Nickel metal hydride battery applications

Summary form only given. The nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery provides a near-term answer to the demand for portable, rechargeable power sources which are lighter and smaller than nickel cadmium batteries. Commercially available Ni-MH batteries can substitute for nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries cell for cell, with almost indistinguishable voltage characteristics, but provide 2540 percent more energy and are free of environmentally undesirable cadmium. Ni-MH battery packs are finding immediate use in portable electronic applications such as laptop, notebook, and sub-notebook computers, cellular communication devices, and consumer electronic devices such as camcorders. Ni-MH battery packs which have been carefully designed to retrofit existing Ni-Cd packs can be charged safely, and in nearly all cases effectively, by the existing installed base of Ni-Cd battery chargers. Ni-MH battery technology is well positioned to power the next generation of electronic devices which will combine computers and digital electronic communications technology.<>