Lithium Battery

The Evolution of Lithium Battery Technology

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:44:25 +0000

The Evolution of Lithium Battery Technology – Why It Matters to the Electronics Industry

Over the last decade, lithium battery technology has rapidly evolved — transforming the way electronic devices are designed, powered, and used. At Battery Consult, we’ve witnessed (and contributed to) the progression from early lithium-ion cells to today’s high-performance, safety-focused lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) systems. For electronics manufacturers and design engineers, understanding this evolution is key to making informed decisions for power systems.

From Li-ion to LiFePO₄: A Quick History

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries first became mainstream in the 1990s and quickly revolutionised portable electronics. Their high energy density made them ideal for smartphones, laptops, and other compact devices. However, early-generation Li-ion batteries came with challenges — thermal instability, limited lifecycles, and strict protection circuit requirements.

Enter LiFePO₄ (Lithium Iron Phosphate): emerging in the mid-2000s, this chemistry offered a new level of safety, stability, and long-term performance. While slightly lower in energy density, LiFePO₄ cells brought significant benefits to industrial and embedded electronics.

Key Benefits for the Electronics Sector

Thermal and Chemical Stability
LiFePO₄ batteries are significantly more resistant to thermal runaway and combustion — crucial for enclosed or mission-critical applications.
Long Cycle Life
With lifespans exceeding 2000+ cycles, they offer better long-term value for OEMs looking to reduce service intervals and warranty risks.
High Discharge Rates
Ideal for applications requiring burst power or consistent high loads, such as motor-driven or RF-enabled devices.
Modular Design Flexibility
Custom LiFePO₄ packs can be easily configured with smart BMS, cell balancing, and form factors to suit everything from wearables to industrial controllers.

Real-World Applications We Support

At Battery Consult, we design and manufacture custom battery packs for:

Medical devices
Security systems
IoT & telemetry equipment
Handheld controllers
Industrial instrumentation

Each solution is engineered to meet specific voltage, current, form factor, and certification requirements — not just “off the shelf” products.

What’s Next?

As LiFePO₄ technology continues to improve in cost and efficiency, it is becoming the preferred choice for embedded and industrial electronics. Trends like solid-state electrolytes, fast-charging capabilities, and enhanced battery management systems are paving the way for the next leap in portable power.

Partner With Us

Whether you’re a contract manufacturer or an electronics developer, choosing the right battery partner is critical. With deep experience in lithium technologies and a focus on tailored solutions, Battery Consult is here to help power your innovation.

Contact us today to discuss your next battery project.

Can the Lead-acid Battery Compete in Modern Times?

admin — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 06:58:14 +0000

The answer is YES.

Lead-acid is the oldest rechargeable battery in existence. Invented by the French physician Gaston Planté in 1859, lead-acid was the first rechargeable battery for commercial use. 150 years later, we still have no cost-effective alternatives for cars, wheelchairs, scooters, golf carts and UPS systems. The lead-acid battery has retained a market share in applications where newer battery chemistries would either be too expensive.
Lead-acid does not lend itself to fast charging. Typical charge time is 8 to 16 hours. A periodic fully saturated charge is essential to prevent sulfation and the battery must always be stored in a charged state. Leaving the battery in a discharged condition causes sulfation and a recharge may not be possible.

Finding the ideal charge voltage limit is critical. A high voltage (above 2.40V/cell) produces good battery performance but shortens the service life due to grid corrosion on the positive plate. A low voltage limit is subject to sulfation on the negative plate. Leaving the battery on float charge for a prolonged time does not cause damage.

Lead-acid does not like deep cycling. A full discharge causes extra strain and each cycle robs the battery of some service life. This wear-down characteristic also applies to other battery chemistries in varying degrees. To prevent the battery from being stressed through repetitive deep discharge, a larger battery is recommended. Lead-acid is inexpensive but the operational costs can be higher than a nickel-based system if repetitive full cycles are required.

Depending on the depth of discharge and operating temperature, the sealed lead-acid provides 200 to 300 discharge/charge cycles. The primary reason for its relatively short cycle life is grid corrosion of the positive electrode, depletion of the active material and expansion of the positive plates. These changes are most prevalent at higher operating temperatures. Cycling does not prevent or reverse the trend.

The lead-acid battery has one of the lowest energy densities, making it unsuitable for portable devices. In addition, the performance at low temperatures is marginal. The self-discharge is about 40% per year, one of the best on rechargeable batteries. In comparison, nickel-cadmium self-discharges this amount in three months. The high lead content makes the lead-acid environmentally unfriendly.

Plate thickness

The service life of a lead-acid battery can, in part, be measured by the thickness of the positive plates. The thicker the plates, the longer the life will be. During charging and discharging, the lead on the plates gets gradually eaten away and the sediment falls to the bottom. The weight of a battery is a good indication of the lead content and the life expectancy.

The plates of automotive starter batteries are about 0.040″ (1mm) thick, while the typical golf cart battery will have plates that are between 0.07-0.11″ (1.8- 2.8mm) thick. Forklift batteries may have plates that exceed 0.250″ (6mm). Most industrial flooded deep-cycle batteries use lead-antimony plates. This improves the plate life but increases gassing and water loss.

Sealed lead-acid

During the mid 1970s, researchers developed a maintenance-free lead-acid battery that can operate in any position. The liquid electrolyte is gelled into moistened separators and the enclosure is sealed. Safety valves allow venting during charge, discharge and atmospheric pressure changes.

