Reconditioning experience at Marshall Space Flight Center

Abstract

Problems encountered on Skylab prompted the development of a reconditioning circuit which involves a DC to DC converter, a circuit sensing device, and the capability of switching several size reconditioners onto a circuit. Across each cell there is a full bridge rectifier. During battery discharge, if there is low cell voltage, the reconditioning systems holds that voltage up and permits discharge to continue on the system. When the cell is good, the voltage is up about one volt, the diodes are back, or reversed biased, and the current drawn out of the system is very low. The system has a standby power thrown at about one volt. As the voltage drops on a cell, the circuit strts picking up the load and helps hold the overall battery voltage up.