Moltech Power Systems Inc, USA - Technical - Smart Battery

moltech, rechargeable batteries, power solutions, high performance, battery design, battery manufacturing, smart batteries, battery assembly, battery consultants, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium, cell selection, portable power, electronics, standard battery, custom battery, european operations, oemMoltech designs and battery design, battery manufacturing manufactures rechargeable battery solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with portable and standby applications. We power solutions, high performance are a well-established global battery cell selection, portable power business

TECHNICAL - SMART BATTERIES


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	Smart Battery Glossary



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	Smart Battery System Specifications



	Standard Smart Battery Specifications



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Home > Technical > Smart Battery > Smart Battery Key Components

Smart Battery Key Components

Moltech Use a system level approach to the development of smart batteries. although there are few "standard parts" - our development of various platforms allow new designs to be created far easier and more quickly than our competitors.

At Moltech, we believe that there are nine key component areas in a smart battery system which must be designed to function in harmony if the most effective battery system is to be developed.

Cells
Insulation
Interconnection
Passive Protection
Fuel Gauging
Active Protection
Termination
Marking
Casing

Cells
Moltech work with the worlds leading cell manufacturers to provide a full range of cylindrical and prismatic cells; and because Moltech also manufacture cells, we know how to test them and we know what the results mean to performance and safety. Our application engineer professionals use this data to see through the manufacturers data sheets to the real core performance data which is important to each unique application. This "cell agnostic" approach is the only one that ensures only the most suitable cells finds their way into our custom battery products
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Insulation
The safety of all of our battery pack designs is of the most importance - ensuring the battery continues to function safely through extremes of temperature and mechanical stress. Moltech ensure that insulation between cells, PCB's and other components is not compromised by correct use of PTFE, Teflon, Kapton and Nomex materials.
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Interconnection
Minimising resistance between cells and other internal battery components is important when designing batteries to power applications with high current pulse discharges. - energy disipated within the battery is energy wasted so Moltech strive to reduce internal losses through use of pure nickel interconnection straps, correctly gauged wiring and through the use of the latest low resistance active and passive protection devices.
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Passive Protection
Passive protection devices include thermal fuses, thermostats and polyswitches - the use of each device is carefully considered to ensure the correct level of protection is designed into each battery pack. The characteristics of each unique customer application are first examined and a safe operation 'envelope' is then established around this characteristic using the correct current and thermal devices. Careful selection and empirical testing remove the possibility of nuisance tripping whilst allowing the battery to be effectively protected if the battery is placed in an unsafe situation.
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Fuel Gauging
Moltech Power Systems have years of experience in the design and application of various battery fuel gauging systems. Whether a fully SMBus SBS compliant system is required, or a more simple 1 wire interface, Moltech can cater for every requirement. Centre to all of these systems lies a deep understanding of electronics and of cell performance; it is only by understanding both of these that the complex correction algorithms can be created which make accurate fuel gauging a reality. Moltech Power Systems in-house intelligent electronics group Inspired Energy design the hardware and firmware for each application before prototyping the circuits and then bringing the solution into full production - ready for integration into the battery pack.
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Active Protection
The use of onboard integrated circuits which continually monitor cell voltage levels and current activity and are capable of independently removing the battery cells from the external circuit are regarded as 'active' protection; such circuits Battery Protection Modules (BPM's) are mandatory on all lithium Ion multi cell battery packs. A typical BPM monitors over charge (over-voltage) and over discharge (under voltage) by monitoring the voltages across individual cells and can switch the cells out of circuit by means of dual MOSFETs if a preset limit is reached. An overload (over current) condition can be determined by the monitoring the voltage drop across the MOSFET(s). Careful selection of the correct protection IC and support components ensures that the battery functions within it's operational envelope without nuisance tripping, but will be rendered safe if it is over discharged, over charged or connected to an illegal load or incorrectly operaitng equipment. Where a fuel gauge is also required, the protection IC can be designed onto the same PCB - however the fuel gauge and BPM critical functions are kept separate to ensure that possible erroneous fuel gauge operation can never compromise the operation of the BPM.
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Termination
The need for reliable, low resistance connection between battery and host or charger demands is essential for a smart battery system where the user many choose to use multiple batteries and swap them in and out. Moltech offer a wide range of standard or custom interconnect solutions to suit any design.
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Marking
Clear indication to the battery user, coupled with a moral and legislative requirement to indicate warnings and recycling information make battery marking something of a minefield. Moltechs considerable experience in this field mean that this is one less area our customers have to deal with when introducing their products.
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Casing
It is important that a battery casing is light enough to retain the high energy density of the internal cell technology whilst being strong enough to protect the battery 'core pack' from mechanical and thermal stress. although promoted by other battery pack assemblers, the use of heat shrinkable inexpensive PVC is not recommended for batteries containing lithium Ion cells as this fails to offer either mechanical strength or an effective thermal barrier. The use of injection moulded plastic casing using a material which meets flammability requirements of UL94V-0 is strongly recommended by Moltech for these high value designs. Moltech Power Systems engineers make use of the latest 3D modelling software to expedite mechanical design. The data from this system can be shared with customers to ensure host device / charger compatibility before being used to develop sample cases through rapid prototype techniques. Once approved, the same data can be used for the manufacture of the injection moulding tool which again reduces time to manufacture and market.
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If you have a specific technical inquiry, please contact us or submit an inquiry.

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Head Office	Sales Office
Moltech Power Systems Inc P.O. Box 70366 Marietta GA 30007 USA Tel:+1-404-808-4627 Fax: +1-770-993-8723	Moltech Power Systems Inc 700 H Lake St. Suite B Ramsey, NJ 07446 USA Tel:+1-201-236-9900 Fax: +1-201-236-9901
sales@moltech.com