High Power Battery for Hybrid Electric Vehicles
28 June 1999
High Power Battery for Hybrid Electric Vehicles
RINGWOOD, N.J., June 28 -- In work supported by the United
States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Ergenics, Inc.
announced today the successful, high power demonstration of its
Nickel-Hydrogen Bipolar Segmented Battery. The battery is being developed for
hybrid electric vehicles to provide high power for acceleration. The 7 inch
diameter, 2 inch thick, 15 cell battery produced a sustained, full capacity
power pulse of over 830 watts, providing over 14 volts at a 60C discharge
rate. The battery's weight is under 1.6 kilograms, thus, making over 520
watts per kilogram of specific power.
"This is the highest specific power we have ever demonstrated for our
multi-celled, rechargeable batteries," said Ergenics' Vice President of
Research & Development, Mark Golben. "This battery has shown that our
nickel-hydrogen bipolar technology can provide the sustained high power pulse
that hybrid electric vehicles demand," said Mr. Golben. The 15 cell prototype
is the base design for a 240 cell bipolar battery to be built specifically for
a hybrid electric vehicle. Although the battery will be only 7 inches in
diameter by 18 inches long and weigh 26 pounds, it will produce over 15,000
watts of power (1300 watts/kg) with an energy capacity of 450 watt hours.
"Assembly will be straightforward because it only involves adding cells to the
existing design," according to Mr. Golben.
Hybrid electric vehicles are expected to triple the fuel economy of
today's automobiles. A hybrid electric vehicle is powered by a battery and a
small internal combustion engine, turbine-generator or fuel cell operating at
peak efficiency. The battery efficiently provides the high power needed for
acceleration and increases fuel economy by storing energy from regenerative
braking.
Hybrid electric vehicle batteries consist of many single cells grouped
together in series. Ergenics' battery employs a unique "bipolar" design which
permits easy assembly of lightweight, multi-cell batteries. The bipolar
configuration achieves higher specific power because it does not need the
ancillary weight of large wires, connectors and heat exchangers that are
required by other batteries to conduct electricity and dissipate heat.
Nickel-hydrogen electrochemistry has been used for decades in the space
satellite industry, and has demonstrated, by far, the highest cycle life and
reliability of any battery technology known. In addition, it is tolerant of
overcharge and over discharge, complementing the inherent advantages of
Ergenics' bipolar design, which include high efficiency at high power.
Ergenics' high power battery program is funded in part by the United
States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of the Middle
Atlantic Regional Consortium for Advanced Vehicles administered by Concurrent
Technologies Corporation, Johnstown, PA.
Ergenics, Inc., a 20 year old company, is the world's leader in innovative
metal hydride technology for batteries, air conditioning and fuel cell
hydrogen storage. For additional information, contact either David DaCosta or
Mark Golben of Ergenics at 973-962-4480 or visit its web site at
http://www.ergenics.com.