Driven by different market needs, two lead-acid systems emerged: The small sealed lead-acid (SLA), also known under the brand name of Gelcell, and the larger Valve-regulated-lead-acid (VRLA). Both batteries are similar. Engineers may argue that the word ‘sealed lead-acid’ is a misnomer because no rechargeable battery can be totally sealed.

Unlike the flooded lead-acid battery, both SLA and VRLA are designed with a low over-voltage potential to prohibit the battery from reaching its gas-generating potential during charge because excess charging would cause gassing and water depletion. Consequently, these batteries can never be charged to their full potential. To reduce dry-out, sealed lead-acid batteries use lead-calcium instead of the lead-antimony.

The optimum operating temperature for the lead-acid battery is 25*C (77*F). Elevated temperature reduces longevity. As a guideline, every 8°C (15°F) rise in temperature cuts the battery life in half. A VRLA, which would last for 10 years at 25°C (77°F), would only be good for 5 years if operated at 33°C (92°F). The same battery would desist after 2½ years if kept at a constant desert temperature of 41°C (106°F).

Figure 1: Sealed lead-acid battery

The sealed lead-acid battery is rated at a 5-hour (0.2) and 20-hour (0.05C) discharge. Longer discharge times produce higher capacity readings because of lower losses. The lead-acid performs well on high load currents.

Absorbed Glass Mat Batteries (AGM)

The AGM is a newer type sealed lead-acid that uses absorbed glass mats between the plates. It is sealed, maintenance-free and the plates are rigidly mounted to withstand extensive shock and vibration. Nearly all AGM batteries are recombinant, meaning they can recombine 99% of the oxygen and hydrogen. There is almost no water is loss.

The charging voltages are the same as for other lead-acid batteries. Even under severe overcharge conditions, hydrogen emission is below the 4% specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. The low self-discharge of 1-3% per month allows long storage before recharging. The AGM costs twice that of the flooded version of the same capacity. Because of durability, German high performance cars use AGM batteries in favor of the flooded type.

Advantages

Inexpensive and simple to manufacture.
Mature, reliable and well-understood technology – when used correctly, lead-acid is durable and provides dependable service.
The self-discharge is among the lowest of rechargeable battery systems.
Capable of high discharge rates.

Limitations

Low energy density – poor weight-to-energy ratio limits use to stationary and wheeled applications.
Cannot be stored in a discharged condition – the cell voltage should never drop below 2.10V.
Allows only a limited number of full discharge cycles – well suited for standby applications that require only occasional deep discharges.
lead content and electrolyte make the battery environmentally unfriendly.
Transportation restrictions on flooded lead acid – there are environmental concerns regarding spillage.
Thermal runaway can occur if improperly charged.

Credits: Battery University

Aluminium Batteries

admin — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 09:09:37 +0000

A new concept for an aluminium battery has twice the energy density as previous versions, is made of abundant materials, and could lead to reduced production costs and environmental impact. The idea has potential for large scale applications, including storage of solar and wind energy. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, are behind the idea.

Using aluminium battery technology could offer several advantages, including a high theoretical energy density, and the fact that there already exists an established industry for its manufacturing and recycling. Compared with today’s lithium-ion batteries, the researchers’ new concept could result in markedly lower production costs.

“The material costs and environmental impacts that we envisage from our new concept are much lower than what we see today, making them feasible for large scale usage, such as solar cell parks, or storage of wind energy, for example,” says Patrik Johansson, Professor at the Department of Physics at Chalmers.

“Additionally, our new battery concept has twice the energy density compared with the aluminium batteries that are ‘state of the art’ today.”

Previous designs for aluminium batteries have used the aluminium as the anode (the negative electrode) — and graphite as the cathode (the positive electrode). But graphite provides too low an energy content to create battery cells with enough performance to be useful.

But in the new concept, presented by Patrik Johansson and Chalmers, together with a research group in Ljubljana led by Robert Dominko, the graphite has been replaced by an organic, nanostructured cathode, made of the carbon-based molecule anthraquinone.

The anthraquinone cathode has been extensively developed by Jan Bitenc, previously a guest researcher at Chalmers from the group at the National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia.

The advantage of this organic molecule in the cathode material is that it enables storage of positive charge-carriers from the electrolyte, the solution in which ions move between the electrodes, which make possible higher energy density in the battery.

“Because the new cathode material makes it possible to use a more appropriate charge-carrier, the batteries can make better usage of aluminium’s potential. Now, we are continuing the work by looking for an even better electrolyte. The current version contains chlorine — we want to get rid of that,” says Chalmers researcher Niklas Lindahl, who studies the internal mechanisms which govern energy storage.

So far, there are no commercially available aluminium batteries, and even in the research world they are relatively new. The question is if aluminium batteries could eventually replace lithium-ion batteries.

“Of course, we hope that they can. But above all, they can be complementary, ensuring that lithium-ion batteries are only used where strictly necessary. So far, aluminium batteries are only half as energy dense as lithium-ion batteries, but our long-term goal is to achieve the same energy density. There remains work to do with the electrolyte, and with developing better charging mechanisms, but aluminium is in principle a significantly better charge carrier than lithium, since it is multivalent — which means every ion ‘compensates’ for several electrons. Furthermore, the batteries have the potential to be significantly less environmentally harmful,” says Patrik Johansson.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Chalmers University of Technology. Original written by Joshua Worth and Mia Halleröd Palmgren. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Jan Bitenc, Niklas Lindahl, Alen Vizintin, Muhammad E. Abdelhamid, Robert Dominko, Patrik Johansson. Concept and electrochemical mechanism of an Al metal anode ‒ organic cathode battery. Energy Storage Materials, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.ensm.2019.07.033