EVS23: A123 shows off new cell design for Volt battery pack
Continental and A123 Systems are due to deliver their first prototype battery packs for the Chevy Volt the GM Tech Center later this month. In preparation for that moment, A123 has just unveiled the new prismatic cell that will be used. Previous A123 cells have all been cylindrical but this new unit follows the packaging path used by other GM hybrid battery packs. The prismatic design should allow a higher density of cells within a given pack volume but may cause issues with thermal management. While A123 has their own monitoring software and electronics available, GM currently plans use in-house developed code to determine the state of charge of the battery pack. Sebastian is on site at EVS23 and hopefully he'll be able to dig up some more information on what A123 has created.
[Source: GM-Volt.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2/LS7? 12:58AM (12/04/2007)
Just for the record, even though flat/square LIons are called prismatic, they aren't really prismatic. NiMHs were often prismatic, where the battery was made up of little triangular sections (like prisms).
Square LIons are just regular round LIons (they look like a swiss cake roll) that have been smashed flat. Phones and mp3 players use these kind of batteries at times, GM would be wise to do so also.
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Chris M 2:18AM (12/04/2007)
The A123 cells don't have cobalt oxide, so are resistant to thermal runaway and can operate safely at much higher temperatures. So, while the larger format may not dissapate heat as well as smaller cells, thermal management shouldn't be a major problem.
For high power high energy storage, large format cells have several advantages over smaller cells: Fewer connections, simpler construction, lower cost, and slightly higher energy density (the ratio of active ingredient weight to battery case weight is better)
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pedmac 11:32AM (12/04/2007)
how does one invest in A123?
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