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:

Power efficiency and robustness in electronics design
Power Electronics / Power Management
Mouser Electronics recently announced a new eBook in collaboration with Analog Devices highlighting essential strategies for optimising power systems.

Read more...
USB Type-C-powered controllers
Future Electronics Power Electronics / Power Management
Diodes Incorporated has released two USB Type-C PD 3.1 extended power range sink controllers that can be embedded into battery-powered devices.

Read more...
Multicell battery monitoring
Altron Arrow Power Electronics / Power Management
The LTC6811 from Analog Devices is a multicell battery stack monitor that measures up to 12 series connected battery cells with a total measurement error of less than 1,2 mV.

Read more...
Full telemetry in tiny DC-DC converters
RS South Africa Power Electronics / Power Management
The FS160* series of µPOL DC-DC converters from TDK all offer full telemetry, provide increased performance, and are remarkable for extraordinary power density in the smallest sizes.

Read more...
Power IC supplies 1650 W
EBV Electrolink Power Electronics / Power Management
Power Integrations has announced a two-fold increase in power output from the HiperLCS-2 chipset with the new device now being able to deliver up to 1650 W of continuous output power.

Read more...
The factory beat
Electronic Industry Supplies Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
Change is the only constant across today’s complex manufacturing landscape. The surge of digital transformation, spearheaded by Industry 4.0, has redefined how factories operate, build, and evolve.

Read more...
High-voltage step-down DC-DC converter
Altron Arrow Power Electronics / Power Management
The MAX17793 is a high-efficiency, high-voltage, synchronous step-down DC-DC converter with integrated MOSFETs operating over an input voltage range of 3 to 80 V.

Read more...
High-voltage contactors
RS South Africa Power Electronics / Power Management
TDK Corporation has announced two new additions to its high-voltage contactor portfolio for harsh environments: the HVC43MC with integrated mirror contact and the HVC45 with enhanced short-circuit current handling capability.

Read more...
Chokes rated at 36 A
RS South Africa Power Electronics / Power Management
TDK Corporation has launched the EPCOS SurfIND series, a new range of current-compensated ring core double chokes for high currents and surface mounting.

Read more...
RF arrestor provides robust protection
RFiber Solutions Power Electronics / Power Management
NexTek’s range of coaxial RF surge and lightning arrestors are designed and built to provide robust protection for any radio or coaxial RF transmission application.

Read more...