Survey of lithium-ion battery performance for potential use in NASA missions

This paper presents the initial results of an exploratory effort undertaken at JPL to establish the baseline electrical performance and cycle life envelope for commercially available lithium-ion cells. Sample cells were obtained from three manufacturers for evaluation. Testing consists of evaluating the charge and discharge characteristics at different temperatures and rates. Cycle life performance is being determined with both 40% and 100% depth of discharge regimes without the benefit of individual cell bypass circuitry during charge. Energy densities in excess of 100 watt-hours per kilogram and very promising cycle life performance have actually been demonstrated in some cases. It is expected that this technology will be of value for future NASA missions if it can be scaled up to the 20 ampere-hour level and particularly if cycle life comparable to that of nickel-cadmium or nickel-hydrogen can be demonstrated.