This technology imparts numerous advantages to the industry due to its
characteristics:
- High specific energy: more energy
stored in power units that are smaller than
lead-acid batteries.
- Increased energy efficiency: they
heat up less and are more proficient than
lead-acid when charging and discharging.
The battery can charge and discharge with
high intensity without degrading or deteriorating in only 3 or 4 hours.
This feature makes them very suitable for
equipment that must transport heavy loads
at high speeds and accelerations.
- Long operational life: the battery life
can be quadrupled when compared to traditional ones, depending on the particular
lithium-ion technology.
- Non-contaminating: does not contain
heavy metals or contaminants. Moreover, once its operational life is over it is not
necessary to process them as toxic waste.
They do not emit fumes during the charging
process.
- No maintenance is required.
- Better performance at low temperatures: Li-ion technology can work in a very
broad temperature range without degrading or its life is shortened.
However, it has some disadvantages:
- Electronic circuit protection: the components forming the batteries are safeguarded by an electronic circuit protection. That said, this also allows the device
to know the status of the battery and thus
optimize charging, discharging and its operational life.
- Charging at negative temperatures:
the batteries cannot be charged below
32 °F. When they work in cold storage, it is
essential to place the charging station outside the installation. Otherwise, the battery
must be warmed during charging.
- Better watt-hour cost: the cost per unit
of stored energy is higher than lead-acid
batteries. Nevertheless, this increased cost
is offset by the long life of a Li-ion battery,
which ends up reducing the total cost per
cycle.
The lithium-ion batteries provide
high-performance in cold and frozen storage
