Introduction

Lithium Ion Battery  – The lithium-ion battery, also called Li-Ion battery, is a device with two or three energy cells designed to store electrical energy that uses a lithium salt as an electrolyte that obtains the necessary ions for the reversible electrochemical reaction that takes place between the cathode and the anode.

The properties of Li-ion batteries, such as the lightness of its components, its high energy capacity and resistance to discharge, together with the little memory effect that 6 suffers or its ability to function with an increased number of regeneration cycles, have made it possible to design lightweight accumulators, small in size and various shapes, with high performance, specially adapted to applications in the consumer electronics industry. 7 Since the first commercialization of an accumulator based on Li-ion technology in the early 1990s, its use has become popular in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and wireless speakers.

What Are Essential For Energy Storage Of Lithium-Ion Batteries?

The future of decarbonization depends, among other factors, on adequate energy storage. Whether on a minor scale in, for instance, an electric car or on a giant ruler in the supply network. That’s where lithium-ion batteries enter the scene, the most competitive today. Next, we know its elements, its operation, its advantages, and what its role will be in a sustainable horizon.

Your wireless headphones, mobile phone, smartwatch, solar panel installation, or electric car would not have been possible just a couple of decades ago. This revolution has occurring thanks, among other things, to lithium-ion batteries. These batteries can store more energy in less space than the others. For this reason, they will be essential in the future of energy storage in the face of the challenges of climate change, which go through decarbonization and renewable energies.

The cost of lithium-ion batteries has dropped by 85% since 2010 and is will expects to drop by another in the next decade. As energy storage analyst explains, “Lithium-ion has a significant advantage over other alternative storage technologies. And that is none other than economies of scale.” That is to say, its progressive adoption is making costs increasingly lower.

What Are The Features Of The Charging Of Lithium Ion Batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are the following parts: a negative electrode or anode from which the electrons come out and a positive electrode or cathode that obtains them. When the battery is connecting. Likewise, the lithium ions arrive at the anode when the battery is stimulating.

Batteries, in turn, are made up of one or several cells and, depending on their final use, there are different types: cylindrical cells, uses in most electric vehicles, consist of sheets of other components that are rolled up to form a cylinder, while flat cells, such as those will be  creates in mobile phones and laptops, use lithium-ion polymer in the form of stacked sheets.

What Is The Valuable Life Of The Batteries?

The vast majority of batteries are Lithium-ion, like most portable electronic devices, since it is the current technology with a better balance between energy density and price. However, the first electric bicycles will work with lead batteries that increasing  the weight of the bicycle to more than 40kg.

According to most manufacturers, the useful life of a Lithium-ion battery ranges between 500 and 1,100 complete charge cycles. Theoretically, a cyclist who uses the bicycle daily to cover about 15km and makes the equivalent of two weekly charges could use the battery for almost ten years. However, in practice, it must be taken into account that just as it happens with other devices, the battery suffers slight wear annually regardless of the use. Some manufacturers quantify up to 5%, so it is not surprising that it has lost a significant part of its capacity after 4 or 5 years, despite continuing to function.

What Is The Charging Time Of A Battery?

The time of a full charge varies mainly depending on the total capacity of the battery, its voltage, and the transformer. As a guide, charging powers range between 50 and 150W, and charging times between 2.5 and 4 hours. In any case, most manufacturers provide this information. Once the charge is complete, most transformers stop consuming, so there is no problem leaving the battery charging overnight.

How Much Does A Battery Weigh?

Higher capacity batteries also weigh more, with differences that can reach 3 or 4 kg. In this sense, the most recommends is adjusting the battery’s size to the type of majority use you want to make of the bicycle.

What Maintenance Do I Have To Do To The Battery?

We leave you some maintenance tips, but we recommend consulting the instruction manual providing  by each manufacturer to know more precisely what care each battery must receive.

• Before the first use, charge it up to 100%, as long as it is not fully charged from the factory.
• Frequently charge the batteries without waiting for them to discharge completely. You don’t have to do it after each use, but keep in mind that the battery works a little better when it is above 50%.
• Always store batteries in dry and ventilating places between 10 and 30 °C. During the winter, when it is freezing, it is recommends to keep the batteries indoors if the bicycle is parked in a garage or storage room.
• If you plan not to use the battery for a long time, the ideal is to leave it with a charge level between 50 and 60%, neither very empty nor fully charged. In addition, a full charge should be carry out at least every three months.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Lithium Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have several advantages comparing to traditional nickel-hydride or nickel-cadmium rechargeable battery technology. They charge in less time and take longer to discharge, but they also have a lower energy density. Superior, they have no memory effect and practically do not lose charge when not used, etc.

However, like any technology, they have certain disadvantages relates mainly to protection (they must incorporate systems to prevent overloading and overheating) and cost (despite the reduction mentioned earlier in charge, their manufacture continues to be around 40% more expensive than the of nickel-cadmium).

Conclusion

A lithium-ion or Li-Ion battery is a rechargeable battery that uses lithium compounds as one of the electrodes. In 1985, Akira Yoshino developed the prototype based on earlier research by John Goodenough and other experts during the 1970s. Later, a team at Sony developed the first commercial lithium-ion battery in 1991. Further advances were incorporated over the years, especially in using nickel, manganese, and cobalt oxide (NMC) cathodes, improving charge density, performance, and safety.