Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery System

In Phase I, Electro Energy will design and develop a sealed, electrically rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery for Air Force and Space Power Applications. Utilizing the Metal Hydride electrode, which stores hydrogen for reaction, results in a battery that operates at lower pressure and is more compact than gaseous nickel-hydrogen batteries and contains no cadmium which presents toxic and disposal problems.Combining the features of the hydride electrode with improved nickle electrodes and packaging it, it is possible to construct batteries one and one-half to two times better in energy and power density than conventional nickel cadmium and nickle hydrogen batteries. In the Phase I design, single cell experiments and complete battery designs will demonstrate the capabilities of this system. The experimental cells will contain flat single 100 cm2 electrodes of various hydrides, electrode formulations, nickel electrodes of conventional sintered type and improved composite structures. A novel flat plate packaging approach will be evaluated for improved power and energy density. This battery is a viable candidate for military, medical, consumer electronics, and electric vehicle applications.