Issue 603 / July 4th 2023

In This Issue:
Selecting Batteries
for Rocket
Electronics

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/TTV
 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee

In this article, we are going to take a deep dive erators. These are constructed from a stack of 4.5 kg of
into the factors that affect which battery may be best suit- Plutonium-238 and hundreds of silicon-germanium ther-
ed for use with rocket electronics. As is so often the case, mocouples. While this technology is no doubt reliable and
there is not one right answer to the question, “Which bat- long lasting, there are many concerns (even disregarding
tery should I use for my electronics?” as there are many the clear regulatory issues!) that make such a power
factors to consider including the size of your payload bay, supply inappropriate for model and high-power rockets.
required power levels (both voltage and current) for your Many of the same issues apply to other power supplies
electronics and igniters, the overall environment (tempera- which have been used in aerospace. Solar cells are used
ture, humidity, etc.), the number of flights that can be done on basically every satellite in Earth orbit and many of the
per charge, and more. This article examines many of the probes that travel in the inner solar system. Fuel cells
possible factors in choosing a battery in an effort to assist were used on the Space Shuttle and during the Apollo era.
in making an informed decision.

Why Use Batteries at All?

In the wider world of aerospace, there are innumera-
ble options for sources of electronic power. The Voyager
spacecraft (still transmitting after nearly 50 years!) are
powered by RTGs – Radioisotope Thermoelectric Gen-

An assembled RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator)

as used in the Voyager spacecraft.
An Apollo era fuel cell.
About this Newsletter Newsletter Staff
You can subscribe to recieve this e-zine Writer: Martin Jay McKee Continued on Page 3
FREE at the Apogee Components website Editor: Michelle Mason
www.ApogeeComponents.com, or by Layout: Sky Luther
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 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee

There are even some methods (often referred to as auxilia-

ry power units on aircraft) that convert the chemical energy
of propellants into electrical power by way of steam or gas
generation and turbines, working in much the same way
as a terrestrial coal or natural gas power plant. On the very
outskirts of use as a primary power source in professional
aerospace systems are batteries. They are used mostly as
a buffer for a power source which provides varying energy
(such as solar) or as a way to draw large currents from
sources that provide long-lasting but low power sources
(such as RTGs). Batteries, by themselves, do not power
spacecraft. So it is reasonable to begin our exploration of
the most appropriate batteries for our application with why
we might be looking towards batteries in the first place.

One excellent feature which makes batteries pref-

erable to the previously mentioned power sources is their
simplicity. While battery design and chemistry is anything One of the three APUs (Auxilliary Power Units) that converted
but simple, the use of batteries – when compared to the the chemical energy in Hydrazine into hydraulic pressure.
integration of something like a fuel cell in a high-powered
rocket – is almost comically simple. Batteries are properly composed of cells. A single cell is an electro-chemical
component that converts chemical energy directly into
electrical power. Different types of batteries use different
combinations of chemical compounds to make the conver-
sion, but batteries generally require an absolute minimum
of supporting hardware. While a fuel cell or gas generator
will require fuel tanks and shutoff valves, batteries require
none of that. The gas generator further requires metering
valves, and control hardware. Solar cells require systems
to orient them to the sun as well as inverters or DC-DC
regulators to convert the electrical power from the widely
varying voltage provided by the solar array to a steady
voltage that is usable by the system. A chemical-electric
cell, by comparison, is effectively a stand alone power
source.

