Development of lightweight nickel fiber electrodes for nickel-based systems

Development of a high specific energy battery is the main goal of the lightweight nickel electrode program at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The approach has been to improve the nickel electrode by continuing combined in-house and contract efforts to develop a more efficient and lighter weight electrode for nickel-hydrogen and nickel-metal hydride cells. Small fiber diameter nickel plaques are used as conductive supports for the nickel hydroxide active material. Two of the fiber plaques used in this development program were developed by Memtec America Corporation and by Ribbon Technology Corporation. These plaques are new material products that have the advantage of an increased surface area available for the deposition of active material as well as an increase in the electrochemical accessibility to the active material. Initial tests include activation and capacity measurements at different discharge levels followed by half-cell cycle testing at 80 percent depth-of-discharge in a low-Earth-orbit regime. The electrodes that pass the initial tests are life cycle-tested in a boiler plate nickel-hydrogen cell before flightweight designs are built and tested