lithium-ion high-power battery knowledge
Most lithium-ion batteries for portable
applications are cobalt-based. The system consists
of a cobalt oxide positive electrode (cathode) and
a graphite carbon in the negative electrode
(anode). One of the main advantages of the cobalt-
based battery is its high energy density. Long run-
time makes this chemistry attractive for cell
phones, laptops and cameras. The
widely used cobalt-based lithium-ion has
drawbacks; it offers a relatively low discharge
current. A high load would overheat the pack and
its safety would be jeopardized. The safety
circuit of the cobalt-based 346970-
001 battery is typically limited to a charge
and discharge rate of about 1C. This means that a
2400mAh 18650 cell can only be charged and
discharged with a maximum current of 2.4A. Another
downside is the increase of the internal
resistance that occurs with cycling and aging.
After 2-3 years of use, the pack often becomes
unserviceable due to a large voltage drop under
load that is caused by high internal resistance.
Figure 1 illustrates the crystalline structure of
cobalt oxide.
The battery industry
is making incremental capacity gains of 8-10% per
year. This trend is expected to continue. This,
however, is a far cry from Moore's Law that
specifies a doubling of transistors on a chip
every 18 to 24 months. Translating this increase
to a presario r3000 battery would mean a
doubling of capacity every two years. Instead of
two years, lithium-ion has doubled its energy
capacity in 10 years. Today's lithium-ion
comes in many "flavours" and the differences in
the composition are mostly related to the cathode
material. Table 1 below summarizes the most
commonly used lithium-ion on the market today. For
simplicity, we summarize the chemistries into four
groupings, which are Cobalt, Manganese, NCM and
Phosphate.
Definition of Energy
Density and Power Density Energy Density
(Wh/kg) is a measure of how much energy a pavilion
zv5000 battery can hold. The higher the energy
density, the longer the runtime will be. Lithium-
ion with cobalt cathodes offer the highest energy
densities. Typical applications are cell phones,
laptops and digital cameras. Power Density
(W/kg) indicates how much power a battery can
deliver on demand. The focus is on power bursts,
such as drilling through heavy steel, rather than
runtime. Manganese and phosphate-based lithium-
ion, as well as nickel-based chemistries, are
among the best performers. nx9600 batteries with
high power density are used for power tools,
medical devices and transportation systems.
An analogy between energy and power
densities can be made with a water bottle. The
size of the bottle is the energy density, while
the opening denotes the power density. A large
bottle can carry a lot of water, while a large
opening can pore it quickly. The large container
with a wide mouth is the best combination.
Confusion with voltages
For the
last 10 years or so, the nominal voltage of
lithium-ion was known to be 3.60V/cell. This was a
rather handy figure because it made up for three
nickel-based pavilion
zd8000 batteries (1.2V/cell) connected in
series. Using the higher cell voltages for lithium-
ion reflects in better watt/hours readings on
paper and poses a marketing advantage, however,
the equipment manufacturer will continue assuming
the cell to be 3.60V. The nominal voltage of
a lithium-ion 319411-001 battery
is calculated by taking a fully charged battery of
about 4.20V, fully discharging it to about 3.00V
at a rate of 0.5C while measuring the average
voltage.
Because of the lower
internal resistance, the average voltage of a
spinel system will be higher than that of the
cobalt-based equivalent. Pure spinel has the
lowest internal resistance and the nominal cell
voltage is 3.80V. The exception again is the
phosphate-based lithium-ion. This system deviates
the furthest from the conventional lithium-ion
system
In 1996, scientists succeeded
in using lithium manganese oxide as a cathode
material. This substance forms a three-dimensional
spinel structure that improves the ion flow
between the electrodes. High ion flow lowers the
internal resistance and increases loading
capability. The resistance stays low with cycling,
however, the battery does age and the overall
service life is similar to that of cobalt. Spinel
has an inherently high thermal stability and needs
less safety circuitry than a cobalt system.Low
internal cell resistance is the key to high rate
capability. This characteristic benefits fast-
charging and high-current discharging. A spinel-
based lithium-ion f4809a in an 18650
cell can be discharged at 20-30A with marginal
heat build-up. Short one-second load pulses of
twice the specified current are permissible. Some
heat build-up cannot be prevented and the cell
temperature should not exceed 80°C.
The spinel battery also has weaknesses. One of the
most significant drawbacks is the lower capacity
compared to the cobalt-based system. Spinel
provides roughly 1200mAh in an 18650 package,
about half that of the cobalt equivalent. In spite
of this, spinel still provides an energy density
that is about 50% higher than that of a nickel-
based equivalent.
Types of lithium-
ion batteries Lithium-ion has not yet reached
full maturity and the technology is continually
improving. The anode in today's cells is made up
of a graphite mixture and the cathode is a
combination of lithium and other choice ls. It
should be noted that all materials in a zd7000
battery have a theoretical energy density.
With lithium-ion, the anode is well optimized and
little improvements can be gained in terms of
design changes. The cathode, however, shows
promise for further enhancements. nx9500 battery research is therefore
focusing on the cathode material. Another part
that has potential is the electrolyte. The
electrolyte serves as a reaction medium between
the anode and the cathode.
Posted 07:36
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