The first laboratory tests were run on the Willard cells in 

 October 1960. They were run primarily to gain familiarity 

 with the factors involved and are therefore not detailed here. 

 The significant tests which are detailed in this report (fig. 7- 

 12) began in November 1960 and continued through January 

 1961, as shown in table I. 



Tests 1, 3, 9, 12 and 13 were conducted in the battery shop 

 under normal atmospheric conditions of temperature and 

 pressure. 



Tests 2 and 4 were conducted under conditions simulating 

 a stay of 8 hours at a depth of 36, 000 feet. Tests 5 and 6 

 were conducted to simulate dives to a depth of 24, 000 feet, 

 as shown in figure 7. 



Test 7 was run to determine the IR drop in the added length 

 of wire, necessitated by the length of the pressure chamber, 

 used in tests 2, 4, 5 and 6. This correction was applied 

 to data of tests 1 and 3 before graphing. Equal lengths of 

 wire were used in all succeeding tests. 



After the results of the first six tests were tabulated and 

 compared, it was considered desirable to obtain curves 

 which would reflect the complete capacity of the batteries. 

 This had to be done within the normal limits of a working 

 day; therefore, tests 8 and 9 were run to determine the 

 discharge rate necessary to reach the low voltage limit of 

 the batteries within 7-1/2 hours. Test 9 also served as the 

 control discharge for battery "A" for the 3.5-ampere rate. 



Tests 10 and 11 simulated capacity discharges at a depth of 

 36, 000 feet. At the conclusion of each of these tests the 

 pressure was removed from the test chamber as rapidly as 

 possible (about 15 seconds). This rapid pressure release 

 simulated a far more rapid rise to the surface than would 

 ever be actually possible with the bathyscaph. The cell 

 was immediately removed from the chamber and examined 

 carefully. No evidence of damage to the plates from rapidly 

 forming and expanding gases was noted, and subsequent 

 discharges indicated no loss in capacity. Test 12 was run 

 as a control. 



Tests 13 and 14 were run to determine the operability of a 

 nickel-cadmium cell under the same conditions. 



Test number 15 was run to determine the possibility of 

 delayed effects of operating under pressure and rapid de- 

 compression. No losses were noted. 



11 



