FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE USE OF RECYCLED NIMH BATTERIES FOR EMERGENCY POWER DURING A NATURAL DISASTER
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Date
2018
Department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Program
Master of Science
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This item is made available by Morgan State University for personal, educational, and research purposes in accordance with Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Other uses may require permission from the copyright owner.
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Abstract
Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries bring some unique values to stationary applications-high energy and power densities, because of its cycle life, quick charge capability, and safety, to name a few. Since the late 80's, small cylindrical nickel metal hydride batteries have been widely used in portable applications requiring high rate discharge and rapid recharge, for example, camera flash and power tools. There is ongoing research on the application of NiMH in the power industries regarding the use of battery banks for power backup. This thesis presents the feasibility of using recycled NiMH as power backup during a natural disaster using a hospital emergency department as a case study. Findings from this thesis show that the use of NiMH for this purpose may not be a viable solution. However, pairing the system with a solar array to charge the battery backup proves to be less expensive compared to having a pre-charged battery backup system with a capacity of one week. The analysis also shows the cell configuration and the system life expectancy.