What are cryogenic batteries? What are the advantages and uses of cryogenic lithium-ion batteries? At this time, most parts of my country are experiencing low temperatures, and many electronic products, including electrical appliances and other battery-operated products, are affected by these low temperatures. Many people's first reaction upon hearing about cryogenic batteries might be: What are cryogenic batteries? What are their uses?
What is a low-temperature battery?
Low-temperature batteries are special batteries specifically developed to address the inherent low-temperature limitations of chemical power sources. They utilize VGCF and activated carbon with a specific surface area of (2000±500) m²/g as additives, along with matching positive and negative electrode materials. A special electrolyte with added additives is injected to ensure the low-temperature discharge capability. Simultaneously, the volume change rate after being stored at 70°C for 24 hours is ≤0.5%, exhibiting the safety and storage capabilities of conventional lithium-ion batteries.
Low-temperature batteries refer to lithium-ion batteries with an operating temperature below -40℃. They are primarily used in specialized aerospace, automotive equipment, scientific research and disaster relief, power communication, public safety, medical electronics, railways, ships, and robotics. Low-temperature lithium-ion batteries are classified by discharge performance into energy storage type and rate-capacity type. They are also classified by application into special-purpose low-temperature lithium-ion batteries and industrial low-temperature lithium-ion batteries. Finally, they are classified by their operating environment into three series: civilian low-temperature batteries, special-purpose low-temperature batteries, and extreme environment low-temperature batteries.
The main applications of low-temperature batteries include: special applications, aerospace, polar scientific research, cold-weather disaster relief, power communication, public safety, medical electronics, railways, ships, and robotics.
Advantages and applications of low-temperature lithium-ion batteries
Low-temperature lithium-ion batteries have advantages such as light weight, high specific energy, and long lifespan, and are widely used in various electronic devices. Among them, low-temperature polymer lithium-ion batteries also have advantages such as simple packaging, easy modification of battery geometry, ultra-light and ultra-thin design, and high safety, making them the power source for many mobile electronic products.
Ordinary civilian batteries cannot be used at -20℃, while low-temperature lithium-ion batteries can still function normally at -50℃. Currently, low-temperature batteries are generally used in environments at or below ℃. In addition to communication power supplies, special mobile power supplies, signal power supplies, and power supplies for small power equipment also require low-temperature batteries. These power supplies also have low-temperature performance requirements when working in the field.
my country's ongoing space exploration programs, including spaceflight and lunar landing, all require high-performance energy storage, particularly cryogenic lithium-ion batteries. Specialized communication products place even stricter demands on battery characteristics, especially the ability to maintain communication even at low temperatures. Therefore, the development of cryogenic lithium-ion batteries is of great significance to the development of specialized and aerospace industries.
Low-temperature lithium-ion batteries are widely used due to their advantages such as light weight, high specific energy and long life. They are made of special materials and processes and are suitable for use in sub-zero cold environments.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have successfully developed a low-temperature lithium iron phosphate lithium-ion power battery that can maintain its room-temperature performance at temperatures as low as -60°C. Currently, the main types of low-temperature batteries that can be commercialized are low-temperature lithium iron phosphate batteries and polymer low-temperature lithium-ion batteries, both of which have relatively mature technologies.
Features of low-temperature lithium iron phosphate batteries
● Excellent low-temperature performance: At -40℃ with a discharge rate of 0.5C, the discharge capacity exceeds 60% of the initial capacity; at -35℃ with a discharge rate of 0.3C, the discharge capacity exceeds 70% of the initial capacity.
● Wide operating temperature range, -40℃ to 55℃;
●The low-temperature lithium iron phosphate battery retains more than 93% of its capacity after 300 cycles at a discharge rate of 0.2c at -20℃.
● The discharge curves of the low-temperature lithium iron phosphate battery at different temperatures show that it can discharge from -40℃ to 55℃.
Low-temperature lithium iron phosphate batteries are a new technology developed through long-term research and testing. Special functional raw materials are added to the electrolyte, and the superior raw materials and technology ensure that the battery can still discharge efficiently at extremely low temperatures. These low-temperature lithium iron phosphate batteries are widely used in low-temperature fields such as special equipment, special aerospace industry, diving equipment, polar scientific research, power communication, public security, and medical electronics.
