Tex 5 A. Unlocking the full potential of lithium-ion battery technology
by Glenn Denomme
1. Lithium-ion batteries are helping to usher in a new era of transportation, allowing automakers to bring new hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid-electric, and battery electric vehicles to market. Additionally, advancements in certain battery chemistries have enabled engineers to design and develop a number of other cutting-edge systems using lithium-ion technology beyond the electrified drivetrain. The next-generation applications boost fuel economy and enhance overall vehicle performance, they present engineering challenges in battery technology.
2. Certain lithium-ion battery chemistries can be implemented in start-stop systems to replace existing lead acid designs. Some automakers are designing vehicles with two lead acid batteries, but this adds weight and decreases fuel efficiency, so it is proving to be an impractical solution. Lithium-ion offers an attractive third option—depending on the chemistry, a single lithium-ion system can replace both lead acid batteries, providing cleaner, more reliable performance in a package that is about one-half of the weight. Lithium-ion systems also offer a far greater charge acceptance rate.
3. The engineering challenge, though, is how to integrate these advanced lithium-ion battery systems to maximize their full potential while ensuring compatibility with existing vehicle electronic design. With savvy systems engineering, communication and monitoring intelligence can be integrated directly into the lithium-ion battery pack, providing automakers with an advanced start-stop system that does not disrupt the normal operations of the vehicle's electronics. This start-stop function is just one example of how lithium-ion batteries can enhance existing automotive design. A battery must respond quickly to power demands from any electronic component without impacting the performance of the other systems in the vehicle.
4. As automakers face tremendous pressure to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles -to meet consumer demand for cleaner, more environmentally friendly cars and trucks— lithium-ion battery technology offers significant engineering advantages for improving existing systems. The value of lithium-ion will offer fully integrated electronics. Leading automakers are starting to integrate lithium-ion replacements for lead acid batteries into their designs.
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Exercise 2. Match the right and left items.
enhance | a | the existing lead acid designs | |
replace | b | fuel economy | |
offer | c | overall vehicle performance | |
boost | d | unique engineering challenges | |
develop | e | compatibility with existing electronic design | |
present | f | fully integrated electronics | |
ensure | g | a number of other cutting-edge systems | |
integrate | h | lithium-ion replacements for lead acid batteries into their designs |
Exercise 3.Complete the following sentencesusing the words in the box:
a) compatibility b) cutting-edge c) enhancing vehicle performance d) charge acceptance e) lead acid batteries |
1. Extreme cold and high heat reduce………., and the battery must be brought into moderate temperature conditions before charging.
2.A ………….battery technology developed at the University of Colorado that could allow tomorrow’s electric vehicles to travel twice as far on a charge is now closer to becoming a commercial reality.
3. In order to avoid problems with electromagnetic interference, Extensive Electromagnetic ………….. and components of vehicles are being developed.
4. …….. .have changed little since the 1880's although improvements in materials and manufacturing methods continue to bring improvements in energy density, life and reliability.
5. There are two specific factors that you need to look at when ………….The first is to maximize the power output of the engine and the second one is to consider the fuel economy of the vehicle.
Exercise 4.Find the answers to the questions among the right items.
1. What do the lithium-ion battery chemistries replace? | a. poor fuel efficiency and extra weight. |
2. Where can the lithium-ion battery chemistries be implemented? | b. better vehicle performance |
3. What is provided by the advanced start-stop system? | c. normal operations of vehicle electronics. |
4. What are the disadvantages of the vehicles with two lead acid batteries? | d. there is compatibility with existing vehicle electronic design, the battery responds quickly to power demands. |
5. What is offered by the lithium-ion battery technology? | e. the existing lead acid batteries. |
6. What does a single lithium-ion system provide? | f start-stop systems. |
7. Why is the lithium–ion battery technology considered to be an engineering challenge? | g. cleaner, more reliable performance and greater charge capacity rate. |