6 Chapter 1 Chapter Outline Chapter 2 will offer a brief history of both vehicle electrification, the evolution of the modern battery and the growth of electric infrastructure, discussing where they came from and where they are today since this may offer us insights into where the technology could lead in the future. This chapter will provide the reader with the basic background understanding of how the industry came to be and the challenges that it has faced throughout its hundred-plus-year growth in an effort to gain an understanding of how the industry has come to where it is today.
Chapter 3 will begin introducing the terminology and basic concepts around Li-ion batteries and vehicle electrification. One of the greatest challenges that people face when they enter a new industry is having a lack of comprehension of the lingo, terminology, and phrases that are used to describe different parts of the product. In addition to gaining an understanding of the terminology used in this industry, the basic forms of electrification will be described in simple terms and their key components will be identified. In Chapter 4, we will begin describing the process of selecting and sizing a battery for an application.
This will include offering some simple formulas that can be used to help deter- mine capacity, power, and voltage for a battery system. This chapter attempts to clearly describe the “how” of developing a battery pack concept using basic calculations based on Ohms’ Law. Chapters 5 and 6 are intended to offer supporting discussion to the engineering design process. Chapter 5 reviews the topics of Design for Reliability and Design for Service. As Li-ion batteries are relatively new in the market place, they need an extra amount of atten- tion when it comes to reliability and service.
In most cases, the Li-ion cells have not actually been in use in the market place for as long as they are being warranted. With many batteries being offered to the consumer with much longer warranty periods than the rest of the vehicle, what needs to be considered in the engineering design process to ensure the battery meets these targets? Therefore it is important to understand the factors that affect long-term quality and reliability in advanced battery solutions. Chapter 6 builds on this with a discussion on computer-aided design and analysis programs and software that are available for use.
There are few software products that are available in the market today that are designed specifically for the battery designer. However, there are some software packages that can be used to evaluate thermal performance or mechanical performance of a battery. Chapter 7 will review the various battery cell technologies that are available on the market today. This will include chemistries from lead acid to nickel metal hydride and sodium-based chemistries as well as all of the basic forms of Li-ion cells and discuss the differences between them. While the focus will be on Li-ion cells, this chapter will provide a brief review