FEATURED ARTICLES
Battery Safety Standards Update: IEC 62133 Undergoes Major Changes
Commentary Contributed by John C. Copeland, Co-Owner and Technical Manager, Energy Assurance LLC
The IEC 62133 family of standards has enabled international harmonization of safety testing for small-format cells and batteries since its initial release in 2002 followed by a major revision in 2012. Recognizing the substantial shifts in the rechargeable battery market from nickel to lithium chemistries, the standard underwent its most dramatic change in 2017. This article will familiarize the reader with those latest changes and their impact on attaining cell and battery pack compliance.
Expansion of xEVs, Advanced Materials and More: AABC 2018 Preview
The 18th Annual Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC), June 4-7 in San Diego, is quickly approaching. With the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado as the backdrop, AABC 2018 will highlight the technical and business issues that will impact the pace and path of vehicle electrification worldwide. Whether you are most interested in xEV expansion, raw material development, partnering, or R&D, the event will address some of the fundamental questions facing the industry and roadmaps for the future.
Honey, I Shrunk the Battery!
Commentary contributed by J.D. DiGiacomandrea, Applications Engineering Manager, Ultralife Corp.
In 2011, Chinese engineers claimed to have made the world's first shrinking device. While it may sound like it came from a film, the device only creates the illusion of a smaller object, rather than actually shrinking it. Illusions aside, it is clear that devices in the electronics sector are continuing to get smaller. Thin cell batteries are some of the smallest batteries available on the market. However, despite their small size, they are capable of providing a stable voltage to power electronic devices and outperform coin cells at higher discharge rates. So what makes thin cells different from other types of batteries on the market?
Gridtential Powers into the Future with Help from Tried-and-True Testing
Commentary contributed by Brian Hammerschmidt, Applications Specialist, Megger
In today's world, everyone from the automotive industry to the grid energy storage sector are searching for low-cost, sustainable power solutions to meet their ever-changing and increasingly diverse energy needs. Companies are always looking for ways to combine the traditional benefits of lead-acid chemistry with the improved life cycle and power performance characteristics of Li-ion batteries.
NEW PRODUCTS
Proterra Introduces High Power Interoperable EV Charging Technology
Proterra, a developer of heavy-duty battery electric vehicles and charging systems, has introduced a high-power charging options to make a 100 percent electric bus fleet more easily achievable. Across North America, cities, counties, and transit agencies are announcing bold, zero-emission fleet goals.
Saft Launches Uptimax Nickel Battery as Replacement for Lead-Acid in Industrial Standby Applications
Saft's Uptimax nickel-technology battery provides operators with a direct replacement for lead-acid batteries in industrial standby installations. It is suited for mission critical applications where reliable backup power is essential, such as oil and gas exploration and production, as well as for utilities and manufacturing plants. With the Uptimax, Saft is targeting the industrial standby battery market.
Renesas Electronics Introduces Multiphase PMICs with High Efficiency and Small Footprint
Renesas Electronics Corp. has announced three programmable power management ICs (PMICs) that offer high power efficiency and a small footprint for application processors in smartphones and tablets: the ISL91302B, ISL91301A, and ISL91301B PMICs.
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Batteries | Charging | ICs & Semiconductors | Components
Testing, Monitoring & Safety | Manufacturing & Materials
INDUSTRY NEWS
Chemists Develop MRI-Like Technique to Detect What Ails Batteries
A team of chemists at New York University has developed an MRI-based technique that can quickly diagnose what ails certain types of batteries, from determining how much charge remains to detecting internal defects, without opening them up. The research focuses on rechargeable Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
ZincNyx Energy Solutions Enters into Partnership to Deploy Zinc-Air Fuel Cell Technology
ZincNyx Energy Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MGX Minerals, Inc., has signed a Letter of Intent to partner with New York based systems integrator Digital Energy Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, Digital will install the ZincNyx battery system at a demonstration site in New York City. Upon successful completion of the first project, ZincNyx and Digital will develop additional installation sites and work to expand distribution of the ZincNyx technology.
New Materials for Sustainable, Low-Cost Batteries
The energy transition depends on technologies that allow the inexpensive temporary storage of electricity from renewable sources. A promising new candidate is aluminium batteries, which are made from cheap and abundant raw materials. Scientists from ETH Zurich and Empa, led by Maksym Kovalenko, Professor of Functional Inorganic Materials, are among those involved in researching and developing batteries of this kind.
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