POWER DEVICES
Expelling the myths around modern Li-ion battery power
Briggs & Stratton’s Vanguard battery experts dispel some of the myths and share the facts around lithium ion batteries
T
echnological developments of Li-ion batteries have greatly increased the number of uses that they can be applied to. Despite this, there are many myths that remain around the practicalities of battery- powered equipment that deters some users from moving to battery power. In this article Briggs & Stratton’s Vanguard battery experts dispel some of these myths and share the facts about these incorrect assumptions:
MYTH 1: Battery-powered equipment can’t withstand climate fluctuations
Testing capabilities for batteries have been enhanced to allow manufacturers to expose their batteries to severe elements to ensure they can deliver effective and efficient performance no matter the weather.
MYTH 2: Battery power is unreliable As traditional fuel-powered machines are widely considered the norm, there is a tendency to dismiss battery power as it is an unknown. Concerns remain over the impact potential downtime can have on a business as they work out how to fix the issues that have occurred.
However, modern Li-ion batteries are designed to help the user should something go wrong. Built into the battery is a battery management system (BMS) that offers a wealth of data and insights surrounding battery health and performance that keep the battery, and in turn the equipment, functioning at its best. Being able to monitor this data helps to prevent downtime as users can constantly measure the state of the battery. The BMS serves as an onboard computer that monitors and measures information such as the pack’s temperature, charge/discharge currents and voltages of each cell bank.
As the BMS constantly monitors the battery health, it is a great tool for supporting users should something go wrong. The battery can communicate with you to identify the issue so you can get back to work as quickly as possible helping to reduce downtime. Vanguard Li-ion batteries also feature internal contactors, which means when the equipment is off, the battery is off, helping to protect those doing maintenance to the battery.
38 MARCH 2022 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
MYTH 3: Once the battery dies, equipment is out of use until the next charge
Fears over battery longevity and what to do if the battery runs out, is another reason why equipment users opt to remain with fuel power. The idea that if you run out, you can easily put more fuel in the tank is top of mind for some. However, this discounts that if a battery were to run out, it can be quickly and easily swapped out for an alternative battery. Briggs & Stratton recently introduced the Vanguard Lithium-Ion 1.5kWh swappable battery pack that can be unclipped and replaced in a matter of seconds to help deliver consistent power output. The battery features an exchangeable design allowing customers to easily remove and replace the battery as needed with minimal downtime. A combination of swappable batteries can allow users to meet the larger power needs for their equipment.
MYTH 4: There is no such thing as safe charging practices
Battery charging is far safer than many understand.
As current enters the battery pack the BMS intuitively determines where the input is directed throughout the cells. This is carefully done to prevent over-heating and damage to the internal components of each cell. If this were to be left un-monitored by the BMS then there is a risk of too much voltage going to the individual cells, causing damage to the
cathode. This can result in the decomposition of the metal structures at the cathode and the production of too many lithium-ions, resulting in an unstable cell structure.
Alongside this, the BMS supports battery charging by controlling when the battery can be charged to prevent the user from charging it at too high or too low of a temperature. This helps to protect the internal battery chemistry to prolong the life of the battery. It will also help to control the length and speed of charge to maintain optimum battery health.
MYTH 5: Lithium-Ion batteries aren’t recyclable
Recycling batteries is often considered impossible due to the difficulties of disposing older nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries. These difficulties do not apply to Li-ion batteries that are in fact incredibly recyclable. Li-ion batteries often have a second life in them (roughly 80 percent of the battery capacity remains), allowing them to be repurposed for other applications at the end of their life cycle. Li-ion batteries do not contain the same heavy metals that used to be found in old batteries, this means that they can be safely recycled without fear of unwanted chemicals getting into your water supply.
Briggs & Stratton
www.briggsandstratton.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
