (nameplate rating) Eagle-Picher, Inc. (BPI) Mantech cells manufactured into three, 

~ 3-cell pack assemblies (there arc two place holder cells that are not patt of the life test elect.rical circuit). The test pack is configured to simulate 

I the conductive thermal design of the spacecraft battery, including: conductive aluminum sleeves, 3-cell pack aluminum baseplate, and honeycomb 

~ 

~ ..,. 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

f{J 

~ 

6" 

;:: 

panel all mounted to a liquid (-5°C) cold plate. The entire assembly is located in a thermal chamber operating at +3°C. The accelerated stress 

test unit consists of five cells mounted in machined aluminum test sleeves and is operating at +10oC. 

The real-time LEO life test battcry has mct all pClformance requirements through the first 13,000 cycles, including: end of charge and discharge 

cell voltages and voltagc gradients; end of chargc and discharge cell pressures; within cell and between cell temperature gradients; discharge 

capacity; current and power levels; and all charge pat"ameters. The accelerated stress test battery has completed over 5900 cycles as of 9/11/96. 

This paper reports both battery pClformallces as a function of cycle life, with individual cell pClformance comparisons reported for selected cycles 

in both tests. 
~ Battery Assembly/Spacecraft Interface .' L 0 C K H E E D M A ' 4 .. 

~------------------------------------------------------------------ ~ 

~ 

~ {g 

~ 

2' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ -§ 

I 

VJ 

VI 

VJ 

I 

~ <") 

~ 

~ E;-

~ ::: 

~ 

~ 

6' 

::: 

r-Power Equipment Module Battery (PBAT) 

Housekeeping 

Equipment 

Modules 

Propulsion 

Module 

HighGain 

Antenna 

Instruments 

Hex Bay Battery (B BAT) 

/ 

J 

Velocity 

Direction 

Earth 

Direction 

x 

y 

z 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ i:l 

2 

J 

~ 

g 

.g 

Outline 

• EOS-AM cell parameters 

• Real-time LEO test conditions 

• Real-time LEO test results 

- Figures 1-13 

• Accelerated LEO stress test conditions 

• Accelerated LEO stress test results 

- Figures 14-20 

~ • Summary and conclusions 

..p. 

I 

~ <') 

~ .,.. 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

~ 

t::l 

0° 

;:: 

e· LOCKHEED MA 4 > > 
~ EOS-AM Cell Parameters 

:;.. 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

] • Single stack, IPV, Mantech design II> 

~ • Rabbit ear terminals ~ 

~ • 40, 30 mil slurry electrodes 

i:r 

• LOCKHEED MARrlN* 

.g • Back to back with double layer Zircar, catalyzed wall wick 

• 310/0 KOH, nickel precharge 

• Average cell weight = 1490 grams I 

~ • Average delivered capacity (C/2 discharge) I 

- -10°C: 75 AH 

- OOC: 71 AH 

- +10oC: 63 AH 

- +20oC: 56 AH 

~ - +30oC: 51 AH <") 

~ 

'i"" 

~ 

~ 

~ :: 

f(l 

~ g' 
~ Real-time LEO Test Conditions • L 0 C K H E E D M A R T , N;:f 

~:------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

::t.. 

(\;) 

cl 

~ 

!'l 

(\;) 

j 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

• Performed at LMMS, East Windsor, NJ 

• Number of cells: 7 

• Cell configuration: 

- Conductive thermal design with same configuration as spacecraft 

- Machined aluminum sleeves and baseplate 

- Chotherm and RTV 566 isolation 

- Mounted to spacecraft honeycomb panel with AI face sheets 

~ - Liquid cooled (-5°C) cold plate I 

~ ~ 

~ 'i'" 

.~ ~ 

~ 

~ ;::: 

~ 

~ 

o· 

;::: 

• Discharge regime: 177 watts (total) constant power discharge for 35 minutes 

• Depth of discharge: 22.5% nominal 

• Charge regime: 

- 12.3 ampere to 1.507 V/T (per cell), taper to 1.06 CID, 0.6 A trickle 

- 64 minute total charge time 
~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

LMMS Test Anomalies • LOCKHEED MARTIN* 

~----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

, 

w 

VI 

-....l , 

~ 'i'" 

~ 

Ei-

~ ;: 

~ 

~ 

0' 

;: 

lllblc I 

Schedule of Test Interruptions and Changes 

Event l Date Cycle Description 

A 2121194 200 Charge time reached prior to VT limit. Several test abolts 

13 4/26/94 1110 STE malfunction caused cells to be discharged", 45 AH without recharge. Charge time limit reached 

prior to VT limit 

C 10121194 3500 VT clHUlged from 10.550 to 10.626 

D 10/28/94 3750 Discharge load changed from 177 walls to 88 watts 

E 11/5/94 3850 Discharge load changed fr0111 88 watts to 177 walls 

F 1117/94 3900 VT changed from 10.626 to 10.550 

0 217/95-- 5200- DaLa printouts not found 

3/26/95 5900 I 

H 5/15/95 6600 Several ShOlt duration test aborts 

I 6/30/95- 7200 Test cells on open circuit due to STE problems ! 

7/3/95 

J 9/1/95- 8100 Test cells on open circuiL due to STE problems 

9/28/95 

K 1111 0/95- 8700 Test cells on open circuit due to STE problems 

1111195 

Notes: 

I. Event letters are u~ed as markers ill Figures 1-13 ------
~ Fig 1 

>-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:s-

.g 

I 

W 

VI 

00 

I 

~ 

.,. 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

f(! 

~ 

5" 

;:: 

~ 

~ 

~ 

i 

C1.I 

j:Q 

10.8 

10.6 

10.4 

10.2 

10.0 

9.8 

9.6 

9.4 

9.2 

9.0 

8.8 

8.6 

8.4 

e· LOCKHEED MA 4 > :> 

Battery Voltage Profile for Cycle 11800 (6/10/96) 

VI' CII ~ IHckle 1 -~ 

----. .-~.~--- 0-- - ....A ~ ~ /~ ~ ~ r--- 01 Taper 1- r..-- ..--x ~ · /' ~ \ · t \ 

\ - i"f I I Charge I I , 

k --I- I- - -.;;;; ~ Discharge I -

· ~ --I-- - I'x 

1'\ -. __ ..• .. __ .. _- .. - .. ~"- ""_._ .... _._" . . ----.. --.- ~'--'--' ----- -- I'v 1'\ 

-,--'-' --,----,-- ---,- --,-

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 

Time - Minutes 
~ Fig 2 • LOCKHUD MAR r.N:::F 

~~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~-------- ~ :.,. 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

W 

VI 

\0 

I 

?i; 

~ ';"" 

~ Iii;-

~ ~ 

~ 0-

:: 

14.0 

12.0 1 

10.0 

S.O 

6.0 

4.0 

--

--

-

1--- II) 

e: 2.0 

~ 0.0 

~ -2.0 

- -= -4.0 cu 

~ -6.0 

U . 

t? -8.0 

cu 

~-10.0 

~ 

-12.0 1- ----

-14.0 

-16.0 --. 

-18.0 

..... 

........ ' 

--

--_. 

----

-20.0 ----

Battery Current Profile for Cycle 11800 (6/10/96) 

.. VT 

~ Taperl " ...1 

1--' " , ---------- "S ~ C(D 

f-1' ---._----- ---

/l1iickle I -- -- .( ". 

- I I ....... I Cbarge I 

. -

-------.-----. --- ~-' --. --. 

------.-----,--.---- -

- --. ----'---- ... ~ 

--- " " " 

-22.0 -,---,.-- --,..-' --.,---- ---,- ---;- -,-.......-- -,----,- ---r----;---, -.--

I D' h I liSt argel -

.. .. ... 

I~ 

o 5 10 15 20 2S 30 35 40 4S 50 S5 60 65 70 7S 80 SS 90 95 100 

Time -Miuutes 
! Fig 3 • LOCKHEED MA-R rlN,* 

~ 

~ 

:A. 

~ {J End of Charge and Discharge Battery Voltage vs LEO Cycle 

2 

~ :::: 11.0 ... r------ ----- ,--------1-----,-------,-----,-----,------,-----, 

~ 

~ 10.8 

~ 5' 10.6 

"I:i 

~ l!)ld of CI ~rge Vol age 

f 

V.) 

0\ 

o 

f 

~ 

2-

'j-

~ 

~ 

~ ::t 

~ 

1:l o· 

::t 

10.4 

10.2 

r-ft~". _~ 

- , 

.. 

~ 

~ 10.0 ,.... 

~ I 9.8 ------------I------F----~-----------~-----I·------I-------I-------I------I------r------

~ 9.6 

-

~ 9.4 

-

t' 

nlJ: A ~ 

<IJ t: 9.2 

~ 9.0 

8.8 

8.6 

8.4 

8.2 

·~----ft ___ II I 

-_ I~ .li ,~L", lu... ,.6. _"LL J. .~ a .. iIA.. J K ... -- I[1a G ~=~~V~~.... ..Ilk.. c.f......... ..f.. .~,.6. .~ I...f.. ........... '" 

B .. -.l. --::::!'" -- r-- - End of Disch~!e Voltag~ 

8 

o 

-r--

1000 

( 

2000 -.---3000 -r----4000 Iii 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 

Cycle Number 
Fig 4 • . ,4, 

LOCKHEED MA ~ 

~ ~ 

~----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

A 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

w 

0\ 

...... 

I 

~ 

2-

~ ~ 

~ ;:: 

~ 

~ (5' 

;:: 

Minimum and Maximum Cell End of Charge and Discharge Voltage vs LEO Cycle 

tm=1 I----I--l---I-J~~~]-~ I---tl-t----I---I----I 

1.54 

1.52 

1.50-~""" .... 

1.48 -

,g 1.46 til - ~ 1.44-

i>- - I 1.42 

M, 1.40 ' 

.5 '0 1.38 

i>-

:::: 1.36-1 Q.l 

U 1.34 

1.32 

1.30-~ 

~ Maximum! End of ¢harge V'pltage 

"JJXRJllJII 1.l. ...... .l.~"'lf.XJII""111 ~ 

JVL M~nimnnLt.d1d of C~lru:ge..yoJtag,~e -+----l---+---~ 

I---·I--~----· 

+ 

~:~~~I~~II~,t;N ~rd:J:ic:u,.L, 

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 

Cycle Number 
F- 5 •... · 4 ~ I 9 , 0 C K H E E DMA 7 ,. 

~----------------~----------------------------~--------------------------------------------------~--- ~ 

:... 

~ 

i t'> 

.~ .... 

Ii> 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

-§ 

I 

W 

0'1 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ ~ E} 

~ (1) 

::: 

~ 

~ §' 

V 

~ 

"'l 

,... 

..... 

~ 

I 

<I) 

H ..... 

~ ..... 

'i.l 

U 

Minimum and Maximum Cell End of Discharge Voltage (Expanded Scale) vs LEO Cycle 

" 

-

I-

';:, 

1.320 

1.315 

1.310 

1.305 

1.300 

1.295 

1.290 

1.285 

1.280 

1.275 

1.270 

1.265 

1.260 

1.255 

1.250 

1.245 

1.240 

1.235 

1.230 

1.225 

1.220 

1.215 

1.210 

1.205 

1.200 

, ~ 

::' 

, 

. . \ 

. "~ t-_ . 

'" I 

.~ 

'_ J 

, 

.-'\.t 

-

--

1-

-t 

.I ~ 

~ 

-, 

~ .~ 

• n 

DE 

I-

-

4- G"..J., I . { .... I 

:~.Il 

~ l~-i II 

r'I J ,..t,L I 

I"" "'lI II 

-

. --

...;.\ Y~'".l l\... .. ~~ ~ .... ...... ~-. '" 

Minim umEn dbfni.lIlrh IlrI~e Vol 

I 

Maxin umEnd of Disci urge Vo tage 

]; .1. 

lt~ .1. t-A 

\ TV rv \.i ,4- t'- 1- r 

V I '" l I 

~ J ~,J..."'" ~ J..&-J+ I •• i- ft .... I'f".:p ~ ~"-'f! v:ff'1lf !~.,..~ .• ~ ~.l\ • 

. , ~ ~J ':J..\.i ... t ! .. ~ y .... 

~~ I r\ .• ~ .... I. 

tape· 

,. 

I .... ~1 Wlf~ tJ\r.}I 

i .... 

,.f.l 

. '" 

.. ~~ • .. 

I 

o 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 

Cycle Number 
~ F19 · 6 e·· 4 L oc I( H E E D MAR T I 2 .... 

~---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S2 

::... 

~ 

~ 

1 

I:x:l 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ :::s-

-is 

, 

w 

"" w 

I 

~ 

~ 

$ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

f(l 

~ g' 

u 

"'d 

~ -

~ 

I 

"'d 

[ 

r:n 

fn 

~ 

~ 

=:a 

u 

-

0.032 

0.031 

0.030 

0.029 

0.028 

0.027 

0.026 

0.025 

0.024 

0.023 

0.022 

0.021 

0.020 

0.019 

0.018 

0.017 

0.016 

0.015 

0.014 

0.013 

0.012 

-

-

. 

. 

-

End of Discharge CeU Voltage Gradient vs LEO Cycle 

-~" 

-~--. ----. ._----. 

~ 

---' - --.- "-~~--. ---.'---~--- ----"---

., --'-'--------..;-"--.-------.. -~ 

lot" ..... " 1_ 

'lfL ~ .......... --~--.. ,...:IVIO ;JB;".IIIV!Il. - - 1l s ~ "., - ~. "La. , 

I",". ... , ' ...... , 'J'S..7tT ._-.. (- ~." J' - -·k~. 

., " 71 ."" ." 

l/..1.1i ~UW£ ~ \/\ 1\ /\ 

'" .... - ~.".' , 

-- ... 

DE " ---,_. -1---,-- I -,-- I "-r----- I 

I 

i 

.~ - ~~~ "lI 

U _'J" --- ,'" " 

o 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 

Cycle Number 
F19 - 7 •. -' - --.4 LOCKHEED MAR f_ , 

~ 

~------------------------------------------------~------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

W 

c/o Ratio (Total Charge Capacity/Total Discharge Capacity) vs LEO Cycle 

1.220 

DE 1.200 I!,> 

1.180 

1.160 

~ 1.140 - ~·----I------II------I-----I·-----+-----~·----~-----~------I I 

~ ..... 

~ t;. 

~ ;:: 

~ g' 

~ 

&! 1.120 

§ 

'3 1.100 

~ 

1.080 

1.060 

1.040 

1.02( 

--"-----.-------- - ---- ----l'---I-~--I---~I----+---I 

- ~i )( "-l~. ............. A ~N_ )(\lV, .. -~ J7~~~T '~ ~""'~~ '" ,~.~ ---,((' . '->if« ~,:y~)<.~~ "'~~"'~}!;~, 

, ' 

-----,_.--- ----r---- ---,----' "'--,-'--- -.,---- ----,',---". -------r---"" -r--, , ·-"...--1--...--

o 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 

Cycle Number 
! Fig 8 • L 0 C K H II II D M A R T , N* 

~-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ 

~ 

<I> 

;S 

{; 

2 

2' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

0'1 

VI 

I 

~ ~ 'i'" 

~ E} 

~ ;:: 

~ 

~ o· 

;:: 

Cell 1 Pressure vs LEO Cycle 

675 

650 

L1.Ll- .... ---~. -----Em oCChm gc l)rcss~rc utE d ·of-Tri klcChu -gc--···I---I---·!----\----l----1 

625 . r' III i u. 

.... ~ 

~ 600 

J 

Q 575 

~ u 

'-' 550 

~ III 

III 525 

~ 

t' 500 

t:: 

~ 

~ 475 

_ ~ ~~7.:~~. ~r\.. 

-h---+- ~. 'n"~~~'~' J ~'__ ~~' ·WSSS~ 

,~ ~ ~~ -r--:-:dIMMrl- .-. - ~ .. ~~~~.~-L.l._1.-j--l--I---t-~-, 

__ . ~ 1 r\ ~~Ilt I I.. I "I ,L1.U.lL.. I I I I 

u. "",j~ -~."'\~ ~I T i't:'". I' -T ·rr I I-~TT' i. " 

-~ r--~U. X ~ ... T I \I·I~ 

-1.-----1 .... fA __ --+-__ -+---....J-= ..... --I-_ ..... .AJ IT ." ... ~.. '~'>JI.L"'t .M'" .- :~ ~ , ~ ~... . .. }('{~ 

-\------1- _ EI d of Dis han!e P essure . ----. Er d of Chli rge Pres~ure at" rr Limil 

450 . . !-----~.-----+--~~~~--~----~----+-----~--~------ ~ 

425 _. ! ~f;.~ i .. -II Ijr:---"~ ~ a.t. 

400 

375 

o 

I It. \T -- -~ -zoo-I 

B J : 

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 

Cycle Number 
~ F19 - 9 •. LOCKHEED IIIIA ' 4 .. 

~----------~----------------~------------------------------------------------------~--------------------~--

~ 

~ 

~ c 

{3 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

w 

0\ 

0\ 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ::s 

~ 

t; 

s· 

::s 

(.J 

"0 

!;I) 

...... 

..... 

~ 

I 

~ 

I! 

~ 

~ U 

Individual Cell Voltage Profile for Cycle 11800 

1.540 

1.520 

1.500 

1.480 

1.460 

1.440 

1.420 

1.400 

1.380 

1.360 

1.340 

1.320 

1.300 

1.280 

1.260 

1.240 

1.220 

1.200 

I· -,--- .--...... ~~--. ---1-- -SJ~I"""~-P!:J~n=n=tJ --J. ~ .~~ , 1 -,,-- ~~~:!P:---+-t--I---+--\----t-----+----l--I-t----I--l 

li---- ~~--- \'-~~r-~---I--~--ir-~ ~~~ , 

i- ~~ 

.. -t--~-~'--~---I---~--i~-J---!'--~~--'I---+-_-~-+--4--4--~--~~ . ~~ 

--t '~~ ~~ __ . .___ '~~~~~ t-.. 

CellI: x (solid) ''''~.~::-.... Cell 2: A ~~, ~ ."~ 

Ce1l3: + "'-I ~" I... ~I~ Cell 4: • ~ J ~ ~.".,.. d----I 

~. 

J -- Cell Cell 

6: 

5: 

• 

...,~ ~ 

Cell 7: x (dasbed) ~ 

~ 

+---r--~---r- ~I----.-- --'---' -.-- --,- ----,--.I---r-+-.....,.....-\----,r-+-.--+-.,...-4--.-~.....__;i__r~ 

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 

Time - Minutes 
~ F19 -- 1-0 -L .-· · d 0 C K HE E D M A It ./ ' 

;;: 

~ 

~ ~ 

1 

J 

~ 

;::,.. 

~ 

is 

W 

0'1 

-...,J 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ £?; 

~ 

~ 

~ i· 

u 

"'CI 

CI.I 

...... 

-

~ 

I 

~ 

.a .... 

~ 

il 

u 

Individual Cell Voltage Profile (Charge Regime) for Cycle 11800 

1.530,-·--r--" r ----r-----r- -'''-,----''r--r ~ '-~r---,--- I--'--"--T'---r~-'-'--'r--~r'--r---,---"t 

1.520-1---1--1-1 L--I-----J--l __ L_I_-1 I !---I-l:--!----l 

=t:j-=~ 

1.5101-1-.I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I~I-I-I-L-~-t-t~+t--t _ ......... :" 

'/ :::.-:::; *i--+-+--tK ~;r"" 1.500+-1--+-1-1----1 I I I I I I I I 7~~ 

1.490 I------I-I--!-l--l--! I I-I-I-I:~I---I---I--~~~~~-t,.£-+-

1.480~--l-I-I--l-l-l-l·-1 I 1- 1--1 I I I I H--l 

1.470-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 I , I I I I I J J J I I I I I~ 

1.4604-1-t-·~!--~-~I 1--1-1--+-1 ! I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I 

, 

1.450-1-1-1-1--1-1--1- ~- -I--l---I--l-!~-

1.4401 I I 1-1 I I I-i II !--H 

1.430 1--1-

CellI: x (solid) 

Cell 2: A. 

Cell 3: t 

Cell 4: • 

CellS: _ 

Ce1l6: • 

Cell 7: x (dashed) 

1.420:-l---l---I--l-...... ~L+--+--I--+-+-+--l--l---+---+--+-+-+-+-+--+--l-l-l~f--f--t--+--+-+-+-+--! 

1.410 I I I I ! I I I I - I I I I I I II J I I I I I I I 

1.400~-r-I--r--I-r-r-'-~-.-:I-T'-+.-+..-h-I-,-I-r-l-r-I--r-~-r-I-r-h-+-r-I--,-1....,-1-,--+ ... 1"""'1 I I j l-r-\-,--t-.-l-r-h-I iii I I I ,I • I 

o 2 4 68 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 4850 52 54 56 58 60 62 6466 

Time - Miuutes 
! 

:t.: 

Fig 11 • LOCKHEED MAR~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 1.500 ~ 

~ 1.480 

a5' 1.460 

"15 

I 

w 

0'1 

00 

I 

r')' ~ 

~ 'j-

,~ 

E;-

~ ::: 

~ 

~ c' 

CJ 

"CS 

III 

..... 

-

~ 

I 

Q.I 

OJ) 

!I -

~ 

= Q.I 

U 

1.440 

1.420 

1.400 

1.380 

1.360 

1.340 

1.320 

1.300 

1.280 

1.260 

1.240 

1.220 

1.200 

-

-

Individual Cell Voltage Profile (Discharge Regime) for Cycle 11800 

\ ------------"--- -~- --

, --- - ----"~- ---------" -- ~ 

\ 

-- \ 

\ 

\ 

• 

-~ ~ 

~.~ f.-. " ~ -~ . , ..... .::-.. 

---- t~ . ....::~ ~ 

~ ~ , ~ ~,- .... "~ t;-: ~ I\l. 

-- " ~-:::- r- ....... "!: 

~ ~:- --- ~ 

-:;::: ---:::- ' , 

CellI: x (solid) t-- I~-, - -"-""::: ~ 

-~ ........ --~'~ ~ b Cell 2: .... 1--~~ .---.-. ----- Ce1l3: + -------- -- ' -- ..... Cell 4: • f':..~ ----::-:- ,~ 

~ , 

CellS: • ~ ..... "'''''''' ~ 

Ce1l6: • "''';::; 

Cell 7: x (dashed) ~~ ~ 

~t 

---r- -1-" ----.---- -----,-- ----.-- -----,- -----,- --,-- --,--...........,--- --,- --,- ::: 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 

Time - Minutes 
~ Fig 12 • LOCKHEED MA R TINfr 

~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

J 

~ 

~ :::t-

~ 

, 

w 

0\ 

'-0 

, 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ :: 

~ 

i:l 6-

:: 

bll 

.... 

III 

~ 

I 

G.I 

~ III 

III 

~ 

~ 

-

Q3 

U 

Individual Cell Pressure Profile for Cycle 11800 

-.-

--

-

-

540 

530 

520 

510 

500 

490 

480 

470 

460 

450 

440 

430 

420 

410 

400 

'.--

-

-

- , 

I- .-.~' V"'; 

-V". 

~-V 

~~~ 

- ---

-

, , --.--

'/ x' '" ,,~ V '" ~ ~-t. 

~'" t/'" 

J,/.«" 

... v""- ~ 

---- -

, ,. ,. 

X '/, 

, 

,. , ' ... -t ~ x ~ ".~ '" '" ". '" PF/ V~) [?' 

~ /' 

lt2 ,. v 

_L 

l.'/ 

- -

390 1- ... -.,-- --r"- ---r-'-- _._,--- -.- ,-- --,--_ .. 

.j()< , f--. e----- - ~ 

,." ~ ,. - ~ 

, 

X 

\ ' , 

~ ~ 

~ , x ~ 'x t;ii ,. ? ,,~ ~~\ ,. 

'v,. ~ ./ f\.: v ,. V/ ~ 

I~ ~ ~ , ,. 

... , ,. , I~ '. x' v;? ~' ~ v""'" " "", ~ ~ , ./ -z4-~ --L '. , 

, 

~ t? I----

f L--'" rt,' l\ \ )c 

~'l" • ~\.: , v r/' , ~ l~ , 

*/ '" \ X J ~. , 

VA ".,-

va· /' "\ L..~~ ~ ~" .- Cell 1: x (solid) 1\' ~. • ~, Ce1l2: .A. 

Cell 3: • \. 

Cell 4: ~ CeliS: • 

Ce1l6: _ 

Cell 7: x (dashed) 

- - 1-

-.-. --r~- --r-·-- --,--- ~;- ----,- ---,-- --'--.-'---.--,--.--

, 

'v 

\ , 

~~:, 

~~ ~ 

r~\, 

~\ ~~ .~ rt~ 

--1 

'iI --,-

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 

Time - Minutes 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::.t.. 

~ c 

{3 

fl 

"I 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

~ 

I 

W 

......:J 

0 

I 

~ 

~ , 

~ !} 

~ "I 

;::s 

~ 

~ (5' 

;::s 

Fig 13 .LOCKHEED MARTIN* 

<U 

"g 

6h .... 

.... 

= ~ 

U 

(/J 

<U 

(I.) 

~I) (I.) 

Q 

I 

(I.) 

~ <U 

~ 

8 

~ 

-(I.) 

U 

Cell 1 Temperature Profile for Cycle 11800 

;;;;;;;;'-"---:'" 

- - I Charge I -- -

--f-------- - CellI: x (Stack Center) -L\-- _ Cell 1: A ('1bp Dome) ------- -- CellI: + (Bottom Dome) 

I' , ---- • Chamber Air - , """-. t'--.... T T 

1\ ........... IX-- I 

~ -X ~ I Stack Center -~ ~ i----l.1, 

=-IOi;' 

4.8 

4.6 

4.4 

4.2 

4.0 

3.8 

3.6 

3.4 

3.2 

3.0 

2.8 

2.6 

2.4 

2.2 

2.0 

1.8 

1.6 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

-.-:-

- ~ -7"""'~ - -+- ~ 

~" 1/' - r¥" i- I, , 

....- .............. ~ --- '-:'::: ........ 

.. ~ 

........ ............... /"" ,. ,- & 

-/ ~-- , I- .. ~'" ---I-- -- 'lbp Dome 1-

:f.. ... 

- ------ ~ --... , --

'+- - -- --N- - - - I---I Bottom Dome - 1 ----r-- --T-----'-- --r-- --,---1---.-1-.--1-.--1-,- -,--.---.--

-

-~ ~ 

~ 

~ / 

1+: / / 

;--' 

/ 

~ 

.L.I ,.+ fl -~ 

I 

I Discharge I ..... 

,. jt' 

~ ~ 

~ ,. 

V 

7" ~ ~i --or I 

Chamber Air 

..,.~ .. T 

..A t- .. -. 

".fc: ..... r 

-.------r-I--r---1 

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 

Time - Minutes 
~ Accelerated Stress Test Conditions 

2' 

::t;: 

~ 

~ 

~ i3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

• Performed at COMSAT Laboratories 

• Number of cells: 5 

• Cell configuration: 

- Machined aluminum sleeves 

- Mounted on a cold plate 

- Chotherm and RTV 566 isolation 

• Test tem peratu re: 10°C 

~ • Discharge regime: 60 amperes for 30 minutes I 

• Depth of discharge: 600/0 

• Charge regime: 

• ~lti II~~" .:!1l COMSAT LABORATORIES 

- 40 ampere to 1.54 V/T (per cell), taper to 1.09 CID, 0.6 A trickle 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ :: 

~ 

1:l s· 

:: 

- 60 minute total charge time 
i Fig 14 • ~~. I!,.~~" .:!p COMSAT LABORATORIES 

:.0.. 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ 

! 

~ .~ 

::to 

~ 

I 

w 

-.J 

IV 

I 

~ 

~ ... 

. ~ 

~ 

~ It> 

:::r 

~ 

~ g' 

~ 

10 

~ !:i 

0 

> 

Voltage and Current Profiles for Cycle 6016 

1.60 f )60 

Charge 

1.55 

1.50 

1.45 

1.40 

1.30 

1.25 

1.20 

1.10 

1.05 

---Cell Voltage 

Discharge - • - - • -Current 

, 

. 

. , 

, 

, 

, 

. 

. , 

, . 

'" ........ ., .... 

· · · • 

40 

20 

" ••• 1. 0 

g 

!z -20~ 

-40 

.;6Q 

::l 

u 

1.00 f· ' f • • I , • • I . . I . I . , I I I I . I . 1 -ao 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 

TIME (min) 
~~ .~~, 

~~.~l 

• 

4""~ 

c: 

C) 

-

.-

~ 

0 

3: 

.... 

.c 

(.) 

0 

.... 

.-

-

c 

ex: 

ro 

.... 

(.) 

0 

c: 

0 

.... 

.-

> 

ro 

~ 

ro 

.,... 

LO 

~ ~ ~ ..... CD ,.... ..... 0 0 

.- ..- .... ..-

LL 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~ 0 0 0 0 0 

II) C") .... a) ,....: r.ti 

0 0 0 CD CD CD ..- ..- ..-

(%) OllW 0/:) 

-373-

0 

0 

II) 

~~~ . 

0 

0 

"Ct0 

0 

0 

o 

o 

N 

0 

0 

0 

C") 

0 

0 

.... 

o 

0 

>-

0 

.J 

w 

(I) 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
.,.. 

(C 

0 ~ r.t:i 0 

N N 

0) 

U. 

.-

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~ 0 

It) 0 .... .... 

(:JoJ 3~nlW3dW3l 

-374-

r.t:i 

0 

0 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
~4If:~ .~~, 

~~.~~ 4j.~ 0 

0 

0 

0) It) 

c: 

• ~ 

(,) 

..c: 

(,) 

0 ..... 0 

;: 0 

\ 

..,. 

Q) en 

0) w 

ro ...J 

..... >-

0 

g 0 

0 

Q) 0 

0) C') 

0 

ro 

"-

..c: 

en 

(,) 

\tC 

.-

o 

0 0 

0 

"'C 

N 

W 

c: 

0 

c: 

o 

\t0 

0 

..... 0 

ro ..... 

> 

ro 

"-

0 

f'. 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 It) 0 10 0 It) 0 It) 0 

~ ~ "! "! ..... ..... ~ 0 

..,.- ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 

0") (N 3~'Vl'OA "3~ 

LL 

.-

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -375- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
~ Fig 18 ~ 

~ 

~ 

<':> 

~ 

{; 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

~ I 

3; 

~ a: 

E} 

i 

~ 

~ <S. 

:= 

1.200 

1.180 

1.160 

~ 1.140 

w 

C) 1.120 

~ 1.100 

0 

> 

-I 1.080 

-I 

w 

o 1.060 

1.040 

1.020 

1.000 

0 

• 4~ • II!J>~~" .2P COMSAT LABORATORIES 

Variability in the End of Discharge Voltage Among Cells 

---Cell 1 

------CeIl2 

- - - - Cell 3 

----CeIl4 

--- Cell5 

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 

CYCLES 
0 

~~ 0 

.~~, 0 

~~.~~ It) 

~* 

c:: 

0') 

• 

0 

-

.-

:'>l 0 

0 v 

0 

0 

S 

a-

+-' 

J: 

CJ) 

CJ) 

:l 

~ 

(1) 

en 

(1) 0 W 

0 ..J ~ 0 0 

a. M 

0 

>-

ttl 

~ 

0') 

(1) 

0 

..... 

0 

J: 

0 

"C 0 

0 

c:: N 

+-' 

.-

0 

c:: 

0 

..... 

W 

ttl 

.- 0 ~ 0 

ttl 0 

> .... 

.,.... 

0') 

0 

C') 

.-

o 0 

o It) 

CO ,.... 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I,(') 0 I,(') 0 I,(') 0 It) ,.... CO CO I,(') I,(') V V M 

U- (ISd) 3~nSS3~d 

1996 ASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -377- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
0 

• 

~* 

~~.~" k~ 

LL 

. -

C") 

C\I 

o 

c: 

0) 

-

.-

0 

~ 

0 

. 

..... 

..c: 

ctJ 

10.. 

0) 

Q) 

a. 

10.. 

Q) 

en 

en 

~ 

10.. 

Q) 

;: 

-

..c: 

en 

0 

..... 

C 

.-

0 

..... 

0 

c: 

0 

..... 

W 

c: 

"C 

> 

ctJ 

10.. 

ctJ 

It) 

o 

o 

J 996 'ASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

"'It 

It) 

o 

"'It 

o 

o 

It) 

000 0 It) 

C") C") N 

(ISd) 3~nSS3~d 

-378-

N 

o 

o 

..-

It) 

o 

..... 

o 

o 

0 

0 

0 

It) 

0 

0 

0 

"'It 

en 

0 w 

0 ..J 

0 0 C") 

0 

>-

o 

..-

0 

0 

0 

N 

0 

0 

0 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
~ Summary and Conclusions • L 0 C K H E E D M A ,4, ------- ... _ ........ _ .... _---_._------ ~ 

~ • Real-time LEO life test at Lockheed Martin MissJes and Space ~ 

~ - Cells have completed 14300 cycles as of 12/2/96 ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

W 

-...l 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ E} 

~ :: 

~ 

1:l 

o· 

:: 

- End of discharge voltage decreased initially and has stabilized 

- Variation in end of discharge cell voltage has converged with cycling 

- Cell EODP and EOCP stabilized after 8000 cycles 

- - 1.51 V/T limit and 1.06 C/O insufficient to makeup for early test 

problems (cells on open circuit during all test outages) 

- A reconditioning cycle (first cell to 1.000 volt) is scheduled to be performed 

- - Sequence will replicate spacecraft operations 

• Accelerated LEO stress test at COMSAT Labs. 

- Cells have completed 6015 cycles 

- End of discharge voltage decreased initially and has stabilized 

- Charge termination at 1.54 V and 1.09 C/O is appropriate for 600/0 DOD 

cycling 

- Pressure increased with cycling and has stabilized in 6000 cycles 
Page intentionally left blank 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -381-

lJ: 

W 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
~ PRESENTATION OVERVIEW ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

i 

~ 

g 

.g 

I 

w 

00 

N 

I 

~ 

• NASA SSTIOBJECTIVES 

{SMALL SPACECRAFT TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE} 

• SSTI - LEWIS OVERVIEW 

• BATTERY REQUIREMENT 

• TWO CELL CPV DESIGN SUMMARY 

• CPV ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCE 

• BATTERY DESIGN SUMMARY 

~ • BATTERY FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION ~ 

~ ;:: 

~ • BATTERY PERFORMANCE ;:: 
W 0 

0 w ~ I0.. 

~ ..J 

C/) 

C/) I-

- C/) 

> I- - ..J ::l 0 ::l C 

LL C/) Z 

0 W 

- W ~ C 

..J W Z~ ::l ..J ~O C al 1-1- - W C/) Zo 

J: C/) Ww 

0 w :!EC/) 

C/) 0 Zw 

C 0 tt:O 

en Z ~ W~ 

W ~ W >0.. 