A second feature of batteries which makes them

nearly optimal as a power source for model rocket elec-
tronics is that they are orientation independent. Some
power sources (such as the aforementioned solar arrays)
require a specific orientation with the environment. Others
are simply sensitive to their orientation with respect to
the dominant forces. This can even be the case in zero-G
flight where fuel may not be properly settled in tanks (due
A model of the Juno spacecraft showing the large solar to the lack of gravity) and ullage motors or similar are re-
array required for operation in orbit of Jupiter quired for reliable function. Additionally, orientation can be
a major issue during launch (which we are most interested
Need A Parachute? in), or while on the surface of a Continued on Page 4
Apogee Has The One You’re Looking For! celestial body. Except for batter-
www.ApogeeRockets.com/Building-Supplies/ ies such as open lead-acid cells, Page 3
 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee
batteries almost entirely ignore the mounting direction, Current A measure of the number of electrons
external forces, and their near environment. flowing over time. Generally measured in
A (amperes) or mA (milli-amperes).
One of the primary reasons that batteries are
preferred over something like super-capacitors (which also Discharge The current limitation (typically
Current thermally limited) recommended by the
exhibit the last two advantages) is that batteries can have
manufacturer of a battery. A short across
an exceptionally high energy density either with respect to
the battery will pull more current but may
weight, volume, or both. Modern solar cells are surprisingly
cause damage
efficient at converting sunlight into electricity – up to 40%
for space grade multi-junction cells. Even with this high mAh Unit of capacity with a discharge
conversion efficiency, however, a 100W power source will current in milli-amperes over the course of
need to be at least 2.7 ft^2 (0.25 m^2). By comparison, an hour.
a small battery can easily provide 100W of power over a Equal to 3.6 Joules of energy per volt
short period at a fraction of the size and weight of the solar Voltage A measure of the electric potential
array. Indeed, the energy density of modern batteries is difference or the “pressure” in a circuit
only exceeded by that of chemical fuels such as gasoline, measured in volts.
jet fuel, bi-propellant and solid propellants, and explosives.
So, now that it is more clear why we might prefer batteries Characteristics of Battery Options
as a power source for the electronic payloads in model There are seven characteristics that we will use in the
rockets, let’s explore some of the characteristics that are remainder of this article to compare the available battery
important for deciding on which battery to use. By the end, options. These characteristics are: ease of use, cost, nomi-
I will argue that for a majority of purposes rechargeable nal voltage, capacity, maximum discharge rate, available
batteries of one of the lithium chemistries will be the best packaging options, and chemistry specific constraints.
option overall. The remainder of the article will support that Many of these characteristics are not going to be “rated”
assertion. here. Things such as voltage and capacity are simply
parameters that must be appropriate for an application.
Glossary Generally, a battery with a higher capacity will be preferred
– all other things being equal – but given the short dura-
Ah Unit of capacity with a discharge current
tion of the “mission” in model rocketry, capacity in and of
in amperes (amps) over the course of an
itself is rarely the limiting factor when it comes to making
hour. Equal to 3600 Joules of energy per volt.
the decision about a battery. Ease of use and cost, on the
Ampere Unit of current flow equal to 1 coulomb other hand, are certainly subjective measures and I will
(~6.2x10^18 electrons) flowing past a point in rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 (best to worst).
one second.
Capacity The total amount of energy that is con- Cost will be ranked on a cost per flight basis with the
tained in a battery often denoted by Ah or least expensive option receiving a score of 1, the most
mAh expensive option receiving a score of 5. The remain-
Chemistry The specific combination of chemicals ing options are then binned proportionally. All batteries,
that are used to create the chemical-electrical primary (non-rechargeable) cells included, will be allowed
storage and conversion of energy in a battery. multiple flights if they are capable of supporting more than
one flight without dropping below 75% capacity at the end
of each flight where a
flight is defined as a
load of 25 mA for a peri-
od of 2 hours (to include
prep, launch delays,
flight time, and recov-
Continued on Page 5

