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Lithium ion vs Lithium iron phosphate
Paul Custan • November 28, 2021
Brand-new types of battery are taking on the technology spectrum like a wildfire. The emergence of trends in electric vehicles, smartphones, portable power stations, and renewable energy developments prompt a global initiative to create and develop more efficient and safe batteries. These advances create a very healthy competition inside the world of batteries and is certainly advantageous for all the stake-holders, the cost-effectiveness of the batteries will steadily climb in the years to come and will continue to do so. From the perspective of innovators, this opens up a new question, among the rumbling in the battery world, what do you think is the best battery to use for my application? FNX Solar has been really keen on keeping an eye on the market in search for the next best battery to be used in our products. With this, we decided to discuss two of the most used batteries in portable systems, Lithium-ion and Lithium iron phosphate.
Lithium-ion(Li-ion) and Lithium iron phosphate(LiFePo) are two of the most used batteries in portable systems. Their energy density and other specifications are most ideal for these types of applications. Though they are both good in their own way, there are differences between them that should be considered before deciding on which one to use.
Lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries can have either Lithium manganese oxide or lithium cobalt oxide for its cathode. Both use graphite for its anode. With a specific energy density of ~100-250 WH per kilogram, it has a nominal voltage of 3.6v. Charge rate can vary from 0.7C to 1.0C. And the discharge rate is 1C for either of the two classes. It is one of the most commonly used battery types for portable electronic systems like smartphones, etc. These batteries are at their best performance for 2-3 years or ~500-1000 charge cycles.
Fig1. Li-ion battery (https://www.parts-express.com/PKCELL-Flat-Top-18650-3.7V-3000mAh-Rechargeable-Li-Ion-Battery-142-205)
Lithium iron phosphate
LiFePo4 uses iron phosphate as its cathode and graphite as its anode. It has a specific energy density of ~90-160 WH per kilogram. It has a nominal voltage of 3.2 or 3.3 V, depending on the battery design. Its charge rate is 1C and discharge rate is 1-25C. It's commonly used in bigger systems due to its lower specific energy. But nonetheless, some systems opt for this type because of its advantages. These batteries are at their best performance for 2-3 years or ~1000-10000, charge cycles.
Fig2. LiFePo4 battery (https://www.techinn.com/en/mag-lite-lifepo4/136109436/p)
So how are they different? One of the most apparent difference between the two is the difference in its energy density. Li-ion packs ~100/250 WH per kg, while LiFePo4 packs only around ~90-160 per kg. Therefore, Li-ion is the better choice the size of your battery is one of the deciding factor, However, there are other things to be considered, LiFePo4 has a higher discharge rate at 1-25C at 25degC. So it's a far better choice for high drain applications, also, the high discharge rate does not affect the quality of the batteries overtime. As for the Life cycle, LiFePo4 is at an advantage, at 1000 – 10000 charge cycles over the 500-1000 cycles of the Li-ion batteries. As for the safety, LiFePo4 is generally considered much safer that Li-ion, LiFePo4 is stable in higher temperatures and does not normally explode when overcharged or overheated, the end of life handling also of this device is far simpler compared to that of the Li-ion, The lithium cobalt oxide inside Li-ion batteries are considered hazardous and can cause allergic reaction or other harmful effects on human body when accidentally consumed, thus, proper handling of old Li-ion batteries when it reached its end of life must be considered as well, furthermore, the high energy density of such battery types makes it unstable in high temperatures.
Overall, both batteries have their own pros and cons. All considerations must really boil down into what is the priority of your system? Do you expect the system to be situated in a really hot place in one of its uses? Or do you expect it to be just inside a cool place most of the time. These are some examples of the design dilemmas that you need to figure out before choosing the right battery for you. But always remember, the risk can always be mitigated by introducing complementary systems that can help you improve the overall performance and safety.
-Paul Custan is an Electrical Engineer who have worked as a software engineer and as a digital platform specialist before becoming a full-time FNX Solar employee. FNX Solar Power Solutions Inc. is a business based in Canada. We develop and sell portable power stations and related accessories.
SPECIAL THANKS TO Salman Hossain Saif (https://unsplash.com/@saif71) FOR THE PHOTO USED ON THIS ARTICLE
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