I- ~ OC/) 

> C/) 0 (!)..J - 0 :!E z- I- 0 w O~ (.) w 0 1=0 

W 0 ::l C/)J: 

-w 

..., ::l C ZI- en C 0 ~O 0 w ~ 

~ 0.. 1-1-

l-- • • • 

en 

en 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -383- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
! SSTI- LEWIS OVERVIEW ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ i3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

(Xl 

• MAXIMIZE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FROM MILITARY 

TO CIVIL SPACE APPLICATIONS 

• MORE THAN 40 NEW TECHNOLOGIES 

- NiH2 CPV INCLUDED 

~ • 517 KM, 97.4 0 INCLINATION SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT 

• 5 YEAR LIFETIME GOAL 

• FULLY REDUNDANT SUBSYSTEM ELECTRONICS 

~ 

~ • 2 YEAR FAST-TRACK SCHEDULE SPAN 

I - DESIGNED MAJOR MODULES SO THEY COULD BE 

OQ 

~ INTEGRATED AND TESTED INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH 

I OTHER 

- REDUCED CUSTOMER SURVEILLANCE 
...... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

A 

~ {:; 

2 

g • THREE SCIENCE PAYLOADS WILL PROVIDE i 

't5 

~~~~~~~ :;~~~CgFA~I~I~~~~TgO~~~~C~!AJ:ERS 

I 

V.J 

OQ 

VI 

I 

l'") 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ;::: 

~ 

~ c' 

;::: 

- EARTH OBSERVATION (TRW-HYPERSPECTRAL 

IMAGER) 

COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING (NASA GODDARDLINEAR ETALON IMAGING SPECTRAL ARRAY) 

- ASTROPHYSICS (UCB- ULTRAVIOLET COSMIC 

BACKGROUND) 
! BATTERY REQUIREMENTS ~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ {J 

2 

to ! . LEO ORBIT- 95 MINUTE ORBIT (35.3 MINUTE ECLIPSE) 

~ 

a-

.g • 5 YEAR GOAL - 30,000 CYCLES 

I 

\.N 

00 

• MAXIMUM DEPTH OF DISCHARGE - 30% 

~ • NORMAL OPERATING VOLTAGE RANGE - 24.0 TO 38.4 

~ 

2-

~ ;::.,. 

(:l 

~ :: 

~ 

i::l 

o· 

:: 

VOLTS 

• ECLIPSE DISCHARGES AT APPROXIMATELY· 0.5 C 

• BATTERY CLAMP TO THE BUS 
~ CPV DESIGN 

::t.: 

~ 

:l:. 

~ {; 

2 

tx;, ! . EPI MANTECH DESIGN: 

~ 

a-

:g • DUAL-STACK: 

I 

W 

00 

.....:J 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ ~. 

~ :3 

~ 

i;l 

5" 

:3 

• TERMINALS: 

• POSITIVE ELECTRODE: 

• SEPARATOR: 

RNHC-23-1 

2-23AH CELLSNESSEL 

RABBIT EARS 

30-MIL, SLURRY SINTER 

36 (18 PER STACK) 

80% SINTER POROSITY 

1.65 GM/CC ACTIVE 

MATERIAL LOADING 

DOUBLE LAYER ZIRCAR 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

00 

00 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'" 

.s: 

E} 

~ ;:s 

~ 

~ s" 

;:s 

• PRECHARGE: 

• PRESSURE VESSEL: 

• INTERNAL COATING: 

• DIMENSIONS: 

• WEIGHT 

NICKEL 

23-MIL ,INCONEL 718 

ZIRCONIUM OXIDE WALLWICK WITH Pt-CATAL YST 

RECOMBINATION SITES 

3.506 INCH DIAMETER 

7.60 INCH OVERALL LENGTH 

MAXIMUM VESSEL WEIGHT1400 GM 

VESSEL LOT-AVERAGE 

1380 GM 
~ 

U 

;;:. 

C 

C 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -389-

o 

o 

E 

eu 

LV) 

... ~ 

U 

eu 

eu ..... ~ lU 

0 ii: 

-' 

W 

C 

'0 

Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
:E 

III 

z w 

w 

w 

00 U 

0:: 

00 (J) 

« 

OU) 

o::~ 

~ 

fu~ 

o::w 

~o:: 

« 

0 

(J)N 

----

W 

...J 

W 

0 

Ia: 

0 

C 

W 

00 

I1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -390- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

\0 

...... 

I 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ :s 

~ 

f:l o· 

:s 

CELL ASSEMBLY CONFIGURATION 

/ 

/'" 

CENTER CORE 

. END PLATE 

CELL STACK 

END PLATE 

WELD RING 

END PLATE 

CELL STACK 

PLATE 

RETAINING NUT 
u 

w 

:2E -

I-- -

(!) 

<C 

I-- -

0 

z 

(.!) <C 

z 

C Z ..J W - <C tt: le to <C :2E ..J - 0 00 W W Uw ~ I-- zU 

e >- 0<C 

w ..J ...JLL. 

I-- 0 u.tt: 

<C tt: w::J 

0 I- 1-00 

U w 

U 

Z ..J 

0 W 

LL. 

..J I 

• 

lW 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -392- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
! CPV PERFORMANCE DATA ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

{:l 

I:l 

<'> 

~ 

0;, ! · ATP TESTING PERFORMED ON 19 VESSELS ~ 

~ .g 

I 

W 

\0 

w 

I 

~ ~ 'j-

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

;: 

~ 5" 

;: 

• ALL CAPACITIES DETERMINED TO 2.0 VOLTS 

• TEST RESULTS 

TEMPERATURE 

20°C 

10°C 

ooe 

EOCV CAPACITY 

2.996 24.2 AH 

3.077 28.5 

3.154 30.8 

• CHARGE RETENTION CAPACITY AT 10°C = 25.7 AH {90.3%} 

• OVERCHARGE AFTER 50 HOURS AT 1.5 AMPS AT 10°C = 

3.075 VOLTS 
~ BATTERY DESIGN ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

.g 

I 

l,;.) 

\0 

..j:::.. 

I 

<') 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ E} 

~ ::I 

~ 

f:5 

c· 

::I 

• TWELVE 23 AH NICKEL-HYDROGEN CPV's IN SERIES 

• '-. 

BATTERY CONFIGURATION CONSISTS OF SIX (6) MODULES 

OF TWO CPV's DISTRIBUTED AROUND INBOARD SIDE OF 

AFT FACING BATTERY RADIATOR 

• BATTERY OCCUPIES 6 OF 7 BAYS IN BATTERYI 

PROPULSION MODULE 

• HEAT PIPE IS USED TO SPREAD HEAT EVENLY BETWEEN 

ALL 7 BPM BAYS 
~ 

5 

!< 

0 

~ 

I- ~ 

>- ........ w Ol 

t:: 0 

::> -< aJ 

I:l cD ....... 

- :n 

0 c') 

"": 

N 

>- r 

...I 

<t 

I 

I 

I 

>- , -IIlW 

e: 

.., 

<t '-' 

m 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -395- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 

[ ! i ; 1\! rn i [ "' 

-LILhl,i\+,-

<:> 

g 

0 0 0 <:> 0 c 0 c ~ '" 0 ~ ~ .'1 0 If' 0 1 1 M 

'" '" (:J) 3,Jnl'vt:J3dW3l 

/996 NASA Aerospace Ballery Workshop -396- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
~a. 

a.W 

w 

a: 

<3: 

I-

:::> 

a: 

W 

en 

- 1-1-

Wa. 

<3: 

m;: 

c:(-

1-1-

I-J: 

w 

a:J: 

>w 

. . . .-!--~- .... --.... --.--~-.. --------.-.-. .: .... -... -.... -.. -.. -.. - : : : 

i ~ ~ ! ~ i ! j j ··--.... -·~ .. · .. ----··---··-·t--.. ---.. ---.. ----~·-- .. ··-.. · .... ·-_ .. 

~ ~ j 

c: 

,... 

.; 

0 

III 

0 

0 

Cl 

0 

0 

o 

o 

c: 

c: 

M 

o 

o 

v 

.; 

0 

'" 

0 

c: 

to 

0 

'" 

N 

0-

Z 

LU 

2; 

Z 

--'--+[1< -IL--

0 

~ 

o 

0 o 0 0 0 0 0 

'" III 

M '" 

0 

'" ~ c: N Itl Itl ~ 0 I 

(JJ 3t!nl':',,3c"3L 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -397- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
.~ 

o 

C 

:J 

..J 

W 

« 

f/) 

(/) 

w 

~ 

m 

-' 

>-

o 

~-------------~------------""'-----I to 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -398- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

~ 1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

l.;.) 

\0 

\0 

I 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ f(l 

~ 

5' 

:: 

• CELL HEAT IS PASSIVELY CONDUCTED FROM THE CELL 

TO THE BASEPLATE WHICH RADIATES DIRECTLY 

TO SPACE 

• EACH VESSEL IS CONTAINED WITH A THERMAL SLEEVE 

AND MOUNTING FLANGE WHICH IN TURN ARE MOUNTED 

TO ALUMINUM SLEEVES PERPENDICULAR TO THE BASE· 

PLATE 

• BATTERY WEIGHT: 55.5 LB. 
::J 

Z 

I-

-

z 

0 

0 

0 I') 

..:: 

In 0 

~ II~ 

0 

w 

..J -I / / / / />'//// I 

t21 

w 

en 

en 

0 0 0 0 

> 0;- -<:" -<:" 0;:-

lD N ::0 - 0;- n I') 0;;-

W 

~ _I , , 

0 

I- -

0 

OJ 

<C 

I1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -400- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

<Il 

~ 

{j 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

.f:,.. 

o 

-I 

~ "l 

~ 

~ £} 

~ ::I 

~ 

~ 

6' 

::I 

BATTERY FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION 

• CHARGE 

- PRIMARY CHARGE CONTROL IS PROVIDED BY AH 

INTEGRATION PERFORMED BY THE OBC 

- CHARGE RATE IS THREE STEP PROCESS WITH 

RECHARGE RATIOS NOT EXCEEDING 1.10 

1. INITIAL CURRENT OF 0.4 C 

2. TAPER CURRENT 

3. FINISH CHARGE AND OVERCHARGE AT 0.2 C 

- BACKUP CHARGE CONTROL IS PROVIDED BY 

SENSING BATTERY TEMPERATURE TURNAROUND 

AT THE ONSET OF OVERVOLTAGE 

- CHARGE VOLTAGE SHALL NOT EXCEED 38.4 VOLTS 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

./:,. 

o 

N 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'" 

~ E} 

~ ::: 

~ 

f;l 

6" 

::: 

• DISCHARGE 

- BATTERY IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AT LEAST 325 

WATTS DURING A 35.3 MINUTE ECLIPSE AT A DOD 

NOT EXCEEDING 30% 

• RECONDITIONING 

- NOT INCLUDED IN THE BASELINE DESIGN 

• THERMAL CONTROL FEATURES PERMIT OPERATION 

WITHIN THE FOLLOWING CONSTRAINTS 

- BATTERY ORBITAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SHALL 

BE NO GREATER THAN 10°C 

- TEMPERATURE GRADIENT BETWEEN HOTTEST AND 

COLDEST VESSELS SHALL NOT EXCEED 3°C 

- TEMPERATURE GRADIENT BETWEEN CELLS WITHIN 

A VESSEL SHALL NOT EXCEED 1°C 
~ BATTERY PERFORMANCE ~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

.... 

~ 

1 

I::IJ ! . 12 VESSELS 

~ 

~ 

.g • VESSEL SELECTION 

./:.. 

o 

VJ 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 5' 

:: 

- CAPACITY VARIATION AT 10°C: LESS THAN + 1% 

- EOCV SPREAD AT 20°C: WITHIN 5 MV 

• CAPACITY AT 10°C: 28.43 AH 

• CHARGE RETENTION AT 10°C: 24.84 AH {87.4%

} 
Page intentionally left blank 
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN NICKEL-HYDROGEN DEPENDENT PRESSURE VESSEL (DPV) 

CELL AND BATTERY DESIGN 

Dwight B. Caldwell, Chris L. Fox, and Lee E. Miller 

Technologies Division, Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. 

P.O. Box 47 

Joplin, MO 64802 

(417) 623-8333 

Abstract 

The Dependent Pressure Vessel (DPV) Nickel-Hydrogen (NiH2) design is being developed by Eagle-Picher Industries, 

Inc. (EPI) as an advanced battery for military and commercial, aerospace and terrestrial applications. The DPV cell 

design offers high specific energy and energy density as well as reduced cost, while retaining the established Individual 

Pressure Vessel (IPV) technology flight heritage and database. This advanced DPV design also offers a more efficient 

mechanical, electrical and thermal cell and battery configuration and a reduced parts count. The DPV battery design 

promotes compact, minimum volume packaging and weight efficiency, and delivers cost and weight savings with 

minimal design risks. 

INTRODUCTION 

The NiH2 battery has a number of unique features and advantages which are superior to other battery systems. 

Hydrogen provides a very lightweight efficient energy storage material. Due to the unique electrochemistry, the NiH2 

system is an inherently fault-tolerant design with excellent overcharge, overdischarge and deep-cycle capabilities. 

The battery is hermetically sealed and truly maintenance-free. The internal hydrogen pressure is a direct linear function 

of battery state-of-charge (SOC) and thereby provides a simple and reliable method of determining the SOC of the 

battery. Also, the NiH2 battery contains no toxic materials such as lead, cadmium or mercury and can be readily 

recycled. Projected battery costs are directly comparable with other nickel battery systems and competitive with leadbased batteries on a life-cycle cost basis. 

The NiH2 battery is also the most reliable aerospace battery system available. Batteries have completed more than 

180,000,000 cell-hours in orbital spacecraft operation. NiH2 batteries offer the longest cycle life of any battery system. 

Batteries on test have completed more than 115,000 charge/discharge cycles. Batteries have operated in GeostationaryEarth-Orbit (GEO) for more than 15 years. NiH2 batteries have low internal impedance and excellent high rate and 

pulse discharge capability. The many advantages and features of the NiH2 battery are the reason the system has been 

heavily developed for advanced critical applications such as earth-orbital spacecraft. Many of these same features and 

advantages are also equally desirable in terrestrial applications. 

Several distinct NiH2 cell and banery designs are currently in production and under development for a wide variety 

of applications. These include traditional aerospace applications such as earth-orbital communications satellites, as 

well as terrestrial uses such as telecommunications equipment, utility load leveling and remote location power systems. 

Traditional IPV NiH2 technology has been supplemented by newer Common Pressure Vessel (CPV) cell designs and 

other cell and battery designs such as the Single Pressure Vessel (SPV) and Low Pressure Vessel (LPV) battery. The 

DPV battery design is the next step in the continued development and evolution of the NiH2 battery system. 

DPV CELL DESIGN 

A unique feature of the DPV cell design is the prismatic (rectangular) electrode stack. This stacking arrangement is 

more efficient than the standard cylindrical electrode stack. Also, rectangular cell components produce less waste 

when cut to size from the stock material which is also rectangular. Die-punching circular electrode, separator and gas 

screen material leaves a significant amount of unusable scrap material which must be added to the cost ofthe cell. The 

electrode stack is the electrochemically active part of the cell. It contains nickel electrodes and hydrogen electrodes 

interspersed with an absorbent separator material. A back-to-back stacking arrangement is used as shown in Figure I. 

Th is stacking arrangement provides that each nickel electrode is opposed by the catalyst side of a hydrogen electrode. 

This puts the hydrophobic sides of the two adjacent hydrogen electrodes facing towards each other. A gas spacer is 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -405- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
inserted in order to facilitate hydrogen gas 

diffusion into and away from the hydrogen 

electrode during charge and discharge (Francisco 

1995). 

The pressure vessel geometry is another 

unique feature of the DPY cell. The cell case 

consists of two nearly identical, seamless halves. 

One of the halves is fitted with cell terminal 

bosses attached by a laser weld. The bosses are 

offset 15° from a central axis and elevated 30° 

from the plane of the girth weld as shown in the 

cell outline drawing in Figure2. The DPY cell is 

termed "dependent" because the cell geometry 

requires the cell to be supported by adjacentcells 

or endplates in order to contain the hydrogen 

pressure developed inside the cell during 

charging. Since the pressure vessel is not 

required to support the full internal cell pressure, 

the pressure vessel can be made with a thinner 

wall thickness and a corresponding weight 

savings. The rounded edge of the pressure vessel 

has a relatively small radius, which is very 

efficient for pressure containment with minimum 

pressure vessel material (Coates 1995). 

FIGURE 1. DPY Cell Stack. 

, __ ~ ____ • _____ l~. ______ ~_.~ __ -z 

j 

A metal stacking bracket holds the electrode 

stack in place within the cell pressure vessel. 

Insulation material electrically isolates the 

electrode stack from the pressure vessel and the 

stacking bracket. The electrical tabs from the 

electrodes emerge through a window in the 

stacking bracket. The lead bundles are stress 

relieved by introducing an "S" into the leads. This 

prevents mechanical stress, such as launch 

vibration, from being transmitted into the 

electrode/tab connection. Several options are 

available for the cell terminal/intercell connector. 

Th b d '1 h' I FIGURE 1. Cell Outline Drawing. ese are ase on t".o types, elt ler mec amca, 

such as a screw-type connection. or a solder 

connection between the cell terminal and intercell 

connector. 

CELL DEVELOPMENT STA TVS 

EPI initial DPY cell development efforts began in J 973 and were first repOJ1edin the "26th Power Sources 

Symposium", 29-30 and 1-2 May, 1974. This effort resulted in the production of a 50 ampere-hour (Ah) rated cell lot. 

Although subsequent electrical testing was very successful. industry interest at that time continued to be focused in the 

IPV battery area and fUl1her development efforts were discontinued. 

In our current development program. EPI has so far produced DPV cells of two sizes: 40 and 60 Ah cells. The first 

40 Ah cells were activated in December of 1995. Figure 3 is a design summary of the 40 Ah cell. The stack contains 

eight positive and negative electrode pairs. Cell testing and cycling commenced in January, 1996, and the cells have 

consistently produced over 120% of rated capacity at 10ce. Three 40 Ah cells are currently in life-testing on a LowEarth-Orbit (LEO) program and are doing well. Figure 4 shows charge/discharge data from that ongoing test. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -406- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
Production of the 60 Ah cell was initiated in 

] anuary using the same 7.75" diameter pressure 

vessel as the 40 Ah cell. Figure 5 is a design 

summary of the 60 Ah cell. Compared with the 

40 Ah cell, the 60 Ah stack is longer, wider 

and thicker, and contains nine positive and 

negative electrode pairs. Similar to the 40 Ah 

cells during cell testing/cycling, the 60 Ah cells 

have consistently produced over 1:20% of rated 

capacity at 10°C. We have just commenced lifetesting three 60 Ah cells in a LEO regime and 

will soon place three more in a GEO test profile. 

FIGURE 3. 40 AH Cell Design Summary. 

Cell Type 

Nominal Voltage 

Rated Capacity 

Actual Capacity 

No. of Positive Electrodes 

Separator 

Weight 

Specific Energy 

Diameter 

Height 

Vessel Wall Thickness 

MEOP 

Vessel Safety Factor 

RNHD 40-1 

1.25 Volts 

40.0 Ampere-hours 

49.2 Ampere-hours 

16 

Zircar 

1235 g. 

49.8 WHRlkg 

19.68cm 

3.81 cm 

0.038cm 

500psig 

>2.0XMEOP 

2 .-r-------------------------------------------------------------------------, 

1.8 . 

1.6 

1.4 

1.2 

.l!l 

(5 __ Charge1 

> 

__ Charge2 

0.8 

-Ir- Charge3 

0.6 __ Discharge1 

0.4 __ Discharge2 

__ Discharge3 

0.2 

0 

0 5 10 15 20 25 

Cycles (x 100) 

FIGURE 4. 40 AH Life Test Data Chart. 

The success of this DPV development program has given EPI invaluable experience and provides a solid foundation 

to move ahead with further research into DPY applications examining both larger and smaller capacity cells and 

batteries for a variety of uses. 

EPI is now under contract to produce 90 Ah DPY cells. Few changes are anticipated in the design approach for 

these cells as compared to the development cells described above. Briefly, these changes include: sizing the pressure 

vessel for a 700 psi maximum expected operating pressure (MEOP) and sizing the stack for the rated 90 Ah capacity. 

Figure 6 is the preliminary design summary of the 90 Ah cell. 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -407- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
DPV BATTERY DESIGN 

The DPV cell is basically an IPV type design 

in that each pressure vessel contains one cell, 

and therefore delivers 1.25 VDC. Most 

applications require voltages which necessitate 

the connection of multiple cells in series. This 

is a simple, straightforward concept, however, 

it is a critical aspect of design for high reliability 

spacecraft applications. The cells must be 

packaged into batteries or battery modules 

which will meet the perfonnance and reliability 

requirements of the spacecraft. This includes the 

mechanical, electrical and thennal design of the 

battery. 

Mechanical Design 

The mechanical design of the battery 

addresses primarily the physical aspects of 

packaging. The cells must be bound together 

into physically manageable units for handling 

and spacecraft integration. In fact, the 

mechanical design is primarily defined by how 

the battery must physically fit into the 

spacecraft. Standard practice for battery 

integration is to mount the battery to a baseplate 

which is not only the mechanical interface to 

the spacecraft but also the thermal interface as 

well. The dimensions of the baseplate are 

defined by the physical footprint of the battery, 

the space/volume a\·ailable in the spacecraft 

structure and the them1al requirements of the 

battery/spacecraft interface. The spacecraft 

configuration must be considered in designing 

the battery and vice \'ersa. 

FIGURE 5. 60 AH Cell Design Summary. 

Cell Type 

Nominal Voltage 

Rated Capacity 

Actual Capacity 

No. of Positive Electrodes 

Separator 

Weight 

Specific Energy 

Diameter 

Height 

Vessel Waif Thickness 

MEOP 

Vessel Safety Factor 

RNHD 60-1 

1.25 Volts 

60 .0 Ampere-hours 

73.0 Ampere-hours 

18 

Zircar 

1510 g. 

60.43 WHRlkg 

19.68 cm 

3.81 cm 

0.038cm 

800psig 

>2.0XMEOP 

FIGURE 6. 90 AH Cell Design Summary. 

Cell Type 

Nominal Voltage 

Rated Capacity 

Predicted Capacity 

No. of Positive Electrodes 

Separator 

Weight 

Specific Energy 

Diameter 

Height 

Vessel Wall Thickness 

MEOP 

Vessel Safety Factor 

RNHD 90-1 

1.25 Volts 

90.0 Ampere-hours 

108 Ampere-hours 

18 

Zircar 

2200 g. (Est.) 

61.4 WHRlkg 

24.41 cm 

3.81 cm 

0.038cm 

700 psig 

>2.0X MEOP 

One of the advantages of the DP\· cell design is that the mechanical battery assembly concept is much simpler than 

with standard cylindrical IPV cells. The DPV cells are designed to be sandwiched between two endplates, which 

defines the basic packaging concept for the battery design. It is simple, efficient. easily assembled and requires few 

parts. A multicelllPY "XiH2 battery requires additional parts, such as cell mounting sleeves, which mean additional 

weight and cost, and additional handling and assembly work. The DPV battery packaging concept has an established 

heritage in the aerospace industry. The endplate/connecting rod battery design has been used with nickel-cadmium 

(J\'iCd) and silver-zinc (AgZn) cells for spacecraft applications for many years. Several battery assembly possibilities 

exist, which make oyerall DPV battery design modular and flexible. TI1is makes the DPV battery adaptable for a 

variety of spacecraft designs. There is a significant advantage of the endplate battery design because the percentage of 

the total batte!)' weight contributed by the battery packaging components is smaller than with the standard IPV battery.The 

DrV battery minimizes battery level components (Coates 1995). 

The preferred (with respect to optimizing specific energyienergy density) DPV batte!)' assembly presents the cells 

in a single row sand\\"iched between t\\"o endplates as shown in Figure 7. The endplates are tied together with threaded 

connecting rods. Mechanical suppon of the cells is provided by the endplates to SUppOlt the internal hydrogen pressure 

developed during charging. Another basic design is shown in Figure 8, where the cells are packaged into two rows. 

V-iiring and connectors are om itted from the figure for clarity. The advantage of two rows of cells is that the overall 

battery is somewhat more compact. A typical 22 cell, 28 VDC, 60 Ah battery, for example, would be approximately 22 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -408- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
cm wide and approximately 90 cm long 

for a single row of cells. With two rows 

of cells, the same battery would be 

approximately 41 cm wide and 48 cm 

long. The battery with two rows of cells 

provides a more nearly square package. 

A disadvantage is that the larger 

endplates contribute slightly more 

weight to the overall battery package. 

Therefore the single row battery will 

have slightly higher energy density, but 

the double row battery will typically be 

easier to integrate into a spacecraft. 

Electrical Design 

The electrical design includes aspects 

and components such as intercell 

connection, conductor IR voltage losses, 

the battery electrical interface, 

connectors, battery monitoring, charge 

controllers and battery electronics such 

as strain gauges, strain gauge amplifiers. 

heaters. heater controllers, cell bypass 

diodes, cell voltage monitoring, current 

monitoring, temperature monitoring and 

others, depending on the specific battery 

design, spacecraft design and interface 

requirements. The battery electrical 

interface includes integration into the 

spacecraft and interface with additional 

batteries or battery modules on the 

spacecraft. Communications satellites 

typically carry two non-redundant 

batteries. Having two separate batteries, 

rather than a single larger one, aids in 

balancing rhe battery mass in the 

FIGURE 7. Single Row DPV Battery Design. 

FIGURE 8. Double Row DPV Battery Design. 

spacecraft and also eases the thermal interface requirements. In contrast, some small satellites may contain only a few 

cells wired in series with no battery electronics. The batteries have to be adaptable to a wide range of spacecraft 

designs, power levels and electrical requirements. 

The battery cells are series-connected in the battery, observing cell polarity. The positive terminal of one cell is 

connected to the negative tenninal of the next. and so on. One end of the cell string will have a remaining positive 

terminal open and the other end will have an unused negative cell terminal. These cell terminals are connected to the 

battery interface connector and provide the power connections to the spacecraft. Silver foil, nickel foil or spacecraftrated wiring is used as the intercell connectors. It depends primarily on the length required between cell terminals and 

the allowable voltage losses. Batteries are generally designed to minimize the length of the intercell connection. This 

is done in IPV batteries by inverting every other cell such that the positive and negative cell terminals alternate at the 

top and bottom of the battery. This eliminates having to connect the top of one cell to the bottom of another. The DPV 

battery is even more efficient by aligning all of the cell terminals along a central axis running the length of the battery. 

Or. in the case of the dual cell, side by side battery design, t\Yo rows of cell terminals along the length of the battery 

(Klein 1993). Foil bus bar type intercell connectors are the most efficient method for very short connections such as in 

the DPV battery. Silver or nickel foil would be used, based primarily on cost considerations, The exposed portion of 

the intercell connector between cell terminals can be insulated with space-rated materials, though this is not typically 

required. The intercell connector is mechanically connected to the cell terminal. Wire, or redundant wires, are generally 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -409- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
used for the slightly longer connection between the two cell terminals and the battery connectors. The wire is mechanically 

connected to the cell terminals and soldered into the battery connector. 

Strain gauge circuitry is a critical item. This component measures the microflex of the pressure vessel produced by 

internal pressure changes. A four bridge, active circuit is used. Two gauges are active and two gauges are null indicators. 

The strain gauge must be calibrated after installation on the specific cell on which it will be operated. This is done after 

the cell closure girth weld, but before electrolyte activation, by pressurizing the cell case with helium gas. Since the 

strain gauge bridge is an active circuit, an excitation voltage must be provided through the battery electronics and 

interface. The output signal is small, so an amplification circuit is typically supplied on the battery to boost the signal 

to an adequate level for spacecraft telemetry. The strain gauge output signal provides a direct indication of the cell 

internal pressure, and therefore the cell state-of-charge. Strain gauges are typically included on three cells in the battery 

for comparison and redundancy purposes. Cell heaters are usually supplied in order to closely control the battery 

temperature during all phases of operation. Some batteries are supplied with on-board heater controller circuitry. Heat 

is removed by thermal fins which contact the battery baseplate/thermal radiator. Battery temperature is monitored 

using thermistors. Generally, three are mounted at different locations in the battery. This provides redundancy and a 

measure of temperature uniformity across the battery. Battery current sensing is provided by an on-board current 

sensing element, usually of the non-contact, inductive type. All battery monitoring information such as voltage, current, 

temperature and strain gauge output are supplied to the spacecraft telemetry system through the battery electrical 

interface connector. 

Thermal Design 

Temperature control is an important aspect of battery design and spacecraft integration. Cell heaters are typically 

supplied to help regulate cell temperature during orbital operation. The battery is also usually mounted to a baseplate 

to remove excess heat when required. This baseplate normally mounts directly to a bulkhead in the spacecraft and 

radiates excess battery heat into space. A considerable amount of thermal analysis, calorimetry testing and thermal 

modeling has been done with the NiH2 system. Basically, the cell is endothermic during the bulk of charging until near 

the end-of-charge. At this point, as the cell goes into overcharge, oxygen gas is evolved at the nickel electrode. This 

oxygen gas is being generated in the presence of large excess of hydrogen gas and in the presence of a good catalyst 

(the hydrogen electrode). Reactions now occuring, including the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen gas, are exothermic, 

so excess heat is generated by the cell which must be removed. The NiH2 cell is capable of accepting extreme amounts 

of overcharge if this heat is removed. Even so, the cell temperature begins to rise near full state-of-charge and provides 

an indication, along with the pressure, that full charge has been achieved. 

In an IPV battery, each cell is mounted in a thermal sleeve which serves as a heat sink to conduct excess heat from 

the cell into the battery baseplate. This is fairly efficient thermally, but the sleeve adds weight and cost to the battery. 

The approach to thermal design in the DPV battery is more direct and cost and weight efficient. A thin aluminum 

thermal shim is inserted between each pair of adjacent cells so each cell has a shim contacting both flat sides of the 

pressure vessel. The shim is electrically insulated from, and thermally coupled to, the metal pressure vessel by a thin 

layer of electrically insulating but thermally conductive material. The material is space-rated and is currently used for 

the same purpose in IPV batteries. The shim provides a large cross-sectional area through which heat can be removed 

from the internal electrode stack. The electrode stack has a large thennal cross-section with respect to the pressure 

vessel because the stack directly contacts the flat pressure vessel wall. In the IPV cell the electrode stack is perpendicular 

to the cylindrical pressure vessel walJ with no direct contact between the electrode stack and the pressure vessel. Heat 

can only be rejected by the electrode stack across a narrow hydrogen gap between the electrode stack and the pressure 

vessel wall. The DPY provides a more direct thermal path for heat rejection by the ceJl (Coates 1995). 

CONCLUSIONS 

The NiH2 electrochemical energy storage system provides the best reliability, performance and cycle life available 

in an aerospace qualified battery system. The DPV design offers an important advance in this critical aerospace battery 

technology and will provide a substantial improvement in the mass and volume performance of the NiH2 battery 

system. While DPV designs are in the preliminary stages and testing and qualification is still required prior to spaceflight 

applications, DPV development programs are moving forward rapidly, and the cell and battery designs show great 

promise for military, scientific and commercial, aerospace and terrestrial uses. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -410- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
References 

Coates, D.K., R.D. Wright, R.S. Repplinger. (1995) "Advanced Dependent Pressure Vessel (DPV) Nickel-Hydrogen 

Spacecraft Cell and Battery Design," in Proc. Fourth Space Electrochemical Research and Technology (SERT) 

Conference, NASA Lewis Research Center - Office of Space Access and Technology, Cleveland, OH. 

Francisco, J.M., D.K. Coates. (1995) "High Energy Density Micro-Fiber Based Nickel Electrode for Aerospace 

Batteries," in Proc. Eleventh Annual Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, California State University, 

Long Beach, CA. 

Klein, G.c., D.F. Schmidt. (1993) "Current and Emerging Technology for Powering Small Satellites With Seconcj.ary 

CeIIs and Batteries," in Proc. Seventh Annual AIAAIUSU Conference on Small Satellites, Utah State University, 

Logan, UT. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -411- Nickel-Hydrogen Session 
Page intentionally left blank 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

~ 

A 

~ {) 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..j:::.. 

-

W 

I 

';'"' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::: 

~ 

~ 

<5' 

::: 

T 

S A 1= T SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

File: O:\STlWORO\SlS70-96.DOC 

Dr Yannick BORTHOMIEU and Annie SENNET 

SAFT Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

Poitiers France 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Huntsville Hilton, AL 

Decelnber 3-5, 1996 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

~~~~ I ~IJ\ ~ "} l'\ 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

.j::>. 

..... 

.j::>. 

I 

~ n 

~ i"" 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

l(l 

~ §' 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

File: O;\S'I\WORD\S I S70-96.DOC 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

OUTLINE 

• CELL DESIGNS: VHS and AN TECHNOLOGIES 

• BATTERY DESIGN 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
-

~ 

~ 

~ 

:J:.. 

~ {; 

2 

g-

! 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

>-' 

VI 

I 

~ ~ 

'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ ::: 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

CELL DESIGNS 

SAFT HAS TWO NICKEL HYDROGEN CELL TECHNOLOGIES: 

• THE « VHS » TYPE IS THE SAFT DESIGN: 

- DEVELOPED SINCE 88 

- QUALIFIED IN 89 

- FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN 96 

• THE« AN» TYPE IS THE EX-GATES DESIGN: 

- QUALIFIED IN 87 

-IN FLIGHT OPERATION SINCE 89 

- TRANSFERRED SUCCESSFULLY FROM GAINESVILLE TO FRANCE IN 

94 

~ 1:; 

S' File: O:\ST\WORD\SI570·96,DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ::: 
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {) 

2 

~ ~ 

62 

t 

.g 

~ 

-

0\ 

I 

?!; 

<") 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ;:: 

T 

SAJ::T 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

VHS CELL DESIGN: 

CELL CONFIGURATION: 

• 3'5 RABBIT EARS 

• CAPACITY RANGE: 30 TO 104 AH: 

• HYDROFORMED INCONEL 718 WITH ONE CENTRAL GIRTH WELD (2 PARTS) 

• CERAMIC BRAZED TERMINALS 

• NEGATIVE PRECHARGE 

STACK CONFIGURATION: 

• BACK TO BACK DESIGN 

• SINGLE OR DUAL STACK 

• TRUNK CIRCLE SHAPE ELECTRODES 

• AGEING ACCOMMODATION SYSTEM: SPIDER SPRING 

• POL YSULFONE END PLATES MAINTAINED BY A TIE ROD 

~ ~. File: O:\Sl\WORD\SI570-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;:: 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

A 

<I> 

ci 

{; 

~ 

;;; 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

..... 

-....l 

I 

~ <"'l 

~ 

'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~ ;::: 

T 

S AFT SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

VHS CELL DESIGN: (collt'd) 

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: 

• POSITIVE ELECTRODES: 

- WET SINTERED MATERIAL ON STEEL PERFORATED GRID 

- ACTlVE MATERIAL DEPOSITED BY AQUEOUS ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESS 

• NEGATIVE ELECTRODES: 

- ACTIVE CHARCOAL WITH PLATINUM ON EXPANDED NICKEL COLLECTOR 

- GORTEX HYDROPHOBIC LAYER WITH POLYPROPYLENE GRID 

• SEPARATOR: 

3 LAYERS OF NON WOVEN POLYAMIDE FELT 

• ELECTROLYTE: 31 % KOH 

~ 

~ 6' File: O:\ST\WORmS1570-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, HunstviIIe Hilton, AL ;::: 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

~ 

{3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

& 

~ 

~ 

I 

~ 

..-

00 

I 

~ <":> 

it 

~ 

! 

