Comsat Corporation

Ronald R Kessler

Martin W Earl

William H Kelly

Max A Morris

Wein-Shen Jiang

Fred W Brantner

A common pressure vessel type Ni-H.sub.2 battery having a thermally conductive rack disposed within the pressure vessel and having an outer wall conforming to and in thermal contact with the inner surface of a cylindrical center wall portion of the pressure vessel and a plurality of fins dividing the rack into a plurality of compartments. A Ni-H.sub.2 battery cell is disposed in each of the compartments in thermal contact with adjacent ones of the fins. A plurality of flexure springs extend between racks, providing a radial force on the racks so as to urge the outer walls of the racks into contact with respective portions of the wall of the pressure vessel. A stopper is formed internally of the pressure vessel and a wave spring is disposed between a weld ring provided at the end of the rack opposite the stopper for forcing the racks in the longitudinal direction of the pressure vessel into contact with the stopper.

Ni-H.sub.2 battery having improved thermal properties

A common pressure vessel type Ni--H.sub.2 storage battery having an outer pressure vessel that contains a stack of compartments. Each of the compartments including at least one battery cell, a heat transfer member, and a cell spacer for maintaining a relatively constant distance between adjacent compartments. The heat transfer members include a fin portion, which is in thermal contact with the battery cell, and a flange portion which extends longitudinally from the fin portion and is in tight thermal contact with the inner wall of the pressure vessel. The heat transfer member serves to transfer heat generated from a battery cell radially outward to the pressure vessel, which is capable of dissipating the heat into the surrounding atmosphere.

An intercell connector for electrically interconnecting a plurality of battery cells, each of the battery cells including a plurality of spaced apart positive and negative electrode plates encased in a plastic casing. The intercell connector includes first and second buss bars disposed in spaced apart relation to each other and each including a base portion and an electrode connecting portion extending from the base portion, the base portions of the first and second buss bars respectively including first and second electrode terminals aligned with each other; and an insulator for insulating the first and second buss bars from each other. The connector is disposed in the casing of each of the cells so as to extend transversely to the electrode plates with the casing being bonded to a portion of the insulator such that only the electrode terminals are exposed outside the casing. The first electrode terminal includes a female connecting portion and the second electrode terminal includes a male connecting portion to facilitate interconnection of adjacent cells. Additionally, the electrode connecting portions of the first and second buss bars are respectively electrically connected to the positive and negative electrode plates. The intercell connector further includes a spacer disposed between the buss bars for maintaining a space between the buss bars.

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Mt. Airy, MD, United States of America

Ronald R Kessler