Thin Cell battery for connected devices

1 min read

Ultralife has increased its Thin Cell range of primary lithium manganese dioxide (Li-MnO2) pouch-cell batteries. The batteries are said to be suitable for use in the next generation of internet-connected and wearable devices in sectors including medical, banking, highways, logistics, warehousing and security.

"The next generation of connected devices will have even more features packed into even more compact designs,” explained Dr Xulong Zhang, vice president of China sales and operational liaison. “To keep up with customer demand, device manufacturers need batteries that allow them to innovate.”

Operating at a nominal voltage of 3.0V, the pouch-cell batteries offer an energy density up to 500Wh/l and 400Wh/kg. Because the Thin Cell can be manufactured 0.4mm thick, the company claims device manufacturers can make their devices smaller without compromising run time.

The Thin Cell is also said to outperform coin cells when delivering high discharge rates because of optimised current collectors. The battery therefore meets the demands of devices that need high bursts of energy, such as those with RF transmitters.

Applications include RFID asset tracking systems in the logistics and warehousing sector, as well as wearable devices and drug delivery systems in medical environments. Other applications include bank theft tracking devices in the financial sector, smart devices in the security sector and toll pass tags in the highways sector.

"We've designed the Thin Cells to operate safely and effectively from -20 to 60°C, which means they continue to work long after other batteries have frozen,” said Zhang. “The Thin Cell also retains over 98% of its capacity after a year of storage at room temperature, so it does not suffer from the passivation that affects many other lithium chemistries."

The batteries are tested to the UL1642 requirements for safety, as well as UN testing for transportation.