Batteries and chargers supply longer life,
greater capacity

Friwo's chargers for NiCd and NiMH batteries have a trickle-pulse
feature that maintains battery performance even under sustained
trickle charging.

BY SPENCER CHIN
Associate Editor

Driven by the marketplace's hunger for more battery-powered equipment, battery and charger suppliers continue to introduce a steady stream of new products. The latest batteries and chargers aim to meet the market's demand for higher capacity and longer life.

In the booming market for laptops and other portable products, nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) chemistries continue to edge out nickel-cadmium (NiCd) as the technology of choice for rechargeable applications. For automotive and backup power systems, sealed-lead-acid technology remains the main choice.

Portable product batteries

Li-ion batteries have been finding their way into new portable equipment designs and are slowly surfacing in production volumes.PolyStor (Dublin, CA) has announced the first in its series of prismatic Li-ion batteries, designated the ICP-340948. Measuring 34 x 9 x 48 mm, the battery is rated for 225 Wh/l. It is designed to meet the high-rate pulse power requirements of portable digital communications devices. NiMH technology remains a strong contender in the rechargeable-battery market.Energizer Power Systems (Gainesville, FL) now offers a family of NiMH cells for high-drain applications. Designated the EMP series, the cells are available in 4/5C and C sizes having capacities of 1,600 and 2,200 mAh, respectively. Their nominal cell voltage is 1.2 V.

Energizer offers NiMH cells for high-drain applications in 4/5C
and C sizes.

Varta Batteries (Elmsford, NY) has increased the capacity of its NiMH button cells by as much as 40%. The cells are designated the V15H (15 mAh), V40H (40 mAh), V80H (80 mAh), V150H (150 mAh), and V250H (250 mAh). The batteries have a life expectancy of 1,000 cycles and operate over a –20° to +65°C range.

Plainview Batteries (Plainview, NY) offers an expanded line of SlimPak NiMH battery packs. The packs are composed of 7.7-mm prismatic cells and have a 500 to 1,000-recharge-cycle capability. The line now includes capacities of 530 and 600 mAh in 1.2-V steps from 2.4 to 12 V.

Saft (San Diego) has added a AAA cell to its VH line of NiMH cylindrical cells. Weighing just 12 g, the VH AAA cell has a minimum capacity of 550 mAh and lasts for over 500 cycles. Minimum capacity will be upgraded to 600 mAh early next year.

GN National Electric (Pomona, CA) now offers multiple-cell NiMH and NiCd button cells made by Emmerich of Germany in capacities up to 500 mAh. Rated voltages are 2.4 or 3.6 V, with 4.8 V available on order. The batteries come in a gas- and liquid-tight metal container.

Despite competition from NiMH and lithium batteries for rechargeable products, NiCd batteries are still in abundance and remain a viable choice for many low-cost consumer products.JBro Batteries (Lisle, IL) has unveiled its TPE-722SCI, a rechargeable NiCd battery for camcorders that has an LED indicator to display the amount of charge left in the battery. It is rated for 7.2 V at 2,700 mAh and measures 3.50 x 1.85 x 1.90 in.

A different twist on a rechargeable battery is the Portable Power Pack from1-800-Batteries (Reno, NV). This thin 3-lb portable battery uses what the company calls a “starved-electrolyte” lead-acid chemistry. This design enables the battery to power a laptop for up to seven hours, or a camcorder for up to 10 hours, without recharging. The battery comes with a recharging unit, an ac adapter cable, a built-in fuel gauge to monitor battery usage, and a carrying case.

Lead-acid

In lead-acid bat-teries,Hawker Energy Products (Warrensburg, MO) has introduced its XT series of valve-regulated, lead-acid batteries. Four models are available, designated the XT 16, XT 30, XT 40, and XT 70, with capacities of 16, 27, 42, and 69 Ah, respectively. The lead-acid batteries deliver more than 300 full-depth-of-discharge cycles at the C/5 charging rate, and provide over 10 years of float life at 25°C.

The XT series lead-acid battery from Hawker Energy Products is available
in capacities of 16, 27, 42, or 69 Ah.

Eagle-Picher (Seneca, MO) now offers the CFM 12V29FR, a lead-acid battery rated for 12 V and 29 Ah at the 20-hour discharge rate. It provides 8 years of life at 25°C in standby applications and comes in a fire-resistant case. No external metal case is required.

Eagle-Picher's CFM 12V29FR is rated for 12 V and 29 Ah at a 20-hour
discharge rate.

Yuasa-Exide (Reading, PA) has introduced the Dynacel/DGX, a lead-acid battery that provides 1,200 operating cycles at 80% depth of discharge to 1.75 V/cell. Capacity ranges from 170 to 4,080 Ah, depending on the configuration. The battery has a flame-retardant polypropylene container and cover.

The Dynacel/DGX lead-acid battery provides 1,200 operating cycles
at 80% depth of discharge to 1.75 V/cell.

In lithium-thionyl-chloride batteries, Battery Engineering (Canton, MA) has introduced its Type 64-152, a No. 6 size battery that replaces up to nine parallel D cells. The battery has a 300-Wh/kg energy density and provides a discharge capacity of 135 Ah down to 2 V. Supplied in a stainless-steel case, the cell measures 2.5 (Dia) x 6 (L) in.

Battery Engineering's Type 64-152 lithium-thionyl-chloride battery
replaces up to nine D cells.

Tadiran Electronic Industries (Port Washington, NY) has introduced a line of lithium-thionyl-chloride batteries for automotive and electronic-toll systems. The batteries come in coin cell, AA, and 1/2AA cylindrical versions. They operate over a –55° to +125°C or –55° to +150°C range, depending on the version, and have a maximum service life of 15 to 20 years.

Battery chargers

The latest battery chargers allow rapid recharging without damaging the batteries. For instance,Friwo North America (Frederick, MD) has developed a line of chargers for NiCd and NiMH batteries. The chargers' integrated circuitry can recharge deeply discharged batteries without causing unit overload. The chargers also have a trickle-pulse feature that enables the batteries to maintain performance even during long periods of trickle charging.

Pillar Industries (Duarte, CA) has introduced the BC-0760R, a lead-acid charger with an 8-hour charge cycle. The unit has a primary full-load current of 135 mA at an input voltage of 120 Vac at 60 Hz. The secondary no-load voltage is 13.0 Vdc at 120-Vac, 60-Hz input. Overcharge protection is standard.