USABC Completes Saft NiMH Battery-Development Contract
The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) announced it has completed work with Saft (Paris) under their NiMH battery-development contract.
The final NiMH module design meets all of the goals and targets specified in the contract. The module design is a single 12V unit that incorporates a resealable vent in each cell to guard against high gas pressure developing in the event of an overcharge. The module also includes liquid thermal management and a restraining system to prevent the module from bulging during cycling.
During Phase I of the project, which ran from December 1992 through March 1996, USABC developed an advanced NiMH battery for EV propulsion as part of a 39-month, $20.8-million contract. Phase II, which focused on cost reduction and performance improvements, was a 32-month, $11.05-million contract and ran from April 1996 through November 1998. During the Phase II program, a 35-percent module cost reduction was realized over the final Phase I module.
Four battery packs incorporating the final design module were delivered in two configurations to USABC and Saft as part of the contract. Three 30-module packs were delivered for EV testing and one 34-module pack was delivered for utility applications.
In February 1999, USABC entered into a 36-month, $14.4-million development contract with Saft America (Plano, TX) to develop their lithium-ion battery technology for EV propulsion batteries. The Saft lithium-ion technology aims to exceed the USABC mid-term goals and reach the commercialization goals. The program is divided into three distinct phases and will result in delivery of full-size battery packs complete with all necessary control systems.