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 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee
ery). No estimate of pyro loads is included as the amount couple of decades ago, all the batteries used in electron-
of time that igniters are activated is such a small portion of ic payloads were primary cells (typically with an alkaline
the operation. chemistry). Most such cells have a nominal voltage of
roughly 1.5v, but rocket electronics were typically powered
The nominal voltage is measured in volts (as might be with 9v batteries (containing 6 cells in series) or 12v bat-
expected) while the capacity is measured in mAh (milli- teries (containing 8 cells in series). These are convenient
ampere-hours). Discharge is denoted using “C” notation packages, but fail in many of the other characteristics we
which is relative to the capacity. A discharge rate of 1C, will explore. They are also single-use batteries. That may
for instance, means that the battery can be discharged at mean simply that they are not rechargeable, but given the
whatever its rated capacity is over the period of one hour. absolute reliability required out of flight electronics that
A 1C 100mAh battery could, therefore, be discharged at a are in charge of recovery, that single-use may be more
maximum current of 100mA. This “C” notation is handy for literal and many fliers would only fly these batteries once
comparing different batteries with different capacities as it or twice out of an abundance of caution. More recently,
is clearly not surprising that a 100 Ah (10,000 mAh) bat- secondary cells (particularly lithium based) have become
tery for a solar electric power bank is able to provide more popular. There are many chemistries that are available
current than a small 1000 mAh battery for a drone. The C for secondary cells however, and another good option for
rating of the drone battery, however, is likely to be substan- rocket electronics is NiMH (nickel-metal hydride). Overall,
tially higher. That is, it is capable of providing proportionally primary cells are the simpler option rating higher for ease
more current for its size. of use, whereas the reusability of secondary cells makes
them substantially less expensive in the long run and
The packages that different batteries are available in more ecologically justifiable as they lead to less waste
determine the size and weight of available batteries and overall.
therefore can allow or prohibit the use of such a battery in The comparisons which follow will be between
a rocket. Finally, some types of cells have special con- several different chemistries. The first, Alkaline batter-
siderations that are important for their use and should be ies, are not a single chemistry. Rather, the term alkaline
identified as part of the decision process. refers to the fact that the electrolyte in the battery has a
pH that is in the alkaline (rather than acidic) range. Many
To begin, we will consider a major functional difference of the easily available single-use batteries, such as those
between different types of cells, that is whether they are traditionally manufactured by Duracell and Energizer are
primary or secondary cells. Simply, primary cells are not alkaline cells. Alkaline cells are all primary cells. More
rechargeable, while secondary cells are rechargeable. A recently, these well known companies have added non-al-
kaline cells to their product lines such as the Energizer
Ultimate Lithium batteries which are primary lithium based
cells. The primary lithium cells will be included as well as
they are an interesting option in certain situations that are
designed around alkaline batteries.

Following these, we will look at secondary chemistries

such as nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel-metal hydride
(NiMH). While NiCd batteries suffer from what’s called a
memory effect, as they are not readily available any lon-
ger and NiMH batteries are either equivalent or superior
in every way that affects our exploration, we will consider
these two chemistries together using NiMH batteries as
our model (an example is the 300 mAh, 4.8v pack for the
Gliding Parachute System https://www.apogeerockets.
com/Electronics-Payloads/Electronics-Accessories/
NIMH-2-3AAA-Battery).
Continued on Page 6
A selection of primary cells (and batteries) with 9v, AA, AAA,
and A23 alkalines on the upper row and lithium primary
button (or watch) cells on the bottom row.
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Mention Apogee Components
Page 5
 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee

likely warrants further exploration than this article can

provide! Lead-Acid is the standard for launch system
batteries, however.

Finally, different lithium based options will be exam-

ined. The three lithium based chemistries included here
are Lithium-ion (Li-Ion), Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) (such
as the 120mAh, 400 mAh and 900 mAh cells – all our
batteries are listed at https://www.apogeerockets.com/
Electronics_Payloads/Electronics_Accessories), and
Lithium-Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4). These are all second-
ary lithium chemistries and they vary only slightly in their
properties. Table 1 outlines the properties of the batteries
which will be outlined here.