"" ::: 

T 

S A F= r 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and 8atteryUpdate 

VHS CELL DESIGNS: (cont'd) 

~ . File: O:\ST\WORD\SIS70-96.UOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, HunstvilIe Hilton, AL 

::: 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 'ti 

~ ~ 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

l:.. 

-\0 

I 

~ ~ 

'i" 

~ !:} 

~ ;:: 

T 

S A f: T SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

VHS CELL DESIGN: DESIGN CHANGE 

THE PREVIOUS DESIGN VHS BL HAS BEEN PROVEN 33 GEO SEASONS AT 70 010 DOD 

THE VHS CM HAS THE SAME ELECTROCHEMISTRY THAN THE VHS BL 

RESULTS OF THE LIFE TEST PERFORMED ON YHS96CM : 

• LOW END OF DISCHARGE VOLTAGES 

• HIGH INTERNAL RESISTANCE 

• HIGH END OF CHARGE PRESSURE 

RESULTS OF DPA PERFORMED ON CELLS: 

• SOME WATER AT BOTTOM OF CELL DUE TO THERMAL GRADIENT (imposed by test equipment) 

• LACK OF ELECTROLYTE INSIDE THE SEPARATOR LAYERS 

• INCREASE OF GLOBAL STACK ELECTROLYTE CONCENTRATION 

~ 

1:l o· File: O:\ST\WORD\S\S70-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;:: 
.... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ '1> 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

.g 

j,.. 

~ I 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ;: 

~ §' 

T 

SAFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

VHS CELL DESIGN: DESIGN CHANGE (cont'd) 

MODIFICATIONS: 

• ADDITION OF ONE LAYER OF SEPARATOR TO ENSURE 15 YEARS AT 80% DOD: 

INCREASE FROM 2.9 to 3.3 g ofKOH IAh 

• IMPROVEMENT OF THE STACKING PROCESS (Reduction of tolerances on the applied stackpreloading) 

VALIDATION PLAN: 

• MANUFACTURING AND TEST OF VOQ LOT 

• SPECIFIC ELECTRICAL TESTING: Overcharge, Intelnal resistance measurements 

• VIBRATIONS 

• ACCELERATED CYCL1NG (9 cycles per day: 80 % DOD) : 2000 cycles performed without failure 

(Test discontinued at 1 V per Cell) 

• DPA 

File: O:\ST\WORD\S1570-96,DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
...... 

\Q 

\Q 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

~ ~ 

i 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

tv 

-I 

!") 

~ 

~ ';'-

.s= 

t;. 

~ ;:s 

T 

S A t= T 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

VHS CELL DESIGN: DESIGN CHANGE (cont'd) 

DESIGN CHANGE COMPLETELY QUALIFIED BEGINNING OF 96 

ARABSAT/ARTEMIS BATTERY DESIGN REVISED PER THIS CHANGE 

8 BATTERIES IN ORBIT ON ARABSAT II A and B 

CONTINUED LIFE TESTING: SEMI-ACCELERATED CYCLING AT ESA 

(2 cycles per day, 80 % DOD, reduced solstice) 

~ 

/:5 o· File: O:\S1\WORD\SI570·96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;:s 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

tv 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ t} 

~ ::s 

f(l 

". 

SAt: i 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFTNickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

AN CELL DESIGNS : 4 CONFIGURATIONS 

• 

~ 

~ 

• 

~ S· File: O:\Sl\WORDlSI570-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5196, HunstviUe Hilton, AL 

::s 
.... 

~ 0'1 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<I> 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFTNickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

ti 

i3 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

AN CELL DESIGNS: (cont'd) 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

IV 

w 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ E} 

~ ::: 

~ 

~ 5' File: O:\ST\WORD\S I 570-96,DOC ::: 

/ 

~ ~ -.. 

~ 

SPACE STATION: 89 Ah 

SUPERBIRD, INTELSAT 7 :83 AN 

AMOS, THAI COM 3: 55 AN 

ITALSAT: 36 AN 

INDOSTAR: 52 AN 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ 

::s-

.g 

I 

~ 

N 

~ I 

~ 

~ ... 

~ £} 

~ ;:s 

~ 

f:l 

0' 

::s 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFTNickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

AN CELL DESIGNS: (cont'd) 

• 

File: O:\ST\ WORD\S \S70-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5196, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

52 

~ (1) 

~ 

{; 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

N 

VI 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ E} 

~ ;: 

T 

S AFT SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

AN CELL DESIGNS: (cont'd) 

CELL CONFIGURATION: 

• HYDROFORMEO OR ROLLED AND WELDED INCONEL 718 VESSEL (3 PARTS) 

• TWO CENTRAL GIRTH TIG WELDS 

• CERAMIC BRAZED TERMINALS 

• POSITIVE PRECHARGE 

• WALL WICK SYSTEM 

STACK CONFIGURATION: 

• BACK TO BACK DESIGN 

• SINGLE STACK 

• PINEAPPLE SLICE CONFIGURATION WITH POL YSULFONE CENTER CORE 

• AGEING ACCOMMODATION SYSTEM: BELLEVILLE WASHERS 

• INCONEL 718 ENDPLATES SUPPORTING STACK AT BOTH ENDS 

~ S' File: O:\ST\WORD\SI570-96,DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, HunstvilIe Hilton, AL ;: 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t... 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

~ 

N 

0\ 

I 

~ 

'"' 

~ 'i" 

~ E} 

~ ;:: 

..... S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

AN CELL DESIGNS: (cont'd) 

ELECTROCHEMISTRY : 

• POSITIVE ELECTRODES: 

- DRY POWDER SINTERED MATERIAL ON NICKEL SCREEN 

- ACTIVE MATERIAL DEPOSITED BY AQUEOUS ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESS 

• NEGATIVE ELECTRODES: 

- PLATINUM PTFE FILM ON PHOTOETCHED GRID 

- GORTEX HYDROPHOBIC TEFLON BACKING 

• SEPARATOR: 2 LAYERS OF ZIRCAR 

• ELECTROLYTE: 31 % KOH WITH 3.3 G/AR 

~ 

~ S· File: o:\snWORD\S1570·96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;:: 
T 

.... S AFT SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update ~ Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

;<: Defense and Space Division 

::r.: 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

i 

AN CELL: TRANSFER 

~ 

~ • SAFT HAD ALREADY SOME EXPERIENCE IN TRANSFERING SPACE ACTIVITIES 

:::r-

.g FROM ROMAINVILLE TO POITIERS 

I 

~ 

~ • AN CELL TRANSFERT BASED ON : 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ E} 

~ ;:: 

~ 

- TRAINING OF SAFT TEAMS ON DOCUMENTATION AND PROCESS IN GAINESVILLE 

- REQUALIFICATION PLAN DEFINITION 

- REQUALIFICATION AND STARTING MANUFACTURlNG WITH EX GATES PEOPLE IN POITIERS 

~. File: O:\SliWORD\SI570-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 

;:: 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

T 

S A 1= T SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

~ 

~ {; 

AN CELL: TRANSFER (Cont'd) 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

GAINESVILLE 

Product 

~ I. Freeze the documentation to latest 

reVISIOn 

• Review technical documents 

• Train and qualify Poitiers operators 

~ \. Establish re-qualification plan 

I • Fabricate qualification samples 

~ 

~ 'i' 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:: 

f<l 

~ §. 

(considered as reference) 

Processes 

• Certify each process and equipment 

• Disasseluble process equipnlent 

File: 0:\S1I WORms 1570·96.DOC 

POITIERS 

Processes 

• Re-assemble process equipment 

• Re-calibrate process equipment 

• Validate each process and equipment 

Product 

• Fabricate requalification samples 

• Compare qualificationire qualification 

products 

• Move of some Gainesville's people to 

Poitiers to transfer and maintain the knowhow 

• Final Training and qualification of other 

operators 

• Manufacture and test of a qualification lot 

(with DPA): Comparison with 

Gainesville data 

• Keep same suppliers 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
...... 

\0 

\0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

r 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

AN CELL: TRANSFER (Cont'd) 

~ VALIDATION OF EACH PROCESS 

~ AND GOOD PERFORMANCES OF ::to 

.g THE 6 FIRST CELLS 

.!::.. 

N 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 'i"" 

~ E} 

~ ;:s 

~ S· File: O:\ST\WORD\SI570-96.DOC 

;:s 

QUALIFICATION OF 

THE TRANSFER 

SAFT MANUFACTURING AND DELIVERIES: 

:L5. 

• 200 55AN Axial (Thaicom 3) 

• 120 52AN RE (lndostar) 

• 120 56AN RE (Sinosat) 

• 250 63AN' RE (Sirius 2) : In Progress 

4.:.5. 

• 132AN RE (OlnegaSat) delivery in 97/98 

• 165AN RE (MTSat) delivery in 97 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
..,. ...... S A F f SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

:g Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

~ Defense and Space Division 

::c.: 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

w 

o 

I 

~ 

2-

~ :;. 

~ 

"' ;::: 

~ 

BATTERY DESIGN 

1990 

BEGINNING OF THE NiH2BATTERY DEVELOPMENT AT SAFT 

1993 

QUALIFICATION OF THE GENERIC NiH2 BATTERY WITH VHS CELLS 

SELECTION OF THE 27 VHS 50 CM FOR ARABSAT II 

SELECTION OF THE 23 VHS 60 CM FOR ARTEMIS 

1996 

LAUNCI-I OF 8 BATTERIES ON ARABSAT II A and B 

DESIGN CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE AN CELLS 

QUALIFICATION OF AN BATTERY WITH INDOSTAR AND SB3000 PROJECTS 

~ 5' File: O:\ST\WORD\SI570-96,DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;::: 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

A 

~ ~ 

<\) 

~ 

J 

~ 

t 

.g 

I 

~ 

w 

....... 

I 

~ 

.,. 

~ 

~ :;. 

~ ;::s 

~ 

1:1 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

BATTERY DESIGN 

BATTERY CONFIGURATION: 

• 12 to 30 Rabbit Ear CELLS PER BATTERY 

• BASE PLATE WITH ALUMINUM SLEEVE DESIGN 

• INDIVIDUAL BY-PASS SYSTEM PLACED BETWEEN THE CELLS 

• 2 REDUNDANT HEATER CIRCUITS 

• BETWEEN 2 and 4 STRAIN GAGE EQUIPPED CELLS 

• WIRING MATERIALS: COPPER OR ALUMINUM 

• POWER AND MEASUREMENT CONNECTORS 

• CELLS EQUIPPED WITH THERMISTORS 

g. File: O:lsnWORDISI570·96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
...... 

~ 

~ f{.: 

~ (I> 

<S 

{l 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

\..N 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ "i"' 

~ E} 

~ ;:: 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

BATTERY DESIGN (Cont'd) 

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS: 

• QUALIFIED UP TO 104 Ah 

• ENERGY DENSITY: 48 Whlkg FOR 27 Cells of 63 Ah 

• WEIGHT RATIO CELL/BATTERY: 80 % 

VOLUME: 59*44*21 ClU

3 for 27 Cells battery 

• DOD max: 80 % with one failed cell 

• THERMAL GRADIENT: Maximum Internal CELL: 2.5 °C 

Maximum Between 2 CELLS: 5 °C 

• VIBRATION: QUALIFICATION UP TO 20 G BOTH SINE AND RANDOM 

~ 

~ 5· File: O:\S1\WORD\SJS70-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3·5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;:: 
....... 

\Q 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

lS' 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

toN 

toN 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ E;-

~ :::: 

~ 

I;:J 

o· 

:::: 

... S A F l' 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

BATTERY DESIGN (Cont'd) 

ACCOMMODATION OF AN CELLS: 

• CHANGE OF THE DIAMETER OF THE SLEEVES « 0.5 mm in diameter) 

• CHANGE CELL CONNECTION: SCREW FOR VHS --.~ LUG FOR AN 

• NEARLY SAME BATTERY CHARACTERICS ARE MAINTAINED WITH AN CELL AS WITH VHS 

File: O:\ST\WORD\SIS70-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL 
..... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..j::>. 

w 

..j::>. 

I 

'i'" 

~ 

~ e;. 

~ ;:: 

f<l 

T 

S A 1= T 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

CONCLUSION 

SAFT NiH2 POI{TFOLIO IS: 

• VHS CELLS GEO 3'5 

• AN CELLS GEO 3'5/4'5 

• AN CELLS LEO 3'5 

• VHS AND AN 3'5 BATTERIES 

l'l 8' File: O:\ST\WORD\S1570-96,DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL ;:: 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

w 

Vl 

I 

';'" 

~ 

~ E;-

~ :::s 

T 

S AFT 

Advanced and Industrial Battery Group 

Defense and Space Division 

SAFT Nickel Hydrogen Cell and Battery Update 

CONCLUSION 

FUTURE FOR SAFT : 

• NiH2 : - EXTEND BY-PASS SYSTEM CAPABILITY 

- HAVE 4'5 INCH BATTERY 

- OBTAIN MORE CYCLING DATA WITH AN 

• LiC : - DEVELOP LiC TECHNOLOGY FOR SPACE 

~ 1:; 

6· File: O:\Sl\WORD\S\S70-96.DOC 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, December 3-5/96, Hunstville Hilton, AL :::s 
Page intentionally left blank 
Nickel-Cadmium Session 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -437-
Page intentionally left blank 
~NASDA NAnONALSPACE DE'IEl.OPMEHT AGENCY OF JAPNf 

Battery Performance of ADEOS (Advanced 

Earth Observing Satellite) 

and 

Ground Simulation Test Results 

K.Koga, Y. Suzuki, S. Kuwajima, and H. Kusawake 

National Space Development Agency of Japan 

1996 NASA Aero.pace Baile!,)' Workshop 

~NASDA ADEOS 

The Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) is developed with the aim of 

establishment of platform technology for future spacecraft and inter-orbit 

communication technology for the transmission of earth observation data. 

e''''''' -,/' ,~: d -Ifr 

/ 

C:>oJ / _-553 

C:;&~ 6 

/.2p. 

Shape: Module type with deployable paddle 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Body: Approx.4x4x5(m) 

Solar Paddle: Approx.3x26(m) 

Weight: Approx. 3.5 ton (at lift-off) 

Launch date: 8/17/1996 

Launch Vehicle :H-II 

Launch Site :Tanegashima Space Center 

Orbit: Sun Synchronous Subrecurrent 

Altitude: Approx. 800km 

Inclination: Approx. 98.6 deg. 

Period: Approx. 101 min. 

1996 NASA Aero. pace Hallery Work.hop 

-439- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
®)NASDA NAnOHALSPACE DEVElOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN Electrical Power Subsystem 

EPS 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

®)NASDA Battery Assembly NATIONAL SPACE DEYELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

ADEOS uses 5 batteries, consists of 2 packs 

Weight: 19.3kg/pack(16cells) 

Volume: 276(T) x 264(W) x 17S(H)mm/pack 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -440- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
• .. ~8!!~ .. 35AH SPACE Ni-Cd CELL 

CELL MAJOR SPECIFICATIONS 

Rated Capacity 35 AH 

Mission GEO 1 OYears, 1, 00 Oeycles 

LEO 3 Years, ~ 0, 00 Ocycles 

Weight rna x, 1050 g 

Energy Density 4QWH/k g 

~hanical Burst Pressure 35kgflcm2 

Strength Pressure (yel jog ~ \8kyeles (0 "'1 ~ k9f/cm2

G) EXTERNAL VI EW 'OF Nj-Cd CELL 

ti)NASDA NATIONAL SPACE DEVEl...OPMEHT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Simplified Block Diagram of the ADEOS EPS 

I I----------- . ---------- ------------------~---------------- -----------~ I 

~ ~ I 

: SHUNT I 

I 

PDM ; Power Control Unit (PCU) c--- BUS I ~ 

BAR I 

! SHUNTJ~ ~ I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

,.------ BCCUI BCCU2 BCCU3 BCCU4 BCCUS I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

. ~ ODC 

"1 

BATI BAT2 BAT3 BAT4 BATS 

EPS 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -441- 1996 NASA Aero<pace Battery Work<hop 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
t1) NASCA Main Specification of 35Ah Ni-Cd Battery HA110HALSPM:E 0EVElDPMENT AGENCY OfJltP/llf 

Cell 

Weight 

Charge Scheme 

Cha~ge Rate 

Depth of Discharge 

Operating Temp. 

Mission Life 

Ni-Cd 35Ah (Sanyo N35S) 

19 .3kglpack(16cells) 

vrr control 

0-10A +O.5A(usually) 

0-12.5A +O.SA(4 battery operation) 

20%(usually), 60%(after launch) 

25%(4 battery operation) 

15°C 

3 years (@LEO) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~NASCA NATIONAL SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN VT Curve 

ADEOS has 8 VT curves. 

Initial No. is 6. 

I 

I 

Temperature (C) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -442-

VT=6 

initial 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
ti)NASDA Charge and Discharge of Battery #1(VT=6) NA.11ONAL.SPACE DEYEt.DPMl!NT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

@1065Cyc1e 

VT=6(initial) 

Charge Discharge 

ADEOS Ni-CdtICORBIT) v/T 6 i11Mc311 ADEOS Ni-Cdtl(ORBIT) v/~ b f!Ms311 52 1II JI 52 2 311 

~ ~ v u U m.L_TI:V 15 ~ ~ 

47 IS 

> ([ 18 > ([ 28 

II v v Il 

+> L ., L 

18 ( J 18 ( J 

T ., QI';II[IIf;,I ., OJ II QJ 

+> II .-r 1IITI,1 L .p "I:' L 

Jr" L L ClIL_Tl'Y L L 

0 II II 18 Il J J > 17 \ 5 U 11. 5 U 11. E E 

'- II I Il 

---- 0G1XIIG,1 

l- IJ~a 38 68 99 121 329 18 28 38 48 59 6~ CHG TIME (Min) D-CHG TIME (Min) 

C!D=1.31 DOD=13.0 % 

19% NASA Aerospace Banery Workshop 

tIlNASDA NATIOHALSPACE DEYEt.DPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Charge and Discharge of Battery #1(VT=5) 

DOD is less than that of prediction(20%), so changed the 

VT level (from 6 to 5) to avoid the over charge. 

Charge Discharge 

ADEOS Nddtl (ORBIT) vh s B~clls81 51 ror-r-r ................... -.-.--,--.-,..:,,...,.--,-...-, 28 311 ADEOS NHdtl (ORBIT) vir s ili111hBI 52 18 311 

v 

47 15 U 

> ([ 18 

V Il 

., L 

18 ( J 

., Ql ., II all_tl:v L L L 18 Il J 

U 11. 

E 

Il 

- ________ mn: T lT 

CHG TIME (Min) 

l10 18 28 38 48 58 61 

D-CHG TIME 01 in) 

C!D=1.20 DOD=11.7 % 

1996 NASA Aerospace Ballery Workshop 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -443- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
~NASDA NAnoNAlSPACE OEVElDPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Trend of EOCV,EODV and Temp. 

8J 

m 

id 

EOCV and EODV 

AOEOS Ni-Cd Bat-l Flight Data 

52 

EOCV 

t 

+' ~2 EODV Change VT No. 

o 

> 

I- 37 a:: 

III 

J28}-............. --'---'-=588!=-'---'---'--'-:-:I88~B:-'--'-.......... '--:':J.I5B8 

CYCLE (cyc) 

,.... 

u 

o 

II 

IJ 

+' 

., 

lI) 

12. 

E 

I) 

I28 

Temp. 

ADEOS Ni-Cd Bat-] Fli t Data 

Change VT No. 

EODT ! 

EOCT 

500 1089 

CYCLE (cyc) 

15118 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

tl)NASDA NATIONAl SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN DOD Trend 

DOD Trend of ADEOS BAT#1 

16 I 

14 .. \ 

12 • •• #, • ~ I 

,,-... 10 ~-~ .i d~ 

~~~~.=_--~4 •• -.. -·-·-·rl ~~: . .,~---

~--------~----. \.D_9 0(%8 

• I 

'-" ~ 0 8 _._-----_._-

0 

0 6 ._----------_. ------_._-----

4 

2 

0 

o 500 1000 1500 

Cycle 

8/1996 11/1996 

1996 NASA Acro.pace Battery Workshop 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -444- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
ti)NASDA NA11ONAL8PAC£ DEVEl.OPMEN1' AGENCY OF JAPAN Simulation Test 

We started the simulation test to evalLiate the life 

cycle of ADEOS battery at April 1992. 

Test material 

Required cycle 

Others 

Test Type 

16 cell stack (ADEOS EM cell) 

15700cyc ( 3 years @LEO ) 

measuring the tension of tie rod 

using strain gauge 

Normal cycle test 

Contingency (simulate the reduce of solar array power) 

4 battery Operation(simulate 1battery failure) 

Capacity test after 15700cyc 

Reconditioning 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

®)NASDA NA110NAL SPACE DeVELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Cycle Test 

Temp. 

Charge 

taper 

Discharge 

DOD 

CID 

Simulation test condition 

15°C 

10.0A(1I3.5C), 66 min. 

@ 23.02V(1.439V/cell) 

(change VT level after 6478cyc1e) 

@ 23.15V(1.447V/cell) 

12.0A(1I2.9C), 35 min. 

20% 

less than 1.15 

Capacity Test (at 15700cycle) 

Temp. 

Charge 

Discharge 

15°C 

3.5A(1II0C), 16 hours 

17.5A(1I2C), any cell at 1 Volt 

-445- 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Nickel-Cadmium Session 
eilNASDA Cycle Trend of EOCV and EODV 

1.7 

1.6· 

1.5· 

~ 1.4 

" 

~ 

~ 1.3. 

1.2 

1.1. 

1.0 

0 

This plot is overlapped by 16 cells. 

Each cell shows the same level of voltage. 

01)[05 ""Y l[o lRElIO IJIlTR(113'l{!' I ---,--~ , , , 

End of Charge Voltage 

End of Discharge Voltage 

I f 

contingency contingency 

L..-L_~~L-.a.- I , 

5000 

RlJ[OS Ruy LEO TREND DRTH(173'ltl' I , iii i 

Simulation of 

Reconditioning 

~ 

i ~1 / \ 

Simulation of contingency 

4 Battery Operation 

10000 

Number of Cycle 

Capacity Test 

15000 

Cell Stack 

Partitioning 

1 

longTime 

Test Stop 

20000--

19% NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

@)NASDA Trend of Tension NAnONAL SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Of!' JAPAN 

400 

cOD 

:::, EOC c 300 / 0 

'Vi 

c 

t--'" EOD 

t -a 200 Capacity Test Simulation of 

~ i Reconditioning 

Simulation of 

4 Battery Oneration 

100 contingency 

0 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 

Number of Cycle 

100kgf(total tension)=O.813kgf/cm2(face pressure) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -446- J 996 NASA Aerospace Battery Work.<hop 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
~NASDA NATIONALSPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Voltage, Current and Tension at Charge 

Charge characteristics at 8,1006,5202,9732,14880,19914cyc 

> 

II 

m 

III 

t' 

RIIOS ASSY LEO CYClE T£ST IV-tIIG 

12r..-.-.....,-..-.-..-.-r---:~=::;::~28 

Screl. 

••••••• : I006crcie 

••••.••. : 5202crcle 

--: 1732eycle 

••••••• : l4alOeYtl. 

-.-. :199I4eyel. 

15 

0: 

t' - IBIt----~ II I: 

o 

> 

t' " 

o 

I1.8 8.S I.B I.S 

CHG TI me (Hr) 

Voltage and Current 

z.I 

II 

L 

L 

J 

U 

AltOS IISSY LEO CYa.E TEST IY·O!G 

~~~~~~~~~ 

" 451 ... 

m 

~ 411 v ",..,., .. -- r-. _____ , 

c 358 

o --- ;. -----_ .... '" .----- C ./ !'--._ ,/ __ 

I) f-,. ---~ -- I- 251 -~ 

- ....................... _ .......................................... . " 2Blp-..;;;===- +' 

o 

I- lSI 

leycle 

••••••• : IOOlerti • 

••.••• - : 520Zcytle 

--: mImI. ••••••• : I4I1Ocrcl • 

• __ .. :1I914crcie 

11II.'=-8 .................... -:-':-..................... ...J.~ ......... ......J-'-.......... ........J 

B B.S 1.8 1.5 2.8 

CHG Time (Hr) 

Total tension 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

~NASDA Voltage, Current and Tension at Discharge 

> 

~ 

m 

~ 

jl 

0 

> 

iii 

jl 

0 

INATIOtfAl. SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Discharge characteristics at 8,1006,5202,9732,14880,19914cyc 

nllEos IESY LEO CYClE TEST II-CHG 

12 28 

Beyele 

.•••••• : 1006erele 

••...•.. : 5202e,e1. 

_.: 97!2e,cl. IS ....... :14880eycl. J 

--_ .. :199Herel. [ 

jl 

I@ I: 

Il 

L 

L 

J 

U 

I.Pta 8.25 B.S8 9.75 I.~ D-CHG Time (Hrl 

Voltage and Current 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

" 458 ... 

Cl 

8DEOS IESY LEO CYClE TEST 

~ 4111r-- v .. - .. _______ --

( 358 

o 

~ llllt-·._=: --------. 

c r---__ . -_ .. _-_.-- C) ---------

1-151 

- ~--... ------.... ----.... -.--.---. ~ IIl8 

t' 

o 

I- 159 

II-CHG 

Beyel. I 

1006cycle . 

...-.... : 5202c,cle I 

_. : 9132cycle II 

• ••• -•• : 14880cycle 

--_ .. : 199Hcrcl. 

D-CHG Time (Hr) 

Total tension 

1996 NASA Aerospace nattery Workshop 

-447- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
®lNASCA Differences of each cell voltage fMnoNAl. SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

This plot is overlapped by 16 cells at 14880cyc. 

Each cell shows the same level of voltage. 

ROCOS RSSY l£O era.r l£ST 14888cye US6C IY-Q«i 1.7...--~-.--,,-,-~-.-,~.,....,.....,..:....,-.-.......-......, 

1.5 

" :1··V 

OJ 1.3 

If 

+' 

- 1.1 

o 

> 1.1 

1.8 

BO!. e ';;-8 "'-'--'-'--;:;':8 • 5;:-"-''-'-'--;1-':-. ~ -'-'-.......... *'"" 1.5 ........... ~ ~8 

CHG Time (Hr) 

Charge 

" > 

RDEOS ~ l£O era! T£ST 1488Bcyc 8.me n-or; 1.7r-""" ........... -.-,~~......,......--, .......... .,....:,...,.....,..-.-......, 

It 11 

1.5 

I.S 

v 1.4 

I) 

OJ 1.3 

+' " 

- 1.2 

o 

> 1.1 

1.1 

li.=88"'-'-......... -="'e.2==-s .................. 8::-';.5~1 --'-"'""""-'--:e~.7;-'5 -'-"'""'7'1.119 

D-CHG Time (Hr) 

Discharge 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

®l NASCA Capacity test at 15700cycle NAnONALSPACE DEVElOPMENT AGENCY OF JAPAN 

Z5 

Z4 ,.. 

> 

..... 21 

., 

m 22 

III 

.. 

Capacity initial : 38.93Ah 

after 15700cyc: 27.12Ah 

lIDS lIuy LEO CJ'-(K 0'-3 

Z5 

IIEOS lilly lEO aF-J[ 0'-3 

Z4 ,.. --init. 

> 

.- 23 .......... after 15700cyc 

..---- ... ;~ ........ 

// --init. ... 0 0 

> > ZI .......... after 15700cyc - ... III 

.. 11 • +' II 

0 0 

l- I11 II 

17. 5 II 15 21 II .• '.5 I.' 1.5 2.5 

CHG Tt Ine (HI') D-CHG TI_ (Hr) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -448- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
_NASCA Residual and Full-Charged Capacity Test 

@15700cycle 

25 IllEOS 111'1 lEO lml~yc '.SC CI!P-IIC 0'-1,3 

Residual Capacity Test 

~ 

> 

v 23 Full-charge Capacity Test 

-., 

~ 19 

o 

... n 

•• 5 1.8 

D-CHG TIIIIII (Hr) 

2 •• 

Memory Effect 

about O.8V /16cells 

O.05V/cell 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Work.,hop 

~NASDA NAnONAl. SPACE DEVElOPMENT AGENCY OF' JAPAN Conclusion 

ADEOS Flight Data 

Each battery shows good performance. 

DOD is fluctuated from 10 to 15%. 

Temperature is controlled from 0 to 15°C. 

ADEOS Simulation Data 

Test result satisfied the required 15700 cycle. 

Each cell's voltage dispersion is little. 

Capacity at 15700cyc was 27.12Ah. 

Test is continued over 22000 cycle(@11/1996). 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -449- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
Page intentionally left blank 
THE 1996 NASA AEROSPACE BATTERY WORKSHOP 

THE IN-ORBIT PERFORMANCE OF BATTERIES ON THE SKYNET 4 

SPACECRAFT FLEET: A NICKEL-CADMIUM SUCCESS STORY. 

P. J. JOHNSON AND P. E. MILES 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE UK LTD., 

GUNNELS WOOD ROAD, STEVENAGE, 

HERTFORDSHIRE, SG1 2AS. 

ENGLAND. 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

Abstract. 

The SKYNET 4 constellation consists of three: spacecraft which were 

launched between December 1988 and August 1990. The spacecraft are 

three-axis stabilized geostationary earth-orbiting military communications 

satellites with a design life of seven years on station.· With the mission 

objective achieved all the batteries continue to give excellent performance. 

This paper presents a review of the history of the six batteries from cell 

procurement to the end of their design life and beyond. Differences in 

operational strategies are discussed and the lifetime trends in performance 

are analyzed. The combination of procurement acceptance criteria and the 

on-station battery management strategy utilized are presented as the prime 

factors in achieving completely successful battery performance throughout 

the mission. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -451- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
SPACECRAFT IN ORBIT VIEW 

MArRA MARCONI SPACE 

Introductio'n. 

The SKYNET 4 series of three military communications satellites provide 

flexible tactical communications for maritime and land forces and strategic 

communications. They were designed, built, integrated and tested by British 

Aerospace Space Systems Limited (now part of Matra Marconi Space UK 

Limited). The spacecraft platform was derived from the platform used by the 

European Space Agency's (ESA) successful ECS and MARECS satel.lites. 

These are three-axis stabilized geostationary satellites which provide wide 

coverage. A view of one of these spacecraft as it would appear in orbit is 

given in the figure above. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -452- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
CELL AND BATTERY STANDARDS 

PARAMETER NASA ESA MMS 

Maximum Temperature / °C 35 30 35 

Maximum Pressure / psig 80 Not Specified 60 

Maximum 000 / % 70 80 50 

Maximum cell volts / V 1.55 1.56 1.56 

Design Life / years 8 13 7 

Capacity Dispersion / % 5 3 3 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

Battery Definition. 

A detailed description of the power subsystem and the battery design 

philosophy was given at last year's workshop [1], where spacecraft A of the 

SKYNET series was the focus of attention. Spacecraft B has identical 

batteries to spacecraft A, even having cells from the same manufacturing 

lots (each spacecraft had one battery built from Gates 35AB03 lot 6 cells 

and the other from lot 7). Spacecraft C had batteries made from cells of lot 

8, which gave similar test results to the earlier lots except during the early 

cell level tests, when marginally lower capacities, particularly at O°C, were 

recorded. 

The procurement speCification for the batteries was based on a combination 

of American [2] and European [3] standards which are compared in the 

above table. The maximum depth of discharge of 70% or 80% was not 

adopted as a result of system reliability considerations. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -453- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
Hi-Cd BATTERY CELL FAILURE RATES 

en 200 

lii: 

150 - -

w 

~ 100 -

W 

0:: 50 - ;:) 

..J 

<C 0 I I 

I.L 0 20 40 60 80 100 

DEPTH OF DISCHARGE I % 

SOURCE: ESA STANDARD PSS-01-302ISSUE 1 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

Available data at the time of the design of these spacecraft showed that cell 

failure rates, measured in Failure uniTS (FITS), increased with depth of 

discharge [41, as illustrated in the above graph. Furthermore, following the 

work of Dawson [5], it was decided not to use cell by-pass electronics but to 

use the mass saving to offset the use of a larger capacity battery. Reliability 

analysis set the maximum failure rate for a cell at 89 FITS and consequently 

the design maximum depth of discharge was set to 50%. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -454- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
BATTERY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 

1. The average battery temperatures are strictly maintained 

below 15°C. 

2. Overcharge is limited in eclipse by having a k-factor goal 

of 105%. 

3. Overcharge is limited in the hotter solstice by having 

trickle-charge enabled for only 50% of the time. 

4. The depth of discharge is well within the design limit of 

50%, with all spacecraft in the range 32-40% as they 

reach the latter part of their design life. 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

Battery Management Strategy. 

The primary objectives were to keep the battery temperatures below 15°C 

throughout the mission, which has led to toggHng trickle charge on and off 

during the solstices for the battery on the sun facing side of the spacecraft, 

and minimizing overcharge. The same battery management strategy is 

applied to all three spacecraft with two important exceptions: spacecraft A 

has a lower end of charge voltage limit set to terminate main charge when 

the recharge ratio (k-factor) is of the order of 90% and spacecraft B's 

batteries are only reconditioned once per year. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -455- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
BATTERY CURRENTS AND RATES 

PARAMETER Current I A CI Cde! Rate Limits 

Main Charge 1.85 ± 5% 18.9. 14.2 C/10*>lmc>C/20 

Trickle Charge 0.3 ± 10%) 116.7 87.5 CI70>ltc>C/200 

Discharge 10.5 ± 10% 3.3 2.5 Id<C/2* 

*Cell Manufacturer's limit 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

The secondary objective in the battery management strategy was to minimise 

cell current density. Although the cells had a nameplate capacity of 35 Ah 

the manufacturer recommended the use of a derated capacity, defining Cder 

as the capacity of the cell when discharged for one hour at a maximum 

current density of 20 mA cm-2, in the calculation of maximum charge and 

discharge rates [6]. As the Gates 35AB03 cell had a positive plate total area 

of 1324 cm2 this gave a derated capacity of 26.5 Ah. The above table gives 

the charge, discharge, and trickle charge ranges seen in orbit and compares 

both the rates based on nameplate capacity and on derated capacity with the L 

limits given in the Power Standard [3]. In all cases it can be seen that the 

spacecraft are operating with comfortable margins on their design limits. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -456- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
CHARGE TERMINATION CRITERIA 

1. End of charge voltage trip level is reached. 

2. Rate of temperature rise exceeds 1°C in 15 minutes. 

3. The charge input exceeds 1.05 times the charge 

withdrawn during the preceding eclipse. 

4. Average temperature of either battery reaches 15°C. 

5. Battery upper temperature limit, as indicated by any 

thermistor, is reached. 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

Charge Termination. 

