TD HiTech Announces Innovative Heat-Dissipation Solution for Li-Ion Battery Packs
2011/09/15 | By Quincy LiangTD HiTech Energy Inc., a battery management system (BMS) developer as well as battery-pack and -module manufacturer that operates under Taiwan's Welldone Group, recently announced major breakthroughs in battery-pack heat dissipation technology that are claimed to delay battery decay, prolong battery life, and greatly upgrade the reliability and safety of battery packs.
Yang Mo-hua, president of TD HiTech and a veteran lithium-ion battery scientist, said that the new technology would be used in the company's products to further upgrade its international competitiveness.
TD HiTech has accumulated more than 10 years of experiences and know-how in battery-pack assembly, and is a leader in the development of BMSs for light electric vehicles (LEVs). The company is currently the largest supplier of lithium-ion battery packs for electric bicycles and electric scooters; it has built up a strong market foothold not only in Taiwan, but also in Europe and the U.S. "We don't produce lithium-ion power cells ourselves," Yang explained, "but we have been trying to find qualified cell makers and utilize our expertise in electronics and mechanisms to custom-develop the most suitable battery packs for their global customers. This, in my personal opinion, is the most efficient business model for both our customers and ourselves in the rapidly rising EV application market."
Yang introduced TD HiTech's new battery-pack heat-dissipation solution, which provides protection for both battery pack circuits and mechanisms, at a recent press conference. Yang pointed out that the circuit protection utilizes chipsets on a battery-pack printed circuit board (PCB) to detect and record each cell cluster's health conditions, and the protection system can constantly provide updated battery operating conditions and lifespan information.
The protection mechanism, according to Yang, includes a harder battery pack and a patented method of homogenizing each cell's temperature when the battery is discharging. This optimizes the battery pack's performance.
In addition, Yang stressed, TD HiTech has developed a special-alloy heat-guide plate to connect each power cell in a battery pack. The special alloy can lower the impedance of each contact point on the cells so as to reduce the amount of heat generated. TD HiTech has also developed its own automatic welding equipment to further upgrade the reliability of the production process from the 90% that is typical of power-cell pack makers that use hand-welding. Furthermore, the president stressed, the new alloy is cheaper, and offers better conductivity, than most other materials used for the purpose.
Working for Further Improvements
With its recent technological breakthroughs, Yang said, his company is working on even-higher-capacity power cells for vehicle battery packs. His company expects to introduce battery packs with 50% more power capacity than same-size counterparts in 2012.
According to TD HiTech data, the company's new heat-dissipation solution has many advantages compared to a general 48V (13S11P) e-scooter battery pack: a 28% reduction in battery impedance, a 26% drop in maximum battery working temperature (from 63.1 to 47degreesCelsius), a much lower temperature difference between different cells (5 degrees, compared with the usual 15-20 degrees), a 40% greater discharge lifespan (from 500 to 700 times), and a 10% increase in discharging capacity (from 20 Ah to 22 Ah).
"TD HiTech always insists on safety, intelligence, efficiency, and reliability in our products," Yang said. "We do not produce the cells, but we are the best at choosing the most suitable cells and optimizing pack systems. Our company will continue to adopt better and more advanced materials, improved mechanism designs, and technology-leading electronic monitoring systems so that our pack products will achieve the highest standards of safety and customer trust."
Two of the firm's battery packs, the 48V/20Ah and 48V/16Ah, have passed TES (Taiwan E-Scooter Standard) certification, qualifying them for government subsidies. The company showcased a new 24V/36V 10Ah pack model at the 2011 Taipei International Cycle Show, and plans to introduce an “Energybus” universal battery charger jointly developed with Panasonic Electronic of Germany very soon.
Yang reported that his company shipped about 50,000 battery packs to customers worldwide, including Magna of Canada, major e-bike brands in Europe, and e-bike and e-scooter makers in Taiwan last year. Its goal for 2011 is 100,000 packs.
The president noted that 700,000 to 800,000 e-bikes were sold in Europe in 2010, and that the volume is expected to increase to about one million units this year. "TD HiTech's major markets are in Europe and Taiwan--mainly for makers who export their high-level products--and in China we have been trying to find strategic partners for business development," he commented. "We are optimistic about the e-scooter market in Taiwan, which is now winning strong subsidy support from the government. In 2010, more than 3,000 e-scooters were sold and the number is expected to reach 20,000 units.”
“TD HiTech supplied the battery packs for a major portion of the e-scooters sold in Taiwan during the past two years. We are also anticipating the take off of the e-scooter market in Europe. Some companies in Germany have deployed e-scooter fleets, while some in Italy have kicked off e-scooter leasing businesses. I think these developments will to accelerate the growth of e-scooter sales in Europe."
Yang stressed that TD HiTech is now the largest and most experienced supplier of lithium-ion power-cell battery packs in Taiwan, with a monthly production capacity that currently stands at about 10,000 packs—a figure that the company is trying very hard to upgrade to 15,000 packs.
Advantages of TD HiTech's New Pack Heat-Dissipation Solution | ||||
| Traditional Li-ion Pack | TD HiTech's New Pack | Benefits | Technology Applied | |
| Battery Impedance | 59.2 mΩ | 42.6 mΩ (-28%) | Longer cruise range, lower pack temperature | New materials Automatic welding |
| Max. Working Temperature | 63.1 degree Celsius | 47.0 degree Celsius (-26%) | Longer cruise range, higher safety, longer battery life | Heat management |
| Cell Temperature. Difference | 15-20 degree Celsius | 5 degree Celsius (-66%) | Longer cruise range, greater safety, longer battery life | Heat management New materials |
| Life Span (80%) | 500 times | 700 times (+40%) | Longer battery life | Heat management New materials Automatic welding |
| Discharging Capacity (2C Discharging) | 20 Ah | 22Ah (+10%) | Longer cruise range, enhance hill-climbing capability | Heat management New materials Automatic welding |
| Source: TD HiTech. | ||||