Charging batteries is simple (in theory) – put a voltage across the terminals and the battery charges. If safe charging, fast charging and/or maximum battery life are important, that’s when things get complicated. This article will consider various aspects of charging nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH), nickel cadmium (NiCd), lithium-ion (Li-ion), and lead acid (PbA) batteries. The three…

Battery cell isolators and battery cell separators are used to control current flow in multi-battery systems in a range of vehicles, including recreational vehicles, boats, utility vehicles, airplanes, large trucks, and off-road vehicles that accommodate auxiliary loads and high current loads such as a recovery winch. Battery isolators are designed to prevent auxiliary batteries from…

Bobbin-type lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCl2) batteries from Tadiran Batteries are being specially modified for use in the cold chain demanded by Covid vaccine made by Pfizer. Pfizer says it has specially designed temperature-controlled thermal shippers utilizing dry ice to maintain recommended storage temperature conditions of -70±10°C for up to 10 days unopened. The firm will […]

In this second part of EEWorld’s virtual round table on testing power consumption and batteries for wireless IoT nodes and wearables, our panelists delve into the nuances of complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) testing and predicting actual battery performance. Our panelists include: Janet Ooi (JO), IoT Industry Solutions Lead at Keysight Technologies, Shah Hassan (SH), […]

Battery selection for a given wireless Internet of Things (IoT) node or wearables design is complex. Among the important factors are: how long the device is expected to operate with a single battery; the choice between various primary and secondary battery chemistries; the nominal and cut-off voltage of the electronics; the energy/current consumption profile, the […]

In this second part of EEWorld’s “virtual roundtable” discussion on fuel cells, our panelists delve into the impact of the emergence of fuel cells on energy storage compared with conventional rechargeable batteries: What factors determine when fuel cells are more cost-effective than rechargeable batteries? How do the maintenance and monitoring needs of fuel cells compare […]

Fuel cells have begun to get traction in a wide variety of transportation systems. Recent announcements include Honda’s withdrawal from FIA Formula One racing to focus more resources on the development of battery and fuel cell-powered electric vehicles and ZeroAvia’s announcement of the world’s first flight of a hydrogen-electric fuel cell-powered passenger plane. Fuel cells […]

Fuel cells are increasingly being used in stationary power applications such as backup power, microgrids, and renewable energy systems. This is part two of a three-part FAQ series and digs into a wide variety of fuel cells in stationary power applications ranging from low power systems for residential backup power to the use of large-scale […]

There are over 20 categories and subcategories of fuel cell technologies. This article will review several of the most common fuel cell technologies, especially as related to commercialization. This is the first of a three-part FAQ series. Part two will look into “Fuel Cells for Backup Power, Microgrids and Renewable Energy” and part three will […]

Flow batteries are suited for use in several application areas, including utility-scale energy storage, microgrids, renewables integration, backup power, and remote and off-grid power. Flow batteries are highly scalable, and their power and energy ratings can also be scaled independently. They have very little or no self-discharge current. Flow batteries have demonstrated cycle lives of […]