Battery Power - March/April 2012 - (Page 4)

editor’s choice Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) and ABB, along with 4R Energy and Sumitomo Corp. of America, have formed a partnership to evaluate the reuse of lithium-ion battery packs that power the Nissan Leaf. The purpose is to evaluate and test the residential and commercial applications of energy storage systems or back-up power sources using lithiumion battery packs reclaimed from electric vehicles after use. Energy storage systems can store power from the grid during times of low usage and feed that electricity back into the grid during periods of peak demand, increasing grid performance and providing back-up power during outages. The team plans to develop a Leaf battery storage prototype with a capacity of at least 50 kilowatt hours (kWh), enough to supply 15 average homes with electricity for two hours. “It’s important to Nissan that we manage the complete lifecycle of the electric vehicle battery pack, even beyond its use in a Nissan car,” said Ken Srebnik, senior manager, NNA Corporate Planning. “Innovations in energy storage systems are becoming more viable as the electric grid gets smarter, and Nissan is proud to work with ABB, 4R Energy and Sumitomo to help bring these possibilities to market.” Electric vehicle batteries have longer lives than those of personal computers or cell phones, with up to 70 percent capacity remaining after 10 years of use in an automotive application. This longevity allows them to be used beyond the lifetime of the vehicle for applications such as a smart-grid community energy management system or battery energy storage. Innovative energy storage solutions are expected to become a key component of the smart grid, contributing to greater efficiency, reliability and performance. They will facilitate further integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, into the grid. The evaluation of Nissan batteries, through the partnership, will help determine their suitability for the power industry as a cost-effective energy storage solution. Nissan and ABB Link to Evaluate Second-Life Storage Applications for Nissan Leaf Battery Packs Editor & Publisher • David Webster Director of Content • Shannon Given Associate Editors Nick Depperschmidt, Heather Krier News Editors • Jeremy Fleming, Jessi Albers, Sue Hannebrink, Laura Mayo, Scott Webster Manager of Administration Marsha Grillo Advertising, Sales and Marketing Jessi Albers, Director of Sales Jeremy Fleming, Account Executive Jennifer Graham, Marketing Assistant Julie Hammond, Production Manager Director of Support Services Marc Vang BATTERY POWER (ISSN #10923616) is published bi-monthly by Webcom Communications Corp., 7355 E. Orchard, #100 Greenwood Village, CO 80111. A U.S. subscription is $58.00/ year and $72.00/year elsewhere. Single copies are $20 plus shipping. Back issues are available. Payment must be made in U.S. funds to process the order. Direct all subscription inquiries, orders and address changes to Fulfillment Services. Reprints/Photocopies: For requests contact Webcom Communications at 720-528-3770. © Copyright 2012 Webcom Communications Corp. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Requests for permission should be directed to the customer service manager. 2.5 A CurrentPath Charger IC Enables Safe, Ultrafast Charging in Smartphones and Tablets with Programmable Flexibility Summit Microelectronics has expanded its fourth-generation family of programmable Li-Ion battery charger integrated circuits (ICs) with the introduction of two new products. The SMB346 and SMB347 deliver up to 2.5 A charge/system current with dual input/dual output CurrentPath technology for operation with a dead or missing battery. Dual inputs accept both USB and AC/DC with automatic selection and support for all battery charging standards: USB 2.0 specification, USB on-the-go supplement, USB battery charging specification 1.2, IEEE1725 standard, Chinese USB charging specification, and others. Furthermore, the SMB346 and SMB347 are the only battery charger ICs with CurrentPath to detect the input source type (USB host/hub/charger, AC/DC) and automatically optimize operation for the fastest and safest battery charging. The SMB346 and SMB347 are based on a 3 MHz, switch-mode DC-DC architecture, with minimal external components, which allows for more than 90 percent efficient conversion and compact solution size. The devices enable fast charging due to higher charge currents, while reduced thermal dissipation improves user comfort, system reliability and Green operation. Furthermore, Summit’s proprietary Turbo- Webcom Communications Corp. 7355 E. Orchard Rd., Suite 100 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone 720-528-3770 Fax 720-528-3771 www.BatteryPowerOnline.com Office hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST 4 Battery Power • March/April 2012 www.BatteryPowerOnline.com http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Battery Power - March/April 2012

Battery Power - March/April 2012
Nissan and ABB Link to Evaluate Second-Life Storage Applications for Nissan LEAF Battery Packs
Nichicon Develops 50 kW Quick Charger for Evs
Lithium-Ion Battery-Emulation Circuit Using a Microcontroller
High-Efficiency Switching-Mode Charger System Design Considerations with Dynamic Power Path Management
Making Lithium-Ion Abuse Tests Meaningful
Batteries
Charging & Testing
ICs and Semiconductors
Power Supplies
Components
Industry News
Marketplace
Calendar of Events
Research and Development

Battery Power - March/April 2012