Advanced developments in NiH2 Dependent Pressure Vessel(DPV) cell and battery technology

The Dependent Pressure Vessel (DPV) Nickel-Hydrogen (NiH₂ ) design is being developed by Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. (EPI) as an advanced battery for military and commercial, aerospace and terrestrial applications. The DPV cell design offers high specific energy and energy density as well as reduced cost, while retaining the established Individual Pressure Vessel (IPV) technology flight heritage and database. This advanced DPV design also offers a more efficient mechanical, electrical and thermal cell and battery configuration and a reduced parts count. The DPV battery design promotes compact, minimum volume packaging and weight efficiency, and delivers cost and weight savings with minimal design risks     

Thin-film Li-LiMn2O4 batteries

Thin-film rechargeable Li-LiMn₂O₄ batteries have been fabricated and characterized. Following deposition by electron beam evaporation of LiMn₂O₄, the amorphous as-deposited cathode films 1 cm² in area by 0.3to 4-μm thick were annealed at 700°C to 800°C in oxygen in order to form the crystalline spinet phase. The specific capacity of the cells between 4.5 V to 3.8 V ranged from 50 μAh/mg to 120 μAh/mg. When cycled over this range, the batteries exhibited excellent secondary performance with capacity losses as low as 0.001% per cycle. On charging to 5.3 V, a plateau with a median voltage of 5.1 V was observed. The total charge extracted between 3.8 V to 5.3 V corresponded to about 1 Li/Mn₂ O₄     

Military qualification of a high-reliability, light-weight 24 V/30Ah aircraft battery

The United States Navy has flown Valve Regulated Lead-Acid Batteries (VRLA) for approximately 18 years. The first VRLA aircraft batteries were cylindrical cell design and evolved to a prismatic design to save weight, volume, and to increase rate capability. This paper discusses the next generation of the VRLA aircraft battery. The HORIZON composite grid VRLA design reduces weight, increases high rate performance, and is expected to increase service life. This paper discusses the weight reduction over the present 30 Ah prismatic VRLA aircraft battery design; improvements in high rate engine start performance, and present status of the development effort. Finally, the paper discusses the applications for the 30 Ah composite grid VRLA aircraft battery, and shows the future application opportunities for light-weight VRLA, both in the military and commercially     

单一压力容器镍氢电池组几何参数对其温度场的影响

 针对实际空间用单一压力容器(IPV)镍氢电池组的传热特点,建立其瞬态热分析的数学物理仿真模型。通过设计改变电池组几何参数,包括电池组底板厚度、套筒高度和厚度,采用有限差分法,对比模拟研究电池组在飞船实际运行条件下几何参数对其温度场的影响。结果表明：套筒厚度对电池组温度场的影响最为敏感,增大套筒厚度可明显缩短电池组热系统达到平衡态的响应时间;其次是套筒高度;改变底板厚度对电池组温度场变化影响不明显。该研究为镍氢电池组的结构优化和热控制研究提供理论基础。     

9th Annual Battery Conference on Advances and Applications

The developments in batteries reported at the 8th Annual Battery Conference on Advances and Applications, are discussed. It was sponsored by the electrical engineering department of California state university, long beach, CA, with IEEE-AESS cooperation. Previous well-funded battery research had been directed toward getting low weight in spacecraft batteries, which had to be boosted into orbit with expensive rockets. Ni-H₂ batteries, even though costly, won the race. Their demonstrated life, like 30,000 charge-discharge cycles, gives an earth-orbiting satellite decades of usable life. Other types of batteries discussed are: aircraft batteries; electric vehicle batteries; Ni-Cd cells; Zn-Br batteries; industrial Pb-acid batteries; rechargeability; computer controlled charging; and small rechargeable and primary batteries     

