Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
(OP)
Most of the Standards like IEEE 535 and IEEE 666 talk about Lead-Acid batteries for nuclear power plants. Also, as far as I know, several modern nuclear power plants currently under construction also plan to use Lead-acid batteries. However, as we all know, recently Ni-Cd batteries have gained so much interest in other industrial applications. I wonder if Ni-Cd batteries have any particular characteristic preventing their use in NPPs?
Thank you in advance
Best Regards
Thank you in advance
Best Regards






RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
Also Ni-Cd batteries are better choice because of their long life time, reliability and low maintenance cost.
I'm agree with ScottyUK about Ni-Cds enormous cost and smaller size with respect to Lead-Acids.
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
a) The capacity drift (reduction in capacity) due to the high temperature is very less as compared to Lead Acid Batteries. So where there is a high ambient temperature application is required, Ni-Cd batteries are preferable choice.
b) The negative side of Ni-Cd batteries is that it is not considered as environment friendly. Cadmium is difficult to dispose at the end of batteries useful life.
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
Ni-Cds thrive in heavy service, as I said before, like starting a helicopter. They are typically sized to drag that big ol' rotor and the engine up to starting speed, exactly twice, after which they are dead. So long as the onboard charger is working, and runs long enough to bring the battery to full charge, the NiCd battery will maintain most of its capacity for years of starting, even many times a day.
A Ni-Cd is not such a good choice for, say, your car, where the engine usually starts instantly, so the battery is not working very hard most of the time.
I have no idea what a nuclear plant's demand on batteries would look like, but basically, if you don't beat the crap out of them regularly, you won't be happy with NiCds.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
Disadvantages of NiCd outweigh the size advantage.
RE: Ni-Cd Batteries in Nuclear Power Station
The major conclusion I believe is that Ni-Cd is not reliable enough to provide a complete discharge which is critically needed in NPPs during loss of AC power or blackout.