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At least 73 records · Page 4

High surface area, low weight composite nickel fiber electrodes

The energy density and power density of light weight aerospace batteries utilizing the nickel oxide electrode are often limited by the microstructures of both the collector and the resulting active deposit in/on the collector. Heretofore, these two microstructures were intimately linked to one another by the materials used to prepare the collector grid as well as the methods and conditions used to deposit the active material. Significant weight and performance advantages were demonstrated by Britton and Reid at NASA-LeRC using FIBREX nickel mats of ca. 28-32 microns diameter. Work in our laboratory investigated the potential performance advantages offered by nickel fiber composite electrodes containing a mixture of fibers as small as 2 microns diameter (Available from Memtec America Corporation). These electrode collectors possess in excess of an order of magnitude more surface area per gram of collector than FIBREX nickel. The increase in surface area of the collector roughly translates into an order of magnitude thinner layer of active material. Performance data and advantages of these thin layer structures are presented. Attributes and limitations of their electrode microstructure to independently control void volume, pore structure of the Ni(OH)2 deposition, and resulting electrical properties are discussed.

Johnson, Bradley A.↗

Physical and chemical analysis of a Ni/H2 cell

A cycled aerospace nickel hydrogen (Ni/H2) cell was subjected to destructive physical analysis to determine the reason for a capacity loss after 5,967 cycles at 60 percent depth of discharge. The positive plates in the cell were analyzed in terms of chemical composition, active material utilization, charge efficiency, and thickness increase. The microstructure of a cross section of the positive plate was determined by backscattered electron image analysis. The results suggest that the capacity loss in the cell is caused by low charge acceptance and low active material utilization at the positive plate. The oxidized nickel species content of the positive plate increased due to corrosion of the nickel sintered skeleton. This appears to circumvent the orderly reaction of the active material. Microstructural analysis has indicated that a new phase of active material is formed with cycling.

H Vaidyanathan↗

Surface profilometer for examining grain-boundary grooves

Surface profilometer, consisting primarily of commercially available components, measures surface topographical features accurately and precisely. It shows improvement over the interferometric technique in measurement of grain-boundary grooves formed during annealing on nickel-oxide bicrystals.

Jech, R. E.↗

Fabrication and testing of negative-limited sealed nickel-cadmium cells

The design, construction, and testing of 100,20Ah and 100,3Ah negative-limited sealed cells are reported. The required physical dimensions of the hardware and components necessary to produce 20 and 3 Ah cells were established. The stainless steel cans and covers have been ordered. The covers contain two ceramic seals. The fabrication of electrodes was started. About 55% (879 electrodes) of the required cadmium electrodes has been prepared. About 44% of the porous nickel substrates (plaques) required for the preparation of the nickel oxide electrodes has been completed.

Luksha, E.↗

A study of degradation of plates for nickel-cadmium spacecraft cells

The relative merits of coining and not coining of sintered nickel-oxide and cadmium plates was investigated. A survey of the industry including cell manufactures and users was made and results summarized. Sample plate materials from most commercial cell suppliers were obtained and characterized for properties that may correlate with the tendency toward physical disintegration during handling and over long periods of time in the cell. Special test methods were developed to obtain comparative data in a short time. A wide range of physical properties and coining thicknesses was observed, resulting in a range of responses. The stronger, less brittle materials resisted loss of sinter better than weaker materials whether or not coined. Coining improved handling and resistance to electrochemical cycling in all materials tested. An apparent exception was found to be due to improper coining of a tapered edge.

