British battery firm to launch modular smart battery system in the US

~ Accutronics exhibits at MedTechWorld MD&M West USA ~

UK based battery and charger design, development and manufacturing company Accutronics is set to launch its Intelligent Power Vault, a modular Lithium-Ion battery system in the USA at the MedTechWorld MD&M West show. The event is to take place on February 11-13, 2014 in the Anaheim Convention Centre in California. The Accutronics team and their range of batteries and chargers can be found in Hall E (Electronics West), on booth 337. 

The Intelligent Power Vault (IPV) is a power management device that uses multiple Lithium-Ion smart batteries to provide rechargeable battery power to a wide range of transportable medical devices. The swappable smart battery technology represents a revolutionary way of storing energy for critical applications. Modularisation offers the high energy density and flexibility of smart Lithium-Ion battery technology without shipping limitations. The Intelligent Power Vault consists of a control module and slots for up to eight batteries, allowing up to 740Wh to be stored in a single unit.

The modular battery system solves the transportation problem associated with larger Lithium ion batteries – The Intelligent Power Vault it is simple to ship across various modes of transport because its Lithium Ion batteries are rated at <100 Watt-Hours and are modular and removable. For example, when shipping by air, the Intelligent Power vault is classed as 'equipment' and can be packed along with its VR420 batteries (and up to two spares). A shipper's declaration of dangerous goods is not required and the shipper needs only limited training – this reduces transit times and save money.

The IPV has been successfully employed in a variety of high tech applications. Weighing less than 8kg, the Intelligent Power Vault with eight batteries is two and a half times lighter than an equivalent lead acid battery, making it easy for the integrator to build it into the base of a medical trolley or cart. The Intelligent Power Vault is also used in high-end automated laboratory equipment where power failure cannot be tolerated. Other applications include ortho-dental scanners, communications equipment and embedded computing devices - mainly industrial PCs and robotic backup.

The Intelligent Power Vault is part of the Accutronics ‘Entellion’ range of pre-engineered power solutions which are designed, developed and manufactured to meet the strict qualification standards that the market demands.  Entellion combines the company’s expertise in custom OEM battery products with its understanding of professional OEM requirements and market trends. The Credit Card and VR420 battery range together with the modular, Intelligent Power Vault are examples of Entellion in practice and are available off the shelf, but can be easily customised, reducing time to market.

The Accutronics team at the MD&M West booth will also illustrate the benefits of ‘Accupro’, a complete battery and charger design, engineering and manufacturing service.  Accutronics develops specific custom batteries and chargers for its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers through Accupro.  The company provides tailored solutions for professional high technology markets, such as the medical and healthcare sectors, by working with customers from the early stages of product development to create a customised solution for each individual project.

"With so much of our focus being on medical product development, the United States is a natural market for us to develop," explained Rob Phillips, managing director of Accutronics. “Our aim is to offer tailored solutions for professional high technology markets and we look forward to learning about American OEMs' requirements at this year's MD&M West," he concluded.

Future-proofing for years to come

The importance of fitting the right type of battery in certain devices is something we can’t stress enough, no matter how often we bring it up. The variety of batteries available can sometimes make it very challenging for a design engineer to choose the best option. In fact, the creativity of some battery solutions has impressed even us, here at Accutronics. For example, last month, a team from the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineering Fair created the world’s first battery made entirely of Brussels sprouts.

As charming as the Brussels sprouts battery idea is, certain devices, particularly the ones used in defence and security, or the medical and healthcare sectors, need to be future-proofed for at least a decade. One of the best ways to do that is by applying intelligent design techniques at the earliest possible stages.

Consumer devices, like mobile phones or music players rarely have a lifecycle of over 24 months. This is definitely not the case with medical devices like X-ray machines, ventilators, or patient monitoring equipment, which can go for over a decade without being redeveloped. The reason is partly related to the high cost of redesigning and testing new medical devices.

A long life span is part of the reason why design engineers need to ensure that the components of the device – including the battery - will not become obsolete during the device’s estimated lifetime. This can sometimes be the case if the design engineer decides to use as a power source a battery originally developed with a consumer use in mind.

Because of the unpredictability of consumer markets, there is no guarantee that in five or ten year’s time, that specific consumer battery solution will still be available. Furthermore, consumer battery solutions are usually less reliable and have lower levels of technical support than custom made batteries.

