News

Eagle-Picher Technologies' SPV Battery Succeeds in Life Cycle Testing

April 23, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

Eagle-Picher Technologies LLC (Joplin, MO) has announced six years of life testing the nickel-hydrogen SPV battery. Presently, nickel-hydrogen batteries are used to power over 90 percent of all satellites being put in space.

The 50Ah SPV battery being tested was activated in June 1994, and began life cycle testing in November 1994. The battery has completed over 28,000 charge/discharge cycles to date. Two other SPV batteries, a 50Ah and 60Ah, were also put into testing in 1996, currently reaching 19,500 and 16,000 cycles, respectively.

The 50Ah batteries are being tested at 31-percent depth of discharge and the 60Ah is following the same test profile, with a depth of discharge of 26 percent. The difference in depth of discharge is due to battery capacity.