Dave Alexander
Navigant Research
Most major automotive manufacturers now have electric vehicles (EV) in production. Tesla produced the first of the new breed of EVs in 2008, with the launch of its roadster model powered by a battery pack assembled from lithium ion (Li-ion) laptop battery cells. Read more about Li-Ion Batteries for Transportation Applications …
Upal Sengupta, Staff Applications Engineer
Texas Instruments, Battery Management Solutions
Many of us (who have reached a certain age) may look back with nostalgia to the good old days. It was a simpler time, life was not so hard, and so on. Just the other day, one of my friends traded in his 21 year old pickup truck for a newer (12 year old) one and made the comment “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Well, maybe sometimes that can be a good thing too. Read more about Unplanned Obsolescence …
Robert Alverson, CHMM
Labelmaster
In August the US Department of Transportation (DOT) issued final rule HM-224F affecting the safe transport of lithium batteries[1]. DOT announced that the effects from the revisions of HM-224F will “strengthen safety conditions for the shipment of lithium cells and batteries. These changes, some of which focus specifically on shipments by air, will better ensure that lithium cells and batteries are able to withstand normal transportation conditions and are packaged to reduce the possibility of damage that could lead to an unsafe situation[2].” Read more about The Changing Regulations Pertaining to the Transportation of Lithium Batteries …
Upal Sengupta, Staff Applications Engineer
Texas Instruments, Battery Management Solutions
For most of my career developing portable equipment, I’ve been taught that “less is more. The fewer integrated circuit (IC) devices on a PC board, the better. We’ve been on a quest for smaller, lighter and cheaper since the first portable computers and mobile phones showed up 20 to 30 years ago. Read more about Less is Not More …
Abigail Ward, Market Analyst – Solar Research
IHS
The solar industry could prove to be an important opportunity for battery manufacturers in the coming years. Batteries will be deployed in a variety of solar applications, but in the near term, it is likely that small residential PV systems will provide the bulk of this demand. Read more about Why Use Batteries in Residential PV Systems? …
Scott Baer, Marketing Manager-Batteries • Emerson Network Power, Liebert Services
Under the best of conditions, all batteries have a limited life expectancy, dictated by the frequency of battery discharge and recharge. Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries with a five-year design life start to lose capacity or fail within three to five years, and this aging process can be accelerated by any number of factors, including high or improper ambient temperatures, high or low charge voltage, overcharging and over cycling, loose connections and strained battery terminals. Read more about Battery and Capacitor Replacement Keeps Backup Power Equipment in Good Health …
Igor Bimbaud, Director, New Energies
STMicroelectronics
With the Internet of Things predicted to reach at least 24 billion devices by 2020, one outstanding question is how to power all these devices connected to the cloud, and ultimately to us. Some of these devices will be directly connected to our homes’ electric lines, the long promoted Internet-connected refrigerator comes to mind. But many other devices will be portable or wearable and flexible, which, in addition to presenting power challenges, significantly restricts form factor and increases design limitations. This is particularly true of the new generation of wearable devices, which need to be fashionable as well as functional. Read more about Powering the Internet of Us …
