Battery Power - November 2011 - (Page 11)

Considerations for Customized Battery Packs Jon Carroll, Project Manager Electrochem Solutions, Inc. A product’s success in a market depends heavily on cost, reliability and user acceptance. The market success of any battery operated product in part, hinges on a battery design that is well thought out and optimized for intended reliability goals and long usage life at appropriate cost targets. All too often, unforeseen battery failures will start to emerge after a new product has been introduced to the market leading to product wide-scale deployment delays or, worse, a tainted impression with customers that turns their interest away from your product offering and causes them to look elsewhere. To reduce the likelihood of product failures in the field, it is always recommended that you partner with a qualified battery designer and manufacturer that can bring necessary experience and expertise to your project. However, should you choose to attempt it alone, there are a number of important considerations that need to be kept in mind. This article discusses what must be considered when determining optimum battery design for a given system. Areas of focus include consideration of space and structural requirements, power/energy requirements, chemistry characteristics, safety management and finally, cost. Let’s start with looking at the space available for the battery. From the battery perspective, the more space available the better. Larger batteries will deliver more power and run longer than smaller ones of identical chemistry. However, from the end-use perspective, most new product design objectives typically contain downward trending size and weight goals. It is highly recommended that very early in the product development process, the designer carefully analyze the space budget. It is critical to establish early estimates of runtime calculations based on battery size and anticipated power usage profiles. One must be aware that a new product development program could come to a sudden halt if the budgeted space for the battery will not allow the system to meet its initial runtime objectives. When performing the space analysis, the designer must also account for various other items that consume space within the real estate budget. Does the battery need to be enclosed in a plastic housing? Where will the connector interface be and how much space will that consume? How will the battery be secured to the host product? Is there space consuming fastening hardware to account for? Is it field replaceable and will it have a latching mechanism? Will shock absorbent and vibration Electrochem Solutions, Inc. continued on page 12 PORTABLE MEDICAL ENERGY MILITARY ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS CONTROL Electrochem Solutions, Inc. is an industry leader in customized battery solutions for applications where failure is not an option. With years of experience, we create innovative solutions for the medical, energy, military, environmental and process control markets and provide our customers with: BATTERY S SOLUTION CRITIC AL FOR YOUR ION APPLIC AT CUSTOMIZ ED • The highest levels of product quality, reliability, performance and safety • Industry leading design, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineers • A wide range of battery chemistries for rechargeable and non-rechargeable solutions • Collaborative approach to design custom cells, packs and charging solutions • Recognized expert in regulatory compliance for product manufacturing, testing and shipping • 82,000 square foot state-of-the-art rapid prototyping, manufacturing and test facility To learn more about Electrochem’s world class battery solutions, please visit www.ElectrochemSolutions.com 10000 Wehrle Drive, Clarence, NY 14031 USA ph 716.759.5600 A subsidiary of www.BatteryPowerOnline.com November/December • Battery Power 11 http://www.ElectrochemSolutions.com http://www.ElectrochemSolutions.com http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Battery Power - November 2011

Battery Power - November/December 2011
Contents
Vishay Intertechnology Introduces Powdered-Iron- Based Rx Coil for Wireless Charging
GenSet Eliminator, Designed to Reduce Fuel Consumption and Promote Safety.
The Challenges of Manufacturing Lithium-Ion Batteries for the Electric Vehicle Industry
Considerations for Customized Battery Packs
Efficient Power Protection Means Less Cost, Not Less Reliability
Safety and Preventing Thermal Run Away in Large Li-Ion Batteries
ZigBee Resource Guide
Batteries
Charging & Testing
ICs and Semiconductors
Components
Power Supplies
Industry News
Research & Development
Marketplace
Calendar of Events

Battery Power - November 2011