26th Intersociety energy conversion engineering conference

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5648825

Lim, H S; Zelter, G R; Smithrick, J J; Hall, S W

Six 48-Ah individual pressure vessel (IPV) Ni/H{sub 2} cells containing 26 and 31 percent KOH electrolyte were life cycle tested in low Earth orbit. All three cells containing 31 percent KOH failed (3729, 4165, and 11,355 cycles), while those with 26 percent KOH were cycled over 14,000 times in the continuing test. Destructive physical analysis (DPA) of the failed cells included visual inspections, measurements of electrode thickness, scanning electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and measurements of nickel electrode capacity in an electrolyte flooded cell. The cycling failure was due to a decrease of nickel electrode capacity. As possible causes of the capacity decrease, researchers observed electrode expansion, rupture, and corrosion of the nickel electrode substrate, active material redistribution, and accumulation of electrochemically undischargeable active material with cycling.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
• OSTI ID: 5648825
• Report Number(s): N-91-23233; NASA-TM--104382; E--6191; NAS--1.15:104382; CONF-910801--; CNN: NAS3-22238
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250902* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Performance & Testing
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
METAL-GAS BATTERIES
NICKEL-HYDROGEN BATTERIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDES
PRESSURE VESSELS
SERVICE LIFE
SUBSTRATES
TESTING
THICKNESS