The Lithium Battery

In a few years ago, all of the high-end laptop computers utilized either Lihtium-Ion or Lithium-Polymer technology.Nowadays all laptop and RC vehicles are running with Lithium-Polymer batteries.The technology of Lithium-Polymer provides an increasing storage capacity for battery materials, thus creating a greater efficiency in portable electronics without having to sacrifice power.More recently the Lithium –Polymer technology, because of its light weight and small size cells, is able to provide a high density of power in a small space making it an ideal candidate for the transition of transportation based on fuel to electric transportation.

Fuel Replacement & Benefit

At It’s Electric we truly believe the lithium battery is an effective means to cut down fuel consumption as an alternative fuel replacement.We have already seen many newly designed alternative electric transportation vehicles being developed rivaling the traditional car manufacturer.What was common among these new electric transports is a single type of power source: the Lithium battery.One of the groundbreaking developers of electric cars is from Tesla Motors who have made multiple headlines with its 100% electric roadster that carries a 0-to-60 time of 4 seconds.

Much of the success of electric conversions here at It’s Electric is due to the improvements in battery technology, namely Lithium based.Previously we had created a SuperBike that managed to travel 135km, or 84 miles, in 2.5 hours with 36lb of NiMH batteries on a single charge.Though NiMH technology has great potential, the lightweight of Lithium batteries in combination with its high efficiency creates the ideal alternative to fuel.The Lithium batteries are capable of exceeding the overall life cycle of the battery compared to NiMH as well as the duration per charge.We are currently planning to push the limits of Lithium batteries with a new challenge next year.The goal will be to travel a total distance of 300km with 28lb of batteries on a single charge in 7.5 hours per days.And target to travel 1,000km in 2.5 days on a electric bike.

The same setup principle of the SuperBike can apply to create a light weight utility bike car.There are currently various types of bike cars available on the market that are all compatible with the standard bicycle conversion kit.

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http://www.mupocar.com/SHOWROOM.html

We believe that the future holds various types of small, lightweight commuter vehicles such as these, and with the abilities of Lithium technology they are becoming more affordable and practical solutions.We may soon see more of these small commuter vehicles on the road soon.

Quality

We here at It’s Electric understand that building a quality Lithium battery take many steps and complex processes to ensure the final products are of high value.There are many companies currently available that can make Lithium batteries, but many of them have had no notable history within the industry or in the global market.Careful consideration and inspection of standards of quality of multiple manufacturers were explored, and after many months of searching and deliberation we have selected the best manufacturers to build the batteries according to our own specifications.

After a visit to the factory and speaking to the quality manager directly it was clear that they matched the safety, efficiency, and performance standards that It’s Electric expects which translates into high quality performance of our products.

Here are more details regarding the specifications involved in our Lithium products.

The Technology

Chemistry of Lithium Based Cells

The Lithium-Polymer batteries carried by It’s Electric have a different structure than the last generation of batteries.As implied by its name Lithium-Polymer batteries use an ion conducting polymer surface which provides many improvements over the traditional liquid, or paste, electrolyte.Since the polymer is a solid structure it can be formed into individual layers which ultimately reduces size by allowing the overall structure to be thinner.

Each of the batteries are constructed using a technology called winding in which the layers which conduct the electricity are wound around a positive tab and a negative tab.The two layers in which the chemical reaction is composed of consists of a Lithium compound and graphite.This is the overall reaction of the battery:

There are three different chemical bases for Lithium Polymer batteries each with its own unique properties.Each of the advantages and disadvantages are listed in the table below.

Lithium Phosphate is the latest in Lithium Polymer technology.  It is the safest and has an extended cycle from 1,000 to 2,000 cycles with the ability to handle high discharge rates.However, this technology is still in its infancy and not yet mature, so it will take some time for it to develop and be brought up to standard. Currently Lithium Colbalt Oxide holds the standard in many common electronic devices from cell phones and PDA’s to MP3 players and laptops.

For the specific type of Lithium battery we offer there are only three manufacturers of this type of Lithium compound including Sony and Sanyo.

This Lithium compound is hybrid composed with a nickel manganese colbalt structure, Li(Ni-Mn-Co)O₂, rather than the typical Cobalt Oxide compound, Li(Co)O₂.The (Ni-Mn-Co) hybrid compound integrates the greater molecular stability of Manganese Oxide with the purely Cobalt Oxide structure to create the best combination of safety and performance in comparison to other members of the Lithium family.It has the benefits of Cobalt Oxide, such as high heat management, longer charge cycles, and higher power density, with the stability of Manganese creating the best overall performance with the highest safety*.

Cells and Battery Packs

Batteries are constructed of individual units called cells.Common examples of cells are the standard AA batteries used in a wide variety of electronics.They are placed in alternative orientations to complete the circuitry using the positive ‘plus’ ends and the negative ‘minus’ ends.

The cells of the Lithium batteries are constructed to have the positive and negative ends exposed only on one side of each cell rather than on opposing sides.(Fig.1) The cells are then stacked and connected in series (more information about circuitry below) and (Fig.2) connected to a balancing board.(Fig.3) The purpose of the balancing board is to distribute the energy evenly between the cells when charging and discharging, and this creates a prolonged charge cycle by ensuring the energy is used efficiently.

Cell Construction

The cells are constructed using winding technology where the conducting material is layered around two tabs that create the positive and negative ends of each cell.Each cell is packaged in a specially designed foil packaging and sealed to be leak proof and air tight.

Factory Lab Safety Tests

The cells are subjected to rigorous safety tests by the manufacturing company to ensure prevention against leaks, flammability, and explosions.Tests include short circuiting, high impact, overheating, punctures, and overcharging.All tests have yielded safe outcomes with each cell still self contained.None of the tests yield any fires or explosions.

Please note that though safety tests are all passed there is still a very small chance of the batteries catching fire through abusive misuse.As long as the batteries are not used in extreme settings there should not be any problems, so be sure to exercise your common sense.Just as it is dangerous to smoke at a gas station, it would be just as dangerous to abuse the battery.