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AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
SPECIFYING LTO BATTERY CELL CHEMISTRY CAN BE VITAL TO BOOSTING PERFORMANCE OF SOME MOBILE INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS
T
he demand for battery-powered products has increased exponentially during our lifetime and in more recent years has been booming in the industrial sector.
With more processes relying on battery-
powered vehicles and devices that have wide-ranging jobs to do in varied environments, it is inevitable that the design and development of the batteries that power these products has also changed. There are now more considerations than ever when making design decisions during battery pack development, one of the critical decisions is which cell chemistry is best suited to the application of the battery pack. The knock-on effect is that more OEMs are choosing custom lithium-ion battery pack designs to enhance the performance of their products, because off-the-shelf solutions often don’t meet the specific requirements of their application. Mobile robotics are a relatively new
technology that is in increased use across various industrial sectors and as organisations become more reliant on robots performing crucial roles, getting them to perform to an optimum level has never been more important. Popular devices include automated guided
vehicles (AGVs) used in materials handling and other applications; automated mobile robots (AMRs) for last-mile deliveries: and frame climbers in automated warehouses. This automation of more processes means the
robotic devices require portable battery power systems that can maintain a continuous output, without running out of charge, or failing prematurely because of a fault or breakdown. Consequently, battery pack technology is
developing at a fast pace to keep up with the development of robotics in the workplace. Choosing the right battery chemistry has become critical to ensuring reliable performance. Lithium-based batteries are the most
common choice for new industrial batteries today, because of their high energy density and capacity, giving much longer run-time between charges than any other battery chemistry. With so many types of lithium chemistries used in battery cells, it is important to consider and specify the correct cell type, pack design, and quality for different environments. The proliferation of lithium chemistries, and of the components such as battery charge controller
By Owen McNally, principal design engineer, Alexander Battery Technologies
ICs that support lithium battery packs, mean that a robot OEM can be faced with a complex set of trade-offs to consider. The decision about the best set of trade-offs needs to be made on an application-by-application basis. A reliable custom battery pack manufacturer,
Alexander Battery Technologies, will work in collaboration with OEMs to provide detailed guidance about the these and every other performance attribute of each lithium chemistry, and to advise on the best choice for the OEM’s specific mobile robot application. For example, when it comes to mobile
robotics that are required to perform in extreme temperature ranges, we often tend to turn to one of the older chemistry technologies - lithium titanate (LTO). Mobile robots that operate in a cold
environment, such as a refrigerated warehouse, need to take account of the battery temperature: a lithium cell cannot normally be charged when it is colder than 0°C. This might require the use of active in-pack heating technology to raise cell temperature above 0°C in preparation for charging. In many applications, active heating is a better solution than depositing the pack in a space at room temperature and waiting for it to draw heat from the ambient air.
STRENGTHS AND BENEFITS OF LITHIUM TITANATE (LTO) BATTERIES LTO batteries offer some distinct advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries, particularly those using lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium manganese oxide (LMO), or
14 JULY/AUGUST 2024 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries. The primary strengths and benefits of LTO batteries stem from their unique electrochemical properties, which provide superior performance in several critical areas.
ENHANCED SAFETY AND STABILITY One of the most notable strengths of LTO batteries is their exceptional safety profile. Unlike other lithium chemistries, LTO batteries exhibit a minimal risk of thermal runaway, a condition that can lead to overheating and potential combustion. This safety advantage arises from the stable LTO anode, which operates at a higher voltage (around 1.55V versus 0.5V for graphite anodes). This higher voltage reduces the risk of lithium plating and dendrite formation, which are common causes of short circuits and battery fires in traditional lithium-ion batteries.
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