Optimising battery design for performance

As batteries are often considered too late in the design process, design engineers usually present battery integrators with a finished product and a space for the battery to fill. However, this often causes problems in terms of the battery size and the power density required, which could lead to a shorter runtime.

By involving the battery designers earlier in the design process, OEMs can effectively design the product with the battery in mind, so that it takes minimal space but delivers maximum performance.

“By working with battery experts early in the design process, OEMs can avoid mistakes that could affect the performance, reliability or safety of their product,” explained Michele Windsor. “There are a number of strict regulatory requirements for batteries to protect the end users, so it is important for companies to work with battery experts to be sure of their compliance.”

Battery safety considerations are holistic and multi-layered, factors that OEMs often fail to prioritise. These include cell selection, use-case and environmental conditions. Battery manufacturers need to understand the application in minute detail so that protection against overcharge, over-discharge, over-current and over-temperature can be integrated successfully.

OEMs should also be concerned about battery counterfeiting. With a growing battery grey market, end users are sometimes replacing original batteries with unauthorised, often fake, batteries, which may not have been tested to the same safety standards.

To reduce the chance of any harm to the end user, OEMs should introduce batteries with algorithmic security, which can display a pop-up message or shut the device off when a fake battery is detected.