Before discussing ease of use, it should be noted that

NiMH battery packs in 300 mAh (4.8v) and 3000 mAh (7.2v)
sizes. none of the options are difficult to use. They are all dif-
ferent levels of ease. That’s one of the main advantages
Also, because lead-acid batteries are so widely avail- (mentioned earlier) of batteries. However, from the stand-
able, they will be considered as well, though it must be point of ease of use, it is difficult to beat primary cells.
said that if any project would allow the substantial bulk of Because they are not rechargeable, the considerations
lead-acid cells for the flight electronics, the whole project that must be made for charging disappear. Moreover,
Table 1 - Properties of Batteries
Chemistry Classification Ease of Use Cost Rating Nominal Capacity Max Dis- Packaging Specific Con-
Ratiing (1-5) (1-5) Voltage charge Rate Options straints
Alkaline Primary 1 5 1.5v 25 mAh - 1C Cylindrical /
1000 mAh Prismatic
Lithium Pri- Primary 1 5 1.5v 500 mAh - 1.5C Cylindrical
mary 4000 mAh
Lead-Acid Secondary 2 1 1.5v 3.5 Ah - 10C Prismatic Non-Sealed
(Pb) 1000 Ah+ Cells Require
Venting
Nickle Metal Secondary 2 3 1.2v 300 mAh - 10C Cylindrical
Hydride 3000 mAh
(NiMH)
Lithium-Ion Secondary 5 2 3.7v 2200 mAh - 20C Cylindrical / Multi-Cell
(Li-Ion) 5000 mAh Prismatic Packs Require
Balancing
Lithium-Poly- Secondary 5 2 3.7v 15 mAh - 50C Cylindrical/ Multi-Cell
mer (LiPo) 10 Ah Pouch/Pris- Packs Require
matic Balancing
Lithium-Iron Secondary 4 2 3.2v 700 mAh - 10C Cylindrical/ Multi-Cell
Phosphate 100 Ah Pouch Packs Require
(Li/FePO4) Balancing
Need A Parachute? Apogee Has The One You’re Looking For! Continued on Page 7
www.ApogeeRockets.com/Building-Supplies/
Parachutes
Page 6
 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee

Examples of larger 3-cell LiPo packs with capacities of

800 mAh and 5000 mAh.

some of the useful styles can be bought at any corner

store; and electronics designed for primary cells generally
have an included battery holder, so that the batteries can
A selection of single-cell LiPo packs with capacities be directly installed.
ranging from 15 mAh up to 900 mAh.
Rechargeable batteries are more difficult to use both
because they require charging and because they are
generally somewhat more difficult to source. If a replace-
ment were to be needed at the last minute, it becomes
more difficult to get it. However, while they are some-
what more difficult to use, rechargeable batteries are
really not particularly difficult to use overall. NiCd, NiMH,
and Lead-Acid batteries generally require a very simple
charger unless fast charging is desired. In that case, it
is sometimes necessary to sense the temperature of the
battery during charging which necessitates a more ex-
pensive charger. Single Lithium-Ion, Lithium-Polymer, and
Lithium Iron-Phosphate cells can be charged with similarly
inexpensive chargers (though the charging process is
more involved). This ability to charge inexpensively makes
single-cell Lithium attractive. Sometimes more voltage
(>3.7 v nominal) is needed however, and then multi-cell
A large selection of 2-cell LiPo packs with capacities Lithium batteries are needed. These increase the com-
from 260 mAh up to 5000 mAh. plexity and cost of charging because lithium batteries
need to have the cells
balanced. Balancing
is ensuring that each
cell is charged to as
near the same voltage
as possible. While this
Continued on Page 8

www.ApogeeRockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/X-15
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 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee

could be done with other secondary cells, it is crucial for for their hobbies. For the purpose of this article, however,
lithium cells because fires can break out in lithium cells using this charger is a simpler approach than attempting
that are discharged too low, or charged too high. Balancing to find different chargers for each example battery. While
makes sure that the cells in a battery remain in the safe it is also likely that any charger will be used for more than
range. This added requirement makes multi-cell lithium one battery, this article uses a worst case analysis that
chargers more expensive than single cell chargers. Gener- folds the total cost of the charger into the cost of a single
ally the convenience decreases as well due to the fact that battery. By finding a less expensive charger and taking
single-cell lithium batteries can often be charged with USB into account that the charger is likely to be used with
connected chargers, while multi-cell chargers require wall many batteries, the cost will only drop. Finally, it is worth
plugs or high voltage (i.e. 12v) DC power. noting that the maximum cycles used here are about 1⁄4
of that recommended by battery manufacturers. If batter-
Table 2 outlines the relative cost of using different ies are well cared for, they can often be recharged many
batteries with the specified flight profile of 25 mA current more times, and again the cost over time will drop.
over 2 hours. While it is generally possible to find less
expensive chargers depending upon chemistry, all costs As can be seen in Table 2, all of the secondary
are estimated using an RC charger balancer that retails cell options are astronomically less expensive than prima-
for around $40. This sort of charger (there are hundreds ry cells if they are going to be used for many flights, even
on the market in the $30 - $100 range) will charge any of including the cost of a charger. The table shows Lead-Ac-
the battery chemistries mentioned here and also do the re- id to be the least expensive option (~2¢ per flight), but this
quired balancing, so it is a recommended purchase for any- is mostly just a result of the smallest available lead-acid
one that is going to be using rechargeable batteries often batteries having such a large capacity (4500 mAh). This
Table 2 - Cost of Battery
Example Pack Weight Capacity Maximum Packaging Maximum Flights per Cost Cost Per
Battery Nominal Discharge Cycles Charge Flight
Voltage Rate (+including
charger)

