March/April 2008 www.BatteryPowerOnline.com Volume 12, Issue 2 Hybrid Electric Vehicle Reaches 100,000 Miles INSIDE Using an Advanced Battery System Battery Power 2008 The UltraBattery combines a supercapacitor and a lead acid battery in a single Conference Preview p 9 unit, creating a hybrid car battery that lasts longer, costs less and is more powerful than current technologies used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The Battery Power for the Future: UltraBattery test program for HEV applications is Is the Energy Output of the result of an international collaboration. The Batteries Reaching its Limit? battery system was developed by CSIRO in p 10 Australia, built by the Furukawa Battery Company of Japan and tested in the United Kingdom Battery Runtime Demystified through the American-based Advanced Lead-Acid p 13 Battery Consortium. “The UltraBattery is a leap forward for low The Impact of the Recent emission transport and uptake of HEVs,” said DOT Rule p 14 David Lamb, who leads low emissions transport research with the Energy Transformed National Battery Management System Research Flagship. Helps Supermarket Distribution Center Save More Photo courtesy of the “Previous tests show the UltraBattery has a life Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium cycle that is at least four times longer and pro- Than $400,000 p 15 duces 50 percent more power than conventional PRODUCTS & SERVICES battery systems. It’s also about 70 percent cheaper than the batteries currently used in HEVs,” he said. By marrying a conventional fuel-powered engine with a battery to drive an New Batteries electric motor, HEVs achieve the dual environmental benefit of reducing both On the Market p 3 greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. The UltraBattery also has the ability to provide and absorb a charge rapidly during vehicle acceleration and braking, making it particularly suitable for HEVs, which rely on the electric motor to meet peak power needs during acceleration and can recapture energy normally wasted through braking to recharge the battery. Over the past 12 months, a team of drivers has put the UltraBattery to the test at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the United Kingdom, one of Europe’s lead- ing locations for the development and demonstration of land vehicles. Integrated Circuits & “Passing the 100,000 miles mark is strong evidence of the UltraBattery's Semiconductors p 4 capabilities,” Lamb said. “CSIRO’s ongoing research will further improve the Researcher Rosalie Louey prepares components for technology’s capabilities, making it lighter, more efficient and capable of setting the UltraBattery in CSIRO laboratories new performance standards for HEVs.” New Batteries on the Market EaglePicher Technologies Introduces First Implantable Medical Cell Designed Specifically for Monitoring Applications Charging, Testing & Monitoring p 6 EaglePicher Technologies Medical Power group has introduced two new implantable medical batteries to the Battery Components p 8 market. The two batteries, aimed at the rapidly growing implantable monitor market, provide high energy density and low entry cost. Typical applications include DEPARTMENTS implantable cardiac and glucose monitors. The two Lithium Thionyl chloride cells, available in Industry News p 17 350 mAh and 750 mAh formats, join the EaglePicher Medical Power Contego Modular Battery Line. Lithium Calendar of Events p 21 Thionyl chloride is characterized by a high energy density and low self discharge for maximum reliability. Marketplace p 21 The cells are fully qualified for implantable applica- tions, manufactured in the US and available immediately. Research & Development p 22 The Contego series of modular implantable batteries is available in a range of capacities from 500 uAh to 3.5 Ah. www.BatteryPowerOnline.com Subscribe to Battery Power magazine at www.BatteryPowerOnline.com New Products | 3 New Batteries on the Market C&D Technologies Introduces the High Rate and have requested copper/copper battery terminals to enable Editor & Publisher Max UPS Battery these methods. The paper-thin Flexion batteries by Solicore David Webster C&D Technologies, Inc. have been met with great demand from the financial and Director of Content has released a new model bankcard industries, OTP card industry and in the RFID mar- Shannon Given in the High Rate Max ket. Flexion batteries are designed to be flexible, ultra-thin and Associate Editor series of batteries. The heat/pressure resistant, making them well suited for card plat- Jeremy Martin UPS12-475MRLP provides forms and applications. Assistant Editors the energy storage capabil- Nick Depperschmidt, ity of C&D's UPS12- Heather Krier, Joanna Larez 475FR battery, but in a case that is almost 2.5 News Editors inches shorter. John Cargile, Jan McNutt, This new battery is a Karen Poulson, Jessi Carter, Scott Nash, one-for-one replacement for the UPS12-475FR battery that will Joan Nelson, Suzanne Harrold make maintenance activities safer by providing more room above the batteries in cabinet and rack applications while meet- Manager of Administration ing or exceeding five through 20 minute