Common pressure vessel (CPV) Ni-H2 battery designs havebeen developed for geosynchronous (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO)aerospace applications, terrestrial remote energy storage, and aircraftstarting. The first aerospace CPV prototype, a 10 in diameter, 24 Ah, 26cell battery, was fabricated in 1988. A second generation 5 in diameteraerospace CPV was then developed which incorporated a loose heat findesigned to overcome the manufacturing problems that caused thepremature failure of the first prototype. In addition to the revisedheat fin, the second generation battery incorporated several additionaldesign improvements which enhanced the reliability and manufacturabilityof the CPV. Based on the early success of the loose fin design approachin the 5 in design, the same approach was adapted for use in theoriginal 10 in version. Prototypes of this design have been produced ina 125 Ah GEO version as well as a high power prototype aircraft startingbattery. The design for terrestrial applications is discussed. Thetesting of the three load profiles demonstrated the excellentperformance and flexibility of the CPV Ni-H2 battery. Simplebattery control schemes based on charge pressure and discharge voltageproved adequate. The ability of the battery to withstand catastrophicsystem failures and total discharge proved to be a valuable asset
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