xcel
10-06-2006, 06:23 PM
Li-ion is being readied for production in hybrid vehicles beginning in 2010. (http://www.sae.org/automag/techbriefs/10-2006/1-114-10-16.pdf)
Kevin Jost - SAE.org - Oct. 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/LG_Chem_-_CPI_Li-Ion_batteries.gif
CPI, with LG Chemical, has developed what it calls a “stack-and-fold” design with greater surface area which provides more power while aiding thermal management.
The global recall of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that is rocking the consumerelectronics industry brings some irony to hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) engineers.
Like everyone who relies on laptop computers as their main tools-of-thetrade, hybrid engineers have been swapping out their laptop batteries for replacements, as stipulated by the recall, as a precaution against potential fire caused by overheating.
This comes at a time when most major automakers are betting on Li-ion to replace nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) as the predominant battery chemistry for HEVs within a few years.
“When I was on Ford’s hybrid program in 1998, we didn’t trust Li-ion batteries because of the fire risk,” said Prabhakar Patil, CEO of Compact Power Inc. (CPI), which is developing Li-ion batteries for automotive use.
Lithium also had a cost disadvantage compared with NiMH, said Patil, whose 27 years at Ford included stints as electric-vehicle program manager and Chief Engineer of the Escape HEV.
“But the technology has changed dramatically,” he said. “We’re confident of durability and safety. Costs are coming down. Li-ion is being readied for production in hybrid vehicles beginning in 2010.”
With batteries being roughly 33% of hybrid-electric driveline cost, and the price of nickel rising sharply on global commodity markets in recent years, improvements in HEV performance, operating range, and value are anticipated from a switch to Li-ion, according to General Motors, Honda, and Toyota engineers.
Other major hybrid battery makers, including Hitachi, Johnson Controls-Saft, Panasonic EV, and Sanyo, are also investing heavily in Li-ion development.
The battery suppliers are involved with Li-ion programs beyond the new HEVs. For example, a Saft Li-ion battery pack is part of GM’s Sequel fuel-cell concept vehicle that will enter low-volume production in the 2010 time frame.
Founded in 2001, CPI is the North American subsidiary of LG Chemical, the petrochemical division of Seoul-based Lucky Goldstar. LG Chemical is the world’s third largest supplier of Li-ion batteries
(after Sanyo and Sony), producing 20 million cells per month, primarily for consumer-electronics applications.
According to Patil, LG Chemical saw the promise of Li-ion in the early 1990s and never invested in NiMH technology. By 2005, the year Patil joined, CPI’s business was focused strictly on automotive battery R&D and supply, including that for passenger vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and off-road equipment.
“Our plan is to produce turnkey automotive battery systems in North America-battery packs, plus integrated cooling and control systems,” Patil said. The battery cells will be manufactured in South Korea.
Validating and verifying Li-ion for automotive applications are the remaining hurdles in bringing the new chemistry into hybrid cars and trucks.
“We must prove unquestionable robustness over a 15-year calendar life,” said Martin Klein, CPI’s Director of Engineering.
Battery makers are working to establish the optimum chemistry, particularly cathode material, overall configuration, and battery management system for Liion types, Klein said.
He said CPI uses a manganese-based cathode material, rather than the LiCoO2 widely used in laptops, mobile phones, and other portable electronic devices. LiCoO2 contains cobalt, a strategic material that is costly ($40/kg) and does not tolerate abuse due to internal shorting and overcharging, which can mitigate fire and explosions-known to battery engineers as “thermal runaways.” The manganese-based material includes additives to boost calendar life under temperature.
CPI’s “flat” battery-cell construction differs from the standard cylindrical metal cans commonly used in NiMH batteries.
“Flat cells are much more package-efficient than cans,” said Mohamed Alamgir, Director of Research. They’re also less costly and not prone to corrosion.”
CPI, with LG Chemical, has developed what it calls a “stack-and-fold” design, in which layers of electrodes are ganged in a thin, flat configuration resembling a single-portion pouch of instant coffee. This design costs less to produce than a metal can, Alamgir said, and its greater surface area provides more power while aiding thermal management.
The pouches are also more robust-the design keeps the electrodes aligned under all conditions. CPI engineers claim that the semi-permeable insulating membrane separating the electrodes in LG Chemical Li-ion cells is mechanically and thermally superior to separators used in other Li-ion cells.
“It’s a key to battery safety,” said Patil.
Accelerated testing of the aluminumpolymer lamination that protects the cell has shown a predicted seal life of 15 years, he said.
CPI has developed and will supply its own microprocessor-based battery management
system.
Patil stressed that CPI intends to verify all of its claims of battery performance with the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC, the battery R&D arm of USCAR), which has established
third-party test procedures.
“When I was on the vehicle side, I never trusted what battery suppliers told me,” Patil said. “As an industry, I regret to say our claims have often been inconsistent at best.”
Klein injected a quote typically attributed to Thomas Edison, who allegedly said, “There are liars and there are battery manufacturers.”