Validation test of 125 Ah advanced design IPV nickel-hydrogenflight cells

An update of validation test results confirming the advanced design nickel-hydrogen cell is presented. An advanced 125 Ah individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel-hydrogen cell was designed for storing and delivering energy for long-term, low-earth-orbit (LEO) spacecraft missions. The new features of this design are: the use of 26% rather than 31% potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte; a patented catalyzed wall wick; serrated-edge separators to facilitate gaseous oxygen and hydrogen flow within the cell, while maintaining physical contact with the wall wick for electrolyte management; and a floating rather than a fixed stack to accommodate nickel electrode expansion. The resulting improvements include extended cycle life and enhanced thermal, electrolyte, and oxygen management; and accommodation of nickel electrode expansion. Six 125-Ah flight cells based on this design are in the process of being evaluated in a LEO cycle life test     

PowerCore combining structure and batteries for increased energy toweight ratio

Much of the mass of a battery is comprised of nonreactive materials. In an NiH₂ battery, this includes the pressure vessel and 50% of the positive electrode. PowerCore reconfigures the battery materials to serve as a structural sandwich panel. The effective specific energy of the new device can exceed 100 Wh/kg. PowerCore is intended to handle power demands of low Earth orbiting communications satellites such as IRIDIUM. This paper describes the concept and development progress     

Galileo probe battery system

NASA's pair of Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter on 7 December 1995. The Probe descended into the upper Jovian atmosphere, performing its planned sequence of scientific measurements of the properties of that medium for about an hour. This Probe has been the most ambitious planetary entry vehicle to date. It evolved over several years of planning and construction, its launch was postponed many times, for a variety of reasons; and it required more than 6 years of travel after launch to reach the planet. Its electrical power was provided by a primary Li-SO₂ battery, supplemented with two thermal batteries (CaCrO₄-Ca) used for firing pyrotechnic initiators during the atmospheric entry. These power sources were designed to be robust, to assure they would perform their intended function after surviving several years in space. This paper discusses the final production, qualification, and the systems testing of these batteries prior to and following launch. Their excellent performance at Jupiter confirmed their life enhancement design features     

反压条件下同轴式喷嘴雾化特性的试验研究

利用作者设计的反压试验装置和MF激光散射测粒仪, 在0.1～0.6MPa反压条件下, 测量了不同工况液雾的索太尔平均直径SMD等雾化特性参数, 并对试验数据进行最小二乘拟合, 得到了影响雾化特性相关参数的经验公式, 对同轴式喷嘴的设计将有一定的指导意义。      

定压活门稳定性定量分析

提出了一种定压活门(CPV)稳定性的定量分析方法.首先通过稳态分析,得到影响定压活门稳态性能的主要参数.通过小偏差动态分析,获得定压活门闭环极点根轨迹图.提出临界进口压力概念,得到5个主要结构参数对定压活门稳定裕度的定量影响:弹簧刚度对稳定裕度影响很小;而增大阀芯直径,提高阻尼系数,增加负载,减小定压腔容积都分别能够明显提高定压活门的稳定裕度,计算结果与实际工程经验及AMESim仿真结果基本一致.最终,得出增强定压活门稳定裕度的改进措施和设计方法:①定压活门改进问题,最有效的方法为改动出口流通面积;②定压活门设计时,首先应根据其工作进口压力要求及最小负载,确定临界进口压力,然后通过动态分析,以阀芯面积和定压腔容积作为主要的设计参数.      

High energy density regenerative fuel cell systems for terrestrialapplications

Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) technology for energy storage has been a NASA power system concept for many years. Compared to battery-based energy storage systems, RFCS has received relatively little attention or resources for development because the energy density and electrical efficiency were not sufficiently attractive relative to advanced battery systems. Even today, RFCS remains at a very low technology readiness level (TRL of about 2 indicating feasibility has been demonstrated). Commercial development of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells for automobiles and other terrestrial applications and improvements in lightweight pressure vessel design to reduce weight and improve performance make possible a high energy density RFCS energy storage system. The results from this study of a lightweight RFCS energy storage system for a remotely piloted, solar-powered, high altitude aircraft indicate an energy density up to 790 wh/kg with electrical efficiency of 53.4% is attainable. Such an energy storage system would allow a solar-powered aircraft to carry hundreds of kilograms of payload and remain in flight indefinitely for use in atmospheric research, Earth observation, resource mapping, and telecommunications. Future developments in the areas of hydrogen and oxygen storage, pressure vessel design, higher temperature and higher pressure fuel cell operation, unitized regenerative fuel cells, and commercial development of fuel cell technology will improve both the energy density and electrical efficiency of the RFCS     