The challenge medical device OEMs face is finding a balance between how to use the latest battery technology, and the guarantee that device components will be available in the long term. And in this context, long term actually means up to 15 years. The solution is to work closely alongside the battery developer from the earliest stages of device design. This way, the device can be built, to the appropriate extent, around the battery or at least with its own power requirements in mind.

Leading battery developers closely monitor battery and device trends, and can offer objective advice about cell selection, ensuring the device is future-proof until its estimated end of life. Battery developers also guarantee continuous and expert levels of technical support throughout the device’s life cycle and can continue to manufacture the custom-made battery even in small numbers, when a consumer battery manufacturer wouldn’t.

Not to toot our own horn, but here at Accutronics, we are experts in designing custom battery solutions for devices that are too expensive to redevelop if the initial battery becomes obsolete. So why not drop us an email on sales@accutronics.co.uk or give us a call on 01782 566688, and we’ll advise you on what would be the best solutions for your device.

My Lithium ion battery is reducing in capacity but takes longer to charge - why?

One question that I often get asked is “As it ages, my Lithium ion battery reduces in capacity but takes longer to charge  - why is this?”

It does seem strange doesn’t it? If the battery capacity is reduced then it is reasonable to think that the charge time would reduce by a proportional amount – after all, Lithium ion batteries are very efficient during charge aren’t they?

Well the answer is to do with battery resistance and the method with which a Lithium ion battery is charged. Lithium ion batteries are charged with what is called ‘CV/CC’ which standard for ‘Constant Voltage’ / ‘Constant Current’ – the battery is first charged with a constant current until the voltage reaches a pre-determined point (this is usually 4.20V for most Lithium Ion cells) and then the voltage is held constant and the current is allowed to taper down. Charge is terminated when the current tapers down to a fixed level. The majority of the charge is integrated during the constant current portion of the charge and less is input while the current is tapering down.

As a Lithium ion battery is cycled (charged and discharged) its available capacity reduces which results in shorter device runtime. At the same time, the internal resistance increases which can be seen as a reduced voltage during discharge, especially at higher load currents. The increase in internal resistance also increases the voltage drop across the cell during charge which means that the time taken too reach the CV (constant voltage) point is reduced, so less capacity is integrated and the remaining charge is input during the less efficient current tapering portion.

 The chart below shows the charge performance of a typical lithium ion battery over 300 cycles. The results are represented as a percentage of the performance on cycle 1. When the battery is new the charge capacity is 100%. After 100 cycles the capacity has dropped to 95% of its initial capacity but the charge time has increased to 104% because the  time taken to reach the CV point has fallen to 90% of the initial time. By the time 300 cycles has been reached the capacity has fallen to 86% and the charge time has risen to 112% due to a CV time of 71%.

 

Different cells may behave differently depending on type and application but this clearly shows why an older Lithium ion battery will have a reduced capacity but take longer to charge than when it was new.

It is worth remembering that temperature also alters the internal resistance of a Lithium ion battery. Colder batteries have a higher resistance so can also take longer to charge than warmer ones. These factors should be considered when designing a battery and charger system.

If you want to discuss this topic further or have a new battery / charger project in the planning please drop me an email.


Happy New Year!
Neil Oliver

Merry Christmas* and a Happy New Year

 

 

...to all of our customers and suppliers

 

(* batteries not included)

Förkvalificerade batterier påskyndar utformningen av medicinska instrument

~ Det nya VR-sortimentet gör integreringen enkel för designtekniker ~

Accutronics, den brittiska batterispecialisten, har lanserat ett nytt sortiment av förkvalificerade och förtestade batterier. De nya, anpassningsbara VR420 batterierna är idealiska för användning i medicinsk utrustning och industrielektronik. Sortimentet har utformats, utvecklats och tillverkats av Accutronics i Storbritannien och uppfyller alla tillämpliga säkerhets-, prestanda- och transportstandarder. 

De nya 14,4 V-batterierna använder den senaste litiumjontekniken och ger hög volumetrisk och gravimetrisk energitäthet, så att utrustningen går längre och väger mindre.

Dessutom innehåller VR420 en SMBus- (systemhanteringsbuss) och SBS-kompatibel (smart batterisystem) impedansspårande bränslemätare som gör att batteriet kan skicka viktiga batteridata mellan sig självt, en smart värd och en smart laddare. När det har konfigurerats i en produkt kan värdutrustningen enkelt begära dynamisk information från batteriet som körtid till tom tank, cykelantal och utmatningsström samt statisk information som serienummer, tillverkarnamn och artikelnummer. Dessa data gör att kundens enhet kan hantera sin egen effekt bättre, vilket kan öka enhetens körtider och minska antalet stopp i förtid. Dessutom finns en LED-display med fem staplar på batterihöljet så att användaren enkelt kan avgöra laddningsstatus i steg om 20 %.

