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Batteries used in the Deepsea Challenger submersible
Made by Allum, Ron in Leichardt, New South Wales, AustraliaSummary
Object No.
2012/101/2Object Statement
Lithium-ion battery, mixed media, designed and made by Ron Allum at Acheron Pty Ltd, Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia, 2012Physical Description
This battery, utilised in the Deepsea Challenger, are made up of multiple power cells fitted with motherboards encased in a plastic box; joined with multiple silver hinges, and lubricated with silicon fluid. The external connection leads are present, 2 loose and 1 connected external to the case in a U-shape.Marks
- barcode sticker on bottom, inside (S 075106205 ||| KCL11TFOD0036)- "WATER" written in black texta on bottom; surmised this is from a testing cycle
Short URL
https://ma.as/456598Dimensions
Height
141 mmWidth
160 mmWeight
10 kgProduction
Notes
Designed, sourced and assembled by Acheron Pty Ltd, NSW, 2012; these battery cells, housed in the top half of the 24ft structure, are used to power the submersible's engine thrusters, navigation tools and LED lighting systems once it had reached the ocean floor. In order to meet the design challenge of extreme exposure to pressure, Allum engineered a bladder compensating system which allowed silicon liquid to occupy any air pockets which would otherwise collapse in on themselves.Made
Acheron Project Pty Ltd Leichardt, New South Wales, Australia 2012History
Notes
Lithium-ion batteries are valued for being rechargeable, portable, having an energy density with a slow loss of charge and no memory effect. They exist in several forms, but the type that Allum assembled for the Challenger is called a prismatic cell, characterised by its semi-hard plastic outer case, threaded cabling, and its use in vehicular traction packs. Prismatic cells usually require an external means of containment to reduce expansion when they're fully charged and in use. All lithium-ion batteries require a positive electrode (made of metal oxide), a negative electrode (made of carbon) and an electrolyte (made of lithium salt and an organic solvent) .Source
Credit Line
Gift of Ron Allum and James Cameron as Acheron Pty Ltd, 2012Acquisition Date
28 August 2012Cite this Object
Harvard
Batteries used in the Deepsea Challenger submersible 2018, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 24 March 2019, <https://ma.as/456598>Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/456598 |title=Batteries used in the Deepsea Challenger submersible |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=24 March 2019 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}
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