Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

Battery pack designs take into consideration the type of environment for the application. Harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures, vibrations, shocks, moisture, dust, and humidity may degrade battery cells.

Every device requires unique power and energy needs, whether it requires a strong jolt of power when starting up or a steady amount of energy for long periods of work activity. Yet factors such as aging, degradation, extreme temperatures, and severe discharging events can impact the available capacity of a battery cell.

Lithium-based battery packs require battery management systems (BMS) to monitor important functions. These functions include the temperature, voltage, current, charging/discharging rates, capacity, and the overall health of the batteries. If an issue arises, such as high temperatures or overcharging, the BMS collects the data and sends it to the device's control system.

When developing a battery pack, two major subsystems must work together efficiently: the battery management system and the stack of cells. Most of the development time is spent determining what type of protection and electrical requirements will be required for the battery pack.

Newer technological devices require battery cells to provide higher levels of power while being lightweight and small. When seeking higher levels of energy and power in battery packs, these circumstances create an environment that leads to potentially unstable battery chemistries, elevated temperatures, short circuits, cell swelling, loss of capacity, and overcharging/over-discharging.

At the conclusion of our webinar, Custom Battery Pack Design Considerations for Performance and Safety, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Battery Product Manager Anton Beck. We compiled these into a readable format on our blog.

Wearable devices such as smartwatches, wearable cameras, ECG monitors, and fitness trackers depend on custom battery packs that can deliver reliable power within extremely compact form factors. As these devices become smaller, lighter, and more mobile, battery pack design requires balancing competing requirements that include energy density, battery life, safety, durability, and user comfort.

High-capacity batteries provide greater levels of energy density at a smaller size. This design characteristic allows devices to obtain the power they need for long periods without giving up the necessary space to larger battery packs. Many high-capacity battery packs can allow for faster recharging cycles while providing increased performance.

Devices powered by lithium-based battery cells rely on a battery management system (BMS) to help ensure safe and reliable operation. A properly designed BMS continuously monitors battery conditions, helps protect cells from damaging operating conditions, and provides visibility into battery health and performance.

Technologies are becoming lightweight and smaller to allow for portability. From drones, laptops, and phones to power tools and medical devices, these applications require a high amount of power to function and a battery that guarantees long run times and safety.