VR420 har sina egna aktiva och passiva skyddsanordningar som hindrar den från att överladdas, laddas ur för mycket eller överbelastas vid vårdslös användning. Med säkerhetscertifiering IEC62133 och UL2054 kan VR420 lätt utformas för nya enheter till minimal tid och kostnad.

VR420 är utformad för tuffa arbetsmiljöer och har ett svart flamskyddande plasthus med polariserade skenor på båda sidorna så att VR420 kan skjutas in i en värdenhet med minimal ansträngning.

Transporten av VR420 förenklas genom att produkten har en lagrad energi på mindre än 100 wattimmar, vilket har certifierats av en oberoende källa efter Manual of Tests and Criteria (ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev5) avsnitt 38.3.

”VR420 är verkligen en kraftfull produkt”, sa Neil Oliver, teknisk marknadsföringschef på Accutronics. ”Den särskilda kombinationen av litiumjonceller, smart batterielektronik och innovativ höljesutformning är ledande i klassen och innebär att VR420 kan användas för att driva ett stort sortiment av professionella produkter på både industri- och läkemedelsmarknaden”.

VR420 finns i två versioner: VR420A och VR420B som levererar 6,2 Ah och 4,4 Ah. A-versionen har högst kapacitet, medan B-alternativet är optimerat för tillämpningar med högre utmatning som motordrivna fläktar, där hög effekt krävs snabbt.

VR420A och VR420B kan köpas direkt i butik eller specialanpassas för särskilda kundbehov. ”Accutronics har utformat och tillverkat Entellion-produktsortimentet med fokus på kunderna. Om kunden kräver specialprogramvara, egna etiketter eller en annan plastfärg för att matcha sin enhet, kan vi lätt hjälpa till”, sa Michele Windsor, marknadsföringschef på Accutronics. ”Eftersom produkten redan har designats, bearbetats och certifierats är tiden och kostnaden för anpassning mycket lägre än för en helt specialanpassad design – anpassningsmetoden ger kunderna det de vill ha med en minimal investering”.

Les batteries préqualifiées accélèrent la conception d'appareils médicaux

~ La nouvelle gamme VR simplifie l'intégration pour les ingénieurs de conception ~

Accutronics, spécialiste des batteries basé au Royaume-Uni, vient de lancer une nouvelle gamme de batteries préqualifiées et prétestées. Les nouvelles batteries VR420 personnalisables sont idéales pour les applications telles que les instruments médicaux et les appareils électroniques industriels. La gamme a été conçue, développée et fabriquée par Accutronics au Royaume-Uni et est conforme à toutes les normes de sécurité, de performance et de transport au Royaume-Uni. 

Les nouvelles batteries 14,4 V ont recours à la toute dernière technologie lithium-ion, fournissant ainsi une haute densité d'énergie volumétrique et gravimétrique qui permet le fonctionnement plus long des appareils, pour un poids pourtant moindre.

En outre, la VR420 inclut une jauge à suivi d'impédance conforme SMBus (System Management Bus) et SBS (Smart Battery System) grâce à laquelle la batterie transmet les données pertinentes à un hôte et à un chargeur intelligents. Lorsqu'il est configuré dans un produit, l'équipement hôte est capable de demander des informations dynamiques à la batterie, telles que la durée d'exécution avant épuisement, le nombre de cycles ou le courant de décharge, ainsi que des informations statiques telles que le numéro de série, le nom du fabricant et le numéro de pièce. Ces données permettent à l'appareil du client de mieux gérer son alimentation, d'où une hausse du temps d'exécution et une baisse du nombre d'arrêts prématurés de l'appareil. Par ailleurs, un témoin lumineux à DEL sur cinq barres intégré au boîtier de la batterie permet à l'utilisateur de déterminer la charge facilement, par simples incréments de 20 %.

Le VR420 inclut ses propres dispositifs de protection active et passive, qui préviennent les surcharges, les décharges excessives ou les charges excessives résultant d'un usage abusif. Certifiée IEC62133 et UL2054, la batterie VR420 s'intègre facilement aux nouveaux appareils en un minimum de temps et d'investissement.

Conçue pour les environnements de travail agressifs, la VR420 est logée dans un boîtier en plastique noir ignifuge qui inclut un rail polarisé latéral permettant de la glisser dans l'appareil hôte avec un minimum d'effort.

