The trend of battery-powered laptops and other portable
equipment becoming smaller and more power hungry led to the creation of
lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries. The electrodes used in
these batteries are made of lightweight lithium and carbon, making them
compact and lightweight. They offer a far better performance when
compared to the more traditional rechargeable batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries often used in laptops are
different from primary lithium batteries used in cameras. Li-ion
technology was introduced in 1990 and has over the years emerged as a
superior source of power for a variety of applications. With the demand
and growth of the electronic consumer market, Li-ion batteries have
witnessed unprecedented popularity, and are used in laptops, iPhones,
iPods, PDAs and other electronic equipment.
It is energy density that determines the size and
weight of batteries. The idea is to minimize both the weight and size of
the portable equipment for today’s market, and Li-ion batteries give
designers this ability, with their significantly better volumetric
energy density. These batteries are not only used in consumer
electronics, but also in aerospace, defense and automotive applications
were high energy density is used.
Since Li-ion cells have a much higher operating
voltage than others, fewer cells are needed to build a pack, thus
reducing the battery assembly costs and increasing reliability.
There is no one reason for their huge acceptance
in the rapidly growing market. The numerous benefits include higher
energy density, better cycle life, higher voltage per cell, great low
temperature performance, simple battery management, slower self
discharge when not in use – about 5% in a month, easy to charge as well
as being environmental friendly too.
One of the main benefits of lithium-ion batteries
is the fact that they have no “memory effect,” which means they do not
have to be completely discharged before they are recharged, like so many
other batteries. The batteries also stay new for a long time and can
take hundreds of charge and discharge cycles.
Li-ion batteries are also easy to use in all sorts of devices because they can be created in different shapes and sizes.
Having talked about all the positive features
about Li-ion batteries, one cannot help but wonder if anything can be so
perfect. Well, the only flaw that has been found is their ability to
burst into flames – very rarely, perhaps a couple of battery packs in a
million.
Li-ion batteries are the most energetic and
powerful batteries around, and one cannot go wrong using them, and the
lack of memory effect makes them all the more attractive to consumers.