Of the above charge termination criteria, numbers 1 and 5 are automatic 

and the remainder are manual by ground intervention. Automatic 

termination is preferred as the operator workload associated with the 

manual enabling and termination of main charge is significantly reduced, as 

is the real-time data analysis required to determine the manual termination 

criteria. Following the success of the strategy of setting a. lower end of 

charge voltage limit on spacecraft A to ensure automatic charge termination, 

albeit with a lower than recommended recharge ratio, this strategy was 

adopted for all three spacecraft prior to the Autumn 1996 eclipse season. 

The thermal limits, criteria 4 and 5, are only expected to be reached in 

abnormal circumstances. To date, only termination by criteria 1, 2, or 3 

have been experienced. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -457- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
CHARGE TERMINATION 

'#. 

u.. ..... Ow 

)-0 

OZ ZW 

wO::: 

::::»0::: 

a::::» wO 

0:::0 

LLO 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

o 

SPRING 1995 ECLIPSE .SEASON 

BIIIIEoCV 

t::~:::*::::::::::::J 1°C in 15 min. 

_k=105% 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

The above chart gives the frequencies of occurrence of the three charge 

termination criteria encountered during the Spring 1995 eclipse season. 

The low end-of-charge voltage (EoCV) on spacecraft A at 41.4 V ensures 

this criteria is always reached first. Although this results in a k-factor of 

-90%, the fairly high trickle charge rate of the order of C/100 ensures the 

batteries are fully charged each season. Among the other batteries there is 

a fairly even distribution of charge termination criteria. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -458- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
BATTERY RECONDITIONING CAPACITIES 

55~--------------------------------~ 

.c 

« 

-

~ o 

50 

~ 45 

« 

o 

-o-A1 -e-82 

+A2 .... C1 

*81 *C2 

890 A90 891 A91 892 A92 893 A93 894 A94 S95 A95 S96 

SEASON 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

In-Orbit Performance. 

1. Reconditioning. 

The reconditioning cycle also serves as a battery health check. This 

consists of discharging the battery through a 102.5 Q resistor until the first 

cell falls below 400 mV or until all cells are below 600 mV. Although it may 

be preferable to terminate the discharge for example when the first cell 

reaches 100 mV, ground station availability and "down-time" have to be 

taken into account. Allowing for a maximum down-time of thirty minutes, 

the 400 mV limit is considered a safe voltage level where a further thirty 

minutes of discharge would not lead to reversal. 

The above figure shows the returned capacity during this cycle each time it 

has been performed. The 35AB03 cells used in the SKYNET batteries had 

a positive plate loading of 12.65 ± 0.6 g dm-2 of active material. This gives 

a theoretical capacity of 48.4 Ah on average. The gentle increase in 

capacity with time is considered normal and is attributed to the corrosion of 

the nickel substrate of the cathodes. In all cases the rate of increase in 

capacity is less than 1 ampere-hour per year. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -459- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
DISCHARGE CURVES FOR BATTERY Ai DURING RECONDITIONING 

> 50 

-

w 

C) 40 FE~t 1990 

~ "-

g FJB.1995 30 

~ 20 w 

I-

~ 10 I I i 

m 0 40 80 120 160 

TIME ON DISCHARGE I h 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

The batteries are reconditioned prior to each eclipse season, except in the 

case of spacecraft 8 which has annual reconditioning. Examination of the 

reconditioning discharge profile provides information on the health of the 

batteries. The above diagram compares the discharge profiles for 

spacecraft A battery 1 from 1990 with that from 1995. A second voltage 

plateau is evident immediately before the termination of discharge, 

indicating that the cells are limited by the positive electrodes. The 

depression of the 1995 curve by approximately 100 mV implies the internal 

resistance of the battery has increased by 7% over the five year period. 

This can be attributed to the normal electrolyte redistribution during lifetime. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -460- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
MAXIMUM DEPTH OF DISCHARGE DURING ECLIPSE 

50~--------------------------------~ 

';F. 45 

u.- OW 40 

:z:C) 

t: ~ 35 

w:Z: 

C~ 30 

c -e-A1 <>- A2 AB1 oB2 -e-C1 -vC2 

25~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~ 

891 A91 892 A92 893 A93 894 A94 895 A95 896 A96 

ECLIPSE SEASON 

MATRA MARCONI 8PACE 

2. Eclipse Performance. 

As operational demands vary the depth of discharge each battery 

experiences also varies from season to season, as may be seen in the 

above figure. The solar absorbency of the secondary surface mirrors 

increases with time as deposits condense from the out-gassing spacecraft, 

causing the spacecraft temperature to rise. Midway through the life of the 

spacecraft this temperature rise is compensated for by the permanent 

disabling of a 50 W general level heater, thereby reducing the load on 

battery one of each spacecraft in later years. To enable comparisons of 

battery voltages to be made differences in depths of discharge must be 

taken into account. However, from the above figure it can be seen that all 

six batteries have converged and are operating in the range 38 ± 2 % depth 

of discharge. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop ~461- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
END OF NIGHT VOLTAGES - SPACECRAFT A 

34.5.--------------------, 

-o-A1 -<>A2 

> 34.0 

[FIGURES GIVE DEPTH OF DISCHARGE I %] 

-

> z 

o 

w 33.5 

33 33 

36 36 

33 36 36 36 

36 37 39 37 

t~A t~A 33. 0 L-I-~-L----'-_-L----JL--~_"---J-_J...---J._-L----'.......I 

S91 A91 S92 A92 S93 A93 S94 A94 S95 A95 S96 A96 

ECLIPSE SEASON 

MArRA MARCONI SPACE 

2.1 Spacecraft A. 

The above figure gives the end of night voltages for spacecraft A for the 

peak eclipse each season. The numbers at each point indicate the depth of 

discharge of the battery at that eclipse. The battery voltage is measured on 

the spacecraft using an eight-bit analogue-to-digital converter to cover the 

voltage range 0-50 V, giving a resolution of 1 bit equals 194 mV. Battery 1 

has had a constant peak eclipse depth of discharge after the general level 

heater H5 was turned off in June 1991, while battery two's depth of 

discharge fell by 4% during the period that one of its travelling wave tube 

amplifiers [rWTA) was switched off. 

From the graph it can be seen that battery 2 had a depth of discharge of 

37% in Spring 1991 and in the Autumn of 1995. During this period the 

battery voltage has decreased by 1-2 telemetry bits (-200 - 400 mV). As 

most of the spacecraft heaters are on bus 1 (heaters are resistive loads) 

and the payload is mostly on bus 2 (the payload is essentially a constant 

power load) this may explain the small difference in the above curves. 

While care must be taken with data with such limited resolution, it does 

appear that the battery with resistive loads is not degrading as much as the 

battery with constant power loads. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -462- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
SPACECRAFT A BATTERY 2 VOLTAGE PROFILES DURING ECLIPSE 

> 42 

-

w 

e" 40 

« 

~ 

..J 38 

g 36 

~ w 34 ~ SPRING 1991 ~ « 32 

m -10 10 30 50 70 90 

TIME FROM START OF ECLIPSE I min. 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

The above curves show the discharge voltage profiles during the Spring 

1991 and Autumn 1995 seasons. The later curve shows a higher steady 

state voltage on trickle charge and a lower end-of-night voltage, though in 

both cases these differences correspond to one telemetry bit. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -463- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
END OF NIGHT VOLTAGES - SPACECRAFT B 

34.5 ~-------------------r 

-ts- B1 -0 B2 

[FIGURES GIVE DEPTH OF DISCHARGE I %] 

> 34.0 

34 33 

> -

z 

o w 33.5 

39 39 

49 49 46 46 38 38 

33.0 ....-._-'----'-_-1-----1-_-'----1._-'----'_-'--_'----'--1 

S91 A91 S92 A92 S93 A93 S94 A94 S95 A95 S96 A96 

ECLIPSE SEASON 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

2.2 Spacecraft B. 

A spacecraft is vulnerable during reconditioning when one of its batteries is 

fully discharged. As spacecraft B's batteries are only reconditioned once 

per year the effect of omitting reconditioning prior to an eclipse season can 

be evaluated. The option of being able to omit a reconditioning sequence 

may be desirable, particularly during a period of stress. The above curve 

shows the end-of-night voltages for the peak eclipse. Annual 

reconditioning, prior to the Spring eclipse season was introduced in 1994. 

The difference in battery voltage between the Spring and Autumn seasons 

is up to 400 mV. Surprisingly, the annual recondition seems more effective 

at restoring battery voltage than when half-yearly reconditioning was 

employed. However, no explanation for this phenomenon is offered. 

Although battery one was more heavily discharged during the earlier part of 

its life, its end-of-night voltage in later life appears constant when the 

reconditioning effect is taken into account. Battery 2 has had a nearly 

constant depth of discharge throughout life with no evidence of voltage 

degradation. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -464- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
> 

> -

z 

END OF NIGHT VOLTAGES - SPACECRAFT C 

34.5,..--------------------, 

-e- C1 vC2 

34.0 [FIGURES GIVE DEPTH OF DISCHARGE I %] 

39 39 

~ 33.5 40 38 39 

41 40 40 

33. 0 '--'-_.a.....-....I---I._-'-----'-_"'--~--I'____'____I._-i--I 

S91 A91 S92 A92S93A93S94A94 S95A95 S96A96 

ECLIPSE SEASON 

MArRA MARCONI SPACE 

2.3 Spacecraft C. 

This is the control spacecraft in the sense that the batteries are operated in 

accordance with established procedures. The loading on both batteries has 

been constant throughout life with the exception of the level heater H5 

being turned off in August 1994. This gave a 3% reduction in depth of 

discharge. From the discharge profiles the battery voltage fall with depth of 

discharge, at the discharge rates used, can be determined. All spacecraft 

battery voltages fall within the range -65 ± 5 mV per percent depth of 

discharge. Thus although battery one's voltage appears to fall by one 

telemetry bit, when the lower depth of discharge is taken into account this is 

equivalent to two bits, the same as battery two. 

These two batteries, while giving better than acceptable performance, are 

under performing the other four batteries. With hindsight this may not be 

surprising, as even in the cell vendor's data pack these cells were seen to 

have marginally lower capacities, and consequently these batteries are 

being worked "harder" in orbit. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -465- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
SUMMARY 

1. 10 387 776 cumulative cell hours in orbit with no failures. 

2. Recharge ratio of 90% and a trickle charge rate of C/100 is 

sufficient to maintain the batteries fully charged. 

3. Annual reconditioning is sufficient to fully restore battery 

performance. 

4. The low-current, low-temperature (UL T) philosophy of 

battery management has resulted in better than expected 

battery performance over the design life. 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

Summary. 

The six batteries on these three spacecraft have to date (3rd December 

1996) accumulated over 10 million cumulative cell hours with no failures 

and continue to perform with barely detectable signs of degradation. The 

cell and battery specifications developed by both ESA and NASA 

combined with an in-orbit battery management strategy based on low 

temperature, low current density and low depths of discharge have resulted 

in a spacecraft fleet whose batteries have exceeded all expectations. The 

LILT approach additionally results in a simplification of the battery 

operational procedures. Semi-autonomous eclipse operation is possible 

with a single voltage limit, as temperature compensation or VT curves are 

not needed with the constant current charging available from the dedicated 

solar array strings. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -466- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The authors are indebted to the following: 

-The members of 1001 Space Unit, RAF Oakhanger, 

for their co-operation and provision of much of the data 

contained in this paper, 

-Colleagues in the SKYNET Project Team, for many 

useful and informative discussions, 

-The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, for 

permission to publi'sh this paper. 

MATRA MARCONI SPACE 

References. 

1. P. J. Johnson and N. R. Francis, Proc. 1995 NASA Aerospace Battery 

Workshop, NASA Conference Publication 3325, (1996), 175. 

2. NASA Specification NHB8073.1, "NASA Specification for Manufacturing 

and Performance Requirements of NASA Standard Aerospace NickelCadmium Cells",(1988). 

3. "Power Standard", ESA Publication PSS-02-10 Vol. 1 Issue 1 (1992). 

4. "Failure Rates for ESA Spacecraft and Associated Equipment", ESA 

Publication PSS-01-302 Issue 1 (1985). 

5. T. Dawson, "Elimination of Battery Cell Bypass Electronics on 

FLTSATCOM", Paper 849002, Proc. IECEC '84, (1984), 72. 

6. D. F. Schmidt, General Electric Company, Private Communication, 

(1986). 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -467- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
Page intentionally left blank 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {3 

2 

~ ! FAST Spacecraft Battery Design and Performance ~ 

~ {l 

I 

..j:::.. 

0'1 

\0 

I 

'i'" 

~ g 

~ 

~. 

~ 

f:; 

15' 

;:: 

by David S. Jung Gopalakrishna Rao 

Anisa Ahmad 

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center 

Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 

~~ "'-

o· I • , t 

lJ'\ -..t::: 

'-~ ~ 
.... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

Sl 

1 

~ 

! 

~ 

~ -@ 

1-

---l 

o 

I 

3; 

~ 'i'" 

g 

Ii 

e· 

lii 

~ 

f:5 g. 

Abstract 

The Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) Explorer spacecraft is to study the physical processes 

that produce the aurora borealis and aurora australis. It is a unique plasma physics experiment 

that will take fundamental measurements of the magnetic and electrical fields. This investigation will add significantly to our understanding of the near-earth space environments and its effects. 

The FAST has a 1 year requirement and3-year goal for its mission life in low earth orbit. The 

FAST power system topology is a Direct Energy Transfer (DET)system based on the SAMPEX 

design. The FAST flight battery supplies power to the satellite during pre-launch operations, the 

launch phase, the eclipse periods for all mission phases, and when the load requirements 

exceed solar array for all mission phases. The nominal orbital average load is about 50 watts. 

The FAST battery, 9 Ah Super nickel-cadmium (SNiCd), was designed by Hughes Aircraft 

Company (HAC) in Torrance, California. The cells were manufactured by Eagle Picher 

Industries (EPI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The battery assembly contains twenty-two 

series-connected prismatic hermetically sealed cells with dual ceramic seals. The battery 

weighs 11.3 Kg. The size of. battery is 12.70 in x 7.26 in x 4.95 in. The cell and battery designs 

are presented together with the ATP data, life cycle test results, 1& T operations, and in flight performance data. 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ] 

~ 

~ 

~ 

.~ 

.~ -§ 

OUTLINE 

-MISSION OVERVIEW 

- POWER SUBSYSTEM ELECTRONICS 

- BAlTERY DESIGN 

- CELL DESIGN 

- CELLATP DATA SUMMARY 

~ - LIFE CYCLE TEST DATA I 

~ 

i 

~. 

f€l 

~ 

o· 

;:s 

• BAlTERYBACKGROUND 

- DPA SUMMARY AND RESULTS 

- HANDLING AND STORAGE 

- IN-FLIGHT PERFORMANCE 

-SUMMARY 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:t.. 

~ i; 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

.j::.. 

....J 

N 

I 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ ~. 

~ 

~ §' 

FAST MISSION OVERVIEW 

• The second of the small-class explorer (SMEX) missions 

• Investigate plasma physics of the auroral phenomena which occurs 

around both poles of the earth 

• SIC will orbit in a near-polar, highly elliptical orbit 

• One year mission duration 

• Launched in August 1996 
.... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

f:.: 

~ 

~ 

(5 

{3 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

~ 

-....J 

W 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ ;: 

~. 

f(l 

~ 

c· 

;:: 

POWER SUBSYSTEM ELECTRONICS 

• VT Controller 

Number of VT levels changed from 8 to 16 

t 

• Amp hour Integrator included as a key part of charge control 

G~UNOPOWER~ TEl51oAETl'IY 

, 

,lESS 

r .1"1 1dSUS 

IUS ..--...... ---...... -.. L 1 ~ PYRO !SUS 

jill ..... ~ • 

SOl!:>R ARAAY ~ ~ • •• 

· · · · ...... It' • 

. . 

G;lOUNO POWER 

-1\.M 1\.M 

-':1.M ~~ ~8US r I ~ ~~ I 

1\.M 

Small Explorer Power System Block Diagram 
...... 

'0 

~ BATTERY DESIGN ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ • 9AH Super NiCd (SIN 002) (\) 

2' ! · 22 cells connected in series using crossed intercell connections 

"'/ 

~ 

~ • 22 - 34 Volt -§ 

I 

.j::.. 

'-l 

.j::.. 

I 

• Dimension: 18.3 x 32.3 x 12.6 Cm 

• Mass: 10.96 Kg 

• Operate in a 0 to 25 deg. C (Baseplate) 

• The SAMPEX Battery connectors re-oreinted to meet FAST mechnical 

footprint 

- Minimum of harness re-routing 

- No re-wiring 

~ • Capability to monitor battery & cell voltages and battery temperature 

.,. 

("') 

~ • Capability for external charging, reconditioning, and cooling of battery 

§ 

~ 

~ c' 

;:s 
/ 

/ / ;:-\ 

,/ 

:J > 

~ ... _\I 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery W. orkshop 

)\ \ \ 

-475-

'. 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

./ 

/ 

;' 

./ 

.' 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ \. 

/ 

-' 

, 

/ 

: 

o 

c::: 

~ 

o 

::J 

... 

~ 

en 

tal 

= 

as 

CD 

... 

~ 

o 

o 

c::: 

.... 

.-

a 

:l 

a.. 

m 

.-

E 

c. 

• 

0) 

<C 

mlUm Session Nickel-Cad . 
...... 

'0 

~ CELL DESIGN 

:l:.: 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

~ 

~ • 11.5 AH Capacity at 10 deg. C ~ 

2' 

~ • Specific energy at 10 deg. C: 31Wh/Kg ~ .... 

~ • Sinter void volume for both neg. and pos. electrodes: 800/0 ~ 

I 

~ 

-....l 

0\ 

I 

~ 

.,.. 

~ 

f? 

~ ;::' 

Si 

~ 

1:5 

0' 

:: 

• 11 positive, 12 negative electrochemically impregnated plates 

• Zircar separator 

• 31% KOH electrolyte concentration 

• 35 to 40% precharge ratio 
..... 

'0 

'0 CELL ATP DATA SUMMARY 0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

"" ci 

{; Flight Battery (SIN 002) ~ 

"" lS' CelLS/N Capacity Ah Cell SIN Capacity Ah ~ 

~ 

~ 13 12.07 16 12.17 ~ 22 12.03 23 12.03 .g 26 12.03 28 12.06 

29 12.07 36 12.04 

39 12.06 48 12.03 

64 12.06 66 12.05 I 

~ 71 12.07 73 12.14 

-.....l 74 12.08 75 12.10 -.....l 

I 

81 12.05 83 12.03 

84 12.04 85 12.04 

88 12.04 89 12.06 

Avg. = 12.06 

Avg. Cell Wt. = 442 grams 

Total Cell Wt. = 21 .44 LB 

~ 

~ -I 

~ S. ;:= i:;. 

::= 

~ 

1:l 

c· 

;:= 
...... 

:;g 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

a- ;:s-

.g 

I 

~ 

-....J 

00 

I 

~ ... 

o 

S. 

::.I ;:' 

::i 

~ 

~ 

o· 

::.I 

LIFE CYCLE TEST ORTR 

Voltage/Pressure/Recharge EOC /EOO Trend Plot 08/31/92 - 10/30/96 

SAMPEX Mfg .. HUGHES Temp(C): 5 000(%): Varied MISSION ORBIT 

V-avg Hi Voltage ~ Lo Voltage Rchg 

1.60 r 

I 

1.50 t 

i· ....... "'(~~ ,\ '>0 I", ,.t ... ""....,j.:.L""~'t~\,i\. . ~ .. ,.~~t:'(,"{ .. ~ .... 

1 t

c,L<:.iJ- ~. ',,\,."I '.'~"'. ~" : ,~ .40 ~l1 Z! '" .' ~ ~, ~. 'mv~ 

I~ {S ro' ' 

.!: 1.30 + 

~ r ~ ~ 1.20 ~ 'f>~ 'J ~ 'it!.Ja~fjfl8~ ~.,m'mffi I 

1.10 i 

1 

i 

I 1.00 ~---~~ I~--~--~--~~~~--~---r------+---

o 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 

Nominal SAMPEX mission profile (7137 cycles) and nominal FAST mission profile 

(>9000 cycles at 12% 000 and 5 deg. C) for the FAST flight battery cell pack 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

~ 1 

J 

~ 

~ ::-

.g 

.l::. 

-.....) 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ ~ e' 

Si 

~ 

1:l 

o· 

;:s 

BRTTERY BRCKGROUND 

- 9 Ampere-Hour Super NiCd deueloped as flight Battery for SAMPEH 

- Cells actiuated in May 1991 

- Receiued from Hughes in January 1992 

- Shipped to Hughes for rework (bent base plate) and retest in 

January 1992 

- Hughes shipped battery back to GSFC in June 1993 

- Performed magnetic testing in September 1993 

- UPA one cell (LOT 1, S/N79) to eHtend the wet life after 3 years of 

storage in April, 1994 

- Mechanical and electrical integration to spacecraft were 

performed in May 1994 

- Performed thermal uac test in June 1994 

- Battery moued to mag. test site for mag. testing in June 1994 

- Spacecraft packed for shipment to Wallops for spin balance in July 

1994 

- Launch scrubbed due to Pegasus failure on August 1994 

- Remoued battery from SIC for storage in battery lab in September 

1994 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

+:-

00 

o 

I 

~ 

~ 

:= ~ ~. 

~ 

1:5 

o· 

;:: 

BRTIERY BRCKGROUND (CON'T) 

- UPR another cell (LOT 1, SIN1 08) to eHtend the wet life after 4 

years of storage in Mar., 1995 

I ntegrated battery to sIc in Rpril 1995 

- Performed T IU and SIc functional test in Rpril 1995 

- Moued battery to Battery Lab due to another Pegasus failure in 

Rugust 1995 

- Battery has been topped-off euery 3 or 4 days interuals at Battery 

Lab 

- Started re-integration actiuities in March in preparation for 

Rugust, 1 996 

- UPR another c.ell (LOT 1, SIN 86) to eHtend the wet life after 5 

years of storage in Rpril, 1996 

- Flight battery was re-integrated to SIC on Rpril 20, 1996 
.... 

\0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:A. 

~ {) 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

DPA SUMMARY AND RESULTS 

• DPA was performed on Lot 1 SIN 86 in April 1996 

• The cell was removed after 5 years of open circuit and trickle charge storage 

to evalluate it for flight worthiness 

• Nominal capacity (>10 Ah) 

• Slightly lower charge and discharge voltages were observed when compared to 

a previous FASTcel1 from 3.5 years of trickle charge storage 

~ • The same amount of electrolyte was observed for both cells (4.20 cc/Ah) 00 

...... 

I 

..., 

~ 

rt 

'i'"' 

Q 

e.. :: 

E" 

;: 

f<l 

~ 

0" 

::= 

• The separators looked well wetted and the cell experienced minimal cadmium 

migration as evident in the separators 
...... 

~ 0-

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {:j 

2 

I 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

..j::.. 

00 

N 

I 

~ 

~ 'i" 

D 

fi 

~' 

~ 

~ 

0' 

:::I 

HANDLING AND STORAGE 

• Maintained charged open circuit condition with a periodic top-off charge 

or trickle charged continually 

• Battery was stored on trickle charge mode (C/100, 6 deg. C) at Battery Lab 

after receiving it from the vendor in Jan. 92 . 

• Performed top-off charge (C/20, 0.45A, 15 deg.C, 140 min or rollover + 30 min) 

after 5 min. discharge at 1 Amp. every 3 or 4 days at Battery Lab when not 

on trickle charge 

• At the launch site, performed top-off charge and battery was trickle charged 

continously after the final reconditioning before launch; Battery 

temperature was maintained at -18 deg. C 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

a 

{l 

2 

~ 

S 

~ 

~ .g 

!. 

00 

W 

I 

~ 

~ 

S! ~ e· 

S! 

~ 

~ o· 

::II 

IN-FLIGHT PERFORMANCE 

• Changed VT level from 5 to 4 to acheive c/d ratio at -110% 

• Battery temperature has been stablized and is running around 5 deg. C 

• The following trend plots summarize in-flight perfomance since the launch: 

1. Trending delta half voltage 

2. Battery voltage 

3. Battery discharge volt and minimum state of charge 

4. Volt and temp trending 

5. Max discharge current 

6. Max charge current 

7. Total c/d ratio 

8. C/O ratio and eclipse duration 
i , C

) , I I 

! 

, 

I 

I , I x 

I i <C 

! C\I ::?! 

W 0 ~ ) 0 > 

" \ ! C') 

..J 

u.. 

c( I :c 

~ \ <C \ I ~ 0 \ 

I \ w 

> 0 

LL i ...... ..I ~ - C\I 

c( I , C\I 

~ ! :..... 

:x: ~ 

w c( I0 

~ as ~ a: z 0 it w \ ::?! 

C , I- \ T"" > 

a: 

" tJ ~ t() u.. 

<C i T"" ....J 

:c Z :c 

(.) I - 1 <C C , ~ Z I w 

w 

1 0 

ta:: , 

t- o (0 

en 

\ I ...... ~ 

c( 

I LL , I , 

, 

\ i ~ 

, 

'" 0 ;..; 

'" 

[}--::.E .,... 

'" L(') .,... L(') 0 L(') ..- t() 

0 0 0 0 0 .,... 

0 0 0 • 0 . • 

0 W ....J I-<C :c <C ....J u.. > 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -484- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
 i I C

) 

0> 

CD 

, -

a:s 

(5 

I > I - ! ..c: , .S'll 

I \ I z ! , C\I - Q x 

r 

0 0 

I \ C") "0 

\ w 

s:: 

.... 

I 

>. 

\ .... en Q) 

if -a:s - I co 

~ 

a: I 

" 0 X .L C\I I 

I C\I x > W I 

I , 

.- (!7 

! I '*" <t: 

t5 !:: co ! .- CD 

..J a: UJ 0 / I 0 Lf > I CD I 

i 0> 

1::: > ! I ..- a:s 

a:s ,....., X 1.0 - a: '--' T (5 ..c: ! ,... U W f ! > 

I::: ! I >. I .... 

« i 

I -

CD I 

- a.l I <tI 

I I CO 

I E 

/ :::l 

C 

r , CO E 

T .r--. 'x 

<tI J 

::2 ! 

U 

0 X C\I 

\ 

..., C\J 

..... 0 0) CX) r--. 

C"') C") C\J C\I C\J 

(1\) aoeuoJ\ ,{Janes 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -485- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
 

\ \ I C

) 

.... I I 

Q) 

c:s I 

a: I 2l 

< ~ :z: \ 

\ 

I () (J 

\ I ..... LL 1 0 

0 I 

t 

C\J Q) 

W • tJ 0 Cii 

~ C") 

-en 

t'; E 

I :::s 

::E E ~ 

I 

'c 

::E ~ Z 

() !IS I ,.... I 

0 • + C\I 

en c I : C\J 

• ~ Z I 

> < I '*I:: 

I- uJ !::: CJ J 

< < f c:o 

c:o a: Q) 

!:i I 0 0> 

l- I (Ij 

(J) 0 

- < > I I '0 I 

1 .,..... > u.. W 0 LO 

1:: CJ I ..... 

- (Ij ! .c: 

.c: a: 

/ / .!2> 

() < z :z: I ..... (J 0 

CIJ 

I "C 2S c: 

> 

d i i w 

a: 1 I / co 

I 

i?':' w • ~ ,.... Q) 

I 

-(Ij - m I c:o 

l- I 

CIJ ! 

I 

u. 

<C 0 I I 

U I 

I 

I C\J 

• 0 C\J 

,I 

i 

, / 

, / 

i 

• 0 ,... 

C\J 0 OJ <0 

C') C') C\J C\J 

a6ello/\ l4

6!N 10 

p

U3 AJaneS 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -486- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
E 

CO 

:::s ... r- E Q) 

en Co 

« 'x E 

"- CO Q) 

a: ~ I-- I 

0 I I 

i I • "- I 

~ .i- C\I I 

C!J 0 x , 0 ~ 

I I I (t) 

I z I 

Z 

c - I Q) W I 

a: i C> ! CO ... , - I '0 W I ,.... > a: I , 

0 X ~ C\I 

- I-- :;) .J:: 

I C\I C> cd ~ I 

Z 

> a: # 

- I-- I-- 0 

« w £Xl "C m a. a: c::: 

I-- :E 0 w 

CJ) W >. « t- ... U. i I ,... Q) 

C 0 >:< ~ It) 

- T - t:: Z ,... co 

co m 

.J:: « () 

!:i 

« 

C!J 

w 

>:< 

> 

0 

X i (0 

> 

0 ~+ ,.... ! 

a: Q) 

w co 

C> 

I: '0 - « , > 

m , 

.8 

.... 

>. 

i C\I til 

0 X ?:. C\I m 

/ :::s 

E 

/ E 

/ 'x 

/ ~ 

co 

/ 

---G-'/ ;,.< .,.... 

" It) 0 It) 0 It) 0 It) 0 

M (t) C\I C\I .,.... ,... 

aJn~eJadwa.L i a6elioA Alanes 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -487- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
J 996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -488- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
, 

, 

~------------~:~~-------------------- C\I ..- o 

(sdw'V) IUaJJnQ h.Ianes 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -489-

..-

C\I 

C\I 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
() 

J: 

« 

0:: 

l-

~ 

C/) 

I0 

0 

0:: 

~ 

0 -C 

a: 

!i 

0 

LL 

0 

a: 

LL 

<C 

tJ) 

r-

-

e 

tJ) 

0 

::r::: 

<C 

a: 

CJ 

W 

-

() 

i 

W \ 

\ 

CJ \ 

\ 

a: \ 

<C \ ::r::: \ 

0 \ 

...I \ 

to 

t-

<C 

,/ 

.,... 

~--~~~------------

,... 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

.,... .... 

C\J 

U') 

.,... 

..... 

10 

-490-

.,... ,... 

o 

U') 

.... 

C\J 

C\J 

,.... 

(0 

.... 

10 

.... 

C\I 

C\I 

,.... 

('I) 

0 

C\I 

0 

0:: 

m 

I-

'**' 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ 

~ 1 

~ iii 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

.l:.. 

\0 

..-

I 

~ 

~ 'i'"" 

~ 

~ ~. 

f(l 

~ g' 

1.4 

1.35 ~" 0 

+= 1.3 

co 

a: 

e· 1.

25 

0 

(ij 1.2 .... 

0 

I-

~ 1.15 

Q) 

.... 

.... 

co 

!Xl 1.1 

1.05 

1 

Chart FAST C/O & Eclipse 

FAST CHARGE TO DISCHARGE (C/O) RATIO & ECLIPSE DURATIOf\ 

35 

. __ ----A·------·· ---------. --.-.--------.• -

-A-___ ~ ___ ... 30 

A-

--. --0__________ ~----- -------.-0-

-------~ 

-. --.-. - ---- --_.. /- -.. - .- -.. ---- -----I -.--.----.- --.-./----- ------- .----- ··· .. ·+·_·_-----_··-----1·_···· __ · ----. ---; ._ .. -

22 76 151 227 302 378 

ORBIT # 

-0-· Total C/O Ratio- ... -~ ECIi~~;~~:t;~nl 

, 

25 

m 

o 

20 '0' 

(J) 

Q) 

15 2' 

e o· 

10 :::l 

o 5 

o 

454 
...... 

'C 

~ SUMMARY ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ i · FAST SIC with 9 Ah SNiCd was launched in August 1996 

i · This w"as the fourth SNiCd mission in LEO application ~ 

~ • The cells were activated for 63 months prior to launch and maintained on I trickle charged at 5 deg. C whenever possible 

I 

~ 

\0 

N 

I 

~ ~ ';"" 

g 

~ ;.;" 

:= 

f(l 

1:; 

5" 

::I 

• The flight data indicates that the FAST SIC is performing nominally since 

Aug '96 launch 
1 GBResults of V rr Verification 

SkWeHall 

NAVSORW ARCENDIV Crane 

Michelle Manzo 

NASA Lewis Research Center 

2 OProgram 

• Evaluate various spacecraft cell designs 

" Abandomnent of the NASA Standard CeUdesign 

3 OTestPlan 

• Repeat some of Manufacturers A TP test 

• Perfonn NASA standatd acceptance test 

.. Vibration of 1-2 cells of each cell design according to MIL-STD-1540B 

-Baseline DPA perfonned on 1 cell each design 

4 CJTest Plan Continued 

• Define vrr curves for present day flight cells at 0,20,25 & 30 ()C 

• Implementation of these curves in a 40 % 000 LEO life test at 0, 20 & 30 "C 

• GEO testing at 10 °C 

5 oDefining Max 

Voltage of Curve 

• CeUscycled in 4(Yt1o DoD, 90 min orbit for minimum of.500 cycles at 20 "C 

• Voltage limit is increased in 10 millivolt increments 

.. Maximum voltage is detennined when taper current begins to increase 

• Repeat millivolt adjustments for remaining temperatures 

6 wDefining Min 

Voltage of Curve 

• Voltage limit is decreased in 10 millivolt increments 

• Minimum voltage at 100% recharge 

• Repeat millivolt adjustments for remaining temperatures 

7 c:JDeveloping Curve 

• Millivolt \\indow = value of max-min yolts 

• Increment of change = Millivolt "indo\\' equally dh'ided by the remaining 6 

levels 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -493- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
• Mid level := average volts of window 

8 c:lTypes in Program 

• Acme 55,18 Afh, nylon & poly separator 

• Saft 50 A/h 

• Sanyo 35 A/h 

• Sanyo 35 Afh, Ni-Mh 

• EPI Magnum, 21 A/h 

• Hughes Super Ni-Cd, 21 AIh 

9 CJTest Conditions 

• LEO Cycle 40 % DoD 

Discharge.8 C for.5 Hr. 

Charge .8C for 1 hr. 

Temperatures 0, 20 and 30°C 

• GEO Cycle 80% DoD 

Shadow period 42 days 

Orbit 24 hours. 

Temperature 10°C 

• All types except for Acme cells 

10 c:lStatus 

• V rr curves have been defined for Acme, Sanyo, EPI, Hughes and Saft cells 

• Twenty-six packs in life cycling 

11 c:JComments 

• Recommend middle ofVrr range at beginning oflife 

• Aqjustment factor remains constant 

12 :.:.JConc1usions 

• Vlr window varies for each Manufacturer and temperature 

• Maximium level increase's with cycle life 

• NASA standard V rr cun'es not applicable 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -494- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
MID VOLTAGE RECHG 

en 

I-

~ 

o 

> 

1 00 --L. __ -'-_ 

1 .45 ~/ 

1.4 

II SAFT • ACME 

D SANYO MH 

o 10 20 

TEMPERATURECENT~RADE 

MID VOLTAGE 

I 'j 0 

TEMPS 

C! 10 ~ 20 IE 30 

SANYO ACME HUII!PI SANYOMH STAND 

. ADVANCE BATTERY PROJECT 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -495-

30 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
IVII N 

20 C>E(3REES ~ENTI(3RA..DE 

1 _25 

140 

70 

IVIH 

HU/EPI 

STA.NDA.R.D 

MILLIVOLT VVINDOVV 

TEMPS 

I!iII 20 

HUJ'I!!PI SANYOMH STAND 

INCREMENT OF CHANGE 

TEMPS 

o 0 C 10 ~ 20 IE 30 I 

1 10 !.-. I 

o~~~~~~~~~~~~~Y SANYO AeMII! HU/EPI STAND 

ADVANCE BATTERY PROjECT 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -496- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
o AVG VOlTS 

--%RECHG 18 Ah ACME (NYLON) PACK 0018N. 40% 000.20 C 

1.45 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

~ 5 1.25 

> 

CI 1.2 

a: 1.15 

1.1 

1.05 

'" \ f!I 

I!l 

0 

0 

§ 8 

(1J 

o AVe:, VOLTS 

El [] 0 CI 

\ s \ 

'" I:l 0 

'" B 

EI 0 

~ ~ ~ CYCLES 

--%RECHG 55 Ah ACME (POLY) PACK 0056N, 40% 000,20 C 

1.

