Project Summary
The battery housing design project that involved the modification and analysis of a commercial off the shelf (COTS) deep sea battery housing for our specific use case. A total of 160 units were produced. I designed a custom alkaline battery pack that could be assembled then secured within the modified oil-filled COTS battery housing. I analyzed the estimated housing diaphragm compression at 6,000 m depth using hand calculations based on known fluid bulk modulus and battery compression and verified the calculations by pressure testing at a representative pressure to ensure damage free operation at depth. I conducted thermal testing of the battery packs to confirm their performance at full ocean depth, and analyzed the effect of temperature on the oil compression. I tested battery out gassing at expected discharge rates, pressures, and temperatures and implemented the installation of a pressure relief valve based on out gassing test values recorded. Shock and vibration testing was completed to verify performance after shipping and deployment. I developed a machining fixture to aid in the large production run and assisted with the initial fabrication and assembly.
Implemented Skills
test sensor selection and implementation
shock and vibration testing
structural analysis using hand calculations of first principles
thermal testing and analysis
battery discharge testing
rapid prototyping
design for manufacturing and design for assembly
tolerance stack up analysis