Li-Ion Rechargable Cell Thermal-Vacuum Test Results

The Li-ion rechargable cell thermal-vacuum test was performed to determine the space worthiness of the li-ion cell. The cell tested was a Panasonic prismatic cell part number CGP345010. The cell has an output voltage of 3.7 volts and a capacity of 1400 mAh. The prismatic cell was chosen because its dimensions worked well with the architecture of the cubesat.

The test was performed by applying a constant current source to the cell for recharging and loading it with a 10 ohm power resistor. For a portion of the test, the battery was allowed to rest for 20 minutes between charging and discharging. Figure 1 shows the results of the complete test. In the first part of the test, the li-ion cell was exposed to various temperature settings. After that, the temperature was kept constant at 35 degrees C. Figure 2 shows the temperature test. Figure 3 and figure 4 shows other portions of the test. The test shows that the li-ion cell can operate in a vacuum and at high temperatures.

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