Scott, W. R.↗

A study of degradation of plates for nickel-cadmium spacecraft cells

The relative merits of coining and not coining of sintered nickel oxide and cadmium plates was investigated. Sample plate materials from most commercial cell suppliers were obtained and characterized for properties that may correlate with the tendency toward physical disintegration during handling and over long periods of time in the cell. Special test methods were developed to obtain comparative data in a short time. A wide range of physical properties and coining thickness was observed, resulting in a range of responses. The stronger materials resisted loss of sinter better than weaker materials whether or not coined. Coining improved handling and resistance to electrochemical cycling of weaker materials. The mechanism of break-down of positive plate edges under cycling appears to be the same as that of thickening and blistering. Brittle, nonadherent sinter, resulting from certain impregnation processes, is the most vulnerable to degradation. It is concluded that the latter type of materials should be coined, but coining of strong materials is optional.

Scott, W. R.↗

Cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol films as alkaline battery separators

Cross-linking methods were investigated to determine their effect on the performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films as alkaline battery separators. The following types of cross-linked PVA films are discussed: (1) PVA-dialdehyde blends post-treated with an acid or acid periodate solution (two-step method) and (2) PVA-dialdehyde blends cross-linked during film formation (drying) by using a reagent with both aldehyde and acid functionality (one-step method). Laboratory samples of each cross-linked type of film were prepared and evaluated in standard separator screening tests. The pilot-plant batches of films were prepared and compared to measure differences due to the cross-linking method. The pilot-plant materials were then tested in nickel oxide - zinc cells to compare the two methods with respect to performance characteristics and cycle life. Cell test results are compared with those from tests with Celgard.

Sheibley, D. W.↗

Development works on nickel/hydrogen cells

Experiments were performed to reduce the costs for NI/H2 cells by using nickel oxide electrodes with high capacity per unit area. No maintenance requirements, long cycle life, insensitivity to overcharge and cell reversal, and high power capability were revealed.

Gutmann, G.↗

Cost reductions in nickel-hydrogen battery

Significant progress was made toward the development of a commercially marketable hydrogen nickel oxide battery. The costs projected for this battery are remarkably low when one considers where the learning curve is for commercialization of this system. Further developmental efforts on this project are warranted as the H2/NiO battery is already cost competitive with other battery systems.

Beauchamp, Richard L.↗

The distribution of chromium among orthopyroxene, spinel and silicate liquid at atmospheric pressure

The Cr distributions for a synthetic silicate melt equilibrated with bronzitic orthopyroxene and chromite spinel between 1334 and 1151 C over a range of oxygen fugacities between the nickel-nickel oxide and iron-wuestite buffers are studied. The occurrence, chemical composition, and structure of the orthopyroxene-silicate melt and the spinel-silicate melt are described. It is observed that the Cr content between bronzite and the melt increases with falling temperature along a given oxygen buffer and decreases with falling oxygen fugacity at a given temperature; however, the Cr content of the melt in equilibrium with spinel decreases with falling temperature and increases with lower oxygen fugacity.

Barnes, S. J.↗

The JPL/NASA/TAMU nickel-cadmium battery model development status

A discussion of the development of a fundamental cell model is presented in vugraph format. The nickel oxide layer is described in terms of the electronic conductivity of the oxide layer and proton diffusion through the oxide layer. The kinetic and conductivity expressions for the cadmium electrode were improved. The development process yielded performance predictions that are significantly improved.

Timmerman, Paul↗

The effect of oxygen fugacity on the partitioning of nickel and cobalt between olivine, silicate melt, and metal

The effect of oxygen fugacity, f(O2), on the partitioning behavior of Ni and Co between olivine, silicate melt, and metal was investigated in the CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-FeO-Na2O system, an analogue of a chondrule composition from an ordinary chondrite. The conditions were 1350 C and 1 atm, with values of f(O2) varying between 10 exp -5.5 and 10 exp -12.6 atm (i.e., the f(O2) range relevant for crystal/liquid processes in terrestrial planets and meteorite parent bodies). Results of chemical analysis showed that the values of the Ni and Co partitioning coefficients begin to decrease at values of f(O2) that are about 3.9 log units below the nickel-nickel oxide and cobalt-cobalt oxide buffers, respectively, near the metal saturation for the chondrule analogue composition.