Evaluation of nickel-hydrogen battery cells for space-based radar

A study conducted in 1991 on nickel-hydrogen (NiH₂) battery cells, to assess their use for space-based radar satellites, is discussed. Current NiH₂ and related programs were investigated. Cell performance data were assessed, focusing on pulsed-load operation, cell design factors, and life expectancy. A need for pulsed-load testing of candidate cells, especially to characterize their effective series resistance, dynamic impedance, and possible degradations, was identified. A NiH₂ cell test program was planned, and test preparations started in mid-1992     

Tests of a full-sized mechanically rechargeable zinc-air battery inan electric vehicle

A mechanically rechargeable zinc-air battery that has high power density and fast refueling capability is described. The battery is built from modules of 32 or 44 cells connected in series, and the modules can be arranged in any combination of series and parallel connections, and in practical quantity, according to the requirements of the vehicle, motor, and controller. The results of laboratory and in-vehicle tests of a zinc-air battery consisting of two 32-cell modules connected in series, with nominal voltage of 75 V and nominal capacity of 216 Ah, are presented     

Five-year update: nickel hydrogen industry survey

A 1984 survey of the nickel hydrogen (NiH₂) battery industry is updated. Late 1980s and early 1990s issues are identified, and usage and testing results of the survey are summarized. NiH₂ is the system of choice for new geosynchronous-earth-orbit (GEO) satellites and is being seriously considered for low-earth-orbit (LEO) applications. In five years, the annual cell production rate has doubled from approximately 1000 to 2000 cells. A number of cells under test have exceeded 20000 cycles at 40% DOD in LEO regimes, while other cells have achieved over 35 seasons in accelerated GEO regimes. The LEO database clearly indicates that NiH₂ performance is at least as good as the best conventional nickel-cadmium performance demonstrated under test     

Performance characteristics of lithium-ion cells for NASA's Mars2001 Lander application

NASA requires lightweight rechargeable batteries for future missions to Mars and the outer planets that are capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures, with high specific energy and energy densities. Due to the attractive performance characteristics, lithium-ion batteries have been identified as the battery chemistry of choice for a number of future applications, including Mars rovers and landers. The Mars 2001 Lander (Mars Surveyor Program MSP 01) will be one of the first missions which will utilize lithium-ion technology. This application will require two lithium-ion batteries, each being 28 V (eight cells), 25 Ah and 8 kg. In addition to the requirement of being able to supply at least 200 cycles and 90 days of operation on the surface of Mars, the battery must be capable of operation (both charge and discharge) at temperatures as low as -20°C. To assess the viability of lithium-ion cells for these applications, a number of performance characterization tests have been performed, including: assessing the room temperature cycle life, low temperature cycle life (-20°C), rate capability as a function of temperature, pulse capability, self-discharge and storage characteristics, as well as mission profile capability. This paper describes the Mars 2001 Lander mission battery requirements and contains results of the cell testing conducted to-date in support of the mission,     

基于VTPR方程计算N2/CF3I充填特性

采用比容平移法修正原始的Peng-Robinson状态（VTPR）方程,提高三氟碘甲烷（CF₃I）液相饱和区密度的计算精度。基于VTPR方程,结合经典的范德瓦尔混合规则,计算了N₂作为增压介质时,CF₃I充填1/2灭火瓶和2/3灭火瓶所需的N₂质量,并与试验值和文献值进行对比。结果表明,不同充填工况的计算值与试验值基本吻合,并且优于PROFISSY软件的结果。获得了充填压力分别为2.5 MPa和4.2 MPa、CF₃I不同充填密度下的总压力与温度的关系式,并计算了灭火剂热膨胀充满灭火瓶的临界温度和临界压力,该压力-温度关系式可用于以CF₃I为灭火剂的机载灭火系统工程设计。     

