Battery Conditioning The Long Task before Flight Conditioning
Battery Conditioning The Long Task before Flight
Conditioning Exposing the battery cells to continuous charging and discharge to establish cells rates. These rates will be used to match cells with similar characteristics to compose the best stack. Proving that the batteries will work for the projects needs. Meeting the power concerns as well as working in a given environment. Limiting the hazards that batteries may cause while being used. Although hazards can not be eliminated, we can lower the risk of any hazards through establishing the cells.
Conditioning Process • Charging/Discharging This is a continuous process of the conditioning stage until flight. The batteries are charged at varying rates while the discharge is constant. It is preferred the discharge vary as well, but due to the difficulty, it was decided a varying discharge can wait for integration. • Testing After much rigorous conditioning the batteries will have to be tested in the environments. This means going through thermal and vacuum testing.
Hazards • Pole Shifts In a series configuration the polarities of batteries have the potential of switching if it is improperly charged • Chemical Venting Most battery cells have a venting as a fail safe feature to prevent overcharging and discharging. The batteries will vent off hydrogen to compensate from the stress. The gas is harmless, but may interfere with other equipment. • Chemical Leaks A damaged battery cell will most likely leak out it chemicals contents and will erode other equipment. • Cell failure In a series configuration a cell that completely fails will reduce the efficiency of all the other cells and draw power from them. This will reduce all of the cells characteristics.
Vacuum Testing Executing conditioning of the batteries in a vacuum will address most of the concerns about the stack. This test will address the questions about the cells venting chemicals as well as any characteristic changes that might occur when in space. The test was a standard charging and discharging while in a full vacuum environment.
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