July/August 2008 www.BatteryPowerOnline.com Volume 12, Issue 4 Lithium Technology Corp. Powers Hybrid Electric Supercar INSIDE Heinz-Harald Frentzen, an ex-Formula One (F1) racer Battery Power 2008 and champion, and Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH Conference Preview p 8 entered a hybrid electric version of its Apollo supercar into this year's Nurburgring 24 hour race, which was held at end Optimizing Power Source of May. The car was powered by a battery solution from Selection in the Design Lithium Technology Corp. (LTC). The car was piloted by Process p 11 Mr. Dirk Muller and Mr. Frentzen. "We are pleased to co-sponsor the first hybrid electric Portable Power: Smaller, version of the Apollo, produced by Gumpert in Germany, Lighter and Affordable p 12 and lend our technology to a movement that increases public awareness of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) performance and encourages advances in HEV technology," said Dr. Klaus Brandt, CEO of LTC. "LTC believes that Racing plays a sig- nificant role in pioneering the use of new technologies, such as lithium ion batteries, and offers the opportunity for us to demonstrate the performance of our batteries under extreme conditions while exhibiting the benefits and usability of our products to traditional car manufacturers." Battery Power 2008 The hybrid Apollo used a 3.3 liter V8 bi-turbo petrol mill Conference Brochure with a 100 kW electric motor. The 9 kWh GAIA battery was p 12-13 made of 90 high power 27 Ah cells connected in series and weighed about 190 kilograms. The battery included an Circuit Protection Designs advanced battery management system (BMS) that transmit- For a Mobile World p 13 ted battery performance data via satellite for monitoring and enhance performance control of the technical team. The battery was charged prior to the race and recouped energy from braking during the race, in a mode that resembles a plug-in hybrid electric operation (PHEV). Alternative Fuels: Need of the Hour p 15 Conference Preview PRODUCTS & SERVICES page 8 Conference Brochure September 4-5 • New Orleans, La. between pages 12-13 Code=C your subscription today. Code=B: subscribe. and please go to www.BatteryPowerOnline.com your free subscription today, start To try. Code=A: Please look at the mailing label below and read code in red box. Industry News Portable Rechargeable Battery Association Proposes Changes New Batteries : Your subscription is active and current. Your : Your subscription is about to expire. Go to www.BatteryPowerOnline and renew subscription is about to expire. Go www.BatteryPowerOnline Your issue due to your involvement in the indus- are receiving the complimentary You To United Nations Testing Requirements for Large Format On the Market p 3 Lithium Ion Batteries In response to its members’ participation in the production of large format lithium- Charging, Testing & ion batteries for hybrid electric and electric vehicles, the Portable Rechargeable Monitoring p 4 Battery Association (PRBA) has proposed modifications to battery tests contained in the United Nations’ Manual of Tests and Criteria. The continued reliance on an outdat- Integrated Circuits & ed testing scheme could stifle development of a new generation of environmentally- Semiconductors p 6 friendly products, PRBA warned. The UN Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods last updat- Power Supplies & ed its tests for lithium batteries in 2000, when its primary focus was on small lithium Conversion p 10 cells and batteries. At that time, no one could have anticipated the significant gains in lithium-ion battery technology, especially the widespread use of large-format batteries by the military and the aerospace, automobile and telecommunications industries. DEPARTMENTS However, the existing set of tests in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria pose signifi- Industry News p 16 cant technical and financial challenges for large-format battery manufacturers, PRBA Calendar of Events p 21 said in its filing with the UN. PRBA’s proposal would eliminate the disparities between testing “small” batteries Marketplace p 21 and large format batteries and include new definitions that clarify when battery com- R&D p 22 ponents, cells, batteries, battery modules and battery assembles, are subject to the UN testing requirements. Differentiating between these various components is critical to ensuring the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria remain current with industry practices Subscribe online at and terminology. www.BatteryPowerOnline.com New Products | 3 New Batteries on the Market Micro Power Builds IEEE 1725 The PG3665 battery can be recharged in-situ using an Editor & Publisher Battery Pack for PDAs SMBus-compliant charger, or can be recharged in the "P-series" David Webster Micro Power