45

1~: l r;11 (run"" !tti'" 

• I3 [] [3 

13 0 I:J 0 Ei 

(f)'o Cl If e 

~ 1.25 t\ i i \ ;. \1

0

\ " 

CI 1.2 ~ c J ! u .:, > !;:. , I Q riD 

< ' C J. . '" I 0 

1.15+ 0 i I '" tic 

1.1 ~ ~ I r I t 

1.05 + + ! ~, i ~ 

+-- 1 ! i 1. ! ;1<1 I I o'! i1l 

~ ~ CYCLES 

(J AVG VOL TS 

---%RECHG SANYO NI-CD PACK 6621R, 40% 000,20 C 

105 

100 

95 

e 90 

~ 

85 G 

II.! 80 = '# 

75 

70 

65 

60 

~ 

110 

105 

0 100 

t:I '" 

£J 95 

I 90 CJ 

:c: 

r " II.! 

C - 80 'Ill 

75 

? t 70 

+ 1 65 

f I I", 60 

§ 

.... 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ! ~ ~ ~ ~ CYCLES 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -497- Nickel-Cadmium Session 
C AVG_VOLTS 

---II- %_RECH G EPI MAGNUM 21 Ah PACK 0020E, 40% 000,2(,) C 

1.45 

1.4 

1.35 

~ 1.3 

;.J 1.25 g 

e 1.2 

::: 1.15 

1.1 

1.05 

rififfll_11O I 

I"iI 

13 

EJ 

\ E'l 

IJ 

tD,udWWJ"MUbJ H 

EI 

III 

C 110 

100 

90 ~ lJl 

80 

70 

1 +-------__ r------+~------~~----~--~----+_--~--+_----+_~r_----~ 60 

~ 

(3 AVG VOLTS 

---%RECHG 

o AVG VOLTS 

--%RECHG 

1.5 

1.4 

~ 

1.3 

0 

> 1.2 

t!:I 

;c 1.1 

CYCLES 

HUGHES SUPER NI-CD 21 Ah PACK 0020H, 40% 000,20 C 

CYCLES 

50 Ah SAFT PACK 6621S, 40% 000,20 C 

CYCLES 

1:1 [J 

\ I:l 

r:; 

o 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -498-

110 

105 

1 100 

1 95 I 

.l 90 S;2 ! ... t 65 ~ c: .;. 60 "til , 

+ 75 

J. 70 

.:. 65 

60 

~ 130 

Nickel-Cadmium Session 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ ::r-

-§ 

I 

.(:::. 

\0 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 'i"" 

~ 

~ 

~. 

~ 

~ o· 

;: 

Design and Performance Data 

For 81 Ah FNC Cells 

F. Cohen, Rocketdyne 

M. Anderman, Acme Aerospace 

Presented at: 

The 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

December 3-5, 1996 

Huntsville, Alabama ~~ ~ ...... ~ "- ~ G,\ ~ lv"', VJ 

N \\1, ' }l! '-"V ~ 

Rocketdyne I Acme Aerospace FNC ~ 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

is' 

! 

~ 

~ :t" 

{5 

I 

VI 

o 

o 

I 

..... 

~ (j 

::: 

~ 

~. 

f;;'l 

tl g' 

o 

o 

o 

o 

Background 

Roc~etdyne FNC Activity 

Rocketdyne contracted with Acme Aerospace In early 1994 to 

develop and test an 81 Ah FNC cell as a lower cost alternative to 

NI-H2 cells currently targeted for the International Space Station 

Acme designed, developed, tested and Initiated LEO cycle 

testing 8 months from receipt of contract award 

Rocketdyne has accumulated 2 years of LEO cycle test data 

under several accelerated test regimes 

This presentation Is the first public release of Rockedyne/Acme 

81 AhFNC cell performance and cycle Ufe data 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

(\) 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

o 

...-

I 

~ ~ 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ ~. 

~ 

~ 

0' 

;:s 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

Background 

FNe Technology 

Acme Aerospace started production of FNC cells In 1992 under license 

from Daug-Hoppecke in West Germany 

Several OEM contracts were secured utilizing FNC sealed cells for 

military and commercial aircraft 

Acme slightly modified several 7 Ah aircraft quality cells and began 

testing at JPL in 1992. These cells achieved 9500 LEO cycles at 

40% DOD at 20 0 C 

Limited design changes were made in '93-'94 and were implemented in 

several battery packs subsequently put on LEO tests In '94-'95 both at 

Acme and at customer's laboratories. 

The Rocketdyne test is the most extensive accelerated LEO testing 

on FNC cells to date 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::.... 

~ 

1:l 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

o 

N 

I 

<") 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ So 

;::! 

~. 

~ 

1:l 

c· 

:::: 

FNC Cell 

Design Features 

Positive Plaque Nickel plated polyolefin fibers 

Positive Impregnation Mechanical loading @ room temperature, 

neutral pH, no Nitrates 

Negative Plaque Nickel plated polyolefin fibers 

Negative Impregnation 

Separator 

Electrolyte 

Terminals 

Terminal Seals 

Case 

Mechanical loading @ room temperature, 

neutral pH, and no Nitrates 

Polypropylene permanently wetable 

Pore size less than 5 micron 

30%KOH 

Nickel 

Ziegler Crimp Seal 

Welded stainless steel, hermetically sealed 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

~ !i; 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

o 

W 

I 

~ 

~ 

~ e.. 

;::c 

~. 

f(l 

1:; 

c· 

;: 

X81 Design Parameters 

Theoretical Positive Capacity 96 Ah +/- 3 

Theoretical Negative Capacity 275 Ah +/- 6 

Theoretical Neg/Pos Ratio 2.85 +/- 0.15 

Active Neg/Pos Ratio 2.1 +/- 0.1 

Positive Electrode Loading 1.5 g/cc void 

Seperator Thickness 12 mil 

Electrolyte Volume 4.1 +/- 0.1 ml/design Ah 

Weight 2860 g +/- 30 g 

Mid-Design Energy Density 40Wh/kg 

Internallmpeadance @ 1 sec, 24° C 0.46 mohm 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
ATPDATA 

.... 

'C Cell Ref. Capacity Impeadance LEO 'C 

'" 

~ Number C.l2 Ah 1 Sec mohm Profile ~ 

::to. * 6 81.0 0.54 27°C Accelerated !<:> 

... 7 85.2 0.52 " c 

i3 

~ !<:> 8 84.9 0.54 " 

~ ~ 9 85.2 0.54 -10°C Accelerated ~ 10 84.3 0.51 " ~ ~ 11 84.6 0.51 " .g 

12 85.2 0.54 10°C @ 60% DOD 

13 84.7 0.54 " 

14 85.2 0.54 " I 

VI 

0 

..j:>. 

I * 22 89.9 10°C Accelerated 

15 84.5 0.53 -" 

16 85.8 0.54 " 

17 84.5 0.52 " 

18 84.2 0.51 1 OOC Nominal 

19 84.9 0.53 " 

20 84.1 0.54 " 

~ * 1 90.5 0.58 " ~ * 2 91.0 0.52 " 'i" 

Q 

~ Average all: 86 +/- 5 0.54 +/- 0.04 e' 

S! * Avg (excluding 1,2,6,22) 85 +/-1 0.53 +/- 0.02 ~ 

~ 

5' Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC ::: 
...... 

'C 

'C 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ !\) 

... 

c 

{J 

~ !\) 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ::t-

.{l 

I 

VI 

o 

VI 

I 

(") 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ e· 

;: 

~ 

~ 6· 

:::: 

Pack Number 

Number of Cells 

1 3 

2 3 

3 4 

4 5 

5 3 

Test Matrix 

Test Disch. Cyclesl Number of Cycles 

Temg DOD Rglg_ Day -Is of 22 Nov 9§ 

27°C 35°A, 97 Amps 30 9,500 

-100 C 350/0 97 Amps 30 13,800 

100 C 350/0 97 Amps 30 15,800 

100 C 35% 49 Amps 16 7,900 

100 C 60% 83 Amps 16 7,780 

Rocketdyne I Acme Aerospace . FNC 
....... 

~ 0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ (1:> 

~ 

{;l 

!'l 

(1:> 

0::1 

~ (i; 

~ 

~ 

t 

~ 

I 

VI 

0 

0"1 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'" 

~ E:- ;::c 

~. 

~ 

!:; 

5' 

;::c 

2.5 

2 

- 1.5 .! 

a 

-

e 

;:, 

en 

en 

e 

a.. 1 

0.5 

o 

~ 

~ 

.. 

~ - - - - - - 110..- __ 

- .-

o 5 10 15 

-

35% 000 Accelerated LEO 

Current and Internal Pressure 

l 

-+-Pressure, 27°C 

---Pressure, _10°C 

-6-Pressure 10°C 

-Current 

A 

J~ V 

V 

..... ~ V T .... 

A. 

~ ~ 

- - - - - - - ._- ,- --- - - - - - - 20 25 30 35 40 

Time (minutes) 

80 

60 

r---. 40 

20 

-us 

0 a. 

~ C 

-20 ~ :::. 

(,) 

-40 

-60 

-80 .. ---

-100 

45 50 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FMC 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ {l 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

o 

-...l 

I 

'i'" 

~ Q 

~ ~. 

f(l 

~ 

5' 

;:s 

1.400 

1.350 

1.300 

1.250 

1.200 

1.150 

1.100 

II o 1.050 

w 

1.000 

0.950 

0.900 

0.850 

0.800 

0.750 

0.700 

-10°C Accelerated 

End of Discharge Voltage and Coulombic Charge Factor 

1.10 

---.-------_. 1.09 

- .' 1.08 

~ 

- 1.07 

-- .--' ----.-------.. ---- .---.~.-.---.---.-.- ----------- -_._------ ~------ 1.06 

w I 

~ lit ~ ""~ i 

I 

i 

"!.f"Po- ~ 

>I . ... --'-'~ - .11. -, -!.k... 

... 1.05 i 

... ;':"'..,.,., 'i~ - ·x,... -

~ -........,.~ 

1.04 4t 

e» 

! 1.03 (J 

! 

I 

..6 

~ 

o 

" 

\ 

~ 

.• Jt r-- -

-Cell #9 

Cell #10 

-*-Cell #11 

. -:!=~h~rge Facto!_ 

2000 4000 

........ 

~~ ...... 

6000 

-

..,-, ....... rw','" 

. II 

¥ 

8000 

Cycle Number 

10000 

~harge rat ° <1.0 due to E 

t.. ... - ..... - .... .----

Iimit@EOC 

I 

! 

CJ 

1.02 ~ o 

:; 1.01 0 

(J 

1.00 

0.99 

0.98 

0.97 

12000 14000 

0.96 

16000 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t... 

~ {3 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

til 

o 

00 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'" 

~ 

~ 

~. 

~ 

~ §. 

·10°C Accelerated 

Internal Pressure 

15.0 I, 

14.0 ·1···· .. ······ .. ·············· ..... ··················+······· .................................... + ............................. ···· .. ·············f····· ............... ·····························f············ .. ··········· ...................... ···+········· .. ········· .. ···· .. ········ .... ·· .... ·'II·f··· .. ······ .. ···· .. ·······•·· .. ····· ... •·· .. · ..... t .. ··· .. ······· .. ··•· .. ··· .. · .. ··· .... ·· ...... ······1 

13.0 + ............................... ; .... . • ••••••••• h ••••••••••••• + -, .......................... ,.... ·0>·······1····· .. ~ .. -...... . ....................... , ...... _+ ....... ······························ .. Il·!,······,,·········· ................................ _.! ..................... _" ........................ . 

12.0 + ............................ + .. . . •. j. . ..................... . 

11.0 I··· . i· ·j·········l ......................... ,····· .. ···· .... ·······f··· .. ············ ......... " .. _ ............. _ ... , 

_ j ! ! -.-Cell #11, End of Discharge . . . .!! 10.0 ........................................... ·····1············ ·································t· 1················· .. ··· .. ·········+························ .. ··· .. ····· .. ·····11!· .......................................... + .............................................. ~ 

~ I I - Cell #11, End of Main Charge ! 9.0 .................................... + ................................. + Cell #~1, End of Taper Charge 1·················· .. ··· ... ··+······································1 ................................................ : •....... ····•·······•·• .. ·····················1 

:::s 

en 

en 

! 

Q. 

Q. 

S 

en 

'0 

" c 

w 

8.0 + ............. 

7.0 -I .................................••............. !....... ······•····•···•····•··· .. ·····t···· ......................................... l· .............................................. / ................................................ + ...... ··············· .. · .. · .. ······· .. ·······I·~········ .. ··· .............. · .... ······ .. ·······t ... ·· .. · ... ·• .. ··•···· .. ···· .. · .... · .. ····· .. ··• ·1 

6.0 

5.0 

4.0 ........................................................ ~ .................................................. f······· .............................. _ .... ····1 ................................................... + .... _ ..................................... ··1·· {-.......... -.............................. + .............................................. ··1 

3.0 

··············1·· ....... _+ ..... 

2.0 

1.0 1

-I 

1

\........................... 

.~ .... = ... = ····=·==L=j~;~==-:-=~:;;~~~: .. ..... J: .... ." , . i 0.0 ' 

o 8000 

Cycle Number 

2000 4000 6000 

.aI' 

• I~ 1 

.·\-· .. · .. ·1+ .... · ..... + .................. . . .......... . 

... _, 

10000 12000 14000 16000 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {j 

2 

ts' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

VI 

o 

\0 

I 

~ 

~ 'i" 

~ 

!;:. ~ 

:= 

~ 1:; 

6' 

::I 

1.400 

1.350 

1.300 

1.250 

1.200 

1.150 

1.100 

£l o 1.050 

w 

1.000 

0.950 

0.900 

0.850 

0.800 

0.750 

0.700 

22 to 27°C Accelerated 

End of Discharge Voltage and Coulombic Charge Factor 

-t---.. --.------------1---. 

I I "-t--.... -

---.. I--

II, 

I- .... 1 ..... 

~=:;~~-'-' .- - ~, -. .. ~, 1""- _.1 

~ 

to 

i "'-

• 

I Center cell of 3 cell pack I ---~ 

All cells removed from test 

post test capacity first cell cap. approx. 40 Ah 

after several cap. cycles 

2000 4000 6000 

, 

\ ~ ~ ~l 

-

8000 

Cycle Number 

.. p __ Cell #6 

I' 

-.-Cell#7 

-M-Cell#8 

-+-Charge Factor 

: 

10000 12000 14000 

1.10 

1.09 

1.08 

1.07 

1.06 

... 1.05 1 

LI. 

1.04 t 

1.03 B 

u 

1.02 ~ o 

:; 1.010 

(.) 

1.00 

0.99 

0.98 

0.97 

0.96 

16000 

Rocketdyne I Acme Aerospace FNC 
...... 

\Q 

\Q 

0-

~ 

~ 

~ 15.0 <I> 

"'/ 

C 

{; 

~ 14.0 <I> 

OJ 

I:l 13.0 ... 

~ 

~ 12.0 

~ 11.0 :::-

.g 

-.13! 10.0 

'II 

Q, 

-

e 9.0 

;:,. 

CIJ 

CIJ 6.0 I e VI 0.. ..... 

0 c. 7.0 I $: 

(I), 

.... 6.0 0 

'a: 

c: 5.0 1.111 

4.0 

3.0 

2.0 

~ 1.0 

~ 

'i' 

Q 0.0 

~ $:' 

;: 

~ 

~ 

0' 

;:s 

.A AA&.aaA ,.M, ! ......... & .,"",,a, 

~.~A ~a lI:a --l("_ -~ 

- -- - -- ..J.. '. .... 

o 2000 4000 

22 to 27°C Accelerated 

Internal Pressure 

~ 

'" ~~ __ t - A. 

-

........ ~ ... - .111 J. 1_ .• ·~~I 

... 

6000 

~--' ... 

8000 

Cycle Number 

10000 

-

-.-Cell #6, End of Discharge 

--Cell #6, End of Main Charge 

~Cell #6, End of Taper Charge 

12000 14000 16000 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

..... 

..... 

I 

~ 

~ 'i"" 

<"'l 

:::s 

~ 

~. 

~ 

t5 

0' 

:::s 

10°C Accelerated 

End of Discharge Voltage and Coulombic Charge Factor 

1.400 1.10 

1.350 l .... · ........................ i·...... .. ..... ................ . ................... ; .. .... ~ ................................... ~'! .. .., ... " ...................... ".+ 1.09 

1.300 + ..................... ,,1 ...... · .......... ··""'1'''' ·1 .. · .... · ··· .. · .... ··t·· .................. .... j........................... ·· .. · .. · .. ·· .. · .... · .. ······ .. ·1· .............. ··· .. · .. ···· .... ····+ 1.08 

1.250 +... . ... ! .. . . .... . .... !......... ............ !....... ......... ..... , ..... .; ... ..... + ..................... . ................... + 1.07 

1.200 ....... ; .......... l .. _ .. ···t····.> ········ .. 1 .. ·························;··························1·····························+ 1.06 f 1.150 .r--t~j~- ··-1.·······································1········· ............................... / ....................................... / ..................... " ................. I···· .... ····,,· .. ············· .... · .. · 1.05! 

i : ::: •••• "" I! ::: ::::::!::::::::::,:~:::::::!l!:;:::i,t.j-~~~:-l::~:::~:: ::: I 

; ::::: . ·· •••• r----l:-:: .:t::-·~::::--)::::J-::~:-j:::--::-l~::::::~: : ::: i 

--Cell #15 

0.900 -t .................... ". ··1 .... ·· .. · .. ·· ········ .. 1 ................................... j .............. ·········· .... ·· .. i ............ " ·· .... " .. ·;· .. · .......... ··" ........ · .... 1 

-.-Cell#16 

I·· .. ·· .... · .... · ...... ··· .. · .. ·· .... i· .. ··" .. · ........ · ............ · .. ···+ 1.00 

0.850 + ...... ,,· ...... ·· .. ··1 .. -Cell#U7 1·,,·,,· .. · .... · ...... ·· .... ,,··· ...... + .... · ...... · .. · .. · ..· ...... · .. · .... + 0.99 

-Cell #22 

• i • r' .... '''' ..... ...\ --.- AhFador 

0.750 'I~ DOD.at 2x curre~t denSity, ~6 minute O~bitl .... "·""" ........ + ........................ { .................................... ! ..................... " ............ · .. ·1 ................ ·· .... "· .. · .. · .. + ........ · .... · ..,,· .. · ..,, ........ + 0.97 

0.800 . . ·····"t ........... j ... . •. j ... ................................. ".! ................................... + 0.98 

0.700 I I 0.96 

o 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000 20000 

Cycle Number 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
.... 

\C) 

\C) 

0-

~ 

~ 

:t.. 

<I> 

.... 

C 

{; 

tl 

<"I 

<I> 

.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

::s-

.g 

I 

VI 

-IV 

I 

~ <"l 

~ 'i" 

~ 

~ E' 

:= 

~ 

~ 

6' 

;:s 

10°C Accelerated 

End of Main and End of Taper Charge Voltage 

1.600 

1.575 

1.550 

1.525 

1.500 

CI.I 1.475 

0) 

J! '0 1.450 ...... :: ......... ...,...-...... 'F ... = ......................... + ............................... -...... + ................... ·::-:: .. :: .. ·:'!I!' .. ·t"" .. ..1., .................. ·+ .......... · .. · .......................... + ........................................ + ......................................................................................................................... . 

> 

Q. $ 1.425 - ... 

0 

.... i 1.400 

w 1.375 

1.350 

1.325 

1.300 

1.275 

1.250· 

0 

. ................... j ............... . 

---Cell #17, End of Taper 

-+-Cell #22, End of Main Charge 

- Cell #22, End of Taper Cha 

2000 4000 

I ........ · .. · .. · ............... ·i .................. · .. · .... · .... · ...... ·· .. · 

6000 8000 10000 

Cycle Number 

.. ·····1·· ..................... ' .. 

12000 14000 16000 18000 20000 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
..... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {3 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {J 

I 

VI 

...-

w 

I 

~ 

~ ;::! 

~. 

f{l 

~ o· 

;: 

1 aoe Accelerated 

Internal Pressure 

15.0 .......---or----,-----;---;-----r---==:-:-::===r:iii==;:;;r--"l 1 Atmosphere 

14.0 

13.0 

12.0 

11.0 . 

CiS 10.0 l 

- 9.0·· e! 

~ 

CI) 

CI) 

e 8.0 

D. 

Q, 7.0 

!I 

tn 

.... 

0 6.0 

" c 

W 5.0 

4.0 .• 

3.0 

2.0 

1.0 

0.0 

0 

,··f········· .. ······ .......... Mr·········· .. ·_·· .. ·····················_······· 

-+- Cell #17, End of Discharge 

-II-Cell #17, End of Main Charge 

Cell #17, End of Taper Charge 

~ Cell #22, End of Discharge 

--Cell #22, End of Main Charge 

~ Cell #22, End of Taper Charge 

.............. ; .................................... + ............................ -._.+ ............ _ .... _ .... _ ........... , 

...... ~ ...... , ............ '" ,_ ............. ~ ...... -' ............... -.-............ ! .................. , ......... ', .... ~ ··i··· .. ·· .......................... -... ~ 

··i·········· ... :.............. . ............. !.......... ", ........ ! ...................................... ~ 

. ...•. ~.. . .. j ........ " •...•.••........... _ .. ·······i·· .............. ,.... . ... -t ........... .......... ·· .. ··t··· ................................. ~ ..................................... f· ..................................... t· , ............................ -.~ ... t···· ........ · ...... · .... · .. · .......... 1 

2000 

....... -.... ~ · .... ··· .. ·· .. i .... · .... · .. ·· .... ······ .... · .......... i ...... · .... · .... · .................... ! ....................................... ! .............. .-..................... + ....................... -............ +-............................ _._.+ ............... _ ........ -......... , 

4000 6000 

.~~~ .... ~-,.. .... 

8000 10000 

Cycle Number 

12000 14000 16000 18000 20000 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FMC 
.... 

:g 

0\ 

~ 

r:: 

~ (1:l 

... 

~ 't:S 

~ !II 

~ :::t !II 

~ 

~ 

~ ::to 

{S 

I 

VI 

..... 

~ I 

~ ~ 

~ ~. 

i{l 

~ s' 

;:j 

35% 000 Accelerated lEO, 10°C 

Voltag'e and Pressure Curves at Cycles 2,000 and 12,000 

3 'I 1.6 

2.5 + ~ I~ + 1.5 

2 1.4 

-.m 

en 

-+-2000 cycles, Pressure ~ Q,. .. - -Itr-12000 cycles, Pressure aI 

~ 1.5 J1 1.3 - en 

en ......w- 2000 cycles, Voltage ~ e 

a.. a ___ 12000 cycles, Voltage 

1 -1- I-'~ I I + 1.2 

0.5 1.1 

o ------L-----~----~--~--4_----_+------+_----~----~:_----~----_;, 1 , 50 

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 

Time (minutes) 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

Sl 

] 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

...... 

VI 

I 

~ 

~ 

;: ~ 

e:' 

;: 

f(l 

~ S· 

;:: 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

Conclusions 

Sealed NI-Cd cells are not limited to 50 Ah with the FNC design 

Energy Densities of 40 Wh/kg In a conservative high Cd, 

high electroltye design have been demonstrated 

Uniform ATP data and LEO cycling performance Is being demonstrated 

Internal cell pressures remain low under all conditions 

No conditioning Is necessary under any LEO profile 

Accelerated LEO cycling exhibits performance well beyond traditional 

Space NI-Cd cells 

The FNC shows promise for applications at higher charge and discharge 

rates, wider operating temperatures and deeper DOD than has been 

prevlo.usly possible with traditional Space Ni-Cd cells. 

FNC offers lower cost, simplified system design and operating logistics, 

safer operation, comparable energy density to NI/H2, resulting In a more 

economical choice for many applications 

Rocketdyne / Acme Aerospace FNC 
Page intentionally left blank 
...... 

Ie 

Ie 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 'ti 

~ (1:> 

~ 

~ q 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

Vl 

...-

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

199~NASA BATTERY WORKSHOP 

b 

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 

~ APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES Ni-Cd and Ni·H2 

~ 'i"" 

~ 

~ 

~. 

~ 

!:l g' 

BATTERY MODELS TO SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

Paul Timmerman, Ratnakumar Bugga, and Salvador DiStefano 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ UJ 

,.PL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
.... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:.,. 

~ {3 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

-

00 

I 

...., 

~ 

rt 

,.... 

Q 

s.. 

;:: 

~. 

OUTLINE 

INTRODUCTION 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

REVIEW OF BI-PHASIC NICKEL ELECTRODE MODEL 

EFFECTS OF AGING ON HYDROGEN PRESSURES 

EFFECTS OF NICKEL ELECTRODE AGING 

EFFECTS OF CADMIUM ELECTRODE AGING 

SUMMARY 

i .lPL ELECTROCHEMICALSYSTEMSGROUP -----
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ {j 

2 

i 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

INTRODUCTION 

PREVIOUS MODELS USE A SINGLE PHASE REA.CTION 

CYCLED CELL BEHAVIOR CANNOT BE PREDICTED WITH A SINGLE PHASE 

INTERPHASE CONVERSION PROVIDES MEANS FOR FILM AGING 

~ AGING CELLS PREDICTIONS DISPLAY TYPICAL BEHAVIORS I 

~ 

~ 'i"" 

Q 

~ ~. 

VOLTAGE FADING UPON CYCLING 

SECOND PLATEAU ON DISCHARGE OF CYCLED CELLS 

NEGATIVE LIMITED BEHAVIOR FOR Ni-Cd's 

PRESSURE CHANGES IN NiH2 CELLS 

( .JPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

::g 

0-

~ 

~ 

::t.. 

~ -ti 

2 

2' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

VI 

tv 

o 

I 

~ 

~ 'i"" 

Q 

s. 

::s 

;:' 

Si 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

NICKEL ELECTRODE REACTION SCHEME 

RECRYS'rAIJ7AI10N 

1<x~Ni(Om21 

n=O 

1(3-Ni(OH)2 I 

TIllN PLATFlEf FORM 

n< 1.S 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

n< 1.0 

nncx PLATEI..Ef FORM 

OVERCHARGE 

Iy.NiooH--j 

n<O.5 

~nn __ • __ 1 

(3-NiOOH 

r .JPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
.... 

'C 

~ 

~ 

5::: 

~ 

'" 

~ 

i3 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

tv 

-I 

~ 

~ .... 

Q 

E:-

;::t 

~. 

6' 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

POTENITAL SCALE FOR NICKEL ELECTRODE MODEL 

0.6 ____ 

0.5 

Ol J: 0;4 --I0, 

J: 

~ 0.3 

I!? 

CD 

; 0.2 --I-~m 

o 

;:::.. 0.1 

CiJ 

E -5 0.0 

a. 

~ E 

CD 

.c 

o 

~ -0.7-1-

CD 

m 

-0.8 -I-

-0.9 -.a-

-1 .0-...... 

~IPL LogCulTent 

~. ... .. ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP ------
...... 

\Q 

~ 

~ 

r:.: 

::0.. 

~ 

~ ] 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

~ NICKEL ELECTRODE FADING STUDIES ~ 

i BASED ON INTERPHASE CONVERSION ::s-

.g 

AND CHANGES IN MORPHOLOGY / CONDUCTION 

TOPEX 40% DOD CRANE LIFE TEST DATA USED FOR COMPARISON 

~ ONL Y POSITIVE ELECTRODE DEGRADED IN THIS SECTION I 

~ ~ .,.. 

Q 

e.. 

;::,: 

E" 

;: 

SIMULATION OF VOLTAGE FADING OVER LIFE ACHIEVED 

SECOND PLATEAU BEHAVIOR INCREASES OVER LIFE 

I .JPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
.... 

10 

10 

0.. 

~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

... 

~ 

] 

~ 

2' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ :::to 

.g 

I 

VI 

tv 

w 

I 

~ 

.,. 

~ 

Q 

~ is· 

:= 

f(l 

1:; 

5· 

;: 

1.5 

1.4 

> 1.3 

Q) '" 

OJ) 

S 

-0 1.2 

> 

--~ 

U 1.1 

1.0 

0.9 

o 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

Effect of Gamma Fraction on Discharge Simulation 

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

Time (Minutes) 

.IPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
....... 

IC 

IC 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

(\) 

.., 

~ "ti 

~ (\) 

OJ 

a 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

.g 

I 

VI 

tv 

~ I 

~ <"l 

~ 'j-

~ E:-

:= 

E' 

:: 

:>-

Il) '" 

OJ) 

S 

-0 

:>-

--Il) 

u 

1.5 

1.3 

1.1 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

Effect of Conductivity Mixing Parameter (cstp) 

0.9 _II ~~~ ~ ~:~5 

0.7 I:t:~t:mm~:m~m~~m!m::~:~:!ii:i:~i::~::~:!:!!il:~!i:: 

O 5 ,.,.,.,.,.,.:.,.,.,.,.,.,.:.,.,::., ,.,.,.:.,.:.:.,.,.;.,.,.".,.;., . 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

~ .PL Capacity (Ampere-Hours) 

~. .. ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

'0 

'0 

0-

s:: 

~ 

~ 

~ c 

{; 

1'l 

(\) 

t\:l 

~ ~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

{l 

I 

VI 

tv 

VI 

I 

~ 

~ 'i" 

Q 

~ 1::' 

;: 

~ 

1:5 

0' 

;:: 

.-

tI) 

...... 

-Q 

;> 

'-' 

Q) '" 

tw 

S 

-Q 

;> 

--Q) 

u 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

Effect of Gamma Fraction on 40% DOD LEO EON Voltage 

1.5 

1.4 

1.3 

1.2 

1.1 

1.0 

0.9 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

Percent Gamma 

PL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
....... 

'0 

'0 

0-

~ 

52 

:.... 

(\) 

.... 

c 

~ $:) 

..., 

(\) 

t:>;, 

$:) 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::.-

.g 

I 

VI 

N 

01 

I 

~ 

[ 

~ 

~ 

1 O().O 

90.0 

(I) 

II.l 

C'd 

..= 

~ 

C'd 80.0 e 

e 

C'd 

C-' 

~ 

c:: 70.0 (I) 

~ 

'-

(I) 

~ 

60.0 

50.0 

o 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFf OPERATIONS 

Estimated Gamma Fraction For Life Test 

2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 

~. Number of Cycles 

i ..JPL ELECTROCHEMICALSYSTEMSGROUP -----
....... 

~ 0-

~ 

f;2 

:t:.. 

~ 

~ 

1 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

N 

-....l 

I 

~ 

~ 'i'"' 

g 

~ 

~. 

;> 

ar 

.... ~ 

-<:> 

> 

--aJ 

U 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

Predicted EON Voltages For Various Percent Gamma Phase 

1.4 

1.3 

1.2 

1.1 

1.0 

0.9 

o 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 

~. .lIP'-IL Time (Minutes) 

~. ..,. ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

'C 

~ 

~ 

fi2 

~ 

~ {l 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

tv 

00 

I 

~ '"l 

~ ,... 

Q 

E:-

:::I ;:' 

;: 

f(l 

~ 

0' 

:::I 

1.25 i"H'" 

1.2 

(1) 

C) 

~ 1.15 

0 

> 

(1) 

0) 1.1 "-

C'CS 

.c 

0 

C/) .- 1.05 

c 

.... 

0 

"'C 1 c: 

w 

0.95 

0.9 

0 

.lPL 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

TOPEX NWSC Crane 40% DOD / 20°C Life Test 

2000 4000 6000 8000 

Cycle Nu mber 

• CELL 1 

III CELL 2 

A CELL 3 

10000 12000 14000 16000 

--------------ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

&'2 

::t.. 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

~ {j 

~ 

~ 

Predicted Discharge Voltage For Cycled Cell at C/2 Rate 

~ 

~ 

1.5 I. ...................................................... . 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

IV 

1.0 

I 

~ 

1.3 

> 

~ '" 1.1 OJ) 

S 

-0 

> 

-- 0.9 ~ 

U 

0.7 

~ 0.5 

'i' 

~ 0 ~ ;::' 

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

:= Ampere-Hours 

i .JPL ELECTROCHEMICALSYSTEMSGROUP -----
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ ;:... 

~ {3 

~ 

2' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

w 

0 

I 

('") 

~ 

~ 'i" 

Q 

s.. 

::= ;::;. 

;:: 

~ 

~ 

o· 

::= 

;, 

... <1.) 

OJ) 

~ ...-

-0 

;, 

--<1.) 

U 

1.5 

1.3 

1.1 

0.9 

0.7 

0.5 

o 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

Post Life Test Discharge: Crane Topex Test 

25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 

.PL Time (Minutes) 

... . . ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:t.. 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~, 

~ 

~ 

a-

:::-

.g 

I 

VI 

W 

-I 

'i" 

~ 

~ 

!i 

~. 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

STUDIES OF NEGATIVE LIMITED Ni-Cd CELLS 

CAUSES 

EFFECTS 

INCREASED POSITIVE ELECTRODE CAPACITY 

CADMIUM ELECTRODE CAPACITY FADING 

CHANGESINTHEPRECHARGELEVEL 

HIGHER CELL POTENTIALS 

REDUCED CHARGE CURRENTS 

REDUCEDCHARGEE~CrnNCY 

REDUCED ST ATE-OF-CHARGE 

DIVERGENCE OF SOC AND VOLTAGE IN BATTERY PACKS 

( .JPL ELECTROCHEMICALSYSTEMSGROUP -----
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::to. 

~ {j 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

w 

N 

I 

~ 

~ .... 

g 

~ 

~. 

f<J 

~ §. 

o 

0-0.2 

C) 

:t: 

-

C) 

:t: 

~ -0.4 

t/) 

aCl) 

> 

ca ;: -0.6 

c 

Cl) 

.... 

0 

c.. 

Cl) -0.8 > 

;: 

CO 

C) 

Cl) 

Z 

-1 

-1.2 

o 100 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

PREDICTED ELECTRODE POTENTIALS FOR NEGATIVE LIMITED CELL 

200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 

0.6 

0.5 

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 

0.1 

o 

1000 

0 

C) 

:t: 

-

C) 

:t: 

t/) 

::J 

t!! 

Cl) 

> 

ca ,-

.... 

c 

Cl) 

'6 

c.. 

Cl) 

> ;: 

';; 

0 

c.. 

.PL Time (Minutes) 

.. . ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
.... 

10 

10 

0-

~ 

~ 

::t:. 

(\l 

"'C 

C 

{; 

(\l 

~ 

r 

~ 

~ 

;::-

~ 

.g 

I 

VI 

\.N 

\.N 

I 

~ 

.,. 

