Characteristics of Three-Electrode, Sealed, Nickel-Cadmium Cells

The chemical and electrical characteristics of the nickel-cadmium cell are related to the characteristics of the oxygen electrode, and the qualitative behavior of the three-electrode cell is predicted. Measurements are made on a three-electrode cell and show substantial agreement with predicted behavior. Measurement of the magnitude and threshold of appearance of the third electrode signal and the cell temperature shows that the state of charge at which the full charge signal appears is dependent upon cell temperature, and varies from 115 percent of rated capacity at 40°F to 25 percent of rated capacity at 1400°F.