has released two new battery packs that are desktop chargers available from Inspired Energy. These chargers Director of Content compliant with IEEE 1725 specification, "Standard for are also designed with rugged applications in mind, featuring the Shannon Given Rechargeable Batteries for Cellular Telephones.” One custom same extruded construction and are available with AC mains Associate Editors battery pack is designed to cables for USA, UK and European operation. Jeremy Martin, Nick Depperschmidt power a rugged PDA for a All Inspired Energy smart rechargeable battery packs feature leading OEM of data collec- an on-board microprocessor that provides battery diagnostics, Assistant Editors cell monitoring, fuel gauging and enables the communication of Heather Krier, Joanna Larez tion equipment, while the other is designed to power a this data to the host device. In this battery, the fuel gauge infor- News Editors PDA for a leading OEM of mation is communicated to the user either via the SMBus or by Jeremy Fleming, Karen Poulson, rugged notebook computers. the always-on LCD panel on the end of the battery pack. Jessi Carter, Scott Nash, The creation of new standard smart Li-Ion batteries gives Suzanne Harrold, Sue Hannebrink Both PDAs utilize a cellular transceiver to transmit both portable device designers a greater choice of off-the-shelf power Manager of Administration voice and data. sources. The costs of testing and certifying a new Li-Ion battery Marsha Grillo IEEE 1725 adopts a sys- are often higher than the design and tooling costs, so choosing a tems approach by addressing power source from a portfolio of established products reduces Advertising, Sales and Marketing the battery envelope from development costs and time to market. Jessi Carter, Director of Sales cells to the mobile devices they power, both alone and in con- Jeremy Fleming, Account Executive cert. The new standard seeks to make cellular phone batteries New Alkaline Batteries Launched with Up to Jennifer Graham, Marketing Assistant Kristen Reming, Marketing Assistant more robust by setting uniform criteria for their design, produc- 34 Percent Higher Capacity Jessica Thebo, Marketing Manager tion and evaluation. IEEE 1725 encompasses such areas as bat- With improved performance and an updated look, the new Julie McCann, Production Manager tery pack electrical and mechanical construction, cell range of Panasonic alkaline batteries is designed for the industri- chemistries, packaging, pack and cell controls and overall sys- al market. Panasonic engi- Director of Support Services tem considerations. For a mobile device to comply with IEEE neers were able to signifi- Marc Vang 1725, the device manufacturer, the battery pack manufacturer cantly increase capacities Circulation and the cell manufacturer must all fulfill the requirements of the compared to previous mod- Andy Gurokovich IEEE 1725 specification. Compliance with the IEEE 1725 spec- els. The performance index, ification is reviewed and audited by an independent, third party which is usually used for BATTERY POWER PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY (ISSN #1092-3616) agency that specializes in the certification process. The Cellular such measurements, for is published bi-monthly by Webcom Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) recently creat- type LR03, depending on Communications Corp., 7355 E. ed a compliance program for cell phone and PDA batteries based the intended use, is on Orchard, #100 Greenwood Village, on IEEE 1725. average 34 percent higher CO 80111. Free for the qualified US $58.00 non-qualified US and $72.00 Micro Power builds several IEEE 1725 battery packs. These than the comparable value. elsewhere. packs utilize lithium-ion cells that are certified to the IEEE 1725 For type LR6 the increase Periodicals Postage paid at specification, have the mandatory protection and safety features, is 27 percent. Englewood, CO and additional mail- utilize a fuel gauge for state-of-charge indication and are The complete range comprises the types 6LR61, LR20, LR14, ing offices. enclosed in a custom plastic enclosure. LR6 and LR03. All types are produced in the Panasonic factory POSTMASTER: in Belgium, which is certified to the quality standard ISO 9001 Send address changes to: as well as the environmental standard ISO 14001. The new bat- Webcom Communications teries are also characterized by continuous, reliable energy sup- 7355 E. Orchard, #100 Attend Battery Power 2008 and hear “Charging ply, little self-discharge, enhanced protection against leakage and Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Systems for High-Power Cells,” presented by David improved behavior in lower temperatures. Photocopy Rights: Permission to pho- Nierescher, CTO, Micro Power Electronics. With their reliability and long-life, the new Panasonic