~ 

~ ;: 

;:" 

;: 

~ 

1:l 

6" 

;: 

0.04 

0.03 

-

C\I 0.02 

< 

E 

(.) 

<f 0.01 E 

-

-

C 

(1) 0 I.. 

I.. 

::s 

(.) 

I.. 

(1) -0.01 

-(/) 

c 

e -0.02 .... 

-0.03 

-0.04 

.IPL 

0 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

REACTION RATES FOR NEGATIVE LIMITED CELL ON CHARGE 

-GammaRxn 

-Beta Rxn 

-02 Couple 

-H2atCd 

-02 at Cd 

200 400 600 800 1000 

Time (Minutes) 

--------------ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
'-

~ 

~ 

~ 

::... 

~ 

~ 

1 

is' 

.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ::to 

.g 

I 

VI 

W 

..j:>. 

I 

'i"' 

~ 

~ ll! 

E" 

ll! 

f(l 

i:5 

5" 

::s 

6' 

~ 

~ 

-0.9 

-0.925 

gr -0.95 

~ 

~ 

> S 

~ -0.915 

~ 

~ W-1 

> 

m 

z 

-1.025 l 

-1.05 

0 10 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFI' OPERATIONS 

EFFECT OF CHARGE RATE ON NEGATIVE LIMITED CASE 

-C/20 

-C/10 

-CIS 

20 30 4050 60 70 80 

FRACTION PF THROUGHPUT CAPCITY DURING CHARGE 

90 100 

.IPL --------.... -----ELECTROCHEMICALSYSTEMS GROUP -----
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

Vl 

W 

Vl 

I 

~ 'i"" 

g 

~ eo 

;s 

f(l 

~ 

0° 

;: 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

EFFECT OF NEGATIVE LIMITED LEO CYCLING 

REGlME SELECTED TO SHOW THE EFFECT OF NEGATIVE LIMITED CELLS 

SELECTED REGIME BASED ON RESULTS OF MPS TESTBED / TAGUCHI ANAL YSIS 

HIGH CHARGE RATE 

HIGH VT LEVEL 

LOW DOD, 10 MINUTE DISCHARGE DURATION 

THESE CONDITION ARE MOST LIKELY TO CAUSE NEGATIVE LIMITED BEHAVIOR 

AMOUNT OF PRECHARGE IS V ARIED AT THREE LEVELS 

SOC's, POTENTIALS, CURRENTS, REACTION RATES WERE PREDICTED 

.JPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:. 

~ {l 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFf OPERATIONS 

WORST CASE RESULT FROM TAGUCHI EXPERICMENT ~ 50/0 DOD THEN 110 MINUTES @ GOA INRUSH TO 1.45 VPC AT 5° CELSIUS ~ <1:" 

~ 

1.55 •................ 600 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI v'> 

1.45 

'r' !3 1.35 

~ 

1.25 

~ ~ 'i" 

Q 1.15 ~ Eo 

;: 

0 

~ .IPL ~. (;) 

;:s 

500 

400 

300 

s:: 

F 

r200 ~ 

~ 100 

0 

·100 

·200 

20 40 60 80 100 

MINUTES 

--------------ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
..... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

f:: 

::.,. 

(\) 

.., 

c 

{J 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

w 

-....l 

I 

~ 

2-

... 

~ So 

;:s 

~. 

~ 

r:; 

o· 

;:s 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

NEGATIVE ELECTRODE POTENTIALS FOR VARIOUS INTITIAL SOC's 

-0.9 L,.,.,.·... ., ... , ..... , ... ,.,.,.,.,.,.,., ...... ,.' ... " .. ,., ... 

-0.91 

o -0.92 

0) 

J: C, -0.93 

J: 

en :::> -0.94 

en 

a: 

UJ -0.95 

> 

..J 

ct -0.96 

i= 

Z 

UJ -0.97 

fo 

Do -0.98 

-0.99 

-1 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 

Time (Minutes) 

90 

..IPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROVP -----
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ {; 

2 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

W 

00 

I 

l") 

~ 

~ 

'i" 

~ ;: 

i::' 

;: 

tI:! 

n. 

1:l 

c· 

;:os 

o 

Cl 

J: 

-Cl 

0.49 

0.47 

J: 0.45 

CJ) 

::J 

f! 

Q) 

> 

19 0.43 

-C 

Q) 

-o 

D.. 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

POSITIVE ELECTRODE POTENTIALS FOR VARIOUS INTITIAL Cd SOC's 

0.41 L":,"i'i"'i'i:i;i(';}i:;" 

0.39 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 

Time (Minutes) 

.IP --------------ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
..... 

10 

10 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

ti 

~ 

~ (\) 

b::i 

I:l 

~ 3) ~ 

~ 

~ 25 ;::.. 

.g 

20 

-en 

<U 

... 15 <U I -

C. VI 

w E 10 

\0 

I <C ......, 

.... 5 

c: 

<U 

... 

... 0 

:J 

() 

-5 

-10 

!") 

~ 

~ -15 

'i'"' 

~ 0 ~ -. § 

f(l .JPL ~ o· 

;::s 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

aJRRENTS FOR VARIOUS 1N1111AL SOC's OF Cd ELECTRODE 

-85% 

-900/0 

10 20 3) 40 50 00 70 00 

lirre (Mnutes) 

00 

--------------ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
.... 

'0 

~ 

~ §:2 

~ 

~ 

1:; 

1 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

.f:::o. 

o 

I 

t") 

~ 

~ 'i"' 

~ e.. ;= 

;:' 

l:! 

f(l 

~ 

6' 

;= 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

POSITlVE ELECTRODE SOC's FOR VARIOUS INllTlAL Cd SOC's 

1 h,',:,','",:""",:""""""""""""",:"","1;::""",:,:""""""""",::":,::,:::,::,,,:,,,':' 

C1) 

0') 

'-

ctS 

..c: 

U 

0.$ 

...!. 0.9 

o 

I 

C1) 

... 

ctS 

... 

en 

0.85 

0.8 

0 

.lPL 

10 20 3) 40 50 60 70 00 

lilTe (Mnutes) 

ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP 

ro 
...... 

'0 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 'ti 

2 

~ 1ii 

~ 

~ 

a-

::tog 

I 

VI 

..j:>.. 

...-

I 

~ 

~ 

;: ~ ~. 

i.J 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFf OPERATIONS 

PRESSURE CHANGES IN Ni-I-I2 CELLS 

H2 PRESSURE CHANGES EFFECT 

PRESSURE VESSEL SIZING 

PRECHARGE CHANGES 

PRESSURE CHANGES DUE TO 

SINTER CORROSION - KNOWN 

PHASE CONVERSION - ADDITIONAL MECHANISM 

L ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

'C 

~ 

s;: 

~ 

~ 

~ {) 

~ 

'" 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

.g 

I 

VI 

..j:::.. 

tv 

I 

~ 

~ 'i" 

Q 

e.. 

;:= 

;;" 

::i 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

PRESSURE CHANGES DUE TO PHASE CHANGES 

ASSUMING: 

1 Liter Void V olulne 

50 AH Cell Design 

1.0 e-/ Ni Change at BOL 

Increased to 1.5 e-/ Ni at EOL 

25 Degrees Celsius 

CALCULA TIONS: 

53.6 AH = 2 Farads 

For an increase of 0.5 e1 Equiv. H2 is produced 

Results in 160 psi increase 

i .JPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ ~ 

2 

J 

~ 

~ :s-

~ 

I 

VI 

oj::. 

W 

I 

'i'" 

~ g 

~ ~. 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

CONCLUSIONS 

FIRST PRINCIPLES BI-PHASIC NICKEL ELECTRODE PRESENTED 

MODEL PROVIDES AN EXPLANATION FOR MANY BEHAVIORS 

EON VOLTAGE FADING ON LEO CYCLING 

DEVELOPMENT OF SECOND PLATEAU ON CYCLING 

REDUCTION OF OVERCHARGE PROTECTION IN NiCd CELLS 

ONSET OF NEGATIVE LIMITED BEHA VIOR 

CELL DIVERGENCE ON LEO CYCLING 

V ARIATION IN HYDROGEN PRECHARGE IN NiH2 CELLS 

i .IPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
....... 

~ 

~ 

fl2 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

.,J:::. 

.,J:::. 

I 

:s; 

~ 'i'" 

g 

!i 

E" 

Si! 

l(l 

!:; 

§" 

APPLICATION OF FIRST PRINCIPLES MODEL TO 

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

This work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 

California Institute of Technology, under contract from NASA. 

This work was funded by Code AE, the office of the Chief 

Engineer. 

.JPL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS GROUP -----
Other Secondary Technologies Session 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -545-
Page intentionally left blank 
1996 NASA Aerospace Batlery Workshop -547- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
...... 

~ 0, 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ -ti 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a-

~ 

-§ 

I 

VI 

~ 

00 

I 

~ 

'" ... 

~ 

8 

::s 

! 

~ 

~ ::s 

Q 

~ (;;' 

'" 

~ 

~ 

0' 

::s 

INTRODUCTION - SODIUM SULFUR ---------_.. ---- -" - - ",. -------_ ... -- -

• 1966 FORD MOTOR COMPANY PUBLISH PAP'ER DESCRIBING NEW TYPE 

OF SECONDARY BATTERY COMPRISED OF: I 

- SOLID, SODIUM ION CONDUCTING ELECTROLYTE 

- LIQUID METAL ELECTRODE 

- REDOX ELECTRODE 

- OPEI{A TING TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 300 AND 400°C 

- SPECIFIC ENERGY OF 150 Wh/Kg 

- NOMINAL VOLTAGE 2.0 V 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
.... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ] 

'" 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

~ 

\0 

I 

~ ""I 

~ 

8 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

6 

~ ~. 

~ 

1:l 

0" 

;: 

SODIUM SULFUR BATTERY CELL ---~----

mGH PURITY SODIl.Jl\'1 

STAlNLE$ STEEL SAFETY TUBE 

&BRnESSCATHODECONTMNER 

BETA" ALmfiNAELECTROLYTE > 

POROtE NICKEL SAFETY FRIT 

ODE STRUCTURE 

Il\'IPREGNATED ~WIllI SULFUR 

ALPHA ALUMINAlNSULATOR 

SOIlUMF1LL 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
SODIUM SULFUR AEROSPACE HISTORY ~ 

~ ~- .. ------ ---~ '---- - - -- - -

~~(--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 2 

I 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

VI 

o 

I 

~ 

'" ... 

~ 

8 

! 

~ 

~ C' 

0cI 

~' 

'" 

~ 

1:l 

15' 

;:: 

• LA TE 1970'S USAF BEGINS DEVELOPMENT OF NaS FOR AEROSPACE 

- 1979 AFWAL Tests Ford Aerospace Cells (6,300 Cycles) 

- 1983 AFW AL Funds Ford Aerospace Development of GEO Cells 

- 1986 AFW AL Funds EPI Development of LEO Cells, Hughes HEDRB Effort 

- 1992 NaS Efforts Transferred to USAF PL 

• 1993 PL FUNDS EP 40 AH CELLS FOR GROUND TEST AND SAFETY TESTS 

- Ground Test at NWSC, Crane (Simulated Leo,GEO Cycle Tests) 

Safety Tests at Sandia National Labs 

- Vibration (Hot), Shock, Electrolyte Fracture 

• 1994 USAF PL SIGNS MOA WITH NRL FOR FLIGHT EXPERIMENT 

- Design, Build, Test One Brassboard& One Flight Experiment 

Brassboard to Be Used As Ground Test Bed Delivered to USAF PL 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
FLIGHT EXPERIMENT PURPOSE ----- ----.---------------- --._- -- _. ~ 

~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

I 

Vl 

Vl 

-I 

~ "' ... 

~ 

l 

q 

~ 

~ s- OIl 

~. 

~ 

1:l §' 

• CHARACTERIZE NaS BATTERY CELL OPERATION IN ZERO-G 

- PerforJll Post Flight DPA, Compare With Ground Test Cells 

• LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH A BATTERY SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES 

350°C TEMPERATURES 

• NAVIGATE EXPERIMENT THROUGH NASA SAFETY AND INTEGRATION 

PROCESS 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION -. -~ -~.. ~-

....... 

~----------~-------------------------------------------------

~ • LAUNCH 4 NaS BATTERY CELLS AT AMBIENT TEMP, CHARGED ~ 

~ 

~ • PHASE I - HEAT CELLS ON ORBIT TO 350°C 

1 

~ • PHASE II - (2) CAPACITY CYCLES 

iii 

~ § -20A Discharge to 1.65V, 4A Charge to 2.35V 

a-

.g • PHASE III - (2) SIMULATED GEO CYCLES 

§ -20A Discharge for l.Z Hr., 2A Charge for 12 Hr., 10.8 Hr. Open Circuit 

I 

VI 

• PHASE IV - (15) SIMULATED LEO CYCLES 

~ § -32A Discharge for 0.5 Hr., 16 a Charge for 1 Hour 

~ "' "'I 

~ 

! 

~ 

g. 

5 

~ ~. 

~ 

~ 

5° 

;:::: 

• PHASE V - DISCHARGE CELLS TO 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% COOL TO 

AMBIENT 

• FIT ENTIRE EXPERIMENT WITHIN NASA STANDARD GAS CAN 

• LAUNCH WITH STS-80 ON WAKE SHIELD FACILITY 03 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
40 AH SODIUM SULFUR BATTERY CELL ------ .. ~-.~.-.~-- .---.-. ~ 

~ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

a 

~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

• CAPACITY 40 AMPERE-HOURS 

• DIMENSIONS 

- Length 0.240 m (9.44 inches) 

- Diameter 0.035 n1 (1.39 inches) 

• MASS 0.580 KG (1.28 LBS) 

• SPECIFIC ENERGY 138 WHlKG 

• MANUFACTURE EAGLE PICHER INC., JOPLIN, MO 

~ • ELECTROLYTE VJ 

I 

B" ALUMINA 

~ .., 

~ 

f(l 

g 

;:: 

§-

~ 

~ 

~ s 

~ 

~' 

~ 

f:l c' 

;:: 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
EXPERIMENT BLOCK DIAGRAM ~ 

~ ~ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

VI 

.j:::.. 

I 

~ "I 

f<l 

8 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ ~. 

f<l 

~ 

o· 

;:: 

SHIELD WAKE r t~~~~;r::::~ 

SMART CAN 

AUX 

EXP 

STARBOARD 

STANDARD 

INTERFACE 

PANEL 

ISOLATED 

CONSTANT 

CURRENT 

DISCHARGER 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington. DC 20375 
EXPERIMENT POWER ELECTRONICS .... ---

~----------~------------------------------------------------------------ ~ 

~ • CHARGE BATTERY CELLS AT 2, 4 AND 16 AMP RATES 

::t.. 

~ 

~ • DISCHARGE BATTERY CELLS AT -20 AND -32 AMP RATES ~ 

~ - Discharge 1 Cell to 60 % Depth of Discharge ~ 

~ 

~ - Use 3 Halogen Lamps As Discharge Loads .., 

. f · EXPERIMENT MUST FAIL SAFE 

I 

VI 

VI 

VI 

I 

- Internal Power Supply Failure Shuts Down Entire'Experiment 

- NaS Battery Cell Overtemperature Circuit 

DISABLES BATTERY HEATER 

- DISABLES CHARGER AND DISCHARGER 

- NaS Battery Cell Over/Undervoltage Circuit 

- EACH CELL MONITORED INDIVIDUALLY 

., 

~ 

f(l • IF CELL VOLTAGE < 1.65 V OR> 2.5 V CELL IS REMOVED FROM CIRCUIT 

1 

~ 

t 

0-

O\l 

i\i' 

"" f(l 

~ §' 

- All Power Lines Are Switched 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
EXPERIMENT TELEME,TRY,.COMMAND· & CONTROL , --,--~~'----.~ '------------_._--- ---.~-----~--.-------.--.- ... -'"--~ 

~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

VI 

0\ 

I 

~ ., 

f(l 

8 

~ ~ 

<; 

~ 

~ 

~ ~. 

f(l 

1:l 

o· 

;:s 

• REQUIREMENTS --

- Collects Telemetry From Experiment 

- Individual Cell Voltage, 4 Temperatures/Cell, Experiment Temperatures, 

• 

ChargelDischarge Currents 

- Send Commands 

Receive/X-Mit Conlnlands & Telelnetry Fronl WSF CBC via RS-485 

- Store One Orbit Of Experhnent TLM Data 

IMPLEMENTATION 

- llarris 82C52 UART & Processor For WSF Data Interface 

- Intel 87C51C IlControlier 

- 8051 Heritage 

- 32kEPROM 

- 256 Bytes RAM 

- 10 MHz Clock 

2 User Interrupts 

48k X 8 Total Menlory For Experhnent Data & Software 

- 16 Low Level COlllmands (200J.lS Pulse Width) 

16 High Level Comnlands (+28V, 40mS) 

32 Bi-Level TLM Points 

64 Analog TLM (48 Passive, 16 Active) Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
EXPERIMENT THERMAL DESIGN ~ 

~-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

i 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

VI 

-....l 

I 

~ ~ 

g 

! 

~ 

~ ~ ~" 

~ 1:; g" 

• POWER GENERATED BY BATTERY CELLS IS DISSIPATED BY HALOGEN 

LIGHT BULBS OUTSIDE OF SMART CAN 

• HOT VESSEL WRAPPED WITH A 4 PIECE O.OOlM THICK MICA HEATER 

• NaS CELL TEMPERATURES CONTROLLED WITHIN 350+20°C 

- Monitor NaS Cell and Hot Vessel Tenlperatures 

- When NaS Cell Temp < 330°C, Thermostat Closes, Heater Power Applied 

- When Hot Vessel Temp < 330°C & NaS Cell Temp < 370°C, Thermostat Closes 

- When NaS Cell or Hot Vessel Temp> 370°C, Thermostat Opens 

• USE OF HIGH THERMAL RESISTANCE CERAMIC ISOLATORS TO 

OBTAIN DT BETWEEN HOT VESSEL & MID-DECK 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
...... 

\Q 

\Q 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

<Il 

~ 

{J 

2 

!S' 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

VI 

00 

I 

st 

ir 

... 

f(l 

8 

§. 

~ 

~ 

g. 

5 

~ ~. 

f(l 

f:l c' 

;:: 

EXPERIMENT ON-ORBIT DATA TRANSFER 

• GroundStation Uses OS Comet* 

• RS422 FrolnlTo SII & NASA JSC 

• RS 485 Fronl/To,WSF & NaSBE 

NaSBE COMET 

Workstation 

RS422 DATA 

FORMATTER 

SPACE INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL 

LEAGUE CIT}~ TEXAS 

--"----.-.,,~.-.--~ .... -- ... --.------.---

.::l 

RS422 

NASA JOHNSON SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::... 

~ 

~ ] 

fS' 

~ 

~ 

~ ::ro 

~ 

I 

VI 

VI 

\0 

I 

., 

~ 

I 

~ 

t 

5" 

CXl 

~. 

~ §' 

THERMAL VACUUM TEST DATA (-20 A DISCHARGE) --.--~--- --------------%.--------.-.~---------~.-----.---

2.2 

rii 2.1 

E-o 

....:l 

0 

;> 2 '-' 

~ 

CELLAV I 1 -~~~~~~ I ....... i-CELLlV I I 

, :---. C~~~E~! J .1 . . . , .. _ .... 1 

i i 

C!) 

< 1.9 

E-o 

~ .......... _j ... l . I'·' 

....:l 

0 f 

;> J.8 

....:l 

....:l 

~ 

U 1.7 .--J. 

I 

I 

I 

I 

1.6 .. 1 

N N N .,., 'M .,., C'I M M M 

N N N N 

SEPT. 3 '96 

I 

SODIUM SULFUR BATTERY CELL EXPERIMENT 

THERMAL VACUUM TEST 2-6 SEPTEMBER J 996 

CHARACTERIZATION CYCLE -20 AMP DISCHARGE 

.. -----_ ...... _.-

---'-'-- _. ------_._- f-. 7" 

,-n 

._. -... .. - -.- " .. -- - ---

.......I 

jiI'" 

5 

o ,...., 

rJ') 

~ 

~ -5 ~ 

-10 

~ 

~ 

< '-' 

.~ ... ,., I ... . ~-.-.. -.-.-.'---" ~ 

~ -

E-o 

Z 

~ -15 ~ 

.. ~'" .'J 

I 

I 

0 0 

M 

0 0 

SEPT. 4 '96 

, 

1 

0 0 .,., - 0 .. 

-20 

-25 

~ 

~ 

U 

TIME (ACTUAL) 

Naval Rese~rch Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
THERMAL VACUUM TESTDA.TA.(4ACIlARGE) , __ . '. . .... .""--___ .. , ___ ._.~ ..... ___ .. __ .... ___ ,~ ____ .........c,. __ 

~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

ti 

~ 2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

1 

VI 

0\ 

0 

1 

<1> 

~ ., 

~ 

8 

::I 

is-

~ 

(") 

~ 

~ 

::I 

C> 

S" 

~ 

~. 

'" 

~ 

~ 

5' 

::I 

SODIUM SULFUR BATfERY CELL EXPEiuMENT 1 

THERMAL VACUUM TEST 2-6 SEPTEMBER 1996 

CHARACTERIZATION CYCLE 4.0 AMP CHARGE 

2.3 5 

~ 2.2 

....:l 

o 

:> 

'-' 

~ 

c.;, 

~ 

E-< 

....:l 

0 

:> 

....:l 

....:l 

~ 

U 

2. I 

2 

1.9 

... -..N.....r •• l..... .. .. ' 

v 

1 

1.81 N 

-., 

SEPT. 4 1996 

N 

r') 

N 

N 

V) 

r') 

N 

V) 

i 

I 

1 

I 

1~~:~~~-1 

I CELL2V I 

I-CELLIV I 

I-CURRENTI I 

N 

r') 

\C) 

TIME (ACTUAL) 

..J 

N N V) 

t- '" 

4 ,-.. 

til 

~ 

~ 

~-113~ ~ '-' 

E-< 

2 Z 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:;J _______ 1 ________ 1-1._1 I U 

N 

r') 

o 

N 

V) 

o 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
THERMAL VACUUM TEST DAT.A (LEO 40% DOD) ----- ~ 

~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

Vl 

0\ 

..... 

I 

'"'t 

~ 

~ 

8 

! 

~ 

[ 

~ ~. 

~ 1:; 

o· 

::: 

SODIUM SULFUR BATfERY CELL EXPERIMENT 

THERMAL VACUUM TEST 2-6 SEPTEMBER 1996 

LEO CYCLE -32 AMP DISCHARGE FOR 0.5 HOURS 

+ 16 AMP CHARGE FOR 1.0 HOURS. 

2.4 r-------~--------~----------------~~------_T--------~--------_n.. 20 

r;;- 2.3 

r-< 

...:l 

0 

;> 2.2 h '-' 

~ 

c.!:l 

< 2.1 

r-< f-I ...:l 

0 

>- 2 

...:l 

...:l 

~ 

U 1.9 

I~CELUV-1 

I· CELL3V I 

j-CELL2V I 

, 

-.1 

I 

~r-r.=--" 

... 

--) 1+--1 II 10 

j f--

~ 

1-------- - .. ------

,-.. 

rI) 

~ 

r:a= 

~ 

~ 

:!1 

< 

-10 '-' 

r-< 

z 

~ 

-20 r:a= 

r:a= 

~ 

u 

·---1+--1 II -30 

~!-CELLIV '~l .N; 

1.8 I..--! -CURRENT I--'------!I-l-I ___ ---!. ___ --I. 

---- ---~----.~ 

------

I -----! ' ~, '. ;:.;, 

0 -1" C'l 0 -1" 

C'l C"') \I") (- 00 

- SEPT. 4 1996 

TIME (ACTUAL) 

--~---. --_ .... - ... ---~-----~ 

C'l 0 

0 C'l C'l C'l 

\I") 

C'l 

C"') 

C'l 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
1++41 L60P88O 

-('IM:3 

»» 

--+----+---l-Ig g g BI II I 986ZLL'0 

I I +---i-----i---i----i ~L8 199'0 

I 

I 

I 

--_:-__ ----: _____ -+-1 ___ I P9LO~~'O 

j 

1 ----.~- -------------l I, 

,\ 

I 

. _________ _ 

" 

'-.. --... 

'~--------I '" 

o 

(.l'10A) 3DV.l'10A '1'133 

1 £17L 1 Z'O 

CI) 

UJ 

t 

~. 

6[£90['0 

t 

N 

9' 

>0 

80Z~66'oB; 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -562- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
SUMMARY ~ 

'"-'-'--'-."-'--'-------.--.-~-'----'"-.. -•.. -. 

~-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

Vl 

0"1 

\#l 

I 

~ ... 

f(l 

1 

~ 

g. 

5 

5" 

00 

~. 

f(l 

!:l Q' 

;:s 

• USAF. PL SPONSOR FOR NaS BATTERY CELL FLIGHT EXPERIMENT 

• GROUND TESTS DATA SHOW NaS WITH SPECIFIC ENERGY >100 WWKG 

• EXPERIMENT MODIFICATION IN PROGRESS FOR RIDE AS NASA 

HITCHHIKER PAYLOAD 

• NEGOTIATING FOR LAUNCHES ON STS -89, STS-90, AND STS-91 

Naval Research Laboratory 

Washington, DC 20375 
Page intentionally left blank 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

=:5~G-¥y 

[J",/ / .5$ 

tJ6 79~7 

/2/, 

LOW-EARTH-ORBIT(LEO) LIFE CYCLE 

EVALUATION OF NICKEL-ZINC BATTERIES 

D. COATES, E.FERREIRA, 

M. NYCE AND A. CHARKEY 

Energy Research Corporation 

3 Great Pasture Road 

Danbury, CT 06813 

1996 NASAAerospace Battery Workshop -565- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
II2 ZINC PLATE 

PTFE 

NICKEL ELECTRODE 

(3) LAYERS OF POL YPROPYLENE 

(2) WRAPS OF NYLON 

TYPICAL SEALED NICKEL-ZINC CELL DESIGN 

• LOW-COST ROLL-BONDED ELECTRODES 

• NICKEL/GRAPHITE COMPOSITE ACTIVE MATERIAL 

• COBALT SPINEL TREATED GRAPHITE 

• LOW METAL CONTENT - HIGH SPECIFIC ENERGY 

• REDUCED SOLUBILITY CALCIUM / ZINC ELECTRODE 

• MINIMAL SHAPE CHANGE 

• POROUS POLYPROPYLENE ZINC MIGRATION BARRIER 

• NON-WOVEN NYLON ABSORBER / SEPARATOR 

• LOW ELECTROLYTE CONCENTRATION 

• 20% POTASSIUM-HYDROXIDE /1 % LITHIUM-HYDROXIDE 

• PRISMATIC MOLDED POL YSULFONE CELL CASE 

• SOLVENT-WELD COVER TO CASE JOINT 

• RESEALABLE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE (25 psi) 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -566- Other Secondary TechnoLogies Session 
Ni(OH)2· Y4H2O 

~ 

GRAPmTE :MIXER EXTRUSION CALENDER 

--. 

ADDITIVES - SOLVENT 

ELECTRODE DRYER 

STRIP 

BINDER 

ROLL-BONDED ELECTRODE MANUFACTURING PROCESS 

• PATENTED MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR NICKEL AND ZINC 

ELECTRODES 

• THE NICKEL ELECTRODE IS A GRAPmTE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE 

• THE ONLY METAL IN THE NICKEL ELECTRODE IS THE 0.003 INCH 

NICKEL FOIL CURRENT COLLECTOR 

• REDUCED METAL CONTENT REDUCES BOTH COST AND WEIGHT 

• THE ZINC ELECTRODE IS A CALCIUM I ZINC FORMULATION 

• REDUCED SOLUBILITY ZINC ELECTRODE MINIMIZES SHAPE CHANGE 

• LOW COST EXTRUSION BASED MANUFACTURING PROCESS 

• PROCESS EASILY SCALEABLE FOR mGH VOLUME PRODUCTION 

• ENVIRONMENT ALL Y FRIENDLY MANUFACTURING PROCESS 

• :MINERAL OIL BASED SOLVENT CAN BE RECLAIMED AND RE-USED 

• VERY LOW MATERIAL ATTRITION RATE 

• ELECTRODE SCRAP MATERIAL CAN BE RE-PROCESSED 

/996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -567- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
>- t-

-

o « 

a. « 

o 

c 

w 

~ fit. 

150~--------------------------~ 

100 

50 

DISCHARGE CAPACITY TO 1.2 VOL TIC ELL 

SEALED NICKEL-ZINC CELL 

80% DEPTH-OF-DISCHARGE 

DISCHARGE 2.4 HOURS AT 5A 

CHARGE 3.6 HOURS AT 3.83A 

a ~,--------~--~------~~---------

a 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 

NUMBER OF CYCLES 

NICKEL-ZINC DISCHARGE CAPACITY VERSUS CYCLE LIFE 

• SEALED 15 AhCELLDESIGN 

• ROLL-BONDED COMPOSITE NICKEL AND ZINC ELECTRODES 

• PATENTED CALCIUM / ZINC ELECTRODE FORMULATION 

• CYCLE REGIME: DISCHARGE @ 5.0 A CHARGE @ 3.8 A 

• CAPACITY MEASUREMENT @ 5.0 A TO 1.2 Volts PER CELL 

• FULL-DEPTH CAPACITY MEASUREMENT AT 25 CYCLE INTERVALS 

• PRIMARY CAPACITY DEGRADATION MECHANISM IS ELECTRODE 

SWELLING AND CELL STACK DRY-OUT 

• ZINC DISSOLUTION AND SHAPE CHANGE ARE lvllNIMAL 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -568- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
2.0 .,----------------------, 

1.8 

16 '-...... - .... ,.. . -.--- ~- ------. .,. .... 

1.4 ~~~~-:-:-:=:~~;:~::~-:--: - - .. .,. - - _ .,. .. _ .,.. --', - "-

12 · ~, . - ....... , ~ 

---

- , ..... 1.0 1?', ....... 

1C 

0.8 

O. 6 -'---..:....-.,....-----'"--:---+------:---;---r-~..,___:__,....._~~ 

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

% RATED CAPACITY 

DISCHARGE RATE CAPABILITY OF SEALED NICKEL-ZINC CELL 

• SEALED 15 Ah NICKEL-ZINC CELL 

• IDGH-RATE DESIGN 

• MOLDED POLYSULFONE CELL CASE AND COVER 

• PLASTIC BONDED COMPOSITE NICKEL AND ZINC ELECTRODES 

• CELL DC INTERNAL IMPEDANCE = 2.5 milliOhms 

f 

• DISCHARGE AT lC, 2C, 4C, 6C, 8C AND 12C (C = 15.0 Amperes) 

• ALL DISCHARGES AT ROOM AMBIENT TEMPERATURE 

• NO ACTIVE COOLING 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -569- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
2.5~-----------------------------------------------, 

-_ ........ 0_ 0 .... 

2 0 ." .... ......,. " ..,. - 0 .. 0 .. 0 • -0 ....... • ' .... '"O~ .. o 

1.0 

• 0 - ENO-OF-CHARGE 

VOLTAGE 

&I ENO-OF-OISCHARGE 

VOLTAGE 

.. -0 

0.5~,--~--~~--~----~----~~~~--~~~~~~~, I 

o 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 

CYCLE NUMBER 

CELL VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE VERSUS CYCLE LIFE 

• 14 Ah SEALED NICKEL-ZINC CELL DESIGN 

• ROLL-BONDED COMPOSITE NICKEL AND ZINC ELECTRODES 

• MOLDED POL YSULFONE CELL CASE AND COVER 

• CELL DC INTERNAL IMPEDANCE = 3.0 milliOhms 

• CYCLE REGIME: 27.5 MINUTE CHARGE / 17.5 MINUTE DISCHARGE 

• CHARGE @ 3.38 A (0.25C RATE) / DISCHARGE @ 5.0 A (0.33C RATE) 

• RECHARGE RATIO 1.02 - 1.04 

• 10% DEPTH-OF-DISCHARGE BASED ON INITIAL CAPACITY 

• CELL OPERATES BETWEEN 80% - 90% SOC BASED ON INITIAL CAPACITY 

• CAPACITY MEASURED AT 450 CYCLE INTERVALS 

• CELLS REACTIV ATED AFTER 6500 CYCLES 

• PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT AFTER REACTIVATION INDICATES CELL 

STACK DRY-OUT 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -570- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
18.0 1.80 

17.0 

- 16.0 .c 1.70 <C - - 15.0 en 

~ I14.0 ~ -0 ...I 

"0'0 1.60 0 0 13.0 • > 

Q. 

<C "0..0 - 12.0 W 

<C (!) 