Ehlers, Karin↗

Evaluation of space environmental effects on metals and optical thin films on EOIM-3

Metals and optical thin films exposed to the space environment on the Third Flight of the Evaluation of Oxygen Interactions with Materials (EOIM-3) payload, onboard Space Shuttle mission STS-46 were evaluated. The materials effects described in this paper include the effects of space exposure on various pure metals, optical thin films, and optical thin film metals. The changes induced by exposure to the space environment in the material properties were evaluated using bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), specular reflectance (250 nm to 2500 nm), ESCA, VUV reflectance (120 nm to 200 nm), ellipsometry, FTIR and optical properties. Using these analysis techniques gold optically thin film metal mirrors with nickel undercoats were observed to darken due to nickel diffusion through the gold to the surface. Also, thin film nickel mirrors formed nickel oxide due to exposure to both the atmosphere and space.

Vaughn, Jason A.↗

Light Weight Design Nickel-Alkaline Cells Using Fiber Electrodes

Using fiber electrode technology, currently produced by Bekaert Corporation (Bekaert), Electro Energy, Inc., (EEI) Mobile Energy Products Group (formerly, Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC., Power Systems Department) in Colorado Springs, CO has demonstrated that it is feasible to manufacture flight weight nickel-hydrogen cells having about twice the specific energy (80 vs. 40 watt-hr/kg) as state-of-the-art nickel-hydrogen cells that are flown on geosynchronous communications satellites. Although lithium-ion battery technology has made large in-roads to replace the nickel-alkaline technology (nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride), the technology offered here competes with lithium-ion weight and offers alternatives not present in the lithium-ion chemistry such as ability to undergo continuous overcharge, reversal on discharge and sustain rate capability sufficient to start automotive and aircraft engines at subzero temperatures. In development to date seven 50 ampere-hour nickel-hydrogen have been constructed, acceptance tested and briefly tested in a low earth orbit (LEO) cycle regime. The effort was jointly funded by Electro Energy, Inc. and NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH. Five of the seven cells have been shipped to NASA GRC for further cycle testing. Two of the cells experienced failure due to internal short circuits during initial cycle testing at EEL Destructive Physical Analysis (DPA) of one of the cells has shown the failure mode to be due to inadequate hydrogen catalyst electrodes that were not capacity balanced with the higher energy density nickel oxide electrodes. In the investigators opinion, rebuild of the cells using proper electrode balance would result in cells that could sustain over 30,000 cycles at moderate depths-of-discharge in a LEO regime or endure over 20 years of geosynchronous orbit (GEO) cycling while realizing a two-fold increase in specific energy for the battery or a 1.1 kg weight savings per 50 ampere-hour cell. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Pickett, David F.↗

Oxide dispersion strengthened nickel produced by nonreactive milling

It is shown that oxide dispersion strengthened alloys can be produced by a postulated nonreactive milling mechanism whereby the dispersoid is trapped at the interface between welding metal powder particles. This interparticle welding is possible because, without a suitable and sufficiently vigorous chemical reaction between the metal powder particles and the milling fluid, no protective, weld-preventing reaction coating is formed on these particles. Using water as the nonreactive milling fluid, Ni - 1.8-vol % thoria and Ni - 1.8-vol % yttria alloys with 1093 C tensile strengths ranging from 122.3 to 141.5 MN/sq m (17,900 to 20,500 psi) were produced by nonreactive milling.

Arias, A.↗

Creep and tensile properties of several oxide dispersion strengthened nickel base alloys

The creep properties at 1365 K of several oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys were studied, where the creep exposures involved low strains, on the order of 1% or less, after nominally 100 hours of testing. It was found that ODS alloys possess threshold stresses for creep. Creep in polycrystalline ODS alloys is an inhomogeneous process. The threshold stresses in large grain size ODS Ni-20Cr and Ni-16Cr-4/5Al type alloys are dependent on the grain aspect ratio.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