Lifepo4 Battery Advantages And Disadvantages

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In general batteries are into two categories. Primary batteries are non-rechargeable and are commonly found in consumer electronic products. Common primary batteries include zinc-carbon, zinc-alkaline-MnO2, zinc-air, and lithium batteries. Secondary batteries are distinguished by their ability to recharge. Examples include lead-acid, Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH), and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. For vehicular applications, secondary batteries are the preferred for power source or load-leveling devices. Other possible options include fuel cells and ultra-capacitors.
The energy density and power density provided by the different secondary battery chemistries as well as their cost are important factors for determining …show more content…

The LiFePO4 batteries are the safest type of Lithium batteries as they will not overheat, and even if punctured they will not catch on fire. The cathode material in LiFePO4 batteries is not hazardous, and so poses no negative health hazards or environmental hazards. Due to the oxygen being bonded tightly to the molecule, there is no danger of the battery erupting into flames like there is with Lithium-Ion. The chemistry is so stable that LiFePO4 batteries will accept a charge from a lead-acid configured charger. Though less energy-dense than the Lithium-Ion and Lithium Polymer, Iron and Phosphate are abundant and cheaper to extract so costs are much more reasonable. LiFePO4 life expectancy is approximately 5-7 years. Lithium-Ion batteries and Lithium Polymer batteries are the most energy dense of the Lithium batteries, but they are lacking in safety. The most common type of Lithium-Ion is LiCoO2, or Lithium Cobalt Oxide. In this chemistry, the oxygen is not strongly bonded to the cobalt, so when the battery heats up, such as in rapid charging or discharging, or just heavy use, the battery can catch fire. This could be especially disastrous in high pressure environments such as airplanes, or in large applications such as electric vehicles. To help counteract this problem, devices that use Lithium-Ion and Lithium Polymer batteries are required to have extremely sensitive and often expensive electronics to monitor them. While Lithium Ion batteries have an intrinsically high energy density, after one year of use the capacity of the Lithium Ion will have fallen so much that the LiFePO4 will have the same energy density, and after two years LiFePO4 will have significantly greater energy density. Another disadvantage of these types is that Cobalt can be hazardous, raising both health concerns and environmental disposal costs. The projected life of a

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