The Effect of Martian Temperatures on
Modern
Secondary Batteries
By
Whitneylee T.
| Purpose |
| Hypothesis |
| Experiment Design |
| Materials |
| Procedures |
| Results |
| Conclusion |
| Bibliography |
Liquid nitrogen was used to simulate the extreme cold Mars temperature. One battery of each chemistry, (Nickel-Metal Hydride, and Nickel-Cadmium) were placed in a dewars flask right above the liquid nitrogen in a plastic bag so the temperature would change but not the moisture. Then as they were let to sit in the dewars flask a voltage probe and a thermocouple was connected to the batteries and the computer so that the computer program used would graph the readings. The warm Martian temperature was also the control group and was graphed while at room temperature.
Both chemistries of batteries had stable voltages throughout the time left at room temperature. Although the NiCd battery also had a very stable voltage during its time left in the extreme cold temperature the NiMH batterie's voltage dropped when the temperature dropped to its coldest point.
It was concluded that the hypothesis that the batteries being left at room temperature would perform as intended, and that both chemistries of batteries left in the extreme cold temperature would drop in voltage, should be rejected. Although the two batteries at room temperature had stable voltages throughout the time at room temperature, only one of the batteries that was taken down to extreme cold temperatures dropped in voltage, the other one stayed stable througout the duration of the cold temperature. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the extreme high and low temperatures of Mars affects the performance of an advanced rechargeable battery. This experiment was decided to be done because this area of science has great potential. Batteries are a big part in todays communication and many things are run by them. It was also decided to be done because the massive amount of new interest in the planet Mars. The planet Mars was chose upon because of today's great interest in exploring the planet and discovering new things about it. The battery chemistry NiMh and NiCd was used because they are often used for communications, among many other things. Also NiMh and NiCd batteries are some of the most advanced and definately the hottest batteries on today's market. Some reasons why these types of batteries are superior to other battery chemistries are because of there high number of charge/discharge cycles and there excellent performance, and easy storage and their economical prices.
This project is relevant to today's studies of Mars or "the red planet." Knowing the effects of the planet's extreme temperatures will enable us to determine if advanced rechargeable batteries will be able to be effectively used for energy on other planets. This will help our studies because although solar panels are used to convert energy, this will allow them to give electricity even when it is in darkness as the planet spins and orbits the sun. Some of the types of batteries tested in this experiment have also been used in energy efficient electric cars (although in mass quantities.) In this experiment it was hypothesised that when each fully charged battery was placed in the extreme cool martian temperature (simulated by liquid nitrogen, -198°c) it would supply less than its full 9 volts. The hypothesis was based on data gained by previous scientists. It was also based upon the suggested ideal temperature for the best results of the batterie's performance, supplied by the battery's maker. It was stated by a scientist at energizer that for the best perfomance of an advanced rechargeable battery they should be stored at room temperature, even then the NiMh and NiCd batteries discharge themselves if left unused for more than 20 days.
The hypothesis of this experiment was also that the batteries being stored at the extreme warm Martian temperature (25°c) would perform as well as intended. This was hypothesized because the control group is also surving the purpose of the extreme warm Martian temperature which is slightly above usual room temperature in this experiment. Because the extreme warm Martian temperature was less than one degree celsius different than the the temperature in the room The control group is also surving the purpose of the extreme high Martian temperature. Also the temperature that is surving for the extreme warm martian temperature and the control group is within the suggested temperature range to be used at, suggested by the batteries maker. The constants in this experiment were:
*They each started with the same voltage
*The amount of time let charge
*The amount of time left in their different temperatures
*The temperature they were charged at
*The same charger was used
*The same voltameter
*The beginning and ending point
*The amount of times tested for voltage
*The devise used to drain them
*The same point at which they were considered dead
*The amount of times the batteries had been used
*The same batteries were re-used for each trial
*The devise used to determine when they were dead
*Similar materials were used
*The computer and program used was the same
The manipulated variables in this experiment were the type of battery used, along with the temperature they were placed in. There were two different types of batteries placed in two different temperatures. The two kinds of batteries used were Nickel-Metal Hydride and Nickel Cadmium, both advanced secondary batteries used today. The control group in this experiment was room temperature. In this experiment the control group also surved as the extreme high martian temperature. This is, because the martian high temperature was about one degree celcius different than the usual room temperature. The second condition that the batteries were tested in was the extreme cold temperature on Mars which is -140°c. The extreme cold martian temperature was simulated by liquid nitrogen which is -196°c.
