Advantages and limitations of NiMH batteries?Research of the NiMH system started in the 1970s as a means
of discovering how to store hydrogen for the nickel hydrogen battery. Today, nickel hydrogen batteries are mainly used for satellite applications. They are bulky,
contain high-pressure steel canisters and cost thousands of dollars per cell.
In the early experimental days of the NiMH battery, the metal hydride alloys were unstable in the cell
environment and the desired performance characteristics could not be achieved. As a
result, the development of the NiMH slowed down. New hydride alloys were developed in
the 1980s that were stable enough for use in a cell. Since the late 1980s, NiMH has
steadily improved.
The success of the NiMH has been driven by its high energy density and the use of
environmentally friendly metals. The modern NiMH offers up to 40 percent higher energy
density compared to NiCd. There is potential for yet higher capacities, but not without
