MER Batteries, How long can they last? |
MER Batteries, How long can they last? |
Feb 21 2007, 04:31 AM
Post
#1
|
||
Member Group: Members Posts: 240 Joined: 18-July 06 Member No.: 981 |
The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that the MER batteries are the unsung heroes of the missions. Here's the web page of the folks who made them, Lithion. There's a reference to 2100 deep discharge cycles. I followed the earlier discussions on available watt hours with fascination, however we've now seen that insolation is sufficient as long as there are no major dust storms. I am more interested in learning about the likely lifespan of the batteries based on their chemistry and present physical environment. It is good to keep Li-Ion batteries at 0 Celsius when storing them (you should keep unused laptop batteries and iPods at 40% charge in the freezer according to several wags). So the cold environment on Mars should improve the longevity of the batteries (as long as they don't freeze and no doubt great care is taken to avoid that). Age (not cycles) is often described as the most important determinant of charging capacity of a Lithium-Ion battery. As the MER batteries age, are they holding less charge? Is there a chart showing this and can we project a lifespan based on current information? Has someone done this already? If so, sorry for trying your patience and repeating it. Please just kick me over to the relevant thread. |
|
|
||
Feb 21 2007, 02:56 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Dublin Correspondent Group: Admin Posts: 1799 Joined: 28-March 05 From: Celbridge, Ireland Member No.: 220 |
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp appears to be working now. This paper - Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries on Mars Rovers in particular seems relevant.
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th April 2024 - 03:28 AM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |