An environmental aircraft battery (EAB)

The Battery Branch of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory began the development of an environmental aircraft battery (EAB) to replace existing nickel/cadmium (Ni–Cd) and sealed lead-/acid (SLA) batteries to minimize or eliminate use of environmentally hazardous battery materials by the USAF. A three-phase development contract was awarded in 1996 to replace the cadmium in Ni–Cd batteries with a metal hydride (MH) anode. Designs, materials, space battery technology, and results on commercial and government battery programmes were evaluated in the Phase I, Feasibility Analysis. Bipolar and prismatic designs were selected for Phase II development. Materials and cell test data are presented.