When it comes
to the computing products, Smartphones are at the forefront. These smart
devices are penetrating the Indian and the world market at the lightening
speed. However, one big challenge for smartphone manufacturers that still
remains quite prominent is, “ how to match the pace of improving features with
the battery life”?
Smartphones are
evolving in terms of performance, higher-speed data, better video, and gaming,
a more vivid and detailed screen but their Li-ion pouch cell batteries can’t
keep up this pace. Every smartphone or tablet user requires a battery that
works seamlessly for longer hours. This is the reason why smartphone manufacturers are spending millions to figure out how these Li-Ion batteries
can match the advancing features of smartphones.
So, to help you
make a perfect choice, let us know few things about smartphone/tablet
batteries.
Battery bag: Smartphone and tablets comprise of Li-Ion
Pouch cells that contain layered anode and cathode sheets with separators and a
permeating liquid electrolyte among all these layers. A single Li-Ion Pouch
cell is a sealed bag of these cathode and anode sheets. In a smartphone, there
is usually one such cell while in tablets there are several cells. At the end
of the battery, there is a printed circuit board that is connected to the
positive and negative terminals of each cell and provides protection against
short circuits. These pouch cells are fragile and their durability depends on
the smartphone case.
Keep it cool: It is very important to maintain a cool
climate for smartphone batteries. The standard Li-ion chemistry depends on an
electrolyte that reacts with residual moisture to create hydrofluoric acid, the
most corrosive of all chemical compounds. This process doubles when there is an
increase in the temperature thus reducing cycle time and run time of batteries
over a period of time.
Runtime depends on density: The run-time
of a battery depends on the energy density of a Li-ion pouch cell. As the
electronics are becoming more advanced with dazzling features, the battery manufacturer in India and other
countries are working more to increase the energy density. This is why
non-replaceable Li-Ion pouch batteries are more popular as there is no need of a
protective case, which in reality is of no use apart from protection. Without a
protective case, companies manufacture batteries that are thinner and pack more
run-time.
New chemistry for batteries: Battery manufacturing in India is
mainly based on Li-Ion chemistry. To improve the feature vs. run-time battle,
smartphone manufacturers are experimenting with this chemistry to improve
energy density. For this, a new Li-Imide electrolyte is being used for future
batteries that do not generate hydrofluoric acid thus giving thermal stability
to the battery and improves its life.
Smartphone batteries are heavier: As the smartphones
are getting smarter allowing us to do multiple tasks such as video watching,
internet surfing and playing games, their battery needs to provide more power
to larger screens and for graphics. Therefore, the batteries of smartphones are
heavier.
Factors affecting energy density: Energy
density of a battery is affected by the width and length of Li-ion pouch
cell. When the pouch is in packaging,
the volumetric density decreases as the pouch gets thinner and volume increases
is that of packaging. When other things
are equal, a narrow and thick battery gives better volumetric density than a
square one as the PCB installed on the short edge of a narrow battery gives
more room for active materials to store actual energy.
Battery
manufacturers are continuously working on the challenges faced by Li-Ion
batteries and putting in efforts to take them to next level. It is expected
that new active materials with new electrolyte can give a 20% boost in run-time
per charge in the same size battery. we have already got some improvements in
the batteries and some more future generation batteries are yet to come in the
market.
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