Duracell 9v 9v 45g 425 mAh 0.5 C (0.2 A) Prismatic 1 2 $6.30 $3.15

(Zn/MnO2)
Energizer 9v 34g 700 mAh 1.5 C (1 A) Prismatic 1 3 $13.50 $4.5
Ultimate 9v
(Li/MnO2)
Panasonic 6v 6v 60g 700 mAh 2 C (1.4 A) Pack of Cy- 100 3 $12.00 $0.17
AAA NiMH lindrical
Pack
Power-Son- 6v 730g 4500 mAh 10 C (45 A) Prismatic 100 22 $5.40 $0.021
ic AGM
PS-640F
(lead-acid)
Turnigy 7.4v 18g 260 mAh 35 C (9 A) Pouch 250 1 $5.50 $0.182
nano-tech
ZIPPY 6.6v 40g 700 mAh 5 C (3.5 A) Pouch 250 3 $6.00 $0.061
Compact
(Li/FePO4)
Continued on Page 9

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 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee
battery is comically large for flight on a typical model rock- measured in Ah (ampere-hours). Primary cells as well as
et, but would work reasonably well for a launch system. NiMH and NiCd cells are more reasonable in size and
Of the remaining batteries – which might actually be flown have plenty of capacity for typical flights. They do not,
– the least expensive option is the Lithium Iron-Phosphate however, offer many options for smaller applications. LiFe
battery, mostly because it can be flown three times per cells are generally targeted for larger applications. As can
change without dropping below the identified 75% target. be seen in Table 2, however, a LiFe battery can easily
The LiPo option is much more expensive because it can replace a 9v primary battery with much higher current
only be flown once per charge. The NiMH option is around capability, similar or larger capacity, and no substantial
the same cost as the small LiPo. By contrast, the alkaline increase in weight. LiPo batteries are the standout here
and primary Lithium options are at least seventeen times however. Table 1 gives a capacity range of 15mAh to 10
as expensive. Moreover, the two primary options have very Ah. That is a factor of over 650 in capacity; and across
low maximum discharge currents that may be inappropri- this range it is generally simple to purchase both single
ate for standard igniters. cells and assembled batteries. For rocketry applications,
batteries under 1000 mAh are generally the most useful
The different chemistries produce different voltag- and there are hundreds of options with 1, 2 and 3 cells
es per cell. On the low end are NiMH cells that are 1.2v a (3.7v, 7.4v, and 11.1v nominal) available all over the
piece, while LiPo cells are 3.7v each. The nominal voltage place. The smallest LiPo cells available (under roughly
only matters insofar as electronics and igniters require 50mAh) are used for consumer goods such as earbuds
a specific range of voltage to work correctly. As such, and are therefore quite inexpensive.
knowledge of the nominal voltage makes it possible to
determine the number of cells a battery requires. In Table When firing an igniter, the most important thing
2, the number of cells range from two for the LiPo and LiFe is the battery’s ability to push enough current through
batteries up to eight for the 9v primary batteries. In general the bridge to heat it sufficiently. Some minimal voltage is
3-6v is sufficient for triggering an e-match, so that a single required to overcome the series resistance of the igniter
Lithium cell is sufficient. For other igniters with a standard (the wires and the bridge), but a battery’s internal re-
bridge wire (like the Aerotech igniters), a voltage between sistance is actually much more important. This internal
about 6v and 12v is necessary and multi-cell batteries resistance leads to the maximum discharge rate. Primary
are required. Of course, it is possible to purchase every cells are terrible when it comes to current capability and
chemistry in the form of a multi-cell battery, so there is little should be avoided for anything other than e-matches.
advantage over the others due to nominal voltage alone. This might be fine for electronic deployment, but it makes
events such as staging and hotwire cutting for recovery
When it comes to capacity, more is almost always difficult or impossible. All of the other chemistries besides
better so long as the cell isn’t physically too large or heavy. the primary cells are capable of providing a reasonable
A cell with a large capacity can provide more maximum amount of current in comparison to their capacity. Once
current and it will also last longer under any specific load again, however, the LiPo batteries excel in this area and
(especially comforting when a rocket is sitting on a pad are available with truly mind boggling current capabilities.
during a slow launch cycle). Capacity is one place where While a primary cell is limited to a rate of less than 2 C
LiPo batteries are much more appropriate than any of the (two times the capacity) it is possible to purchase small
other available options. Lead-acid cells are simply huge. LiPo batteries with a discharge rate of over 100 C. This
Both their weight and their dimensions make them pro- allows for the use of extremely small batteries, saving
hibitive for use in most rockets. Their capacity is generally weight and taking less space. The remainder of the
chemistries fall some-
where in the middle
of these two extremes
and while they can be
made to provide suf-
ficient current for any
Continued on Page 10

