Advantages of a Li-Ion Battery Pack
Lithium battery packs are used in electronic gadgets like mobile phones and tablets as well as to power medical equipment, electric vehicles and energy storage systems. These battery packs offer several advantages compared to older cell chemistries.
Because of the lithium content, they must be shipped as Class 9 miscellaneous hazardous waste. This includes individual cells and battery packs with a lithium content greater than 8 grams.
High Energy Density
Pound for pound, lithium batteries are among the most energetic rechargeable batteries available. That’s one of the reasons they’re so popular in laptops, cellphones and hybrid cars, as well as smaller gadgets that need a lot of energy output for a small footprint.
However, their high energy density also means that they’re more likely to explode under certain conditions. That’s why every Li-ion battery pack has a protection circuit that limits peak voltage during charge and prevents the cell from discharging too low during discharge. It also keeps the metallic lithium that forms during overcharge from spreading across the internal circuits and causing a fire.
Despite the safety features, a battery failure in a lithium-ion cell can still lead to flames. It just takes a short in the separator that connects the anode and cathode to vent the organic solvent used as electrolyte, and a spark or sudden movement can ignite it. lifepo4 lithium battery Those fires aren’t very common — only two or three battery packs per million will fail, but that’s enough to cause a recall.
Low Self-Discharge Rate
The low self-discharge rate of lithium-ion batteries contributes significantly to their long lifespan. It prevents the batteries from sinking below a threshold voltage during long periods of disuse. This is especially important for consumer electronics, which operate under constant voltage stress. If the battery drops below 2V/cell, it may not be able to recover its discharge state without damaging the cells and triggering a short circuit. A high self-discharge rate also reduces the battery’s cycling stability by encouraging copper passage formation, which impedes lithium-ion exchange.
Contrary to popular belief, Li-ion batteries don’t need frequent full discharge and recharge cycles to maintain their capacity. In fact, this type of battery does better when only 90-95% of its charge is used before recharging. In addition, using a lower Depth of Discharge (DoD) improves cycle life and prolongs runtime.
Long Lifespan
Most lithium batteries are designed to operate for years with very little degradation. Lithium does not have the memory issues associated with some batteries that can shorten their lifespan based on charging patterns. Keeping a battery at a partial charge and topping it off occasionally are not detrimental to longevity, in fact they are recommended by many manufacturers.
The long lifespan is a direct result of modern design and safety features that help protect the battery. Overload, over-discharge and overheating protection circuits are built into most lithium battery packs. These are a significant improvement over NiCad batteries, which were often designed with no such safeguards.
Despite their longevity, even lithium batteries eventually wear out. Everyday cycles, elevated temperatures and aging degrade the capacity of the battery over time. Most manufacturers estimate the life of a battery based on the number of recharge/discharge cycles. This is a conservative figure, however, because the capacity of the battery decreases gradually over time. Cycle life is a good indicator of battery health, but environmental conditions have the greatest impact on longevity.
High Power Density
Li-ion batteries store more energy than other rechargeable battery types. Because they contain lightweight lithium and carbon, they can hold a lot of power in their atomic bonds. The average Li-ion battery pack can store around 150 watt-hours of electricity in one kilogram.
As with other battery types, if you don’t charge them regularly or properly, your Li-ion batteries will lose some of their storage capacity over time. You can help extend their LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Manufacturer life by keeping them at a charge level of around 80% or higher during storage.
A fire in a lithium-ion battery is usually the result of a punctured separator sheet, which lets the positive and negative electrodes touch each other and create heat. This can cause the battery to vent the organic solvent it uses as an electrolyte, which in turn ignites and burns. It’s important to note that this kind of heat can also cause other cells in close proximity to fail, creating a snowball effect and leading to a chain reaction that can eventually lead to the whole battery burning up.
Safety
Li-ion batteries power many types of consumer electronics, e-bikes and scooters, as well as electric vehicles and energy storage systems. They are generally safe but can catch fire or explode if mistreated or defective. Read the manufacturer’s battery and device warnings and follow the manufacturer’s handling instructions. Store the battery away from anything flammable. Check the battery or device periodically for unusual odors, too much heat, change in color, physical damage, leaking or strange noises.
In addition, some non-brand replacement batteries made in Asia are popular with cell phone users because of their low price but they don’t have the same safety standards as main brand batteries and can cause a fire or explosion. Research into improved battery safety is needed. This article identifies exemplary SRQs aligned with each of the battery safety sub-dimensions presented in Table 1. For example, improving the battery’s inner structure could increase its ability to resist thermal runaway without adding excessive weight. It could also allow the internal temperature to rise more slowly, thus avoiding a sudden, undesirable and potentially dangerous overheating.
