Accutronics at Electronica 2010

Just a quick reminder that Accutronics will be exhibiting at Electronica in Munich from the 9th to the 12th of November. Hall B2 Stand 355.

Myself, Hans-Martin Baum, Rob Phillips, Steve Dodds, Gareth Morgan and Mark Edlin will all be there during the week to show you our exciting developments in batteries for professional applications.

See you there!
Neil

Inspired Energy NF2030 10.8V 5800mAh

I recently posted about the new NB2037, ND2034 and ND2037 Lithium Ion Standard Smart Batteries from Inspired Energy. I can now announce the fourth battery in this series, the NF2030. At 10.8V and 5800mAh it is the highest energy battery in the new Nx203x series at 62.6Wh. It shares the same compact letterbox profile at just 22.35mm x 42.04mm and is only 216.33mm long. As with the other batteries in this series is has a LCD visual state of charge indicator, standard connector interface, SMBus SBS compliance, Impedance Track(TM)  fuel gauge and enhanced safety protection. At just 340g the NF2030 is light enough for portable applications requiring extended run times.

If you need more information about the NF2030 please contact our Customer Service team or you are free to contact me directly.

Neil

Nominal Voltage of Lithium Ion Batteries

One question I often get asked is "What is the voltage of Lithium ion cells and batteries?" or "Are Lithium Ion cells 3.6V or 3.7V?"


The headline voltage that is quoted on cell manufacturers data sheets is usually the nominal or average voltage measured at the mid point between full charged and fully discharged based on a 0.2C discharge (where C is the rated capacity of the cell in mAh). This nominal voltage is usually shown as either 3.6V, 3.7V or 3.8V.


The actual voltage profile during discharge depends on the cell chemistry being used, the discharge rate, the temperature and the age of the cells or battery being discharged as I will explain below:


Chemistry. Different cell chemistries have different voltage profiles. The most common system consists of a Cobalt Oxide cathode and a graphite carbon anode. This chemistry provides high capacity for low drain applications and has a running voltage of around 3.6V at 0.2C. For higher drain applications Manganese Oxide can be used as a cathode but this has a lower energy density. It does however have a higher nominal voltage of between 3.7V and 3.8V at 0.2C. Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) provides a compromise between high current capability and high energy density and has a nominal voltage of 3.7V at 0.2C.


Discharge Rate. The discharge rate makes a significant difference to the discharge voltage, especially if the cell is not designed for higher rates. As mentioned above, the nominal voltage is usually based on a 0.2C discharge and the actual voltage will be far lower if the cell is being discharged at 5C or 10C (note that cobalt cells are typically only capable of a 2C max discharge).


Temperature. Data sheet figures are normally based on a discharge at room temperature (+20°C to +25°C). The voltage profile will be slightly improved if the cell is discharged at a higher temperatures (up to +60°C) due to lower internal cell impedance. At lower temperatures the impedance is increased and the voltage is suppressed. At application temperatures below 0°C the selection of a lithium ion cell needs careful consideration, especially if the discharge rate is high as performance between models varies considerably.


Age. The impedance of a lithium ion cell increases as it is cycled and this further suppresses the discharge voltage profile.

Conclusion


The headline voltage of 3.6V or 3.7V on a cell data sheet is only ever going to be a nominal figure that ends up being shown as 10.8V or 11.1V on a three cell series battery. The actual voltage depends on all the factors I have mentioned above. 


So what should you write on your battery? We recommend using the nominal voltage from the cell manufacture data sheet and multiplying it by the number of cells in series. It just makes life far more simple!


Neil

Two New Inspired Energy Lithium Ion Standard Smart Batteries

Last week I told you about the new 7.2V 2.9Ah NB2037 from Inspired Energy. Now I can announce two further new products with twice the energy. The 7.2V 5.8Ah ND2037 and the 14.4V 2.9Ah ND2034.

These two batteries have the same 5-way connector interface, LCD visual state of charge indicator, impedance track fuel gauge and use the latest 2900mAh Japanese Lithium ion cells.

Mechanically these two models have the profile as the NB2037 but they are longer.

Mechanical samples are available next week and full production models will be available in early December. If you need batteries for test, please contact our sales office or send me an email directly.

Neil

Accutronics at HOSDB in March 2011

I am pleased to tell you that Accutronics will be exhibiting at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) exhibition in March 2011. 

The HOSDB 2011 exhibition is the UK's only secure event for displaying the latest security equipment for law enforcement and public security. It focuses on the four key Home Office business areas: Crime and Policing, Security and Counter Terrorism, Identity Management and Border Security.

