TABLE OF CONTENTS John F. Jackovitz and Gary A. Bayles [*]
Iron electrodes have been used as anodes in rechargeable battery systems since the introduction of the nickel-iron rechargeable battery at the turn of the century by Junger in Europe and Edison in the United States.1 Even today the batteries are produced in a fashion similar to the original construction. New constructions have been developed which give better high-rate performance and have lower manufacturing costs. Today the nickel-iron battery is the most common rechargeable system using iron electrodes. Iron-silver batteries have been tested in special electronic applications, and iron/air batteries have shown promise as motive power systems. The characteristics of the iron battery systems are summarized in Tables 25.1 and 25.2.
| System | Uses | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron/nickel oxide (tubular) | Material handling vehicles, underground mining vehicles, miners lamps, railway cars and signal systems, emergency lighting | Physically almost indestructible Not damaged by discharged stand Long life, cycling or stand Withstands electrical abuse: overcharge, overdischarged, short-circuiting | High self-discharge Hydrogen evolution on charge and discharge Low power density Lower energy density than competitive systems Poor low-temperature performance Damaged by high temperatures Higher cost than lead-acid Low cell voltage |
| Iron/air | Motive power | Good energy density Uses readily available materials Low self-discharge | Low efficiency Hydrogen evolution on charge Poor low-temperature performance Low cell voltage |
| Iron/silver oxide | Electronics | High energy density High cycle life | High cost Hydrogen evolution on charge |
| System | Nominal voltage, V | Specific energy... |
|---|
