Characterization and LEO Life Testing of Nickel-Hydrogen Cells for Space in SISP
Date Published: 1999-08-02
Paper Number:1999-01-2538
DOI: 10.4271/1999-01-2538
Citation:
Zhou, L., Zhu, K., Wu, Y., Lu, R. et al., "Characterization and LEO Life Testing of Nickel-Hydrogen Cells for Space in SISP," SAE Technical Paper 1999-01-2538, 1999, doi:10.4271/1999-01-2538.
Author(s):
Lirong Zhou - Shanghai Institute of Space Power-sources
Kai Zhu - Shanghai Institute of Space Power-sources
Yongxian Wu - Shanghai Institute of Space Power-sources
Rong Lu - Shanghai Institute of Space Power-sources
Guoxin Li - Shanghai Institute of Space Power-sources
The electrical and thermal performance of several 80Ah Nickel-hydrogen cells was characterized at different environment temperature, similar to that qualified and flown on the Hubble Space Telescope, also same to the cells designed and applied on the International Space Station. Seven 80Ah individual pressure vessel NiH
2
cells have been subjected to real-time life cycle tests at 35%DOD, low earth orbit regimes. Some cells have been subjected to accelerated testing.
According to performance testing results, the specific energy density of 80Ah NiH
2
cells have been over 60Wh/ kg. Now the LEO life test have been continuously doing over 9200 cycles with good performance, the couloumbic efficiency has been stable across the cycle life at 98%(10,000cycles), the energy efficiency at 85%-90%. The large capacity satellites and space station would design the application of the NiH
2
batteries for high performance and long life.
Also, some 30Ah cells have been subjected to real-time life cycle tests at 30%DOD, LEO regimes. The life cycles have been running up to 15,000 and 22,000 for different cells with stable performance. The 6QN35 battery (6 Cells-35Ah in series) has been developed and tested on GEO regimes at 79%DOD for 40 eclipse seasons successfully, which can satisfy 15~20 years GEO satellites.
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