Accutronics are pleased to be exhibiting for the second year and look forward to meeting new and existing customers to discuss how battery technology can be incorporated in equipment used to fight crime and maintain security.

Neil

Moulded Lead for Inspired Energy Nx204x and Nx205x Series batteries

For customers who purchase the Nx204x and Nx2050x series Inspired Energy batteries from us there is now a 1m long moulded lead available which I have just added to our website. The 629028 lead fits the NC2040, NF2047, NF2040 , NI2040, NL2044, ND2053, ND2057, ND2054, NH2057, NH2054, NL2050, NL2054 batteries and has five internal conductors for positive, negative, data, clock and T which allows full communication with the battery during charge or discharge.





Accutronics FAQ

One thing that we wanted to create when we set up the accutronics website is a Frequently asked Questions page. We set up our technical section so that it includes the answers to many of the FAQs that our sales managers and technical staff get asked. Of course we have not covered everything yet I welcome your questions at any time.

The FAQ section is here

Neil

Smart Batteries are not all about the electronics…

Accutronics’ Engineering Department have recently upgraded their 3D CAD modelling software, enhancing our mechanical design capability.


Using this new design tool, the Accutronics engineering team can efficiently take a conceptual design, model the components that are to be used within battery, check and verify design constraints, resulting in a clear communication of design intent.


One of the key advantages for none technical people involved with the project is that the days of only being able to review the design using conventional engineering drawings are a thing of the past! The battery concept can easily be visualised, annotated and manipulated “virtually” on any computer, with free design review software (which Accutronics can provide). Modifications that maybe required, can be made quickly and easily by the Accutronics engineers, with the impact of the update seen instantly.

The 3D CAD modelling approach also saves considerable time as the CAD data can be exported directly to manufacture. Conventional 2D drawings, bill of materials and manufacturing instructions can be generated and updated automatically from the 3D model data, which in turn reduces the risk of potential errors (when compared to working with conventional 2D data).


Using the latest rapid prototyping techniques, Accutronics can also provide you with prototype components (in various materials) in a few days directly from the 3D CAD data.


Do your engineers use 3D CAD software and do you already have a 3D model? Accutronics can also accept CAD data from most major 3D CAD software packages available today (AutoDesk Inventor, Pro/Engineer, CATIA, Solidworks etc).


If you would like us to work with you on a concept, drop me an email.

NB2037 - New Standard Smart Battery from Inspired Energy

I am pleased to introduce the NB2037 - a brand new 7.2V 2.9Ah 20.9Wh Lithium Ion Standard Smart Battery from Inspired Energy.

I recently received a sample of this product and I know it is going to be extremely popular with OEM customers requiring a hard wearing, compact, powerful Lithium Ion battery for their portable application. The NB2037 has the following features:

• High Energy Density Lithium ion technology - featuring 2.9Ah cells.
• Impedance Track based SBS rev 1.1 compliant fuel gauge
• LCD visual state of charge indicator
• Connector which is compatible with Inspired Energy's range of smart chargers
• Compact, rugged housing

Our website now has full details of this new battery, including a full data sheet. Samples are available upon request and production will commence during this last quarter. If you need technical advice you can contact me directly by email.

Neil

Accutronics - Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Production efficiency is key to any manufacturing business. At Accutronics this is no different.


Accutronics, in partnership with Aston University have been awarded a KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) project. The KTP will  be investigating ways of further improving our manufacturing processes and facilities, enabling us to further support our growing and increasingly complicated product range at our production facility in Newcastle-under-Lyme in the UK.


The KTP is a UK-wide programme that helps businesses and organisations to improve their competitiveness and/or productivity through the better use of the knowledge, technology and skills that reside within Higher Education Institutions.


“We have recently advertised for the position of a KTP 'Associate Operational Strategy Engineer' said Gareth Hancox, Engineering and Production Manager at Accutronics. “This is a very exciting opportunity for us to work with Aston University, one of the UK’s leading academic institutions, learning and implementing best practice techniques, which will allow us to remain competitive within the international market.”


More information on KTP projects can be found at www.ktponline.org.uk

Inspired Energy Batteries with 2.9Ah cells

Slightly late blog today...

As many of you know, Accutronics distribute the entire range of Standard Smart Batteries, chargers and accessories from Inspired Energy. What you may not know is that most of the battery range will soon be available with high capacity 2.9Ah Lithium Ion cell technology which represents a massive increase in capacity as most batteries are currently available with cells of 2.4Ah or 2.6Ah.

As the products roll out during Q4 I will keep you up to date with more information: data sheet releases, MSDS etc,

In the mean time, you can see the entire Inspired Energy range of batteries here