Saft Solutions For Full Geo Electric Propulsion

Abstract

Today, the full electric propulsion is becoming more commonly used on board geostationary satellites for the launch up to the Electrical Orbit Raising (EOR) and all on-orbit manoeuvres.

This electrical propulsion induces additional cycles for the battery that may result in higher ageing.

The Electrical Orbit Raising (EOR) is currently simulated by two additional GEO seasons up to 80%DoD while the Plasmic Propulsion System (PPS) cycles are carried out, at least 162 cycles up to 24%DoD or 198 cycles up to 20%DoD per solstice season and at least 52 cycles up to 15%DoD or 64 cycles up to 10%DoD per eclipse season for 15 years.

The need for an appropriate demonstration by life-test was anticipated and addressed in collaboration with the primes and the agencies, in the frame of ARTES 3–4 contract with ESA for the VES180SA cell & CNES contract for the VES16 cell.

The article will present the whole cycling results available, and will provide afterwards the correlation status of Saft Li-ion Model (SLIM) with the experimental data acquired.