NASA Lewis advanced individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel/hydrogen technology

Abstract

Individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel/hydrogen technology was advanced at NASA Lewis and under Lewis contracts. Some of the advancements are as follows: (1) to use 26% KOH electrolyte to improve cycle life and performance; (ii) to modify the state-of-the-art cell design to eliminate identified failure modes and further improve cycle life, and (iii) to develop a lightweight nickel electrode to reduce battery mass, hence reduce launch and/ or increase satellite payload. A breakthrough in the Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) cycle life of individual pressure vessel nickel/hydrogen battery cells was reported. The cycle life of boiler plate cells containing 26% KOH electrolyte was about 40 000 accelerated LEO cycles at 80% depth-of-discharge (DOD) compared with 3500 cycles for cells containing 31% KOH. Results of the boiler plate cells tests have been validated at Naval Weapons Support Center, Crane, IN. Forty-eight Ah flight cells containing 26 and 31% KOH have undergone real time LEO cycle life testing at an 80% DOD, in 10 °C. The three cells containing 26% KOH failed on the average at cycle 19 500. The three cells containing 31% KOH failed on the average at cycle 6400. Validation testing of NASA Lewis 125 Ah advanced design IPV nickel/hydrogen flight cells is also being conducted at Naval Weapons Support Center, Crane, IN under a NASA Lewis contract. This consists of characterization, storage, and cycle-life testing. There was no capacity degradation after 52 days of storage with the cells in the discharged state, on open circuit, 0 °C, and a hydrogen pressure of 14.5 psia (1 atm). The catalyzed wall wick cells have been cycled for over 22 694 cycles with no cell failures in the continuing test. All three of the noncatalyzed wall wick cells failed (cycles 9588, 13 900 and 20 575). Cycle-life test results of the Fibrex nickel electrode has demonstrated the feasibility of an improved nickel electrode giving a higher specific energy nickel/hydrogen cell. A nickel/hydrogen boiler plate cell using an 80 mil (2 mm) thick, 90% porous Fibrex nickel electrode has been cycled for 10 000 cycles at 40% DOD.