Traction battery

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See also: tractor battery (car battery)

A traction battery is a battery used to provide motive power for an electric vehicle(all-electric or hybrid electric vehicle). Traction batteries are used in forklifts, electric "Golf carts," riding floor scrubbers, electric motorcycles, and other electric vehicles.

Overview

Traction batteries differ from starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) batteries because they are designed to give power over sustained periods of time. Deep cycle batteries are used instead of SLI batteries for this application. All batteries are composed of cells, wired in series and parallel circuits to achieve the appropriate voltage and ampere-hour capacity. Traction batteries must be designed with a high ampere hour capacity, usually a larger voltage (12v and up). The mark of a superior battery is optimized weight to volume (power density), and weight to power ratios (lb/AH+). The vehicle will be required to carry the battery, so the lighter, smaller, and more powerful the better.

Traction batteries are routinely abused in real life, as work schedules require, they are used all day, and fast charged all night. These fast charging rates with large chargers keep the implements on a 24 hour schedule, but put the batteries to the test. Forklifts, for instance, are usually discharged and recharged every 24 hours of the work week on a dock.

Market

The market for car traction batteries will be over $37 billion in 2020. Few markets have ignored the global financial meltdown and continued to grow extremely rapidly. Car traction batteries are one of these, so it is not surprising that they are referred to as the new gold rush. One way of prospering in a gold rush is to "get there first and sell shovels". This is a high stakes game. that will be key to saving the planet and the car industry and those hit by dependence on declining oil reserves. Appropriately, it has been said that, "In future, the battery is the car". The winning supplier will create a new, highly profitable ten billion dollar activity and there will be many prospering niche players and materials and technology suppliers. ^[1]

Types of Traction Batteries available today

Lead-acid battery

Flooded lead-acid batteries are the cheapest and most common traction batteries available, usually discharged to roughly 80%. They will accept high charge rates for fast charges. However, when fast charging, these can be messy. Flooded batteries do require maintenance, and are not for use in public area as per some federal and state laws.

Absorbed Glass Mat valve regulated (AGM) deep cycle lead acid batteries are more expensive as it takes more to build them, but with reduced internal resistance and more pure lead contents, they charge more quickly and house more power in a smaller package than their flooded brothers. However, they are only to be discharged to 50% to maximize life cycles¹. AGM offers power, without the mess, outstanding charge times, and are OSHA approved for public spaces. AGM Batteries will not crack or freeze but they do go dormant at -40 F.¹

Both varieties of Lead Acid battery (flooded and AGM) are over 98% recyclable, and are therefore some of the best for the environment. ²

Nickel metal hydride battery

NiMH batteries have an alkaline electrolyte, usually potassium hydroxide and are a dry cell alternative to the flooded lead acid varieties above. However, they are very expensive.

Lithium ion battery

The Lithium ion battery could replace them all, and many hybrids are starting to use them. However, this battery is cost prohibitive at this time for many applications.

Nickel-cadmium battery

Nickel-cadmium batteries require proper disposal due to their content of cadmium.

Fuel cell

Fuel cells running on hydrogen or other fuels are in development, but they are not considered batteries.

Evaluation

Responding to the expanding market and needs, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) established March 1, 2009, a new section for conducting integrated and all-around research and development of power storage technologies, to maintain the superiority and competitiveness of the Japanese storage battery industry. The section for the development of power storage technologies is promoting the development of technologies for attaining the limit performance of Li-ion secondary batteries (rechargeable batteries). Also, it will develop and expand the use of an innovative storage battery that is superior to Li-ion batteries by promoting international standardization of safety and lifetime evaluation methods. Furthermore, the new section will support the forming of a cross-disciplinary consortium for the development of storage battery technologies.^[2]

Developers and Producers

See also

• Electric vehicle battery
• Nanotechnology

External links

• Car Traction Batteries - the New Gold Rush 2010-2020 (IDTechEx).
• AGM Deep Cycle Battery Graphs
• Lead Acid Batteries and the Environment
• Traction Batteries Construction
• Glossary of Battery Terms and Definitions

References

1. ^ http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/car_traction_batteries_the_new_gold_rush_2010_2020_000232.asp
2. ^ http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090303/166595/
3. ^ http://www.abat.com.cn
4. ^ http://www.eco-aesc.com/en/
5. ^ http://www.axeon.com
6. ^ http://www.sionpower.com
7. ^ http://www.bluenergy.com
8. ^ http://www.bak.com.cn
9. ^ http://www.codaautomotive.com
10. ^ http://www.eastpenn-deka.com
11. ^ http://www.ener1.com
12. ^ http://www.enerize.com
13. ^ http://www.fifebatteries.com
14. ^ http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp
15. ^ http://www.inciholding.com/pages/en-us/home.aspx
16. ^ http://green.autoblog.com/2009/04/14/four-battery-makers-announce-plans-to-build-battery-plants-in-mi/
17. ^ http://www.next-alternative.com
18. ^ http://www.ecolocap.com
19. ^ http://www.peve.jp/e/index.html
20. ^ http://www.polyplus.com
21. ^ http://www.revolttechnology.com
22. ^ http://www.sakti3.com
23. ^ http://www.superlatticepower.com