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Novel batteries prove their worth in space

A Saft Batteries product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 12, 2005

Saft has signed a contract with Eads Space Transportation to provide all the in-flight battery systems for the next 30 Ariane 5 launch vehicles.

Saft has signed a contract with Eads Space Transportation to provide all the in-flight battery systems for the next 30 Ariane 5 launch vehicles ordered by Arainespace from Eads Space Transportation.

This order mostly consists of the new A5 ECA version.

To meet the demanding requirements of the Ariane 5 contract Saft will develop and manufacture a variety of specialised spacecraft batteries incorporating both rechargeable and primary battery technologies.

The Ariane 5 ECA represents a major milestone for the European Space Agency (ESA).

It has been developed to keep pace with trends in the commercial launch market, especially the need to launch larger and heavier satellites, while reducing launcher production costs.

Equipped with the Vulcain 2 main engine and the new cryogenic upper stage (ESCA), it is capable of boosting payloads of up to 10 tonnes into geostationary transfer orbit for a single or dual launch project (two satellites at once).

In its version with the reignitable storable propellant upper stage (A5 ES version), it can also carry the ATV towards the International Space Station into low Earth orbit.

The generic version of Ariane 5 has already enjoyed 18 successful flights and one world record: the largest telecommunications satellite ever to be placed into geostationary transfer orbit, Thaicom 4-Ipstar, launched on 11th August 2005.

For the generic Ariane 5, Saft is providing a total of 18 individual battery systems to power key elements, including the vehicle equipment bay (VEB) - often called the "brains" of a launcher.

Situated on top of the main cryogenic stage its computer systems provide autonomous control for all the systems required to control a flight for its duration such as Vulcain engine ignition, and separation of the boosters and the storable propellant upper stage.

Power for the inertial guidance and control systems is provided by two 60V silver oxide-zinc (AgOZn) primary batteries, each comprising 39 x 14 PNS cells capable of supplying 17A for 65 minutes.

Also in the VEB, four rechargeable 30V nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, each comprising 25 x VR1.6CE cells, power the pyrotechnic and safety systems.

The EPC is essentially made of an aluminium tank with two compartments: one for liquid oxygen and one for liquid hydrogen.

At the base is the Vulcain engine which operates for approximately 10 minutes until the main stage separates.

Power for the EPC guidance and control systems is again provided by two 60V AgOZn batteries, and six 30V NiCd batteries power the pyrotechnics - for stage and booster separation - and safety systems.

The Ariane 5 solid propellant boosters, attached to both sides of the main cryogenic stage, are the largest solid rocket boosters ever produced in Europe.

Each contains around 238 tonnes of propellant and together they provide 630 tonnes of thrust, 92% of the thrust needed at liftoff.

Two 30V NiCd batteries power the EAP telemetry systems and a further two 30V NiCd batteries power the booster recovery systems that indicate their position so they can be recovered from where they fall into the Atlantic Ocean, some 450km from the launch site in French Guiana.

As well as the more powerful Vulcain 2 main stage engine and enhanced solid boosters, the key element in the Ariane 5 ECA is a new more powerful cryogenic upper stage powered by the HM-7B engine from the Ariane 4 launcher.

This requires three additional 40V batteries to power the cryogenic pump that supplies fuel to the engine.

Eads Space Transportation, the single prime contractor for the Ariane 5 system, issued a demanding specification that called for the design, development and supply of a reliable, high performance and cost-effective battery system.

Saft drew on its extensive experience from the Ariane 4 programme to deliver the optimum solution in the form of rechargeable silver oxide-zinc (AgOZn) battery systems, each comprising 27 x 10 LAS cells, capable of supplying 10A for 60 minutes.

The Saft batteries proved their capability in the successful first qualification flight of the Ariane 5 ECA in February 2005.

And the result was the confirmation of the contract to supply all the flight batteries for the Ariane 5 programme through to 2010.

The Ariane 5 batteries are being designed and manufactured at Saft plants in Poitiers and Bordeaux, France.

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