Choosing the right lithium battery manufacturer is critical to ensuring maximum performance and durability from your battery pack. Both in the decision about materials, in the customization of the product and in subsequent monitoring, it is key to have the know-how of an expert company. Discover why effective thermal management ensures maximum performance from your lithium battery pack. This criterion can be key to choosing the right manufacturer for your business project.
The effects of temperature on lithium batteries
Maintaining battery temperature within an optimal range is crucial to its performance and lifespan.
- If the temperature is too high, it can cause premature degradation of the battery, resulting in decreased cycle life and reduced battery capacity.
- If the temperature is too low, it may also reduce the capacity of the battery, which would negatively affect its operation.
Therefore, it is important to monitor and maintain the battery's temperature within proper limits to maximize its performance and prolong its life. This control is handled by the advanced battery management system (BMS), as well as heating and cooling systems.
Types of heating and cooling systems
There are two different ways to implement battery heating systems: the first is by applying electrical resistances directly to the cells, while the second is through a liquid circuit.
On the other hand, there are three different methods to cool batteries:
- Forced ventilation that exchanges air in and out of the battery pack
- Conditioning that exchanges air inside the package
- Conditioning that exchanges liquids inside the package
The choice of the most suitable solution depends on the field of application, the voltage of the battery pack and the expected series production.
It is essential to choose the appropriate types of heating and cooling systems to help the BMS balance the temperature range of the cells to avoid deterioration.
The cooling system in lithium batteries
The decision to insert a cooling system inside a lithium battery pack is, on the other hand, more complex, as it is a particularly onerous aspect, which significantly affects the final cost of the battery and is not always functional.Therefore, a careful preliminary study of the work requirements of the application is important: as a general rule, if the vehicle does not have fast charging or discharging times and there are no more cycles on the same day, the cooling system is not necessary.
If we take the specific example of a street sweeper that works only a few hours a day, we can see how the inclusion of a cooling system is ineffective. In fact, if the battery cools down but then the vehicle remains idle for the rest of the day, the battery will still be exposed to the outside temperature most of the time and therefore the integrated cooling system will be useless.
On the contrary, all those applications subject to intensive use, in which the stress on the battery is very high due to the numerous rapid charges and discharges that contribute to the increase in internal temperature.
Take for example the AGV and LGV vehicles used in logistics systems, which work in a continuous cycle 24/7 in countries such as Morocco, Brazil, Qatar, where climatic conditions are especially high: without a cooling system, in these conditions, the useful life of the batteries used in these applications would be drastically reduced.
ADVANTAGES OF THE COOLING SYSTEM
→ Perfect for heavy duty applications requiring fast loading or unloading
→ Suitable for use in vehicles where the battery charge is high
The lithium battery heating system
The use of a heating system inside a lithium battery designed for a hybrid or electric vehicle is a highly recommended feature, which at NCPOWER we implement in almost all of our batteries.
Why do we adopt this thermal management option?
To avoid battery safety problems.
Lithium batteries have the limitation of not being able to charge below zero degrees of temperature. Furthermore, if they are left at temperatures below 10°C, their internal resistance decreases, causing a decrease in voltage and, consequently, a reduction in efficiency.
To ensure correct operation and constant performance even in cold temperatures, it is very advantageous to insert a system that heats it inside the battery.
Thanks to the heating system, a machine connected to the mains during charging can maintain the temperature of the lithium battery, for example at 15°C, and therefore be ready for use with maximum performance.
The heating system then has a low impact on the total cost of the battery and allows the application to park in open spaces in any weather conditions.
HEATING SYSTEM ADVANTAGES→ Keeps battery performance unchanged
→ Increases overall vehicle efficiency
→ Allows immediate use of the application even after a period of inactivity at low temperatures
→ Has a low impact on the total cost of the battery
Prioritize effective thermal management when choosing your lithium battery pack
In summary, effective thermal management is essential to ensure maximum performance, durability and safety from a lithium battery pack. By choosing a suitable manufacturer and a lithium battery with a management system or monitoring software, proper thermal management and long life of the battery pack can be ensured.
Each application has specific needs and, before making a decision as important as purchasing a lithium battery, it is essential to have the support of a competent and experienced manufacturer, which allows the manufacture of battery packs more suitable for the climate of the application, thus guaranteeing maximum performance, safety and confidence of our customers.
The temperatures and atmospheric conditions of use, as well as the duty cycle of the application can be decisive for the choice of the system that we will use within the battery pack (heating or cooling).
The type of application, its consumption, its dimensions, spaces, weight, context and forms of use are key elements that the engineering department uses in the study of each electrification project.
Our customized and modular solution can be specifically adapted to the needs and requirements of the project in question, allowing us greater efficiency in thermal management and therefore better battery performance and durability.