Lithium-ion Batteries


by mildredc1j6 - Date: 2009-10-06 - Word Count: 397 Share This!

Lithium-ion batteries are much lighter than other energy-equivalent secondary batteries. The high open circuit voltage is the key advantage of lithium-ion batteries that can be obtained in comparison to aqueous batteries. These batteries are available in wide shapes and sizes so that the spaces in the devices they power can be properly fill. They are common in portable consumer electronics because of their high energy-to-weight ratios, lack of memory effect, and slow loss of charge when not in use. In addition to consumer electronics, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in defense, automotive, and aerospace applications due to their high energy density. However, certain kinds of mistreatment may cause conventional Li-ion batteries to explode. Li-ion batteries do not suffer from the memory effect. They also have a low self-discharge rate.

Lithium-ion technology has seen use in laptops and cell phones as well as numerous other devices for over a decade and tipped for future use in electric cars, are approaching their technological limits. In cell phones the charge-holding capacity is lost after a few years, and in laptops the batteries last less than a year due to its strenuous use.   But car manufacturers claim 10 or more years of dependable service life from their batteries.  Here the real difference does not lie in battery technology but in how the battery is depleted and charged. In a standard laptop or cell phone system, the battery can be nearly fully depleted before shutting down.  Then it is plugged in for charging and charged to near capacity.  This process is extremely tough and it reduces its useable life, but provides 100 percent of the batteries available power.  In short, batteries can be smaller because they can be charged to full capacity and all of the power can be realized.

A disadvantage of lithium-ion cells is that a full charge in an older battery will not last as long as one in a new battery and also the charging time required obviously decreases proportionally. , Lithium-ion batteries can rupture, ignite, or explode when exposed to high-temperature environments, e.g. in an area that is prone to prolonged direct sunlight. Short-circuiting a lithium-ion battery can cause it to ignite or explode and any attempt to open or modify the casing or circuitry is dangerous. For this reason they normally contain safety devices that protect the cells from abuse. Contaminants inside the cells can defeat these safety devices.

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