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U.S. Department of Energy
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Cycle life test of secondary spacecraft cells. Annual report 1

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6779251
Performance characteristics and limitations through life cycle test evaluations of numerous sealed nickel-cadmium cells are presented. Cells were arranged in packs of 5 or 10 cells and cycled with a given set of test parameters until more than half of the cells had failed. Ambient temperature; charge voltage limit; percent depth of discharge; percent of recharge; and orbit period at 50/sup 0/C, 50/sup 0/C followed by subsequent change to 40/sup 0/C, at 25/sup 0/C, and at 0/sup 0/C were observed. A total of 29 of the original 84 packs failed, and the remaining 55 packs completed from 291.1 to 375 days of continuous cycling. It was found that 50/sup 0/C was in general an unsatisfactory ambient temperature for the specific current and orbit periods. Average initial capacities and average capacities after 264 days of cycling are presented in terms of percent of rated capacity, and show that certain packs exhibit the memory effect. An appendix describes several tests added to the life cycle test program.
Research Organization:
Naval Ammunition Depot, Crane, IN (USA)
OSTI ID:
6779251
Report Number(s):
NASA-CR-63424; QE/C-65-356
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English