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 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee
rocketry application they will not reach the small size and Lead-Acid batteries are generally only available in a
weight of LiPo batteries. prismatic package that is a rigid rectangular package. Non-
sealed lead-acid batteries are wholly unsuited to rocketry
The available packaging of different cells is im- applications as they can spill corrosive acid when tipped.
portant as it determines the size and weight of batteries Sealed lead-acid batteries can be used in many orientations
that can be used. The packing of alkaline cells is generally and so could be used in rocketry if it were not for the fact
inappropriate for use in rockets as the low voltage per cell that even the smallest lead-acid batteries are massive on
(generally 1.5v) is insufficient for rocketry applications. the scale of typical model rocketry applications. As it stands,
Since these batteries are also designed in such a way that small lead-acid batteries could be used in very large rockets.
they cannot be assembled into a pack using spot welded Lead-Acid batteries however – in the form of car batter-
bus bars (connections between cells), the cylindrical al- ies – are widely used in launch systems. As such, they are
kaline cells (AAA, AA, C, and D) are only usable in com- applicable to rocketry though rarely to flight systems.
bination with a battery holder. The spring contacts in such
holders work well enough in applications that are terrestrial, In contrast to the previous options, rechargeable
but the vibration and acceleration of a rocket flight tends lithium chemistries provide a massive range of packages
to cause power dropout and overall unreliability. As such, and, as mentioned above when discussing capacity, a wide
there are only limited packaging options available which range of sizes. The three main types of packing for lithium
are appropriate. The most widely used are the 9v battery chemistries are pouch, prismatic, and cylindrical. Cylindrical
and the 12v A23 (indeed, we still sell the A23 https://www. cells are very similar to the primary cells and are some-
apogeerockets.com/Electronics-Payloads/Electron- times even available in the same sizes though the 18650
ics-Accessories/12V-Alkaline-Battery-Size-23A). Both cell (similar in size to a longer “C” cell) is the most widely
of these packages were used in early rocketry electronics available. Prismatic cells are rectangular cells in a rigid
which had built-in holders. The other primary cells that are case. These cells and cylindrical cells are more rugged than
sparsely represented in rocket electronics are lithium button the final packaging type, but they are heavier due to the
cells. These are the small round batteries, sometimes weight of the case. The final packing style – pouches – are
called watch batteries (because the smaller versions were little more than a plastic bag surrounding the cell materials.
typically used in watches). They are available in several There are a few advantages of such packaging. First of all,
chemistries and may be either 1.5v or 3v per cell, though they have the best energy density and generally have some
only the 3v version tends to be used in rocket electronics. of the highest volumetric density as well. These advantages
Watch batteries have such a low maximum discharge rate make pouch style cells ideal for rocketry. Another advantage
that they cannot be used in any application that requires of this style is that it is easy to manufacture cells of a new
the initiation of pyrotechnics. Like primary cells, the NiCd shape and size. The result of this is that pouch cells are
and NiMH secondary cells are generally only available in available in a massive range of capacities.
cylindrical packages. However, unlike the primary cells, the
secondary cells are designed to be assembled into higher In addition to the physical and electrical charac-
voltage batteries by spot welding the cells together with teristics outlined above, there are special considerations
strips of metal. As such, they do not suffer from the same required for some cell chemistries that might affect choices.
vibration issues that primary cells in spring holders do. Like For instance, lead-acid cells can require venting and NiCd
primary cells, however, the range of available packages is cells can require special charging procedures to deal with
smaller than lithium chemistries. the so-called “memory effect”. The most important special
consideration is the fact that rechargeable lithium cells
require chargers that are
capable of individually
adjusting the voltage of
each cell in the battery.
This is called balancing.
While the process of
Continued on Page 11