0 11.0 1.50 

W ~ 10.0 ...I (!) 0 0::: 9.0 > <C 1.40 :I: ...I 

0 8.0 0 DISCHARGE CAPACITY ...I 

W en 7.0 (Ah) 0 -

C - 0 - MID-POINT DISCHARGE 1.30 6.0 

VOLTAGE 

5.0 

4.0 1.20 

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 

CYCLES 

DISCHARGE CAPACITY AND VOLTAGE VERSUS CYCLE LIFE 

• TEST ANOMALY OCCURRED AT CYCLE #3130 DUE TO SQFTW ARE ERROR 

• CELLS WERE BYPASSED ON OPEN-CIRCUIT DURING DISCHARGE 

PORTION OF CYCLE 

• CELLS WERE CHARGED FOR 90 CYCLES WITHOUT DISCHARGE 

AMOUNTING TO A TOTAL CHARGE INPUT OF 157 Ah (1120% 

OVERCHARGE) 

• CELLS DID NOT VENT DURING THIS EXTENSIVE OVERCHARGE 

• PERFORMANCE BEGAN TO DEGRADE RAPIDLY AFTER THIS EVENT 

• CELLS WERE REACTIVATED AT CYCLE #6390 

• CAPACITY AND VOLTAGE PERFORMANCE IMMEDIATELY RECOVERED 

• CELLS CURRENTL Y HAVE 75-80% OF ORIGINAL CAPACITY AFTER 7000 

CHARGE / DISCHARGE CYCLES 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -571- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
-

~ 

~ w 

~ .~ 

.J 

.J 

W 

o 

2~----~------~---------------------~------~--~ 

DISCHARGE @ 5.0 A TO 1.2 VDC 

1.8 

1.6 

Ii #2519 

1.4 --0--# 3210 AD 

4363 

•• <>. ·#4766 

•• 0-"# 5169 

•• 6o. ·#5572 1.2 

.. D· -#5979 

""""l6 #6380 

1 • RE-ACT 

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 

DISCHARGE CAPACITY (Ah) 

DISCHARGE CAPACITY AS A FUNCTION OF CYCLING 

• EACH DISCHARGE IS AT 5.0A TO 1.2V 

• PREVIOUS CHARGE FOREACH CYCLE IS AT 3.8A 

• INITIAL CYCLES CHARGE INPUT = 18.0 Ah (28% OVERCHARGE) 

• CHARGE INPUT REDUCED TO 15.0 Ah AFTER 2300 CYCLES (8% 

OVERCHARGE) 

• MPDV AT CYCLE #2227 = 1.626V I DECREASED TO 1.560V AT #6380 

• INCREASED TO L632V AFTER REACTIVATION 

• DISCHARGE CAPACITY AT CYCLE #2227 13.8 Ah 

• DISCHARGE CAPACITY AT CYCLE #6380 8.2 Ah (60% OF NOMINAL) 

• DISCHARGE CAPACITY INCREASED TO 11.1 Ah (80% OF NOMINAL) AFTER 

REACTIV ATION 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -572- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
2.2 . ..,..--------------~----------, 

- 2.1 

t3 -

~ 2 

W 

C) 0 #1356 :! 1.9 -0-#1826 

...I 1& #222.7 

~ M #2619 

...I 1.8 -D-#3210AO ...I 

W I #3865 

0 I #4363 1.7 

3.8 Amperes •• 0-. ·#5169 

• #16390 

1.6 

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 

CHARGE CAPACITY (Ah) 

CHARGE VOLTAGE AS A FUNCTION OF CYCLE LIFE 

• 3.8A CHARGE PRIOR TO THE FULL-DEPTH CAPACITY MEASUREMENT 

• CONSTANT CURRENT / FIXED TIME / AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CHARGE 

• OVERCHARGE WAS EXCESSIVE ON INITIAL CYCLES 

• TIME WAS REDUCED TO REDUCE TOTAL CHARGE INPUT 

• SHAPE OF THE CHARGE CURVE SHOWS A GENERAL TREND TOWARDS 

THE EARLIER ONSET OF OXYGEN EVOLUTION WITH CYCLING 

• THE INFLECTION POINT OCCURS AT 12 Ah FOR CYCLE #2227 (86% SOC 

BASED ON CELL DISCHARGE CAPACITy) 

• THE INFLECTION POINT OCCURS AT 9.5 AhFOR CYCLE #5169 (116% SOC 

BASED ON ACTUAL CELL CAPACITy) 

• FOR CYCLE #6390 (AFTER REACTIVATION) THE INFLECTION POINT IS AT 

12.0 Ah (SAME Ah INPUT AS INITIAL, BUT NOW 109% OF CELL CAPACITy) 

• ALSO, CYCLE #6390 SHOWS VERY LITTLE RISE IN VOLTAGE WITH THE 

ONSET OF OXYGEN EVOLUTION 

20 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -573- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
2.4 ,---------------------------, 

2.2 

-

> 1~~~~~=!~~~~~~~~ -2.0 

~ 1.8 

..J 

o > 1.6 

..J 

..J 

W1.4 

o 

1.2 

-<>- CYCLE #679 

-x-CYCLE #1761 

II CYCLE #3410 

- - <> -• CYCLE #6028 

lIE CYCLE #6643\ 

--0---0 

- '0-_ 

1.0~~~~~~~~~~~~--~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 

ELAPSED TIME (min) 

CELL VOLTAGE VERSUS TIME FOR MULTIPLE LEO CYCLES 

• CYCLE REGIME: 27.5 MINUTE CHARGE / 17.5 MINUTE DISCHARGE 

• CHARGE @ 3.38 A (0.25C RATE) / DISCHARGE @ 5.0 A (0.33C RATE) 

• INITIAL RECHARGE RATIO = 1.04/ CURRENT RATIO = 1.02 

• 10% DEPTH-OF-DISCHARGE BASED ON INITIAL CAPACITY 

• DOD = 15% BASED ON CURRENT CAPACITY AFTER 7000 CYCLES 

• CELL OPERATES BETWEEN 80% - 90% SOC BASED ON INITIAL CAPACITY 

• CURRENTLY OPERATING BETWEEN 75% - 90% SOC 

• MPDV AT #679 = 1.711V / DECREASED TO 1.660V AT CYCLE #6028 

• MPDV INCREASED TO 1.724V AFTER REACTIVATION 

• EODV AT #679 = 1.633V / DECREASED TO 1.580V AT CYCLE #6028 

• EODV INCREASED TO 1.652V AFTER REACTIVATION 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -574- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
w 

(!) 

~ ..J 

o 

> 

..J 

..J 

W 

Ofi) 

o:::~ 

o~ 

--.c 

<C -

~ o 

<C 

a. 

<C 

o 

2.2 ,..------------------------..., 

NIH 30% DOD LEO 

2 ~ .. 

1.8 " ... 

.. ""'C>- - -- - 0...... ~ ~ 

1.6 b _ " ---b '-. .... ... -1ft - - - - - -II .. " 

"'-b ... ~ " ...... . ~ ... :e. 

1.4 

" o 1.2 ~ - DISCHARGE CAPACITY I 

B MPDV i 

i 

I 1 ... 6'" EODV 

0.8~--------------------~----~--------~--~ 

o 200 4QO 600 800 1000 

CYCLE NUMBER 

DISCHARGE CAPACITY AND VOLTAGE VERSUS CYCLE NUMBER 

• 2 Ah SEALED NICKEL-ZINC CELL 

• SPECIFIC ENERGY = 60 Watt-hours per kilogram 

• ENERGY DENSITY = 73 Watt-hours per liter 

• - CELL DC INTERNAL IMPEDANCE = 30 milliObms 

• CYCLE REGIME = 27.5 minute CHARGE @ 1.3 A 

17.5 minute DISCHARGE @ 2.0 A 

• 30% DEPTH-OF-DISCHARGE BASED ON INITIAL CAPACITY 

• DISCHARGE CAPACITY MEASURED @ 1.0 A TO 1.2 Volts PER CELL 

• MPDV = MID-POINT DISCHARGE VOLTAGE DURING ACC LEO CYCLE 

1200 

• EODV = END-OF-DISCHARGE VOLTAGE AT TIME = 45 minutes DURING 

THE NORMAL ACCELERATED LEO CYCLE 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -575- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
CONCLUSIONS 

• COMPOSITE NICKEL ELECTRODE PROVIDES EXCELLENT 

PERFORMANCE AT A REDUCED WEIGHT AND LOWER COST 

• CALCIUM / ZINC ELECTRODE MINIMIZES SHAPE CHANGE 

• UNOPTIMIZED CELL DESIGNS YIELD 60 Wh/kg 

• NICKEL-ZINC DELIVERS 600 CYCLES AT 80% DOD 

• LONG CYCLE LIFE OBTAINABLE AT LOW DOD 

> 7000 CYCLES AT 10% DOD 

> 1000 CYCLES AT 30% DOD 

• mGH RATE CAPABILITY / POWER DENSITY 

• LONG-TERM FAILURE MECHANISM IS STACK DRY- OUT 

• METAL CASE CELL DESIGN UNDER DEVELOPMENT 

• FURTHER TESTING PLANNED AT 50% DOD 

• FURTHER WORK PLANNED TO REDUCE ZINC TO NICKEL 

RATIO 

• ANOMALOUS OVERCHARGE (1120%) GREATLY AFFECTED 

CELL PERFORMANCE BUT DID NOT INDUCE FAILURE AND 

WAS RECOVERABLE 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -576- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {l 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

-....J 

-....J 

I 

~ ... 

~ 

g 

! 

~ 

g.. 

5 

~ ~. 

~ 

~ 

c· 

~ 

NI\SA Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Burp Charging Nickel Metal Hydride Cells 

by 

Eric Darcy 

NASA-Johnson Space Center 

Houston, Texas 

and 

Richard Pollard 

University of Houston 

Houston, Texas 

Presented by Bob Bragg 

to the 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Dec 4,1996 

~ 

~ 

~'-J 

~~ 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . 

er"~ ~ ~ 

Darcy -1214196 
NI\S/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

...... 

'0 

~ 

s;: 

~ 

~ Ff-',-'I 1=150 ~ c 

{j 

~ 1001:im~""~~",,,,"~~'.Imm¥'.,.,.pq~"'ftllTl¥"f¥rm'Tf9'IMt:j45 ~ <i:' 

q 

~ II emperaturel m 40 a- :::s ~ c. 

{5 >. 0 

'0 - 90 -() Cd 

a. 35 :::T 

Cd $l.) 

() .... 

<0 

Q) (I) 

- C-rate discharge output -t , Cd 30 m VI a.. ....,J Q) 3 

00 of Sanyo 4/3AU NiMH cell. E 80 "C , m 

Cd C-rate galvanostatic charge z 0 a 

until cell temperature 25 s::::: 

- 0 .... 0 m 

reaches 45 deg C. "g 0 -

c. 0 m 

,20 

<0 

.~ 70t 1Uh () 

"'I 

~ 

8 

;:,: r -.IJIinw -115 

§-

q 

~ !"l 

~ 60 I-t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I :=-110 

sO!:> O 100 200 300 ii' 

'" 

~ 

t5 g' Cycle number 

;:,: 

Darcy ·1214196 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 1 

J 

~ 

~ -§ 

I 

VI 

-....) 

\0 

I 

~ .., 

~ 

! 

~ 

~ 1S' 

OQ 

~. 

~ 

~ 

5" 

;:s 

NI\S/\ Johnson Space center· 

~ 

'0 

as 

a. 

as 

U 

0) 

(U 

a. 

0) 

E 

as 

Z 

-o 

eft. 

100 

90 

80 

70 

Propulsion and Power Division 

avrat = -x or aTlalt = V 

50 

__ 145 

o + + r-,L~.] 

..J 

o 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

m 

::::s 

a. 

9-

() 

:T 

s» 

cO 

CD 

--I 

CD 

3 

"0 

CD 

~ C 

CD 

a. 

CD 

co 

() 

601-+" ,+, ,[, , .... ,, H10 

o 100 200 300 400 

Cycle number 

Darcy -1214/96 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ (\) 

(5 

i; 

2 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

00 

o 

I 

~ .... 

~ 

8 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ ~ ~o 

~ 

~ 

00 

:: 

NAS/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Some methods for improving cell peformance 

• Smart lermination 

- negative voltage slope, av fat < 0 - rise in temperature, aT/at = Y 

• Charge current waveform changes 

- relaxation, I = 0 

- discharge burp, I < 0 

Areas of improvement remaining 

• can break-in period to maximum capacity be accelerated? 

• can discharge capacity be increased without compromising cycle life? 

• can charge heat be reduced further? 

Modifying the current waveform shown effective with NiCd cells 

Darcy -1214196 
Q} 

.... 

..., o 

..c: 

c: 

(J) 

o 

c: 

(/) 

Cl. 

g 

Q} 

() 

Q} 

'E 

z 

~ 

< 

~--~--~--~----~------~------r------'------~ 0 

.,... 

o 

1.0 

<C 

.c. 

+ 

0 

;:: 

(U 

c 

0 

en 

..... 

(U 

> 

(U 

!.. 

= 

en 

E 

(U 

~ 

-

. ~ 

..... 

.c. 

o ~ 0 

or00>0> 

o 

.,... 

o 

o 

C\I 

o 

o 

('I) 

o 

o 

""" 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop ~581~ Other Secondary Technologies Session 
c. 

ctS 

(.) 

Q) 

() 

Q) 

C 

Q) 

.... 

(f) 

c:: 

(/) 

0 

c:: 

.c:: 

0 

J 

Z 

~ 

< 

[iJ C\I~ 

(J)a> 

ff--

.---

en 

a> 

I0') 

a> 

a.. 

::J 

("0. as 

~ 

s:: 

m ~ 

.c 

m 

.- Im 

IQ. 

(.) 

.c: 

I- '-

t/J 

m 

:::l 

.c: 

m 

+"" 

.-

f3: II 

C\I 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

I(j) 

T-

'" 

0 

CD 

II 

"'0 

0 

·c 

~ 

as 

> -a> 

0 

~ 

E 

Co 

(J) 

j 

o 

-582-

i 

r-c:: 

::J 

~ 

..c 

as 

~ 

0') 

a> 

.c 

(.) 

LO 

E 

en 

"'0 

.!Q 

L--

I 

-------

CD 

o 

CO 

CD 

o 

CO 

co 

o 

(J) 

o 

0 

(J) 

C\I 

0 

(J) 

~ 

o 

(J) 

CD 

o 

(J) 

co 

"'0 

0 

.;:: 

a.. 

a> 

Other Secondary Technologies Session 
..... 

~ 

s: 

~ 

:t:.. 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

00 

W 

I 

~ 

"' .... 

~ 

l 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ ~. 

~ 

~ g" 

NAS/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Methods to study effects of relaxation and burp discharge 

Galvanostatic 

Pause 

Burp 

Charge 

Waveform 

Constant current 

Constant current with 

short relaxation 

Iperiods 

Constant current with 

relaxation periods and 

discharqe burps 

Termination Method 

aT/at = x av/at =.y a2v/at2 = 0 

x x 

x x x 

x x x 

I 

Darcy -1214/96 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

:A. 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ -§ 

I 

VI 

~ I 

~ ~ 

! 

~ 

~ 5" 

0Cl 

~. 

~ 

~ §. 

NI\S/\ 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

~ 

...... 

Cd 0.8 

Q) 

:r: 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

o 

Johnson Space Center 

Calorimetric Results 

Heat and voltage profiles 

from galvanostatic vs 

pulse charging of Sanyo 

4/3AU cell. Cycle 425 

! 

! 

i 

i 

: 

: 

, 

! 

....... 

galvanostatic ~./,J \, ............................................................................................................... \\ 

at C-rate at 23 deg C . 

................ Pause \.\ 

Propulsion and Power Division 

1.6 

1.5 

1.4 

< 0 

;:::; 

s.u 

(Q 

1.3 CD 

< 

1.2 

/ ICharge Heatl \'"" I ............................... .. 1.1 

j 

... 

20 40 60 80 100 

time, min 

Darcy -1214196 
...... 

~ 

s;: 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

00 

VI 

I 

~ ... 

f(! 

8 

;:s 

NAS/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Effects of interrupting the galvanostatic charge 

• Lowers Ah input rate by 2.70/0 

• Total Ah input lowered by 40/0, while Ah output unchanged 

• Overvoltages essentially the same 

• Charge heat rate, W, reduced throughout the charge * 

• Total charge heat, J, lowered by 8% * 

• Rise in cell temperature (Tfinal - Tinit) not affected * 

! * evaluated at 425th cycle ~ 

[ 

~ ~. 

f(! 

1:5 o· 

;:s 

Darcy -1214196 
...... 

(g 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

:t... 

~ 

"'t 

c 

{; 

I:l 

(") 

~ 

t;:., 

I:l 

... 

~ 

~ 

~ ::to 

{l 

I 

VI 

00 

0\ 

I 

0 

;:;. 

~ 

"'t 

~ 

8 

~ ~ 

~ (") 

::to 

::s 

c 

~ ~" 

'" 

~ 

1:l 

0" 

::s 

NI\S/\ 

1.6 

1.4~ 

1.2 

1.0 

~ 

-co 0.8 

Q) 

I 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

Johnson Space Center 

f

, : " , : , : . : 

: : , : , : . , • f 

I 

, 

I Sanyo 4/3AU cell 

Cycle 425. 

I Cha~-Heat] 

, 

. 

, 

. 

'" , 

· · · · · · , 

, 

. 

, 

. 

, 

, 

. 

, 

. 

, 

. 

Propulsion and Power Division 

1.6 

rctm-~--I Charge Voltage 

1.5 

1.4 

1.3 

< o 

;:::; 

s.u 

(C 

CD 

< 

u.s! M I I '-1 .2 

o 20 40 60 80 100 

time, min 

Darcy ·1214196 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::t:.. 

~ 

~ 

1 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

00 

~ 

~ f(l 

1 

~ 

~ 0' 

()Q 

~" 

f(l 

1;1 

§" 

NI\SA Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Results 

105 

Comparison of discharge output after galvanostatic, Burp 

smart galvanostatic, pulse, and burp 

4/3AU NiMH cell. C-rate I"\/I"lin( 

100-,···················· .. ··························· 

~ 

'0 

ca 

c.. 

ct:l 

() 

Q) 

-ct:l 

a. 95 

Q) 

E 

ct:l 

z 

galvanosla II ..................... 

i , 

-0 

cf!. 

1 

Galvanostatic to 45 deg C 

90 ...................................................... , ................................................................ ; ........ 1--

8 5 -h 

Ii' 

............................... ......................... . '1 .. Ft .... 

iii 

· ...................... · .......... · .... · .+ ......................................... j ........ ti I I Iii i 

o 100 200 300 400 

Cycle number 

Darcy -1214/96 
....... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::r... 

~ 

~ ] 

2 

J 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

Vl 

00 

00 

I 

~ 

NI\S/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Effects of adding 5 ms discharge burps 

• Reduces Ah input rate by 1.10/0 

• Increases total Ah input and output by 50/0 

• Lowers charge heat rate (e.g., by an additional 6% at midcharge point) * 

• Lowers rise in cell temperature by _1°C, despite larger Ah input * 

• Reduces overvoltage throughout charge 

(e.g., by ..... 50 mV near end of charge) * 

Do differences between burp vs pause charging depend on cycle number? 

• break-in period shorter with pause 

~ Is overvoltage reduction developed with cycle number? 

g 

~ ~ 

;;;J 

~ ~ 

~" * evaluated at 425th cycle ~ 

~ c" 

;: 

Darcy -1214196 
..... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ <i:' 

~ 

~ 

;:r. 

~ 

.g 

I 

Vl 

00 

\0 

I 

~ ~ 

! 

~ 

~ 6" 

I)Q 

~. 

~ 

~ 

o· 

;::: 

NAS./\ Johnson Space Center 

> 

<D 

0> 

ctS 

+-' 

0 

> 

>- L.. 

<D 

+-' 

+-' 

ctS 

III 

6.0 

5.5 

5.0 

5/15/95 

15:45 

7:00 

6/26/95 

Propulsion and Power Division 

Time and date of 1 st cycle 

16:00 16:15 16:30 

Midcharge voltage = 5.886 V .... 

1 st charge I ........ / ... . 

... , ,_'_'. ,or, r ........ -._, r-.. 

v .. _.

t

.·_-y····_·_·,· ,. r '. ,.. __ .... _,.,1'..,...\ ,'.f" 

, .... f-...Wri i 

7:15 

Midcharge voltage = 5.836 V 

400th charge 

C-rate burp charging of battery 

consisting of 4 Sanyo 4/3AU cells 

7:30 7:45 8:00 

Time and Date of 400th cycle 

16:45 

Darcy -1214/96 
...... 

~ 

~ 

5':: 

::t:. 

(\) 

NAS/\ Johnson Space Center 

~ Do other NiMH cell designs exhibit similar behavior? ~ 

J 

~ 

~ Performance dependent on charge method 

.g • cycle life 

• rise in cell temperature 

• overvoltage 

• break-in period 

~ • etc. 

o 

I 

~ (I:> 

... 

~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

I 

~" 

~ 

1:5 

0" 

;::t 

Propulsion and Power Division 

Darcy -1214196 
.... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

::.:.. 

~ 

~ 1 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

\0 

-I 

~ ~ 

8 

! 

~ g. 

5 

~ ~. 

~ 

!:; 

go 

NI\S/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

> 

(J) 

0> 

«S 

-0 

> 

>- ..... 

(J) 

--

«S 

m 

5/15/95 

16:00 16: 15 

Time and data of 1 st charge 

16:30 16:45 17:00 

6.5 F =i 

6.0 

5.5 

5.01-

Midcharge voltage = 5.927 V 

1 st charge 

Midcharge voltage = 5.873 V 

10Hh charge 

C-rate burp charging of battery 

consisting of 4 Yuasa 4/3A cells 

4 5 '-eo ( . - 17:30 

5/25/95 

17:45 18:00 

Time and Date of 101 th charge 

18:15 18:30 

Darcy ·1214/96 
...... 

~ 

~ .~ 

~ 

~ i; 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

IS 

I 

~ f(l 

8 

! 

~ 

~ ~ ~. 

f(l 

!:5 (S. 

;:: 

NASA Johnson Space Center 

> 

Q) 

0> 

res 

.::!:: 

0 

> 

>-

~ 

Q) 

..... 

..... 

res 

m 

6.0 

5.5 

5.0 

4.5 

5/15/95 

16:00 

10:30 

6/24/95 

Propulsion and Power Division 

16:15 

Time and data of 1 st charge 

16:30 16:45 

Midcharge voltage = 5.978 V 

400th charge 

17:00 

t • t • • : •• , ... , ••• , ............ , .......... ,1 f" •• • .. • .. ii"' .. ·\···~·/\ l\ 

'i .... j ~/ of V""J 'fV Y 'oj! , 

! 

·--····~f 

Midcharge voltage = 5.927 V 

1 st charge 

C-rate burp charging of battery 

consisting of 4 Yuasa 4/3A cells 

i 

i. •. 

10:45 11 :00 11 :15 11 :30 

Time and Date of 400th charge 

.. 

Darcy ·1214/96 
a.. 

e 

Q) 

'E 

Q) 

... 

(,) 

c: 

(/) 

0 

c: 

en 

Co 

ctt 

0 

Q) 

.!: 

0 

..., 

Z 

~ 

< 

..... 

0 

0 

ca 

E> 

(J) 

a. 

01---__. 

.c 

CO 

:J 

.... 

0> 

LO 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

(j) 

o 

\..) 

r' 

0 

-

0 

:;:; 

CJ 

ca 

> 

ca 

c:: 

0 

-en 

ca 

-593-

CO 

LO 

<J 

> 

CJ)-= 

(J 

>. 

(J 

Q) 

Q) 

.... (J 

o 

::l2 

5.I 

Z 

o-

(J 

..c:""," 

co-... 

"-C') 

~« 

CO CJ) 

CJ) 

"'0 CO 

- ::l 

0 >-

c:: ..c: 

0 .... CJ) ;;: 0i:: "- CO Q) 

o 

E E 

c...c 

::l () c:: 

CO 

o 

o 

o 

o 

C\I 

o 

o 

('I) 

o 

o 

Other Secondary Technologies Session 
...... 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ {; 

2 

2' 

! 

~ 

~ ~ 

I 

VI 

NAS/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

Conclusions 

Addition of "smart" termination to simple galvanostatic charge * 

• prolongs cycle life 

• lengthens break-in period 

Addition short relaxation periods to "smart" galvanostatic charge * 

• lowers total Ah input without compromising discharge capacity 

• shortens break-in period 

• no effect on cycle life (to 400 cycles) 

~ Adding very short discharge burps to the relaxation periods * 

~ ~ 

~ 

8 

! 

~ 

g.. 

5 

s00 

~" 

~ 

~ 

0" 

::: 

• increases total Ah input and output by same amount 

• lengthens break-in period 

• no effect on cycle life (to 400 cycles) 

Burp charging improves cycle life with different NiMH cell designs 

* Based on studies with 1 cell design 

Darcy -1214/96 
..... 

'0 

NAS/\ Johnson Space Center 

.~ On-going Work 

f:t: 

~ 

ti 

Propulsion and Power Division 

... 1 .. Continue cycling comparison of galvanostatic, pause, and burp charging 

ts' .... 

~ 

~ - Compare morphology changes of electrodes 

~ • particle size distribution 

.§ • porosity 

I 

V'I 

\0 

V'I 

I 

~ !ll 

f(l 

! 

~ 

~ so 

il'Q 

~. 

f(l 

~. ;:II 

.. Compare burp heat effects with other cell designs 

- Develop thermal model of NiMH cell based on obtained properties 

• heat capacity 

• thermoneutral potential 

• aE/aT 

Darcy -1214196 
NI\S/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

....... 

'0 

~ Why does burping lower overvoltage? ~ 

~ (\) 

~ Possible reasons; 

2 

tXl 

~ • dislodges O2 from cathode pores, preventing local current density rise ~ 

~ 

~ • increases or maintains electrode porosity, aiding ion transport -§ 

• results in less 02 evolution, due to lower charge heat 

I 

~ SEM analysis to date of electrodes after 400 cycles is unsupportive I 

(\) 

~ ... 

• particle size differences are small in negative electrode 

• porosity differences not yet discernable in positive electrode 

~ 

8 In-situ analysis of positive electrode with 7x magnification fibroscope reveals :: 

%-

.~ 

,.., 

~ 

;::,.. 

::: 

Q 

~ ~. 

~ 

~ 

c· 

::: 

• bubbling activity increases with SOC during charging 

• differences between charge techniques are not discernable 

Darcy -1214/96 
...... 

'0 

'0 

0\ 

~ 

~ 

:A. 

~ {J 

~ 

J 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

\0 

-....l 

I 

~ ('II 

., 

~ 

8 

! 

~ 

[ 

S' 

()Q 

~' 

~ 

1:5 

0' 

=: 

NASA Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

On-going Work 

• Compare galvanostatic, pulse, and burp charging with SOx magnification 

• place electrode coil from NiMH cell into a transparent KOH beaker 

• place a reference electrode (Hg/HgO) between the electrodes 

• expose a portion of positive electrode for viewing 

• control waveform with an automated waveform generator 

• mark occurrance of pulses and burps with audio signal 

• record video and audio of bubbling activity on positive during charge 

Darcy ·1214/96 
..... 

\Q 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ ~ 

2 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ .g 

I 

VI 

\0 

00 

I 

~ .., 

~ 

~ 

8 

! 

~ 

'"' [ 

i 

~" 

~ 

~ 

0" 

;:: 

NI\S/\ Johnson Space Center Propulsion and Power Division 

First Application - EMU Helmet Interchangeable Portable (EHIP) Lights 

• Battery (PIN SED39130223) 

• 15 Sanyo NiMH cells arranged 3P-5S 

• strings connected in parallel to power 6W lights for 7 hours 

• bottom glide latches allow EVA replaceability from helmet 

• Raychem polyswitches limit current to 1.5 Alcell 

• weighs 1.04 kg 

• Charger (PIN QC-1001) 

• charges 4 batteries in <4 hours independently and simultaneously 

• "burp" charge control achieved by 4 ICS-1702 chips 

• uses shuttle 28 + 4 Vdc input 

• strings connected in series (18V) during charging 

• thermistors in battery provide temperature input to charger 

• velcro mounted to mid-deck area 

• weighs 1.39 kg 

• Charger has passed all certification tests 

• New lights, battery, and charger first flight is STS-82 in Feb 97 

Darcy ·1214/96 
low Temperature Synthesis, Chemical and Electrochemical 

Characterization of LiNixC 01-x02 (0 < x < 1) 

Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries 

K.S. Nanjundaswamy, D. Standlee, C.O. Kelly and, *R. V. Whiteley Jr. 

Advanced Electrochemical Systems Group, Technologies Division 

Eagle-Picher Industries Inc., P.O. Box 47, Joplin, MO 64802 

.. Department of Chemistry, Pacific University, 2043 Col/ege Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116 

Tel: (417) 623-8000. Fax: 417-623-0850. E-maU: EPLion@AOL.COM 

Abstract 

A new method of synthesis for the solid 

solution cathode materials LiNixC01-x02 

(0 < x < 1) involving enhanced reactions at 

temperatures s700°C. between metal 

oxy-hydroxide precursors MOOH (M = Ni. Co) 

and Li-saHs (Li~3. LiOH. and LiN03) has 

been investigated. The effects of synthesis 

conditions and sources of Li. on phase purity. 

microstructure. and theoretical electrochemical 

capacity (total M3+ content) are characterized by 

powder X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning 

electron microscopy, chemical analysis and 

room temperature magnetic susceptibility. An 

attempt has been made to correlate the 

electrochemical properties with the synthesis 

conditions and microstructure. 

Introduction 

The high voltage (4 V) metal oxide 

cathode materials LiM02 (M = Co, Ni) and 

Li1 +x[Mn2104 for lithium rechargeable batteries 

are very well investigated in literature 1-4. 

Several other new high voltage cathode 

materials based on poly anion framework, spinel 

and olivine related structures have been 

reported recently5-7. However, only LiC002 

has so far proven to be successful 

commercially. as cathode material for Li-Ion 

batteries that deliver long cycle life. LiM02 

(M = Co, Ni) crystallize in (20) o.-NaFe02 

layered structure8 at temperatures > 400°C, 

while the low temperature polymorphs have 

spinel-like (3~) structures. The ordering of Li 

and transition metal atoms in the structure 

depends on thermal history. The 

electrochemical properties such as voltage, 

capacity and cyclability are very sensitive to the 

structural disorder. LiMn204 has a spinel (3~) 

structure and forms a range of defect spinel 

compositions that show variable stoichiometry, 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Mn oxidation state and total oxygen content in 

the phase diagram9 LiMn204 - Li2Mn409 -

Li4Mn5012. making the processing very 

difficult 1 0. In fact a 50% substitution of Mn 

atom in LiMn204 by Cr results in o.-NaFe02 

type layered structure in a narrow temperature 

range of synthesis 11. Although LiNi02 has 

marginally higher capacity compared to 

LiC002, the difficulty in processing of LiNi02 

stems form the fact that Ni3

+ requires higher 

oxygen partial pressure. In addition, the 

increased tetrahedral site stability of nickel 

intermediates favor the occupation of Li-sites 

by nickel in- o.-NaFe02 structure, thereby 

reducing the capacity and the Li+ -ion mobility in 

LiNi02

12. Also, LiNi02 suffers from increased 

safety concerns due to relatively unstable 

charged state at higher operating 

temperatures. 

The solid solutions LiNixC01-x02 (0 < x< 1) 

achieve a compromise between the 

complimentary properties of the end members 

LiC002 and LiNi02. . These soild solutions 

have strong potential to replace the 

commercialized LiC002 because of their 

relatively low cost, low volume change13, 14 

during charge! discharge, as well as higher 

capacity. The composition with x = 0.5, has 

the advantage of slightly lower, sloping voltage 

plateau compared to other compositions, 

which is better from electrolyte stability and 

overcharge protection 15. However optimizing 

the synthesis conditions for such solid 

solutions by commonly used ceramic 

techniques, that uses Ni(II)O or Ni(II)-salts as 

the nickel source is very difficult because of the 

low reactivity of the Ni(II)O and the unstable Ni3+ 

that requires higher oxygen pressure at 

elevated tempeartures. A prolonged solid 

state reaction at high temperatures not only 

reduces Ni3

+ to Ni2

+, but also leads to 

substantial Li loss resulting in phase 

-599- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
separations of LiC002 and LiNi02 and impurity 

phases such as Li1.

yNiyO, C0304, etc.,. We 

report here the details of a low temperature 

method16 that makes use of very reactive metal 

oxy-hydroxide precursors MOOH (M= Co, Ni), 

where in the metal atoms are already in trivalent 

state. Further, the metal atoms in the precursor 

are mixed homogeneously at the molecular 

level, helping to reduce the diffusion barriers 

for the solid state reaction to occur. 

Experimental 

The metal oxy-hydroxides precursors 

MOOH where M is a combination of Co and Ni, 

were prepared by reacting appropriate 

amounts of metal nitrates with alkaline NaOCI 

solution, following the procedure described by 

Nakagawa'et all? The metaloxy-hydroxides 

were dehydrated in vacuum and further 

calcined with Li-salts (Li2C03, LiOH, and 

Li N03) at elevated temperatures to get the final 

compositions LiNixCOHP2 (0 s X s 1). The 

reactions occuring at various stages are 

represented as follows: 

NaOCI solution 

M(N03)2· X H20 ------------.> 

MOOH- X H20 [11 

Vacuum dehydration 

MOOH- X H~ -------•••. --••• > 

MOOH + X H20 [2] 

Calcination >500°C 

Li2C03 + 2 MOOH -.---•• -------> 

2 LiM02 + C02 + H20 [3]. 

Solid solution compositions (referred to as 

"samples A", here afterwards) LiNixC01.x02 for 

X = O.1S, 0.40, 0.60, and 0.80 were prepared 

by direct solid-state reactions in air, starting 

from stoichiometric amounts of NixC01.xOOH 

and Li2C03 at SOO, 700, 900 and 11 OO°C, with 

annealing durations of 6, 10 and 14 hours. 

The samples were cooled to room temperature 

in about 30 minutes. 

Compositions (referred to as "samples B", 

here afterwards) LiNixC01.x02 for x = 0.3 were 

prepared from calcination of oxy-hydroxide 

precursor NiO.3C00.700H, in air at 700°C with 

three different sources of lithium, Li2C03, 

LiOH, and LiN03, employing quenching or 

slow cooling conditions. Quenching from 

700°C to room temperature was done in S 

minutes, while slow cooling to room 

temperature was done in about 61 hours. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

The cobalt and nickel contents were 

analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy 

and Li content was determined by flame 

photometry. All samples were characterized for 

total M3+ content (~ = Co3+ + Ni3+ ) by 

iodometric titration. X-ray powder diffraction 

(XRD) and SEM were used for structural and 

microstructural characterization. 

Results and Discussion 

X·ray phase analysis was used to 

determine the optimum temperature range for 

("samples A") solid solutions LiNixC01.x02 for 

x = 0.1S, 0.40, 0.60, and 0.80, prepared by 

direct solid-state reaction in air, from 

NixC01.xOOH and Li~03. A reaction 

temperature of <SOO°C in air was too low and 

for the 'x' values mentioned, XRD showed 

broad peaks due to unidentified phases and 

Li 2CO 3· Reactions at temperature 1100°C 

resulted in range of impurity phases (C030 4, 

Li,.yNiyO) and phase separation of blue colored 

sample indicating C02

+ diffusion into the 

alumina I silicate matrix of the container. Also 

the chemical analysis showed huge loss of Li 

(Li contents were as low as SO-60% of the 

theoretical value, and total transition metal 

contents were >10S% of the theoretical value) 

at 11 OO°C. The temperature range between 

700-900°C showed much better results in 

terms of phase purity and chemical analysis. 

Small amounts (-2-3%)of Li 1•yNiyO was the only 

impurity present in the temperature range 700-

900°C. The amount of Li present in the 

samples were close to theoretical values 

(98-102%) for samples prepared at 700°C, 

while Li content was reduced to 9S-98%, for 

samples prepared at 900°C. 

Figures 1-4 give the variations of unit cell 

parameters a, C, C / a and I d(OC13/1 d (104) intensity 

ratios with amount of Ni present in the 

compositions, respectively for the "samples A". 

The solid line is drawn in figures 1 and 2, 

joining the squares that represent the unit cell 

constants of the end members with the high 

temperature layered a-NaFe02 structure8. 

The unit cell parameters show relatively larger 

deviations from this solid line for all the 

"samples A", that are prepared at ~900°C. 

"Samples A", that are prepared s700°C show 

lesser deviations from the the solid line. These 

variations from the high temperature 

polymorph could be attributed to the slight 

deviation from the nominal compositions, 

relatively broad [hkl] lines due to short thermal 

annealing, and possible disorder of Lil M atoms 

-600- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
in the structures, specially in case of low 

temperature preparations. It is to be noted that 

low temperature polymorphs (that have 

structure more like cubic spinels) of LiCo02 

show a lower c and higher a values, as 

compared to the high temperature 

polymorphs 8,18. 

3m~~~~-r~~~~:r-~~--~ 

3.DO ............................................ -A •..... ~ ......................... . 

A i 

2.98 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ·············t .. ····· .. ·; ............ . 

2.96 , 5110'1: 

V700'C 

2.94 0900'1: 

2.92 A ll00'C ,..., 0 Low Temp. Form 

.« 2.90 n Ii;I Temp. Fonn 

o 1 2.84 ~..... : 

2.82 •••••• ~ .••••••••• 1 ............. ·············t··········· ............... . 