Le transport de la VR420 est simplifié, puisque le produit a une énergie stockée de moins de 100 wattheures et a été certifié indépendamment pour la charte des transports des Nations-Unis (ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev5) section 38.3.

« La batterie VR420 est un produit vraiment puissant », annonce Neil Oliver, directeur du marketing technique d'Accutronics. « L'association particulière d'éléments de batterie lithium-ion, de circuits de batterie intelligents et d'un boîtier de conception novatrice produit un résultat de tout premier rang. La VR420 peut être utilisée pour alimenter une série complète de produits professionnels des marchés médical et industriel », ajoute-t-il.

La VR420 se décline en deux versions : la VR420A et la VR420B, fournissant respectivement 6,2 Ah et 4,4 Ah. La version A assure la capacité la plus haute, tandis que la version B est optimisée pour les applications de courant de décharge plus important, comme c'est le cas des ventilateurs entraînés par moteur qui requièrent une quantité considérable de puissance rapidement.

Les VR420A et VR420B sont disponibles dans le commerce ou peuvent être personnalisées en fonction de besoins particuliers. « Accutronics a créé et fabriqué la gamme Entellion de produits, spécialement pour ses clients. Lorsque nos clients nécessitent un logiciel spécial, un étiquetage particulier ou une couleur de boîtier différente pour s'accorder à l'appareil hôte, ces modifications peuvent être facilement réalisées », précise Michele Windsor, directeur du marketing d'Accutronics. « Le produit étant déjà conçu, équipé et certifié, les délais et les coûts habituellement investis dans la personnalisation sont nettement inférieurs à ceux d'un produit purement personnalisé. L'approche de personnalisation donne au client ce qu'il désire, moyennant un investissement minimal », conclut-elle.

Pre-qualified batteries speed up medical device design

~ New VR range makes integration simple for design engineers ~

Accutronics, the UK-based battery specialist, has launched a new range of pre-qualified and pre-tested batteries. The new customisable VR420 batteries are ideal for applications such as medical equipment and industrial electronics. The range is designed, developed and manufactured by Accutronics in the UK and meets all relevant safety, performance and transportation standards. 

The new 14.4V batteries utilise the latest Lithium Ion technology, delivering high volumetric and gravimetric energy density so that equipment runs for longer yet weighs less.

Furthermore, the VR420 includes a SMBus (System Management Bus), SBS (Smart Battery System) compliant impedance tracking fuel gauge that allows the
battery to communicate pertinent battery data between itself, a smart host and a smart charger. When configured in a product, the host equipment is able to easily request dynamic information from the battery such as runtime to empty, cycle count and discharge current as well as static information such as serial number, manufacturer name and part number. This data allows the customers device to better manage its own power which can increase device runtimes and reduce the number of premature device shutdowns. Additionally, a five bar LED display on the battery case allows the user to easily determine the state of charge in simple 20% increments.

The VR420 includes its own active and passive protection devices which prevent it from being over-charged, over-discharged or overloaded in an abuse condition. Holding safety certification to IEC62133 and UL2054, the VR420 is easily designed into new devices with minimal time and cost.

Designed for rugged work environments the VR420 features a black flame retardant plastic housing which includes a polarised rail feature down either side so the VR420 can be slid into a host device with minimal effort.

Transportation of the VR420 is simplified as the product has a stored energy of less than 100 Watt-Hours and it has been independently certified to the Manual of Tests and Criteria (ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev5) section 38.3.

“The VR420 is a truly powerful product” said Neil Oliver, Technical Marketing Manager at Accutronics. “The particular combination of Lithium ion cells, smart battery electronics and innovative enclosure design are class leading and mean that the VR420 can be used to power a wide range of professional products in both industrial and medical markets” he added.

The VR420 is available in two versions; VR420A and VR420B, supplying 6.2Ah and 4.4Ah respectively. The ‘A’ version provides highest capacity, whilst the ‘B’ option is optimised for higher discharge applications such as motor driven ventilators, where a considerable amount of power is required quickly.

The VR420A and VR420B can be purchased off the shelf or customised to suit a particular customer need. “Accutronics have designed and manufactured the ‘Entellion’ range of products with our customers in mind. When customers require special software, their own labelling or a change in plastic colour to match their device, these can all be easily accommodated” said Michele Windsor, Marketing Manager at Accutronics. “As the product has already been designed tooled and certified the times and costs usually involved for customisation are far less than for a purely customised design – the customisation approach gives the customer what they want with minimal investment” she concluded.