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 Issue 603 / July 4th 2023
Selecting Batteries for
Rocket Electronics
By Martin Jay McKee

based secondary batteries is simple given an appropriate

charger and such chargers are widely available for one
or more cell battery packs. Alkaline cells (along with other
primary cells not mentioned in this article) end up being
substantially more expensive and wasteful in the long run
with very little advantage in modern electronics, while older
secondary cells such as NiMH, NiCd, and lead-acid impose
a moderate to substantial weight and size penalty that is not
balanced by any other advantages in our specific applica-
tions.

There are, of course, many special applications that

require different battery choices (such as the lithium prima-
ry “button” cells that are used for the MicroPeak altimeter
(https://www.apogeerockets.com/Electronics-Payloads/
Altimeters/MicroPeak-Altimeter)) either due to physical or
Different types of chargers that may be used for electrical constraints. Generally, the manufacturers of these
secondary cells. A large hobby charger (upper) that handles
many different configurations and chemistries, and two payloads are well aware of the special requirements and
versions of USB chargers for single-cell LiPo packs. make it abundantly clear what sort of battery is needed. In
the absence of such information, the characteristics exam-
balancing does improve the overall performance of the
ined in this article are generally more than enough to decide
battery, the reason it is necessary comes down to safety.
upon a flight battery. That said, I have ignored many charac-
It is well known that Lithium batteries can be dangerous.
teristics of cells including series resistance (and the related
The many videos of Hoverboards, laptops, and cell phones
voltage drop under load), the shape of the discharge curve,
bursting into flames amply demonstrate what a lithium cell
dependence of other characteristics upon temperature, and
can do when handled poorly. Lithium Iron-Phosphate cells
many more. The nice thing though is that none of them is
are actually much safer overall, which is why they are used
important enough to change the fact that readily available
for things like backup batteries in solar-electric installations
LiPo batteries have become the most appropriate power
(the main reason that such large Li/FePO4 cells are man-
source for hobby rocket electronics in the past decade.
ufactured). Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Polymer cells still have
the highest power density and are still less expensive,
About the Author:
so they are more likely to be used in a rocket. Balancing
Martin has been designing and building rockets for as
prevents any cell from becoming overcharged. Depending
long as he can remem-
upon the batteries, charging them with a balance charger
ber. After originally
may require plugging in a specific balance plug, and it
toying with the idea of
always requires a more expensive charger. As such, it’s
pursuing a career in
easier to avoid multi-cell lithium batteries when possible.
Aerospace Engineering,
That said, while balancing is important, it is not difficult or
he did a double major in
expensive enough to be a reason to avoid lithium cells.
Computer Science and
Fine Art then spent a
Having examined the characteristics of many
decade working in K-12
battery chemistries, it is not possible to review the battery
math and science edu-
recommendations. For old electronics that were developed
ca- tion. Only recently
to use alkaline primary cells, it may certainly be beneficial
did he land at Apogee
(or even necessary) to continue to use such batteries or
Components as the
replace them with lithium primary cells. Indeed, those elec-
Product Designer.
tronics with built-in battery holders are unusable – without
invasive modifications – with any other options. For any Martin Jay Mckee
new electronics that allow the connection of external bat-
teries, there is little argument against using LiPo, Li-Ion, or
Li/FePO4 cells in rocketry applications. Charging of lithium
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