Nickel-hydrogen battery-common pressure vessel

Common pressure vessel (CPV) Ni-H₂ battery designs have been developed for geosynchronous (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) aerospace applications, terrestrial remote energy storage, and aircraft starting. The first aerospace CPV prototype, a 10 in diameter, 24 Ah, 26 cell battery, was fabricated in 1988. A second generation 5 in diameter aerospace CPV was then developed which incorporated a loose heat fin designed to overcome the manufacturing problems that caused the premature failure of the first prototype. In addition to the revised heat fin, the second generation battery incorporated several additional design improvements which enhanced the reliability and manufacturability of the CPV. Based on the early success of the loose fin design approach in the 5 in design, the same approach was adapted for use in the original 10 in version. Prototypes of this design have been produced in a 125 Ah GEO version as well as a high power prototype aircraft starting battery. The design for terrestrial applications is discussed. The testing of the three load profiles demonstrated the excellent performance and flexibility of the CPV Ni-H₂ battery. Simple battery control schemes based on charge pressure and discharge voltage proved adequate. The ability of the battery to withstand catastrophic system failures and total discharge proved to be a valuable asset