“We do not intend to perpetuate that image,” he said.
Kevin Jost - SAE.org - Oct. 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/LG_Chem_-_CPI_Li-Ion_batteries.gif
CPI, with LG Chemical, has developed what it calls a “stack-and-fold” design with greater surface area which provides more power while aiding thermal management.
The global recall of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that is rocking the consumerelectronics industry brings some irony to hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) engineers.
Like everyone who relies on laptop computers as their main tools-of-thetrade, hybrid engineers have been swapping out their laptop batteries for replacements, as stipulated by the recall, as a precaution against potential fire caused by overheating.
This comes at a time when most major automakers are betting on Li-ion to replace nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) as the predominant battery chemistry for HEVs within a few years.
“When I was on Ford’s hybrid program in 1998, we didn’t trust Li-ion batteries because of the fire risk,” said Prabhakar Patil, CEO of Compact Power Inc. (CPI), which is developing Li-ion batteries for automotive use.
Lithium also had a cost disadvantage compared with NiMH, said Patil, whose 27 years at Ford included stints as electric-vehicle program manager and Chief Engineer of the Escape HEV.
“But the technology has changed dramatically,” he said. “We’re confident of durability and safety. Costs are coming down. Li-ion is being readied for production in hybrid vehicles beginning in 2010.”
With batteries being roughly 33% of hybrid-electric driveline cost, and the price of nickel rising sharply on global commodity markets in recent years, improvements in HEV performance, operating range, and value are anticipated from a switch to Li-ion, according to General Motors, Honda, and Toyota engineers.
Other major hybrid battery makers, including Hitachi, Johnson Controls-Saft, Panasonic EV, and Sanyo, are also investing heavily in Li-ion development.
The battery suppliers are involved with Li-ion programs beyond the new HEVs. For example, a Saft Li-ion battery pack is part of GM’s Sequel fuel-cell concept vehicle that will enter low-volume production in the 2010 time frame.
Founded in 2001, CPI is the North American subsidiary of LG Chemical, the petrochemical division of Seoul-based Lucky Goldstar. LG Chemical is the world’s third largest supplier of Li-ion batteries
(after Sanyo and Sony), producing 20 million cells per month, primarily for consumer-electronics applications.
According to Patil, LG Chemical saw the promise of Li-ion in the early 1990s and never invested in NiMH technology. By 2005, the year Patil joined, CPI’s business was focused strictly on automotive battery R&D and supply, including that for passenger vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and off-road equipment.
“Our plan is to produce turnkey automotive battery systems in North America-battery packs, plus integrated cooling and control systems,” Patil said. The battery cells will be manufactured in South Korea.
Validating and verifying Li-ion for automotive applications are the remaining hurdles in bringing the new chemistry into hybrid cars and trucks.
“We must prove unquestionable robustness over a 15-year calendar life,” said Martin Klein, CPI’s Director of Engineering.
Battery makers are working to establish the optimum chemistry, particularly cathode material, overall configuration, and battery management system for Liion types, Klein said.
He said CPI uses a manganese-based cathode material, rather than the LiCoO2 widely used in laptops, mobile phones, and other portable electronic devices. LiCoO2 contains cobalt, a strategic material that is costly ($40/kg) and does not tolerate abuse due to internal shorting and overcharging, which can mitigate fire and explosions-known to battery engineers as “thermal runaways.” The manganese-based material includes additives to boost calendar life under temperature.
CPI’s “flat” battery-cell construction differs from the standard cylindrical metal cans commonly used in NiMH batteries.
“Flat cells are much more package-efficient than cans,” said Mohamed Alamgir, Director of Research. They’re also less costly and not prone to corrosion.”
CPI, with LG Chemical, has developed what it calls a “stack-and-fold” design, in which layers of electrodes are ganged in a thin, flat configuration resembling a single-portion pouch of instant coffee. This design costs less to produce than a metal can, Alamgir said, and its greater surface area provides more power while aiding thermal management.
The pouches are also more robust-the design keeps the electrodes aligned under all conditions. CPI engineers claim that the semi-permeable insulating membrane separating the electrodes in LG Chemical Li-ion cells is mechanically and thermally superior to separators used in other Li-ion cells.
“It’s a key to battery safety,” said Patil.
Accelerated testing of the aluminumpolymer lamination that protects the cell has shown a predicted seal life of 15 years, he said.
CPI has developed and will supply its own microprocessor-based battery management
system.
Patil stressed that CPI intends to verify all of its claims of battery performance with the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC, the battery R&D arm of USCAR), which has established
third-party test procedures.
“When I was on the vehicle side, I never trusted what battery suppliers told me,” Patil said. “As an industry, I regret to say our claims have often been inconsistent at best.”
Klein injected a quote typically attributed to Thomas Edison, who allegedly said, “There are liars and there are battery manufacturers.”
“We do not intend to perpetuate that image,” he said.