Considerations for the Utilization of NiMH Battery Technology in Stationary Applications.

The market demand for higher reliability, long life and consistent performance is fueling the demand for advanced energy storage technologies for use in a broad range of applications. Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) is one of the promising capable battery technologies that can satisfy the needs of a broad variety of energy storage applications. In order to get the benefit of using NiMH battery technology, there must be a good match between the strengths of the technology and the needs of the applications. There are countless stories where the promise of better performance, life, cost, etc. was not realized due to the miss-match between technical capability and application requirements. NiMH battery technology was initially introduced to the consumer market to satisfy the demand for higher energy density than was available using nickel cadmium battery technology. It has since evolved into the technology of choice for such applications as hybrid electric vehicles and power tools. As a newcomer to the stationary battery world, NiMH offers significant advantages for many applications. These advantages include high power and energy density, very good cycle and calendar life, and unique packaging and interface methods. In order to provide optimum performance, the attributes of NiMH battery technology must be taken into proper consideration during system design and subsequent application. This paper will discuss the NiMH technology, how some of the application challenges have been met and the benefits it provides to some specific applications.