Power Electronics / Power Management


Contacting solutions for various battery geometries

26 October 2022 Power Electronics / Power Management

The battery is a key technology for the step towards sustainable energy storage. In particular, the focus is on much needed green efficiency and forced reduction of CO2 emissions. It is fundamental that movement requires energy. Similarly, range requires the possibility of efficient and highly capacitive energy storage, and this results in the need for highly developed and economical batteries.

The challenge in the measurement and testing procedures create varying requirements. High currents of up to 600 A defines the testing product required. Furthermore, it may sometimes be necessary to penetrate the native oxide layers on the tabs/terminals with the test probe. A low-resistance, cross-section maximised contact point enables the transmission of high currents.

INGUN not only offers products for contacting high currents, but also for four-wire and temperature measurement on the contact surface, and for diverse installation situations accommodating the most varied battery geometries. INGUN’s product portfolio is scalable and modular in design.


Figure 2. Four-pole clamp for pouch-type cells.

Cylindrical battery cells are the most frequently used geometry in the spectrum of standardised cell variants. While they are listed for household purposes as A/AA/AAA, in the e-mobility sector they are known as sizes 1865, 2170, and the newly developed 4680 cell. In the test procedure, the cylindrical shape basically represents an easy-to-contact outer geometry and accessibility of the terminals. The application range of the rated currents is between 2 and 200 A.

Pouch cells allow freedom in term of their basic shape and design, as well offering energy density in the middle range. The currents for forming, charging/discharging, and testing are correspondingly high due to the higher capacities and outputs. The application of specialised contacting solutions by means of clamping technology are used here with the applications having rated currents between 20 and 400 A.

The prismatic cell is the most energy-dense cell among the respective cell geometries. Due to the compact, robust shape of the housing, it is the preferred application in the automotive sector. Various options for mounting contact elements can be provided on the battery tabs/terminals. However, due to the high currents of between 200 and 400 A and the oxide layers, contacting the poles is considerably more difficult. However, this test challenge can be mastered sustainably with the help of INGUN products which can provide a range of high-current probes.


Figure 3. High-current probes for prismatic cells.

The testing of battery cells requires reliable, low-resistance contacting, with as little mechanical stress as possible, even at high currents up to 600 A. With specialised four-wire measurement solutions and durable contact surfaces, INGUN provides reliable, efficient contacting solutions for battery cells, and the precise measurement of currents and voltages directly at the terminals.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Wine farm turns to solar installation for power
Current Automation Power Electronics / Power Management
Slanghoek Wine farm opted into a power purchase agreement to lower overall electricity costs and enter a true sustainable future, with a price-competitive edge on lower running costs.

Read more...
Industrial PSU family
Brabek Power Electronics / Power Management
The RACPRO1 family of PSUs supports a universal DC input voltage range from 430 to 850 V DC, allowing the parts to support renewable energy and microgrid applications.

Read more...
Integrated POL voltage regulators
EBV Electrolink Power Electronics / Power Management
Infineon’s TDA38807 and TDA38806 are their highest density high-efficiency integrated point-of-load (IPOL) solutions for smart enterprise systems.

Read more...
Hi-Rel quarter-brick converters
Accutronics Power Electronics / Power Management
Gaia Converter’s quarter-brick series DC-DC power modules provides output power levels ranging from 75 to 250 W in fixed output voltages.

Read more...
1700 V GaN Switcher IC
Future Electronics Power Electronics / Power Management
Power Integrations has introduced a new member of its InnoMux-2 family of single-stage regulated multi-output offline power supply ICs, the industry’s first 1700 V gallium nitride switch.

Read more...
How ADI battery management solutions empower safer, smarter robots
Altron Arrow Editor's Choice Power Electronics / Power Management
Choosing an appropriate battery pack and its accompanying battery management system is a critical decision in designing an autonomous mobile robot.

Read more...
Industrial power supply range
RFiber Solutions Power Electronics / Power Management
SynQor’s ruggedised AC-DC and DC-DC converters and filters are designed for a wide range of industrial applications, including those required to withstand harsh environments.

Read more...
PSUs for industrial applications
Power Electronics / Power Management
RECOM’s REDIIN120/240/480 series of AC-DC converters perfectly corresponds with customer needs by exhibiting high efficiency and low energy consumption at no load.

Read more...
Highest density automotive-grade power modules
Altron Arrow Power Electronics / Power Management
Vicor has released three automotive-grade power modules for 48 V EV systems, which deliver industry-leading power density.

Read more...
MOSFET for automotive applications
Altron Arrow Power Electronics / Power Management
Infineon’s OptiMOS 7 100 V is offered in the company’s versatile and robust, high-current SSO8 5 x 6 mm2 SMD package.

Read more...