discharge rates. As a Marsha Grillo replacement for UPS12-370FR batteries, the UPS12-475MRLP Fulfillment Services Manager will supply 24 percent more power or 26 percent longer reserve Donna Chrivia time in the same size case. MobileLife Introduces External Battery Advertising, Sales and Marketing This new model is built using the long life and high current Jessi Carter, Director of Sales density design features that make the High Rate Max series well Power Packs for Wireless Phones and Jan McNutt, Account Executive suited for use with UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems. Personal Electronics Jennifer Graham, Marketing Assistant This technology has been proven to meet the reliability and high MobileLife, a division of Magnadyne Corp., has introduced a Kristen Reming, Marketing Assistant quality standards required for use in data centers, financial insti- Jessica Thebo, Marketing Manager line of external battery power packs for wireless phones, PDA's, Julie McCann, Production Manager tutions, emergency 911 centers, network operations centers, iPod's, personal electronics and in some cases, laptop computers. manufacturing applications and other applications in which The new models use lithium ion and lithium polymer cells Director of Support Services operations must continue during a utility power outage. C&D's and allow consumers to carry a single external power source. Marc Vang proprietary long life alloy, fixed orifice pasting, UL recognized The battery packs range in size from a credit card sized emer- venting and thermally welded case-to-cover seal makes these Circulation gency power pack, capable of powering virtually all electronics Andy Gurokovich batteries a solution where the highest energy density is required devices from a wireless phone, to a laptop computer. to save floor space without sacrificing reliability. All of the battery packs feature attractive designs, a variety BATTERY POWER PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY (ISSN #1092-3616) of adapters and connection cables that ensure compatibility with is published bi-monthly by Webcom numerous devices and can be recharged up to 500 times. Several Communications Corp., 7355 E. of the models include voltage-sensing technology that automati- Orchard, #100 Greenwood Village, cally detects and delivers the correct voltage to the device, CO 80111. Free for the qualified US $58.00 non-qualified US and $72.00 which greatly reduces the risk of setting the wrong voltage. elsewhere. The BT5VUSB-0 is a credit-card sized rechargeable battery Periodicals Postage paid at pack for use with most popular phones and PDA's and fea- Englewood, CO and additional mail- tures a 600 mAh lithium polymer design with an integrated ing offices. charging cord. POSTMASTER: MobileLife's most powerful external battery pack is the Send address changes to: GC Electronics Expands Product Offering with BT5VUSB-V with a 70 Wh lithium polymer design with univer- Webcom Communications New Line of Industrial Batteries sal output of 5 V to 18 V of power. Powerful enough to recharge 7355 E. Orchard, #100 most wireless devices over 20 times, or power a typical laptop Greenwood Village, CO 80111 GC Electronics has added an extensive line of industrial for 2 ½ hours. It comes with various tips and adapter cables for batteries to its list of product families. The GC sealed lead- most connections. Photocopy Rights: Permission to pho- acid batteries comprises more than 75 models, with outputs of tocopy for internal or personal use, or 4-, 6-, 12- and 24-volts in capacities ranging from 1.2 to 230 the internal or personal use of specific K2 Energy Solutions, Inc. Releases LFP18650P clients is granted by Battery Power Ah (amp hours). Products & Technology for users GC Industrial batteries are well suited for use in a variety of And 26650P Power Series Batteries through Copyright Clearance Center, industrial applications including backup for uninterruptible K2 Energy Solutions has released their LFP18650P and provided that the base fee of $2.50 per power supplies, security, programmable logic controllers, emer- 26650P power cells. These batteries are based on the University copy of the article, plus $1.00 per page gency lighting and communications equipment. of Texas licensed, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry. is paid directly to the Copyright They compliment K2's exist- Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Available in six different terminal types, GC Batteries are also Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA (978) offered with flame-retardant cases as well as high-power options ing energy cell product line 750-8400. For government and/or on select models that provide 15 percent more capacity than for use in the highest power classroom use, the Copyright their standard counterparts. The deep-cycle GC batteries provide demand applications. Clearance Center should be contacted. With the successful com- The rate for this use is 0.03 cents per long service, with enhanced charge characteristics and are UL page. Please specify ISSN #1092-3616 and CE approved. pletion of the power cell Battery Power Products & Technology.