In today’s electronics applications, batteries power nearly all of our portable electronic devices. Batteries also serve as emergency power backup systems on large premises. And all-electric vehicles use large cascading battery packs to meet the expected power for the required performance.
In this guest commentary, Bernard Ang from Keysight Technologies shares his insights on specialised battery testing.
Batteries are the key to our portable/mobile electronic gadgets in this digital era.
Battery packs need the required specific power (W/kg) to be able to dispense enough current to achieve the electric vehicle speed performance.
They also need the required specific energy (Wh/kg) to achieve longer runtime or travel range.
Why is it important to monitor battery temperature?
Most rechargeable batteries today are lithium ion and have an operating range between 15 °C and 35 °C at which their full performance and capacity kicks in.
- If the battery and its ambient temperature is below 15 °C, you may experience sluggish electrochemical reactions within the battery and as a result, lower battery performance and reduced charge capacity.
- If the battery or battery pack operates above 35 °C in ambient temperature, battery degradation can accelerate over time. As a result, you may notice shorter battery life, non-uniform aging due to thermal gradients, greater exposure to safety issues, and higher life cycle costs. At extremely hot temperatures, batteries can break down and cause leakage, smoke, fire, and even explosions.
The power map chart below shows the power limits of your lithium-ion battery or battery packs across the temperature range.
