The development of the nickel-hydrogen battery began around 1970 at COMSAT Laboratories in the United States. This is how how nickel-hydrogen batteries evolved. The work aimed to meet the demanding requirements of communications satellites, with support from the satellite communications organisation INTELSAT.
Engineers Wanted a Battery That Would Last Longer
Engineers wanted a rechargeable battery that would last longer than conventional alternatives under repeated cycling in orbit.
The new design combined a familiar nickel-based positive electrode with a hydrogen electrode. Unlike the solid negative electrode used in a nickel-cadmium battery, the nickel-hydrogen design used hydrogen gas as an active material.
This Introduced a New Engineering Challenge
Nickel-hydrogen batteries evolved to meet this new engineering challenge. Hydrogen had to be inside a sealed pressure vessel, and the battery needed specialised electrodes, catalysts and electrolyte to operate efficiently too.
Research continued through the early and middle 1970s. The US Navy also supported development of a nickel-hydrogen battery for its Navigation Technology Satellite-2, usually called NTS-2.
That satellite launched in 1977, marking the first use of nickel-hydrogen battery technology in space.
Successful Demonstration Helped Establish Credibility
This successful demonstration helped establish the technology’s credibility. During the following years, nickel-hydrogen batteries became increasingly important for communications satellites, particularly those in geosynchronous orbit.
Their ability to endure repeated charging and discharging was a major advantage. Satellites could repeatedly collect energy from sunlight and use stored electricity during eclipses without needing frequent battery replacement.
Nickel-Hydrogen Technology Did Not Emerge Suddenly
Nickel-hydrogen technology did not emerge from one sudden discovery. It developed through years of research, testing and engineering improvements.
Its eventual success showed how a battery could be designed around the special needs of a particular application, rather than simply adapted from an existing product.
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