Our world is increasingly powered by rechargeable batteries. As engineers and designers, the decisions that we make during product development regarding power management, battery type, integration and implementation strategy can have a consequential impact on the success of the product and your ability to achieve your business goals. Nothing kills a successful product launch faster than customer reports of devices overheating and catching fire. There is a steady stream of bad news about rechargeable devices and products from reputable companies failing in spectacular ways. Fire is bad, and it is terrible for business.
With this cautionary tale in mind, entrepreneurs and businesses that are developing exciting new rechargeable products should carefully consider their envisioned product’s use case and value proposition. And develop a power management and battery strategy that balances performance, size, reliability and risk (e.g. safety).
Here are a couple of thoughts to consider that will help your development team avoid future troubles:
· Avoid the bleeding edge
· Don’t trust the power source
· Choose your supplier carefully
cutting edge PRODUCT? does your battery need to be?
We live in a connected world, and our mobility is often determined by how long our batteries last. Device and battery manufacturers are under intense competitive pressure to squeeze a few more milliamp-hours into a smaller package at a lower cost. While the rapid advances in battery technology development are very exciting, they are also risky. More capacity in a smaller space usually means thinner separators between the electrodes, which means a higher risk of internal short circuits and thermal runaway, or what is commonly known as “venting with flame”.
That sounds daunting, but the fast pace and pressure of battery development can be used to your advantage. There are numerous companies with products pushing the envelope in this space. Does your company need to be one of them? Is a longer battery life or higher peak current essential to enabling your technology and meeting your customer’s needs, or is it merely a “nice to have” feature? It might make more sense to stay a few months behind the technology curve, leveraging what has already been proven in the field and is being produced with a more mature manufacturing process.
There are many risk/reward trade-offs that come up during any product’s development, and you should think carefully about whether the battery should be one of them. At Diatomic Product Development, we understand how to strike a balance between competing product requirements and priorities. We work closely with you early in the process to find the right technology strategy for your product and then help you navigate this minefield as the design progresses, ultimately delivering a reliable product that meets your customer’s needs.
USB chargers are convenienT AND ubiquitous, but…
The familiar USB port is the current standard for charging devices and products. Wireless charging is on the rise and is quickly gaining traction for many mobile devices. There are many aftermarket options built around these standards for charging our devices. Ranging from charging hubs and mats, to wall-warts, to car chargers, to external battery packs, and even our venerable personal computer. Non-standard charging solutions have become less common, mostly because customers are not interested in carrying around yet another type of charger that works only for a single device. As such, it seems like a no-brainer to integrate USB or wireless charging into your new product. There are standards for both. So, what’s the problem?
An inordinate number of catastrophic battery failures occur during charging. This can be caused by battery defects, an improperly managed charging profile (temperature, current, and state-of-charge are each very important), or an out-of-spec battery charger. One issue with relying on aftermarket charging solutions is that you don’t always know what you are getting. While your design may follow all the rules for being powered from a USB port or wireless charging device, can you guarantee that the company manufacturing that cheap charger available online is doing the same thing?
At Diatomic Product Development, we don’t expect the average consumer to be technically savvy enough to validate the specs of their charger, so we design the product’s power storage and management system accordingly, with out-of-spec chargers in mind and an eye for redundant protection schemes that don’t overinflate your COGS. We are experienced in working with safety agencies, such as UL. We can help you get your certification on the first try, further reducing your development costs and risks.
I can trust this battery supplier…right?
A simple web search quickly yields numerous options for purchasing batteries online. Alibaba alone offers thousands, if not millions, of options and sources. Options range from tiny lithium polymer cells, to 18650 cylinders capable of delivering 30A or more, to more complex multi-cell packs. Less obvious is the fact that the actual manufacturers of these batteries are typically invisible to the buyer. Much less whether they have been certified to UL1642 (lithium battery safety standard) or UN38.3 (required for transporting batteries by air). Even if the manufacturer is known, how much do you know about their quality standards and product reliability? Often, battery packs are assembled by a second or third tier contract manufacturer. Can you trust the integrity of your vendor’s supply chain? Counterfeits are common. Can you even trust the label on the battery?
While developing your product, we work directly with reputable battery suppliers to assure that what you see is what you get, with quality and safety standards adhered to, not just on the first lot, but for the life of your product. Our electrical engineering team has decades of experience designing robust power systems that not only meet standard requirements, but successfully answer worst-case “what if” questions. Remember, if a battery experiences “venting with flames”, it is your company’s product that will get the headlines, not the battery manufacturer’s. Don’t let this happen to you!
Developing for the future
Our future will continue to become more electrified and powered by rechargeable batteries. It is an exciting time to be developing novel new products that leverage the rapid advances in battery storage capacity and cost reduction. If you take time to develop a sound strategy for integrating and implementing power storage and management into your envisioned product you will be able to enjoy the recent advances and avoid the pitfalls of rechargeable batteries.
Diatomic Product Development is a team of talented engineers, designers and business professionals with years of experience designing, developing and commercializing innovative and exciting new technology-based products.
We can help your team achieve your technical and business goals. LETS TALK