2.80 .f--.......... -i-~.....-+--+----+--..-......-+ ........ .......... I .10 .30 .~ .70 

X in LiNixC01-x02 

Figure 1. Variation of cell parametera with x 

for LiNixC01-x02 compositions. 

15.60 ! I 

15.40 , 5OO'C Q 

V700'C ! 

0900'C 15.20 

b,l100'C 

o Low Temp. Fonn ! I [] Hi!fl Temp. Fonn 

, i I I i I 

I~ I v v 

¢ 0 

,£1 ! b, 1 ! ! 

, .. IT" ! ! , 

" I I 0 1 , 

15.00 

,...,14.80 

-< 

~14.60 

14.40 

14.20 

14.00 

13.80 

1.10 

·0.10 1.10 0.30 0.50 1.70 0.90 1.10 

X in LiNixC01-x02 

Figure 2. Variation of cell parameterc with x 

for LiNixC01-x02 compositions. 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

We have compared the cIa ratios in Fig. 3, 

for allthe "samples A" with the literature values 

reported for high temperature polymorphs 18. 

From the plot it is dear that the higher Ni 

fraction (with x ~ 0.6) and higher temperature 

preparations (11 OO°C) show larger deviations 

for the same reasons mentioned above. The 

cIa ratios for these samples do not follow a 

definite trend since the structure can vary 

considerably with temperature of preparation. 

In fact low temperature polymorphs can have 

Co3+ (t26) in low spin state and these are smaller 

than the Ni3+(t26e 1)ion. The cIa ratio are dose to 

a value of 4.90 for temperatures sSOO°C which 

is in agreement with the ideal cubic close 

packed lattice. 

A '5/lO'I: 

5.30 V TOO'C 

o lOO'C 

b,1100'C 

5.20 ............. ............. ............. 1" ........ o LowTemp.Fonn 

D IIigI Temp. Fonn 

5.10 V 1 V 

~ <> 0 '0 0 

fJ 0 5.00 l .. 

'" " ! 4.90 v ! l 

4.80 A l 

b, , 

4.70 

0 ).10 0.30 0.50 ).70 0.90 

X in LiNixCo1-x02 

Figure 3. Variation of cIa with xfor 

LiNixC01-x02 compositions. 

"'tl 

1.10 

The intensity ratios of [003] and [104] 

reflection lines give an indication regarding the 

structural arrangement of heavy transition metal 

atom in the structure. This hypothesis is based 

on the fact that cobalt and nickel are 

significantly heavier and therefore considerably 

stronger scatterer of X-rays. Of the "samples 

A" in Rg . 4, only the ones prepared at 500°C 

show larger decrease of intensity ratios with Ni 

fraction, while the intermediate temperature 

regions show asmallertrend indicating that the 

structural disorder is more for low temperature 

preparations. 

From the above results, it is clear that the 

700°C in air, is the optimum temperature of 

preparation for the high temperature 

polymorph of the solid solutions that are richer 

-601- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
1.60 

..... 

~ 

~ 1.40 

'Q 

~1.20 f'I 

c 

c 

..... 1.00 

't1 

o 0.80 

~ 

tG a: ).60 

~ 

~ 0.40 .-OJ 

C ).20 Q) 

... 

C 

- 0.00 

9 

, soo'C 

~. 

, 

V 7OO'C I-----

o lOII'C 

6. 1100'C 

II 0 

v 

f} V 

A 

l! 

·0.10 0.10 ).30 0.50 0.70 0.80 1.10 

X in LiNixC01-x02 

Figure 4. Variation of Id(003/ Id (104) with x and 

temperature for LiNlxC01-x02. 

in cobalt from precursor method. To 

determine the effect of Li source on the 

synthetic conditions, we prepared a set of 

"samples B" with composition LiNiO.3COO.702 

starting from carbonate, nitrate and hydroxide 

salts of Li. Calcining was done at 700°C for 6 

hours, with variations in annealing and 

quenching conditions. 

The "samples B" that are prepared from 

LiOH showed phase separations to LiNi02 and 

LiC002, while the ones from nitrate and 

carbonate sources were single phase. The 

XRD lines were more sharp for the samples 

made from LiN03 with the (006), (102) and 

(108), (110) lines well separated indicating 

better crystallization. Figure 5 shows the 

variations of cIa and the I d(003l ~ (104) for six 

samples of LiNio.3COO.702. The cia ratio is 

close to the one expected for high 

temperature polymorph for sample prepared 

from LiN03 source, while the sample prepared 

from carbonate source showed slight 

deviation. Theoretical capacities (total M3+ 

content) estimated from iodometric titration are 

given in Figure 6, and the samples prepared 

from LiN03 source showed higher theoretical 

capacities. The lower capacities in all these 

cases are probably due to the small amounts of 

impurity phases (-2%) present LiyNi1.yO. The 

room temperature susceptibility values indicate 

the presence of more Ni2

+ in samples from 

carbonate and hydroxide sources of Li, 

indicating that the partial oxygen pressure to 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

i.Q2 ....... '""+"'"'""'"ifoo-wo ........ '""'"t ......... '+'-"""'+' ......... to-w'""+"'~I-""+ 

lll'llli ;o,CN nchedi 

i,Ol ....... ••• .. ···t·· .............................. \ ............................. . 

! ! i.OO +-+.......;;......+-;.-+-~-+-+--if---+ 

~~r-+I~_IU4·~~~,m~~~~+-~~-r-+~ 

!J ~ 1 l ~ 

U8 ... _ .. -1-.. _- ... ---r~~~. _. U7+--r~~~~~~~--+--r~r-~ III'IIlI ~OJAII~di 

I~ I 

1.96 ....... ...+........ji--.,.f....~ ......... ...t-......;.. ....... 4-...+........!I-o--..... 

1.47 1,48 1.49 1.50 1.51 1.52 1.53 1.54 1.55 1.56 1.57 

Intensity Ratio Id (003) / ~(104) 

Figure 5. Effect of Li source on c la and 

Id(003l ld (104) for LiNiO.3COO.702 

,~86 C t o From LiOH, Anneied 

o IFrom LiOH, Quenched 

III 84 o From UI«l3, Anneied 

~,... tFrom U1«l3' Quenched 

U

lll >. 82 n OFrom UPllt Ameled r--

::;. I From li ~) Quenched -G> ~ III E 80 ............................... ;..... :. 

o ~ 1 l 

',j: 0 78 .............................. ,).......... .. .............. • .. ·f .......... ; ........ .. ~\!J ~ : ~ III ~ :: 

I. 0-0 76 ..................... ........ · .. 1 i .................... · ........ ·r ~: ................. .. 

G) >. 1 i; 

~ e:: = =.:::::.:::.:.:t:.~::.:j=~:::. =t:t 

o 1 : 1 

'I. 70 ...................... • ........ ~ .......... i ................ 0+ ........ 1· .... · .. .. 

68 1 J i ~ 4.00 5.00 3.00 1.00 ~.OO 9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 

Magnetic Susceptibility 

(x XIO-6, cgs units) 

Figure 6. Effect of Li source on theoretical 

capacity and magneticsuceptibilty for 

LiNiO.3COO.702 

keep all the nickel in Ni3+ state is not high 

enough. 

-602- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
The scanning electron micrographs were 

taken for "samples B" that are prepared from 

the carbonate and nitrate salts of lithium. The 

particle sizes showed a mean distribution 

around 1 f.tm. 

Soft chemistry methods employ low 

temperatures and involve decomposition 

reactions that evolve gases, resulting in fine 

particles. If, controlled properly they could give 

uniform particle size distributions for the end 

product. Fine particles of the cathode materials 

are important for rate capability, and 

homogeneous distribution of particle size 

contributes to better density. On the other 

hand, larger cathode particles reduce the 

interface contact with electrolyte solution, 

resulting in increased cycle life for the battery. 

There are different approaches to increase the 

particle sizes such as prolonged annealing, flux 

induced crystallization and anion substitution. 

The precursor method reported here could be 

tuned to get the desired microstructure for the 

cathode material and such an effort is 

underway. Also, measurements~ of cell 

characteristics for cathode samples 

LiNio.3COO.702 made from LiN03 source is 

under progress, against carbon. 

Conclusions 

We have shown that the oxy~hydroxide 

precursor MOOH that has the transition metals 

( M= Co, Ni) homogeneously mixed at the 

molecular level, in M+3 state could be effectively 

used for fine particles synthesis of solid 

solution LiNixC01-x02 (0 s x s 1) in air. The 

method is cheap, fast and better compared to 

the conventional ceramic route that is 

constrained by solid state diffusion barrier. 

Further, a temperature of 700°C, 6-14 hours of 

annealing time, in ambient oxygen pressure 

and LiN03 as lithium source, are better for 

cobalt-rich compositions, while nickel-rich 

compositions need a higher partial pressure of 

oxygen. The method could be conveniently 

modified to get desirable microstructural 

changes and suitable anion substitution for 

fine tuning the elctrochemical properties. We 

also have shown that iodometric titration and 

XRD phase analysis could be effectively used 

to pre-characterize the electrochemical 

properties. 

Acknowledgments 

The contributions from Ms. T.M. Nguyen 

and Ms. Ruth K Long of Pacific University and 

Dr. Mike Shaw and Mr. Mark Dudley of the 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Specialty Materials Division of Eagle-Picher, 

Miami, OK are gratefully acknowledged. 

References 

1. J.B. Goodenough, M.M. Thackeray, W.I.F. 

David, and P.G. Bruce. Rev. Chim. Miner. 21. 

435 (1984). 

2. K. Mizushima, P.C. Jones, P.J. Wiseman, 

and J.B. Goodenough, Mat. Res. Bull.,1§.. 783 

(1980). 

3. T. Ohzuku, M. Kitagawa, and T. Hirai, 

J. Electrochem. Soc., 137,769 (1990). 

4. J.M. Tarascon, F. Coowar, G. Amatucci, 

FK Shokoohi. and D.G. Guyomard, 

J. Power Souices, 59,103 (1995). 

5. K.S. Nanjundaswamy, AK Padhi, J.B. 

Goodenough, S. Okada, H. Ohtsuka, H. Arai, 

& J. Yamaki,Solid State lonics (1996, in print). 

6. A.K. Padhi, K.S. Nanjundaswamy, and J.B. 

Goodenough, J. Electrochem. Soc., (in print). 

7. A.K. Padhi, W.B. Archibald. 

K.S. Nanjundaswamy, and J.B. Goodenough 

J. Solid State Chern .. (in print). 

8. T.W. Hewston and B.L. Chamberland 

J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 48. 97 (1987). 

9. R.J. Gummow, A.DeKock, and M.M. 

Thackeray, Solid State lonics, 69, 59 (1994). 

10. C. Masquelier, M. Tabuchi, K. Ado, R. Kanno, 

Y. Kobayashi, Y. Maki, O. Nakamura, and 

J.B. Goodenough, J. Solid State Chern., 

123,255 (1996). 

11. K.S. Nanjundaswamy, A.K. Padhi, 

C. Masquelier, S. Okada, and J.B. 

Goodenough, 37th Power Source 

Conference, Cherry Hill, NJ, (June 1996). 

12. G.G. Amatucci, J.M. Tarascon, and L.C. Klein, 

J. Electrochem. Soc., 143,1114 (1996). 

13. C. Delmas, I. Saadoune, and A.Rougier, 

J. Power Sources, 43-44, 595 (1993). 

14. M.M. Thackeray, J. Electrochem. Soc., 142, 

2558 (1995). 

15. T. Ohzuku,"Lithium Batteries, New Materials, 

Development and Perspectives". G. Pistoia 

(Editor), p 239 (Elsevier Science, 1994). 

16. C. O. Kelly and R. V. Whiteley Jr.. 37th Power 

Source Conference, Cherry Hill. NJ, (June 

1996). 

17. K. Nakagawa, R. Konaka, and T. Nakata, 

J. Org. Chern., 27, 1597 (1962). 

18. R. J. Gummow, Ph. D. Thesis, Dept. of Chern., 

Univ. of Cape Town, Pretoria, (August 1993). 

-603- Other Secondary Technologies Session 
Page intentionally left blank 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Mike Allison 

Hughes Space and Communication 

MS23111718 

POB2999 

Torrance, CA 90509-2999 

Ph: (310) 517-5292 Fax: (310) 517-7676 

Bob Axley 

McDonnell Douglas Aerospace 

MIS AHSV-22D3 

689 Discovery Dr. 

Huntsville, AL 35806 

Ph: (205) 922-7956 Fax: (205) 922-4526 

Mike Bangham 

McDonnell Douglas Aerospace 

689 Discovery Dr. 

Huntsville, AL 35806-2804 

E-mail: bangham@humail.mdc.com 

Bob Bechtel 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBII 

Marshall Space Flight Center. AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3294 Fax: (205) 544-5841 

Charles W. Bennett 

Lockheed Martin Astro Space 

MS Ul219 

230 E. Mall Blvd. 

King of Prussia P A 19406 

Ph: (610) 354-6155 Fax: (610) 354-3434 

E-mail: rff)4906E.vf.lmms.lmco.com 

Yannick Borthomieu 

SAFT Advanced Batteries 

Rue G. Leclanche 

BP 1029 

86060 Poitiers Cedex 

France 

Ph: 33-549-55-4014 Fax: 33-549-55-4780 

Rita Brazier 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBII 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3295 Fax: (205) 544-5841 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -605-

Menahem Anderman 

Acme Electric Corporation 

Aerospace Division 

528 West 21st Street 

Tempe, AZ 85282 

Ph: (602) 894-6864 Fax: (602) 921-0470 

Chris Baker 

Acme Electric Corporation 

528 W.21st 

Tempe, AZ 85282 

Ph: 602894-6864 Fax: 

L. Krista Barker 

Lockheed Martin Technical Operations 

Building 100 

POB 61687 

Sunnyvale, CA 94088-1687 

Ph: (408) 752-6510 Fax: (408) 744-2250 

Mark Behrman 

Acme Electric Corporation 

Aerospace Division 

528 West 21st Street 

Tempe, AZ 85282 

Ph: (602) 894-6864 Fax: (602) 921-0470 

Samuel Birken 

The Aerospace Corporation 

MS M4/986 

POB92957 

Los Angeles, CA 90009-2957 

Ph: (310) 336-6080 Fax: (310) 336-5581 

E-mail: samiam@lafn.org 

Bobby J. Bragg 

Johnson Space Center 

MS EP52 

NASA Rd. I 

Houston. TX 77058 

Ph: (28i) 483-9060 Fax: (281) 483-3096 

E-mail: bbragg@gp904Jsc.nasa.gov 

Jeffrey C. Brewer 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBl2 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3345 Fax: (205) 544-5841 

E-mail: jeff.brewer@msfc.nasa.gov 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Harry Brown 

Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Div. 

Code 6095 B2949 

Commander 

300 Hwy 301 

Crane, IN 47522 

Ph: (812) 854-6149 Fax: (812) 854-1212 

E-mail: brown:..harry@crane.navy.mil 

William Cabrall 

The Boeing Company 

MS8M-02 

POB3999 

Seattle, WA 98124 

Ph: (303) 365-2556 Fax: (303) 365-2560 

Joseph A. Carcone 

Sanyo Energy (USA) Corporation 

2001 Sanyo Avenue 

San Diego, CA 92173 

Ph: (619) 661-6620 Fax: (619) 661-6743 

E-mail: jcarcone@sec.sanyo.com 

John E. Casey 

Lockheed Martin Engineering & Sciences Co. 

2400 NASA Rd. 1. C44 

Houston. TX 77058-3799 

Ph: (28i) 483-0446 Fax: (281) 483-3096 

E-mail: jcasey@gp904.jsc.nasa.gov 

Barbara Clark 

SAFT R&D Center 

107 Beaver Ct. 

Cockeysville, MD 21030 

Ph: (410) 771-3200 Fax: (410) 771-0234 

Betty Colhoun 

Goddard Space Flight Center 

Code 440.9 

Greenbelt. MD 20771 

Ph: (301)286-7691 Fax: (301)286-1726 

Karen Cunningham 

Marshall Space-Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-5618 Fax: 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -606-

Shirley Butler . Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3298 Fax: 

Dwight Caldwell 

Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. 

Range Line Facility 

POB47 

Joplin, MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8333 x19 Fax: (417) 623-0233 

Dr. Paolo Carosso 

Swales Aerospace 

5050 Powder Mill Rd. 

Beltsville, MD 20705 

Ph: (301) 586-1266 Fax: (301) 586-0104 

E-mail: pcarosso@pop700.gsfc.nasa.gov 

Patricia L. ChileIli 

Lockheed Martin Astro Space 

MS 501 

POB 800 

Princeton. NJ 08543-0800 

Ph: (609) 490-6507 Fax: (609) 490-4242 

Dwaine Coates 

Energy Research Corporation 

3 Great Pasture Road 

Danbury, CT 06813 

Ph: (203) 825-6187 Fax: (203) 825-6150 

Anne Conley 

Hughes Aircraft 

Bldg S751 MIS CHS 

16800 E. Centretech Park-way 

Aurora. CO 80011 

Ph: (303) 341-3327 Fax: 

Bernard P. Dagarin 

5511 Huntley Ave. 

Garden Grove. CA 92845 

Ph: (714) 892-4082 Fax: 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Sal Di Stefano 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

MS 277-212 

4800 Oak Grove Drive 

Pasadena, CA 91109 

Ph: (818) 354-6320 Fax: (818) 393-6951 

Rajiv Doreswamy 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBI2 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3366 Fax: 

Andrew F. Dunnet 

Fraser-Dunnet Consulting 

5112 Bradford Drive 

Annandale. VA 22003 

Ph: (703) i56-4092 Fax: (703) 256-4094 

Nicanor A. F10rdeliza 

GE American Communications Satellites. Inc. 

4 Research Way 

Princeton. NJ 08540 

Ph: (609) 987-4453 Fax: (609) 987-4393 

Jennifer Francisco 

Eagle-Picher Industries. Inc. 

1215 West B Street 

Joplin, MO 64801 

Ph: (417)623-8000 Fa,,: (417)623-5319 

Pete George 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center. AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3331 Fax: 

James A. Gucinski 

Naval Weapons Support Center - Crane 

Code 609 Bldg 2949 

Crane, IN 47522-5030 

Ph: (812) 854-6150 Fax: (812) 854-1212 

E-mail: jag444@smtp.nwscc.sea06.navy.mil 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -607-

Lt. Charles Donet 

USAF 

PLNTVP 

Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 

Ph: (505) 846-4899 Fax: (505) 846-2885 

E-mail: donetc@plk.af.mil 

Geoffrey John Dudley 

European Space Agency 

POB299 

2200 AG Noordwijk 

The Netherlands 

Ph: 31715653834 Fax: 31715654994 

E-mail: gdudley@vmprofs.estec.esa.nl 

Ted Edge 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBI2 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3381 Fax: 

Christopher L. Fox 

Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. 

POB47 

Joplin, MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8000 X367 Fax: (417) 781-1910 

Chris Garner 

Naval Research Laboratorv 

Code 8134 . 

4555 Overlook Ave. SW 

Washington, DC 20375 

Ph: (202) 767-9075 Fa,,: (202) 767-4633 

Dawn Gregory 

Hughes Aircraft 

Bldg S751 MIS CHS 

16800 E. Centretech Parkway 

Aurora, CO 8001J . 

Ph: 303 342-3327 Fa,,: 

Doug Hafen 

Lockheed Martin 

B/1490/E6-01 

POB3504 

Sunnyvale. CA 94089-3504 

Ph: (408) 743-7220 Fa,,: (408) 742-7701 

E-mail: hafen_doug@mm.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance'List 

David Hall 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-4215 Fax: 

Steve Hall 

Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Div. 

Code 6095 

Crane. IN 47522 

Ph: (812) 854-4172 Fax: (812) 854-1212 

Dr. Robert J. Hayduk 

NASA Headquarters 

300 E. St., SW 

Washington, DC 20546 

Ph: (202) 358-4690 Fax: (202) 358-2697 

E-mail: robert.hayduk@hq.nasa.gov 

Robert Higgins 

Eagle-Picher Industries. Inc. 

POB47 

Joplin, MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8000 Fax: 

Albert Himy 

Navy! JJMA 

23411efferson Davis Highway 

Suite 715 

Arlington, VA 22202 

Ph: (703) 418-4257 Fax: (703) 418-4269 

Sonya Hutchinson 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space FI.ight Center. AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3312 Fax: 

Lorna Jackson 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3318 Fax: 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

Ian S. Hall 

Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd. 

Gunnels Wood Road 

Stevenage, Hertfordshire 

SGI2AS 

England 

Ph: 01l-44-1438-773347 Fax: 01l-44-1438-773200 

Alan Harkness 

Harkon 

Suite lOS 

444 W. 49th Ave. 

Vancouver, BC 

Canada V5Y 3V4 

Ph: (604) 325-1659 Fax: (604) 325-3180 

Duane Heier 

Boeing Defense & Space 

MS 8F-08 

POB3999 

Seattle, WA 98124-3039 

Ph: (206) 773-3039 Fax: (206) 773-9139 

Carole A. Hill 

The Aerospace Corporation 

POB 9045 

Albuquerque, NM 87119-9045 

Ph: (505) 846-7063 Fax: (505) 846-1445 

E-mail: hill@kafb.aero.org 

Scott Hoover 

Orion Satellite Corporation 

2440 Research Blvd. 

Suite 160 

Rockville. MD 20850 

Ph: (301) 258-3325 Fax: (301) 258-3319 

E-mail: 695-4848@mcimail.com 

Nathan Isaacs 

MSA 

38 Loveton Circle 

Sparks, MD 21152 

Ph: (410) 628-5440 Fax: (410) 628-0613 

E-mail: nedizakmsa@aol.com 

Ralph James 

USAF 

PLNTPP 

Bldg. 30117, Manzano 

3550 Aberdeen Ave SE 

Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 

Ph: (505) 846-2614 Fax: (505) 846-2885 

E-mail: james2@plk.af.mil 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Thierry lamin 

CNES/AE/SE/AC 

18 Avenue Edouard Belin 

31055 Toulouse Cedex 

France 

Ph: 0561 274938 Fax: 0561 2821 62 

E-mail: jamin@ace.esr.cnes.fr 

lason E. lenkins 

lohns Hopkins University I APL 

MS23-214 

lohns Hopkins Rd. 

Laurel, MD 20723-6099 

Ph: 410 792-5106 Fax: 

E-mail: jason.jenkins@ihuapl.edu 

David S. lung 

Goddard Space Flight Center 

Code 734 

Greenbelt, MD 20771 

Ph: (301)286-6104 Fax: (301)286-1719 

Bob Kapustka 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center. AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3302 Fax: 

Michael D. Koelling 

Hughes Aircraft 

MS CHSS 

16800 E. CentreTech Parkway 

Aurora CO 80011 

Ph: (303) 341-33~7 Fa\:: (303) 341-2926 

E-mail: mokoe@aol.com 

Stanley 1. Krol. Jr. 

Lockheed Martin Technical Operations Inc. 

7474 Greenway Center Drive 

Suite 200 . 

Greenbelt. MD 20770 

Ph: (301)901-6101 Fa\:: (301) 901-6076 

E-mail: krol_stanley@mnb~.fss-moses.lo 

Erik L. Levine 

Space Systems I Loral 

3825 Fabian Way 

MS G-13 

Palo Alto. CA 94303-4604 

Ph: (415) 852-5511 Fax: (415) 852-4936 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -609-

Gwyn Morgan lenkins 

Alabama A&M University 

Department of Physics 

Normal, AL 35762 

Dr. P. 1. lohnson 

Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd. 

Gunnels Wood Road 

Stevenage, Hertfordshire 

SGI2AS 

England 

Ph: 01l-44-1438-773031 Fax: 01l-44-1438-773200 

Haresh Kamath 

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space 

OIE6-01, B1149, Col B3 

1111 Lockheed Martin Way 

Sunnyvale, CA 94089 

Ph: (408) 743-6789 Fax: (408) 743-6745 

E-mail: kamath@lmsc.lockheed.com 

Donald R. Kleis 

The ENSER Corporation 

UAH Johnson Research Center 

HuntsviIle, AL 35899 

Ph: (205) 890-6707 x247 Fax: (205) 890-6668 

E-mail: slvrstreek@aol.com 

Kiyokazu Koga 

National Space Development Agency of Japan 

2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba-shi, 

Ibaraki-ken, 305 Japan 

Ph: (81) 298522285 Fax: (81) 298522299 

E-mail: koga@rd.tksc.nasda.go.jp 

Ron Lantzy 

Lockheed Martin 

18605 East Dorado Dr. 

Aurora CO 80015 

Ph: (303) 341-3812 Fax: 

Danny Liu 

INTELSAT 

INTELSA T VIII Program Office 

c/o Lockheed Martin Astro Space 

POB 800 I MS 93 

Princeton. Nl 08543-0800 

Ph: (609) 426-9225 Fax: (609) 426-8968 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Eric Lowery 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-0080 Fax: 

Dr. Tyler X. Mahy 

U.S. Government 

c/oOTS,NHB 

Washington, DC 20505 

Ph: (703) 874-0739 Fax: (703) 641-9830 

Michelle Manzo 

Lewis Research Center 

MS 309-1 

21000 Brookpark Rd. 

Cleveland, OH 44135 

Ph: (216) 433-5261 Fax: (216) 433-6160 

Jeff Martin 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Kurt McCall 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBI2 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 961-4501 Fax: 

K. S. Nanjundaswamy 

Eagle-Picher Industries. Inc. 

Technology Division 

POB47 

Joplin, MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8000 x436 Fax: (417) 623-5556 

Pat O'Donnell 

Lewis Research Center 

MS309-1 

21000 Brookpark Rd. 

Cleveland, OH 44135 

Ph: (216) 433-524.8 Fax: (216) 433-6160 

E-mail: seodo@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -610-

Chuck Lurie 

TRW 

MSR4/1082 

One Space Park 

Redondo Beach, CA 90278 

Ph: (310) 813-4888 Fax: (310) 812-4978 

E-mail: chuck.1urie@trw.com 

Paul A. Malachesky 

The Aerospace Corporation 

The Hallmark Bldg. 

13873 Park Center Rd. 

Suite 187 

Herndon, VA 22071 

Ph: (703) 808-4894 Fax: (703) 808-4955 

Nehemiah Margalit 

Tracor Applied Sciences Inc. 

1601 Research Blvd. 

Rockville, MD 20850 

Ph: (301) 838-6223 Fax: (301) 838-6222 

E-mail: nmargalit@tracor.com 

Dean W. Maurer 

McKnight Associates 

292 Johnston Dr. 

Watchung, NJ 07060 

Ph: (908) 753-4457 Fax: 

M.J.Milden 

2212 So. Beverwil Dr. 

Los Angeles, CA 90034-1034 

Ph: (310) 836-6694 Fax: (310) 836-0094 

E-mail: rnmilden@worldnet.att.net 

David O'Dell 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3416 Fax: 

Naohito Okobo 

Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd. 

222-1 Kaminaizen. Sumoto City 

Hyogo. Japan 

Ph: 81-799-24-4111 Fax: 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

John L. Palme 

ORBCOMM Global 

21700 Atlantic Blvd. 

Dulles, VA 20166-6801 

Ph: (703) 406-5685 Fax: (703) 406-3504 

E-mail: jpalme@orbcomm.net 

Dave Perrone 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

MS277-212 

4800 Oak Grove Dr. 

Pasadena, CA 9 I 109 

Ph: 818354-9044 Fax: 818393-6951 

E-mail: david.e.perrone@jpl.nasa.gov 

Dan T. Radzykewycz 

U.S. Air Force 

Phillips Laboratory 

Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 

Ph: 505 846-5703 Fax: 

Ron Repplinger 

Eagle-Picher Industries. Inc. 

POB47 

Joplin. MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8000 Fax: (417) 623-5319 

Darren L. Scoles 

Eagle-Picher Industries. Inc. 

Technologies Division 

Power Systems Department 

3820 S. Hancock Expressway 

Colorado Springs. CO 80911 

Ph: (719) 392-4266 Fax: (719) 392-4381 

E-mail: 73024.3615@CompuServe.com 

Sat P. Singhal 

Computer Sciences Corporation 

7404 Executive Place 

Seabrook, MD 20706 

Ph: 301464-7400 x7579 Fax: 301464-3352 

E-mail: ssinghal@csc.com 

Hsiao L. Smith 

Goddard Space Flight Center 

Code 734 

Greenbelt, MD 20771 

Ph: (301) 286-4641 Fax: 

E-mail: hsiao.smith@gsfc.nasa.gov 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -611-

Rick Parmley 

Eagle Picher 

POB47 

Joplin, MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8000 Fax: 

David F. Pickett 

Eagle-Picher Industries 

Power Systems Department 

3820 S. Hancock Expressway 

Colorado Springs, CO 80911 

Ph: (719) 392-4266 Fax: (719) 392-5103 

Gopal Rao 

Goddard Space Flight Center 

Code 734 

Greenbelt, MD 20771 

Ph: (301) 286-6654 Fax: (301) 286-1751 

Byron Rogers 

McDonnell Douglas 

10 I Victoria Drive 

Madison. AL 35758 

Ph: (205) 922-4524 Fax: 

Annie Sennet 

SAFT 

156 Avenue DeMetz 

93230 Romainville 

France 

Ph: 011 I 3349 153644 Fax: 011 I 334891 9553 

E-mail: annie.sennet@saft.alcatel-alsthorm.fr 

Luther W. Slifer. Jf. 

Jackson & Tull, Chartered Engineers 

NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center 

Code 734.4 

J & T Support 

Greenbelt, MD 20771 

Ph: (301)286-8433 Fax: (301)286-1751 

Steven Stadnick 

Hughes Aircraft Co. 

MS D543. Bldg. S24 

POB 92919 

Los Angeles, CA 90009 

Ph: (310) 416-4134 Fax: (310) 416-3922 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Dan Standlee 

Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. 

1215 West B Street 

Joplin, MO 64802 

Ph: (417) 623-8000 X301 Fax: 

Ralph M. Sullivan 

Swales & Associates. Inc. 

13118 Greenmount Ave. 

Beltsville, MD 20705 

Ph: (301) 572-1280 Fax: (301) 595-2871 

Vijay V. Thakur 

Defence Research Agency 

Space Power Systems 

Space Department I P234 Building 

DERA Famborough 

Hampshire. GUl46TD. U.K. 

Ph: 011-44-1252393669 Fax: 011-44-1252392664 

Paul Timmerman 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

MS 277-213 

4800 Oak Grove Drive 

Pasadena. CA 91109 

Ph: (818) 354-5388 Fax: (818) 393-6951 

Walt Tracinski 

Applied Power International 

1236 N. Columbus Ave .. #41 

Glendale. CA 91202-1672 

Ph: (818) 243-3127 Fax: (818) 243-3127 

John W. Van Zee 

University of South Carolina 

Chemical Engineering Dept. 

Columbia. SC 29208 

Ph: (803) 777-2285 Fax: (803) 777-8265 

E-mail: vanzee@engr.engr.sc.edu 

Margot Wasz 

The Aerospace Corporation 

MS M2/275 

POB92957 

Los Angeles, CA 90009 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -612-

Joe Stockel 

Office of Research & Development 

LF-7 Rm 6118 

Washington, DC 20505 

Ph: (703) 613-8833 Fax: (703) 613-8954 

Greg Terry 

Kateli Enterprises, Inc. 

295 Lakeridge Dr. S. 

Lynchburg, TN 37352 

Ph: (205) 651-2177 Fax: (615) 759-4728 

E-mail: ghterry@hiwaay.net 

Lawrence Thaller 

The Aerospace Corporation 

MS M2/275 

POB 92957 

Los Angeles, CA 90009 

Ph: (310) 336-5180 Fax: (310) 336-1636 

E-mail: larry_thaller@qmail2.aero.org 

Robert F. Tobias 

TRW 

MS R411074 

One Space Park 

Redondo Beach. CA 90278 

Ph: (310) 813-5784 Fax: 

Dr. Hari Vaidyanathan 

COMSA T Laboratories 

22300 Comsat Dr. 

Clarksburg. MD 20871 

Ph: (301) 428-4507 Fax: (301) 428-3686 

E-mail: hari.vaidyanathan@comsat.com 

Harry Wannemacher 

Jackson & Tull 

7375 Executive Place 

Suite 200 

Seabrook, MD 20706 

Ph: (301) 805-6090 Fa.x: (301) 805-6099 

E-mail: harry.wan@jnt.com 

Steve Westfall 

Eagle-Pich"r Industries. Inc. 

POB47 

C & Porter Streets 

Joplin, MO 64802-0047 

Ph: (417)623-8000 Fax: (417)623-5556 

Attendance List 
1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop Attendance List 

Dr. Ralph E. White 

University of South Carolina 

Dept of Chemical Engineering 

Swearingen Engineering Center 

Columbia, SC 29208 

Ph: (803) 777-3270 Fax: (803) 777-8265 

E-mail: rew@sun.che.sc.edu 

Doug Willowby 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EB12 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3334 Fax: 

Daphne Xu 

INTELSAT 

3400 International Dr. NW 

Box 34 

Washington, DC 20008-3098 

Ph: (202) 944-7250 Fax: (202) 944-7333 

E-mail: daphne.xu@intelsatint 

Tom Whitt 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

EBI2 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Ph: (205) 544-3313 Fax: 

Jim Wiser 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

PDI4 

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 

Albert H. Zimmerman 

The Aerospace Corporation 

MS M2/275 

POB 92957 

Los Angeles, CA 90009-2957 

Ph: (310) 336-7415 Fax: (310) 336-1636 

tr U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1997-532-128/0012 

1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop -613- Attendance List 
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved 

OMB No. 0704-0188 

Public reporting burden for this collecton of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, 

gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection 

of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, 

Suite 1204, Arlington, Va 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503. 

1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave Blank) 12. REPORT DATE 13. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED 

February 1997 Conference Publication 

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 

The 1996 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop 

6. AUTHOR(S) 

Jeffrey C. Brewer, Compiler 

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATON 

REPORT NUMBERS 

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 

M-825 

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORINGIMONITORING 

AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Washington, DC 20546 NASA CP-3347 

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 

Proceedings of a workshop sponsored by the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program, hosted by 

the Marshall Space Flight Center, and held at the Huntsville Hilton on December 3-5, 1996 

12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 

Unclassified-Unlimited 

Subject Category 44 

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) 

This document contains the proceedings of the 29th annual NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, hosted by the 

Marshall Space Flight Center on December 3-5, 1996. The workshop was attended by scientists and engineers from 

various agencies of the U.S. Government, aerospace contractors, and battery manufacturers, as well as international 

participation in like kind from a number of countries around the world. 

The subjects covered included nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, silver-zinc, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium based 

technologies, as well as flight and ground test data. Nickel-hydrogen reconditioning was also covered. 

14. SUBJECT TERMS 

battery, nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-metal hydride, lithium, cadmium, battery 

tests, electrode, pressure vessel, modeling, reconditioning 

17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 

OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT 

Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified 

NSN 7540 - 01 - 280 - 5500 

Mac-Computer Generated 

15. NUMBER OF PAGES 

624 

16. PRICE CODE 

A99 

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 

Standard Form 298 (Rev 2-89) 

Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239·18