Disadvantages of a Li-Ion Battery Pack

Li-ion battery packs have very high energy density compared to other rechargeable batteries. They’re also very lightweight.

You can find lithium-ion batteries in many electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets. They’re also used to supply power back-up for office equipment and electric vehicles. However, they are very dangerous to handle and can burst into flames if punctured or exposed to heat.

Benefits

Compared to traditional battery technology, lithium ion batteries offer more energy density in a smaller package, faster charging and higher life cycles. Moreover, they do not contain toxic cadmium like Ni-Cd batteries and have lower self-discharge rate of around 1.5-2% per month.

They are used in many electronics, including laptops, PDAs, cell phones and iPods. They are also used in electric cars, hybrid vehicles and advanced electric wheelchairs. In fact, they are so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine a world without them.

Lithium ion batteries are so popular because, pound for pound, they are the most energetic rechargeable batteries available. However, these batteries have a small chance of bursting into flames when one of the components called the separator fails. This usually happens when one Li-ion battery pack of the cells gets hot and a spark from a nearby light (or even your finger) can ignite it.

This is why lithium ion battery packs are usually packaged in a plastic shell. It is also why you should always handle lithium ion battery packs with care and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. They should never be combined in series or parallel, and they need to be stored at low temperatures (e.g. a refrigerator) to reduce permanent capacity loss over long storage periods. Additionally, they should be fully discharged and recharged every 30th charge to reset the electronic fuel gauge in some consumer devices.

Drawbacks

Lithium batteries have many advantages over their older counterparts, and are quickly displacing Ni-Cd technology in consumer electronics such as mobile phones, laptops, and portable power banks. However, they have certain disadvantages as well.

One such drawback is that they do not like to be fully discharged or charged, and will lose a portion of their capacity over time if left uncharged for too long (though this does not affect the performance of lithium batteries in use). For this reason, a battery management system can help ensure that a battery never gets fully depleted or overcharged, but it is still wise to keep a power bank between 20 and 80% charge at all times.

Another disadvantage is that lithium batteries have a lower energy density than their nickel-cadmium or lead-acid cousins, meaning that you cannot get as much power out of them per unit of weight as you could with older technology. This makes them less desirable for powering heavier electronics such as head torches, and they also have a smaller operating range than their older counterparts.

Lastly, a lithium battery requires an on-board computer to manage the process of charging and discharging, which adds a substantial amount of expense to the product. Additionally, there is always a small chance that these batteries will burst into flames if not handled correctly.

Lifespan

The lifespan of a lithium battery pack is influenced by several factors, including its chemistry, temperature, charge and discharge cycles, and the charging current. For example, the lithium batteries in laptops, PDAs, and cell phones use a small amount of energy to operate, but they are often charged at high currents that increase their degradation and reduce their longevity. Lithium-ion batteries also have a high energy density, which is how much power they can hold in a given volume.

These batteries have a nominal voltage of 3.7 volts per cell, and multiple cells are connected in series to provide any required voltage. This enables them to be built into smaller, lighter devices than are possible with other rechargeable battery technologies.

For the best run-time, a lithium battery should be used at about 80% of its rated capacity, according to manufacturers. The battery can still provide a usable amount of power when the charge level falls below this mark, but Li-ion battery pack it may be less reliable than it could have been with proper usage.

Lithium batteries do not have a memory effect, so they can be partially discharged and then charged again without losing their storage capacity. This contrasts with nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which require frequent full discharges and recharges to maintain their lifespan. These deep discharges cause the metal plating within a NiMH battery to wear away, reducing its lifespan and increasing the risk of internal shorting, which is dangerous and can render the battery unusable.

Safety

Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous these days. They’re used in everything from laptops, PDAs and cell phones to e-mobility products like electric scooters and cars, as well as solar energy battery systems at the residential and commercial level. But they’re not without their issues. Pound for pound, they are the most energetic rechargeable batteries available, and sometimes they can burst into flame. While this isn’t a common event (only two or three packs per million have such a problem), they do happen, and when they do the results can be catastrophic.

Battery fires occur when a lithium-ion cell’s internal heat generation exceeds the battery’s thermal dissipation capability. This is most often due to a short across the positive and negative terminals. You’ve probably experienced this type of battery failure if you’ve ever placed a 9-volt battery in your pocket and felt a slight tingling sensation. When this happens, a battery rapidly heats up and may even ignite the electrolyte.

To combat this, each Li-ion battery pack has a built-in safety circuit that prevents the peak voltage of individual cells from reaching dangerously high levels during charge and monitors each cell’s temperature to avoid extremes. This technology, along with a series of mechanical and electrical abuse tests designed to reduce the probability of thermal runaway accidents, is currently incorporated in current safety standards for LIBs before they can be sold on the market.