纤维缠绕压力容器的可靠性分析

文摘运用一次二阶距(FOSM)法,对纤维缠绕复合材料压力容器进行了可靠性分析,并与传统网格理论设计法进行了对比,讨论了纤维拉伸强度、爆破压力、压力容器半径、纤维缠绕层总厚度及缠绕角的变异系数对纤维强度发挥系数和压力容器壁厚的影响。结果表明:随着各设计参数变异系数的均匀增大,纤维强度发挥系数迅速减小,压力容器壁厚迅速增大;缠绕角度和纤维拉伸强度的变异系数对它们的影响最为显著。     

Design and integration of a solar AMTEC power system with anadvanced global positioning satellite

A 1,200-W solar AMTEC (alkali metal thermal-to-electric conversion) power system concept was developed and integrated with an advanced global positioning system (GPS) satellite. The critical integration issues for the SAMTEC with the GPS subsystems included: (1) packaging within the Delta II launch vehicle envelope; (2) deployment and start-up operations for the SAMTEC; (3) SAMTEC operation during all mission phases; (4) satellite field of view restrictions with satellite operations; and (5) effect of the SAMTEC requirements on other satellite subsystems. The SAMTEC power system was compared with a conventional planar solar array/battery power system to assess the differences in system weight, size, and operations, Features of the design include the use of an advanced multitube, vapor anode AMTEC cell design with 24% conversion efficiency, and a direct solar insolation receiver design with integral LiF salt canisters for energy storage to generate power during the maximum solar eclipse cycle, The modular generator design consists of an array of multitube AMTEC cells arranged into a parallel/series electrical network with built-in cell redundancy. Our preliminary assessment indicates that the solar generator design is scaleable over a 500 to 2,500-W range. No battery power is required during the operational phase of the GPS mission. SAMTEC specific power levels greater than 5 We/kg and 160 We/m² are anticipated for a mission duration of 10 to 12 years in orbits with high natural radiation backgrounds     

基于充分搅拌反应器模型简化详细反应机理

基于充分搅拌反应器(perfectly stirred reactor)模型,改进了相关性分析方法和主成分分析方法的应用方式,对航空煤油(替代燃油)的详细反应机理进行了简化.该详细反应机理由航空煤油替代燃油(80%的正癸烷,20%的1,2,4-三甲基苯组成,以质量计)的反应机理和的NO_X反应机理综合得到,总共包含131种组分,1020个不可逆基元反应.简化工况选为:充分搅拌反应器进口温度800 K、压力101325 Pa、停留时间3 ms、体积为常数、忽略热损失;目标是使得简化机理在绝热的充分搅拌反应器中计算得到的温度和重要组分(CO,CO₂,NO)的摩尔分数与详细机理的计算结果在5%的误差范围内.结果表明,在简化工况宽广的当量比范围内(0.5～2.0)简化机理均能满足设定的目标.      

Application of nonlinear filtering to navigation system designusing passive sensors

The problem of navigation system design for autonomous aircraft landing is addressed. New nonlinear filter structures are introduced to estimate the position and velocity of an aircraft with respect to a possibly moving landing site, such as a naval vessel, based on measurements provided by airborne vision and inertial sensors. By exploring the geometry of the navigation problem, the navigation filter dynamics are cast in the framework of linear parametrically varying systems (LPVs). Using this set-up, filter performance and stability are studied in an H_∞ setting by resorting to the theory of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The design of nonlinear, regionally stable filters to meet adequate H_∞ performance measures is thus converted into that of determining the feasibility of a related set of LMIs and finding a solution to them, if it exists. This is done by using-widely available numerical tools that borrow from convex optimization techniques. The mathematical framework that is required for integrated vision/inertial navigation system design is developed and a design example for an air vehicle landing on an aircraft carrier is detailed