The responding variable in this experiment was the difference in the performance of the batteries while being placed in their different environments, This was tested by testing the amount of volts each battery supplied while they were in the different temperatures, compared to the amount of volts they supplied being left at room temperature. The responding variable was measured in volts.
|
Quantity |
Material |
| 2 | NiMH 9v rechargeable battery |
| 2 | NiCd 9v rechargeable battery |
| 1 | NiMH/NiCd battery charger |
| 1 | 9v battery snap connector |
| 1 | 4lt. Dewars Flask |
| 1 | Dewars Flask |
| 1 | vernier voltage probe |
| 1 | vernier thermocouple |
| 1 | clock |
| 1 | forceps |
| 1 | pair of gloves |
| 1 | computer |
| 1 | soldering gun |
| 4 | small plastic zip-lock bags |
| 1 | seal-a-meal® |
| 1 pair | scissors |
| 1 pair | safety goggles |
| 8 liters | liquid nitrogen |
| 1 | vernier logger pro |
| 1 | vernier lab pro |
| 500 ml | ice |
| 1 | beaker |
| 100 ml | water |
1. Gather materials
2. Place two NiMH batteries in charger
3. Plug charger into wall outlet
4. Let batteries charge for 12 hours
5. Place the two NiCd batteries in charger
6. Plug charger into wall outlet
7. Let batteries charge for 12 hours
8. Connect the voltage probe and the thermocouple to the lab pro
hardware
9. Strip ends of leads so that wire is showing at the end
10. Taking safety precautions sauder leads to one battery snap
connector
11. Tape joits individually and then together so that the wires do not
touch and cause a shortage in the wires
12. Cut small holes in the side of four plastic zip lock bags for the
batteries electrodes stick out.
13. Use the seal-a-meal® to seal bags so they fit nicely around the
batteries inside.
14. Place battery snap connector onto one NiMH battery inside the
plastic bag.
15. Connect end of leads onto the voltage probe that is connected to
the computer
16. Being sure to wear safety goggles and gloves fill 4lt Dewars Flask
with liquid nitrogen four to five inches from the top
17. Place both ends of the thermocouple into the liquid nitrogen
18. Then set the logger pro software to read it as -196°
19. Take the correct wire of the thermocouple out of the liquid
nitrogen
20. After that is done let the wire of the thermocouple that is not in
the liquid nitrogen sit for about 3 minutes to allow it to get up to
room temperature
21. Set the logger pro software to read it as room temperature
22. Click on 'done' to keep the readings that were just entered
23. Place the end of the wire out of the liquid nitrogen inside the
plastic bag with the battery in it so it is touching the battery
24. Place the battery so it is hanging above the liquid nitrogen but
suspended in it's fumes.
25. Allow the lid to cover the flask as much as possible with the
battery leads being connected to the battery and the computer
probes.
26. Set the computer program to collect the temperature and voltage
every 5 minutes for 12 hours, and to graph it
27. Click 'collect' on the computer screen to allow it to start
collecting the data
28. Let the computer collect the data for 12 hours
29. Save and Print the graph
30. Give the battery time to warm up after being taken out of the
flask with forcepts for safety
31. Disconnect the snap connector from the battery
32. The liquid nitrogen by this time will have boiled away already
33. Repeat steps 14-32 with one NiCd 9v battery
Part B-control group/warm Martian temp.
1. Place both wires of the thermocouple into a mixture of 250 ml ice
and 100 ml of water
2. Set the logger pro software to read it as 0°.
3. Take the correct wire of the thermocouple out of the mixture
4. Leave the wire to sit for three minutes so it can get to room
temperature
5. Then set the program to read it as room temperature
6. Click 'done' on the screen to keep the readings
7. Place the thermocouple wire out of the ice water so it lays next to
the battery that is in the plastic bag
8. Place The battery connector on the other NiMH battery inside the
plastic bag
9. Connect leads onto the voltmeter that is connected to the lab pro
hardware
10. Place battery under a weak light where the temperature will be
slightly higher than usual room temperature
11. Set the computer program again to record the temperature and
the voltage every 5 minutes for 12 hours, and to graph it
12. Click on 'collect' on the computer screen to start collecting data
13. Allow the computer to collect data for 12 hours
14. Disconnect the snap connector form both the battery and
the computer probes after the graph has been saved
15. Repeat steps 1-14 with the last NiCd 9v battery
16. Record any observations between the four graphs
The results of this experiment were that When the Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries were taken down the extreme cold Martian temperature the battery did not supply it's full 9 volts that it had supplied when it was left at room temperature. As the temperature rised a small amount the battery then supplied its full 9 volts.
When the Nickel-Metal Hydride battery was left in the control group, which was also the extreme warm Martian temperature, the battery easily supplied the 9 volts that it was manufactured to provide.
The results of the Nickel-Cadmium battery that was left at room temperature to simulate the control group and the warm Martian temperature did supply the voltage that it was meant to provide.
The Nickel-Cadmium battery that was placed in the extreme cold Martian temperature did stay at its origanal voltage. Although its temperature was not as low as the temperature that the Nickel-Metal Hydride battery was at. I think that The Nickel-Metal Hydride battery didnt stay at its origanal voltage like the Nickel-Cadmium battery did when they were taken down to the very low Martian temperature because the Nickel Cadmium battery did not get as cold as the NiMh did. Although it was also stated in previous articles that NIckel-Cadmium batteries can with stand low temperatures. These articles did not not speak about extreme cold temperatures that was used in this experiment, but that could be a reason why the NiCd battery stayed at its origanal voltage. This data is not enough to make a very educated conclusion, because it could just be the difference in the temperature or the better durability of the chemistry.
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