New Products

Energy Balance Calculator

Nexperia (Nijmegen, Netherlands) has released its latest Energy Balance Calculator. A powerful web-based tool designed to assist battery management engineers in maximizing the battery life of their applications. The calculator facilitates the integration of Nexperia’s Energy Harvesting PMICs into their systems by providing engineers with precise data for informed decision-making. At the core of Nexperia’s Energy Harvesting PMICs is the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm, enabling efficient energy harvest from the environment for various consumer electronics and IoT devices. To utilize these PMICs at their full potential, the calculator works with real-world technical parameters. It calculates the energy delivered to the load and the energy compensation. Thus, offering insights into potential battery life extension or achieving energy autonomy. Engineers can furthermore visualize system efficiency and precision through an efficiency curve provided by the tool.

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Extreme Fast Charging

StoreDot (Irvine, CA) has unveiled a breakthrough concept for taking extreme fast charging (XFC) capability from the cell to the vehicle level with its new I-BEAM XFCTM concept, an innovative cell-to-pack (CTP) design that will accelerate the integration of XFC into EVs. At the core of I-BEAM XFCTM sits StoreDot’s proprietary 100in5 cell technology, which enables charging 100 miles, or 160km of range in just 5 minutes. StoreDot’s 100in5 electrodes are assembled into its new I-BEAM XFCTM cells, which are designed to be incorporated directly into the battery pack. While standard cell-to-pack architectures aim to improve range and energy density, StoreDot is also focusing on extreme fast charging with its I-BEAM XFCTM concept. It leapfrogs the complexity and cost challenges of embedding XFC capability at the vehicle level, allowing EVs to be charged even more rapidly.

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Resettable Thermal Cutoff Device

Bourns, Inc. (Riverside, CA) announced its latest miniature resettable thermal cutoff (TCO) device series, also known as mini-breakers, that are designed to control abnormal, excessive current virtually instantaneously, up to rated limits. The Model NX Series offers higher current-carrying capabilities combined with a very low-profile package at a height of 0.94 mm and body width of 2.8 mm. These features make this series an ideal overtemperature and overcurrent protection solution for lithium polymer and prismatic cells in high energy density, smaller batteries such as next-generation notebook PC and tablet battery cells, as well as handheld and wearable electronics. The new series has current capabilities from 12 A to 20 A at 60 °C and is available with or without welding projections. Providing design flexibility for a wide range of application environments, these TCO devices are available with four trip temperature options of 77 °C, 82 °C, 85 °C and 90 °C - all of which operate within a ±5 °C tolerance. The Model NX Series also is designed with a high-rated corrosion resistant bimetal mechanism that delivers enhanced endurance in humid environments compared to standard TCO devices.

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Battery Management Test System

Rohde & Schwarz (Columbia, MD) is partnering with Analog Devices, Inc. for a wireless battery management system (wBMS) technology which brings technical, environmental, and cost advantages compared with wired battery management systems (BMS). The technology is the first ISO21434 CAL4 compliant wBMS which adheres to the strictest cybersecurity standards. It also meets high requirements in RF performance and robustness to maximize battery capacity and lifetime value. Rohde & Schwarz has developed an ultra-compact automated test equipment (ATE) system for wBMS. With this test setup, the necessary wBMS module calibration, receiver, transmitter, and DC tests can be conducted fast and executed reliably for verification in the lab as well as for production tests for high yield. It consists of the R&S CMW100 radio communication tester, the R&S WMT wireless automated testing software framework, and the new R&S ExpressTSVP universal test and measurement platform.

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Rugged Battery Connectors

Weidmuller USA (Richmond, VA) announced the launch of its rugged battery connectors. With the addition of advanced battery connectors, Weidmuller USA now offers a full suite of energy storage products to cover the power, data and signaling needs required in a wide array of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) applications including battery storage, connectors and power conversion, HVAC/fire control, surge protection, combiner boxes and marshalling boxes. Battery connectors are critical components that facilitate the transfer of electrical energy between the battery cells and the application, allowing the connection of the battery modules in just a few simple steps. Weidmuller’s battery connectors are engineered to handle high currents, allowing for efficient energy transfer and reduced power losses as well as designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions. The contact is made of copper alloy finished with silver and approved according to UL 4128 to warrant the best electrical contact with more than 100 operations of mechanical connection and disconnection (without load).

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Heat-Resistant Material

Polyplastics Group (Farmington Hills, MI) has announced the availability of DURAFIDE^® PPS 6150T73, a high-performance material which delivers outstanding heat resistance and exceptional thermal and electric insulation properties for EV lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The material significantly improves thermal and electric insulation properties during thermal runaway without the use of inorganic insulative sheet structures. The material maintains the insulation properties of busbars and module covers even after being left in environments of 1,000 °C for 30 minutes. With the shift from engine-powered vehicles to EVs, today’s Li-ion batteries can generate excessive heat due to thermal runaway when accidents and other disturbances occur, thus ultimately leading to a potential fire. In addition to greater heat resistance, DURAFIDE^® 6150T73 has optimal properties for components such as module covers and busbars.

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Overtemperature Detection Platform

Littelfuse, Inc. (Chicago, IL), has introduced TTape™, an overtemperature detection platform designed to transform the management of Li-ion battery systems. With its innovative features, TTape helps vehicle systems manage premature cell aging effectively while reducing the risks associated with thermal runaway incidents. TTape is ideally suited for a wide range of applications, including automotive EV/HEVs, commercial vehicles, and energy storage systems. Its distributed temperature monitoring capabilities enable superior detection of localized cell overheating, thereby improving battery life and enhancing the safety of battery installations. With a single TTape device, multiple cells can be monitored, thus alerting the BMS sooner in case of overtemperature scenarios. With a response time of less than one second, TTape guarantees quicker alerts, signaling the potential onset of thermal runaway conditions. Calibration isn’t necessary as TTape can easily integrate with existing BMS.

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Polyimide-Coated Magnet Wires

Electrical breakdown of high-temperature insulation materials can be prevented by using thermoplastic Polyimide (TPI). This polymer can be extrusion-coated as other polymers, but AURUM, TPI reduces electrical and magnetic losses. Sold by BEIGLO GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) it has the highest Tg of any commercially available TPI, 245 °C and its insulation performance especially at temperatures above 150 °C beats any other know insulation. As the automobile sector transitions to EVs, new polymers that offer higher electrical and thermal properties are used. AURUM reduces electrical and magnetic losses with a high comparative tracking index (CTI) > 600 V. AURUM^® is a semicrystalline TPI suitable for powder-coating, injection molding and extrusion coating, with highest-in-class glass transition temperature (Tg = 245 °C). Extrusion processing AURUM^® for wire insulation is highly economical, allows extremely thin layers (30-40 percent thinner than PEEK), and has better elasticity and good compatibility with cooling-/ lubricating oils.

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