Common pressure vessel nickel hydrogen battery development

The authors present a two-cell series-connected common pressure vessel battery. The prototype unit is of 40-Ah size. In comparison with two 40 Ah IPVs (individual pressure vessels) to which it is equivalent in power, it offers a 19% improvement in energy density. It also offers a 30% reduction in volume and a nearly 50% reduction in the battery footprint on the thermal radiator wall of a communication satellite. This smaller footprint may be of particular advantage for those applications requiring smaller capacity batteries (5 to 25 Ah) and having a crowded thermal panel. A physical description of the prototype module is provided. Energy density is particularly good: 61.8 Wh/kg