How to Select the right battery and battery packs for your new project?

Key Considerations for Battery Selection:

1. Rechargeable or Non-rechargeable?
2. Nominal, Minimum, and Maximum Voltage Requirements?
3. Initial, Average, and Maximum Discharge Current?
4. Continuous or Intermittent Operation?
   • If intermittent, what are the amplitude and duration of the minimum and peak current drains?
5. Required Service Life?
6. Operating Temperature Range?
7. Worst-case Analysis:
   • Highest expected current at the lowest expected temperature.
   • Permitted voltage-rise time to minimum voltage.
8. Storage Duration and Conditions?

Battery Chemistries to Consider:

1. Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) & Lithium Polymer:
   • Advantages: High energy density, capable of high discharge currents, relatively low self-discharge.
   • Applications: Medical, military, industrial, consumer electronics.
2. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4):
   • Advantages: Superior thermal and chemical stability, can handle higher temperatures, high discharge rate, long cycle life.
   • Disadvantages: Lower voltage and energy density compared to other Li-ion chemistries.
   • Applications: Electric vehicles, solar energy storage system, medical and military equipment.
3. Nickel Cadmium (NiCd):
   • Advantages: Fast charging, can charge at lower temperatures, capable of thousands of cycles, competitively priced.
   • Disadvantages: Limited sizes, environmental concerns leading to bans in some regions.
   • Applications: Medical and industrial equipment, test and measurement instruments.
4. Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH):
   • Advantages: No recycling issues, more capacity and less memory effect than NiCd, competitively priced.
   • Disadvantages: Faster charge loss compared to NiCd.
   • Applications: Small, lightweight, portable, and handheld devices.
5. Sealed Lead Acid (SLA):
   • Advantages: Low initial cost, easy maintenance, good charge retention, predictable discharge.
   • Disadvantages: Low energy density.
   • Applications: Medical devices, uninterruptible power supplies, emergency lighting.
6. Lithium Primary (Non-Rechargeable):
   • Advantages: Highest energy per weight, wide temperature range.
   • Applications: Photographic and electronic devices, security transmitters, smoke alarms, communication equipment, utility meters, scientific instruments.
7. Alkaline (Non-Rechargeable):
   • Advantages: Good performance at low temperatures, low cost, long shelf life, leakage resistance.
   • Applications: Toys, flashlights, radios.
8. Carbon Zinc/Zinc Chloride (Non-Rechargeable):
   • Advantages: Low cost.
   • Disadvantages: Limited shelf life, susceptible to leakage.
   • Applications: Radios, toys, flashlights.
9. Silver Oxide (Non-Rechargeable):
   • Advantages: Small size, stable discharge voltage, good shelf life, wide temperature range.
   • Applications: Calculators, watches.
10. Zinc-Air (Non-Rechargeable):
    • Advantages: Small size, large capacity, quick start-up, stable voltage, lightweight.
    • Applications: Pagers, hearing aids, small medical equipment.

Specific Advantages of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Batteries:

• Safety: LFP batteries offer greater thermal and chemical stability compared to LiCoO2 batteries. The strong chemical bonds in LFP prevent oxygen atoms from being easily removed, which enhances safety under abuse conditions like overheating and short-circuiting.
• Structural Integrity: LFP batteries do not undergo the non-linear expansion seen in LiCoO2 batteries, maintaining structural integrity and reducing the risk of exothermic reactions that could lead to ignition.
• Performance: Despite having a lower energy density, LFP batteries provide better power density and longer life cycles. They also have higher peak-power ratings and a lower self-discharge rate compared to LiCoO2 batteries. LFP batteries experience a slower rate of capacity loss when not in use.