• • • BATTERIES AND CHARGERS • • •
compactness and a light weight are critical requirements. The high-energy density and reliability of these units make direct battery power an effective option on stage. Replacing mains- powered lighting where mains power is not readily available allows numerous cables to be removed from the set, bringing advantages such as simplified wiring and greater safety. Tracer Power Lithium-Ion (li-ion) and Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4) carry case kits are also chosen for applications such as rapid- deployment CCTV, enabling camera systems to run for longer in the field and deliver greater reliability than older battery technologies can provide. In addition, advanced lithium batteries permit a lightweight solution for emergency traffic signage that allows equipment to be easily moved into position by hand, as well as providing cable-free power to construction-site lighting and site monitoring that must also be extremely rugged yet lightweight and easy to install and maintain. Customers in the medical sector include makers of clinicians’ portable workstations, which can be safe, easily movable and able to withstand many recharge cycles by leveraging the properties of lithium batteries.
Charger choice for
performance and reliability When charging lithium batteries, applying the correct profile and maintaining optimal conditions are essential to preserve the battery capacity throughout its lifetime and ensure safety by preventing overcharging. Both the charger and the battery need proper protection against overloads and excessive temperature. Not all chargers include the controls and protection features needed to provide proper care for the battery, while also ensuring the fastest possible recharging. This capability is crucial for delivering the quick turnaround time required by many professional applications. To ensure all these criteria can be met, Cell Pack Solutions has chosen to work with Mascot, which has a range of chargers in its Blueline portfolio that are designed specifically for lithium batteries. Cell Pack Solutions opted to offer both standard and fast charger options, providing end users with greater flexibility to suit their needs in terms of
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cost, charge time and size requirements. This approach ensures that Tracer customers can configure a set that best meets their specific needs. ‘Our lithium charger range extends from small desktop and plug-in units with charging current as low as 1.3A, up to high-power units like the 3540 LI that has a maximum rating of 20A,’ comments Graham Lee, Sales Manager UK & Ireland at Mascot. ‘The higher ratings are ideal with the large-capacity batteries often specified for industrial applications, enabling batteries to recharge in a short time and return to the action quickly. This can mean users need fewer backup battery packs to run their equipment continuously for long periods.’
Mascot’s three-step charging Mascot lithium chargers apply a three-step charging profile, which maximises the operational performance, ensures longer recharging intervals, and prolongs the battery’s overall service lifetime. The first phase performs constant-current (CC) charging at the maximum permitted rate, charging the battery quickly to 80-95 per cent of its capacity. In this mode, the charger’s LED indicator is yellow. At this point, many lower cost two-step chargers will indicate that charging is complete, even if the
battery is not up to 100 per cent capacity. Routinely terminating the charging process at this point will reduce the length of time that battery can operate before recharging is required. Ultimately, this practice will shorten the battery’s life. Instead of terminating the process after constant-current charging, Mascot chargers enter constant-voltage (CV) mode. Here the charge current is decreasing and the LED indication changes to flashing yellow shortly after commencing. The charger will remain in this mode until the current has decreased to the end-of-charge detection level or until the CV timer runs out. Only upon reaching this point is the battery charged to its full 100 per cent capacity. For Li-ion batteries, charging is now complete, the battery is fully charged and the LED indicator turns to green. The charge current is zero and the battery has been charged to its full capacity. If the battery is a LiFePO4 type, a float charge is now applied. The charger can safely be left connected to the battery and will initiate a new charge cycle if the battery is used, indicated by a voltage decrease of 0.1V/cell.
Mascot chargers incorporate additional protection for the charger and battery, including overvoltage protection (OVP), undervoltage protection (UVP), short-circuit protection (SCP), reverse-polarity protection, charger over- temperature protection (OTP) and battery OTP and timing protection. To ensure a long service lifetime and maximise reliability, the specifications also include long-lifetime capacitors with high-temperature ratings and transformers rated up to 155°C. ‘You can feel the quality throughout a Mascot
charger, which extends all the way to the choice of a high-grade, high thickness, UL-recognised plastic for the enclosure,’ adds Aaron Adlington, marketing manager at Cell Pack Solutions. ‘Such attention to detail matches our own approach when designing Tracer Power batteries.’ ‘We also receive highly individualised service from Mascot, which meets our needs perfectly as our target markets are quite specialised and order quantities can be bespoke. Overall, working with Mascot adds to the high level of confidence in the products we deliver to our users,’ he concludes.
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