Pulse Capability of the AIRI Lead Chloride Electrode.
Abstract
The objective of the study was to evaluate the pulse discharge performance of lead chloride electrodes for the active sonobuoy battery application. Experimental work was carried out using Mg/PbCl2 cells which were pulse discharged in 3.25% artificial seawater at ambient temperatures (22-25 C). Pulses of 100 milliseconds duration were applied every ten seconds by switching the cells from their steady discharge load to the pulse discharge load. It was found that the steady rate of discharge had to be maintained at about 5-10 mA per sq cm in order to permit a sufficiently rapid response to the application of the pulse load without unduly sacrificing electrode capacity. The Mg/PbCl2 cell was required to accept a pulse load greater than the steady load by a factor of approximately 25; the resulting loss of cell output voltage was about 0.6 volts. Although Mg/AgCl cells suffer about the same loss of output, the levels are about 0.5 volts higher in both steady and pulsed discharge modes than those for the Mg/PbCl2 cell. A further serious disadvantages of the PbCl2 electrode is its greater size and weight compared to silver chloride. Lead chloride electrodes do not offer a performance advantage over silver chloride for active sonobuoy batteries. In view of the impending conversion of all types of sonobuoys to the use of lithium batteries in about five to eight years time there is little advantage to pursuing the development of the lead chloride electrode for such applications. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA079688
Entities
People
- George J. Donaldson
- William D. Barnes
Organizations
- Defence Research and Development Canada