Understanding Li+ Battery Operation Lessens Charging Safety Concerns

Focus:

Because of their high energy density and high power density, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries require certain safety precautions during charging and discharging to prevent--in the extreme cases--a battery from exploding or catching on fire. Although safety was always a concern with the use of Li-ion batteries in portable entertainment and computing devices (not to mention cell phones), safety concerns become even more critical with the recent introduction of Li-ion batteries capable of the high-discharge rates required by power tools and other motor-driven products. This article explains what safety concerns arise when designing products with Li-ion batteries, and what protection features are typically employed to address these concerns. The article explains the operating characteristics and charge/discharge requirements of Li-ion batteries (including the new high-power cells), and explains how errors in battery operation can trigger battery protection functions and/or damage the battery. With that as background, the common methods of Li-ion battery charging and the factors that influence charger design are discussed. Finally, some examples of linear and switched-mode charger circuits based on Maxim's charger ICs are presented. These examples include circuits that can accommodate the high-power Li-ion batteries

What you’ll learn:

• How to understand the charge and discharge requirements of Li-ion batteries including high-power types
• How to prevent damage to Li-ion batteries through use of proper charge and discharge techniques
• How to understand the charger circuit options when designing Li-ion battery chargers

Notes:

Maxim Integrated Products Application Note 4169

View the Source

Author & Publication:

Alfredo Saab, Maxim Integrated Products, Vendor website, Mar 07 2008

This article summary appears
in the HOW2POWER Design Guide.

The Design Guide offers
organized access to
hundreds of articles
on dozens of power conversion
and power management topics.

The Design Guide search results
include exclusive summaries
and accurate "how to" analysis
to help you make faster,
more informed decisions.

Search
for more articles