| APPLICATIONS
Market Specifics
The
world battery market is
approximately $26 billion. This
includes primary (or throw-away
batteries like the alkaline
battery) and secondary, or
rechargeable batteries. The
rechargeable battery market is
approximately $16 billion.
Lead-acid automotive (Starting,
Lighting, Ignition--SLI)
batteries account for the bulk of
the rechargeable market.
The
remaining $2.5 to $3 billion is
in high-value-added applications,
such as electronic equipment
(cellular telephones and lap-top
computers), camcorders, hand-held
tools and cordless appliances.
Within these market applications,
the portable computer and
portable communications segments
are expected to grow at a rate of
45% and 20% respectively.
These
are high margin businesses, which
purchase high performance
batteries. Over the next several
years, rechargeable battery sales
in these two segments alone are
expected to grow to over $3
billion annually, with the total
for all portable power reaching
$4 billion.
Portable
computers
The
market for portable computers is
expected to expand from 15
million units in 1996 to 27
million units in the year 2000.
In 1995, the market for portable
computers was $12 billion. This
is expected to grow to $23
billion by the year 2000 (average
annual growth rate (AAGR) of
greater than 13%). Batteries are
a very significant part of the
cost and of the ability to
provide the end user with the
performance required.
Hand-held
communications (principally
cellular)
The
growth in hand-held
communications has been
phenomenal. With the introduction
of cellular telephones, the need
for batteries has expanded far
beyond previous predictions for
the industry during the early
1980s. One large manufacturer has
seen an increase of over 3000%
from 1983 to 1995. Communications
growth is expected to be from 99
million units in 1996 to 200
million units in the year 2000.
Other
Technologies
Other
hand-held electronics (video,
power tools, etc.). While this is
a smaller market, the growth is
following the pattern for the
communications market with a
doubling of units from 22 million
to 43 million by the year 2000.
Most gains in the power tool
market will be in the cordless
variety, with this segment
expected to hold a 32% share of
all portable tool revenues by the
year 2000. The above three
markets have a compounded annual
growth rate of greater than 15%
from 1996 to 2000.
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AIIR
Technology
In
the OERLiCon battery, preliminary
calculations indicate a
lithium/carbon loading ratio of
2:1, and it may be possible to
achieve a 1:1 loading under the
right conditions. Current design
produces a minimum of 5.2
Amp/Hours at 6 Volts, is
2.5" in height, 0.75"
in diameter, and weighs 33.02
grams. Other developments in the
chemistry, design, and structure,
soon to be implemented, should
raise the discharge capacity by a
minimum of 10%, and decrease the
weight by 5%.
FUNCTIONAL
PARTS
Anode
This
is the negative terminal of a
battery during discharge. In the
OERLiCon battery, it is a lithium
metal/lithium-ion composite
material bonded to a metal
current collector. This composite
material allows ions to move in
and out (charge and discharge)
between layers in a controlled
manner.
Cathode
This
is the positive terminal of a
battery during discharge. In
lithium-ion cells this material
is typically cobalt, nickel or
manganese oxides bonded again to
a metal current collector. AIIR's
technology can use any of these
materials. In the Bellcore
technology, manganese oxides are
used. These are the cheapest of
the materials, although their
performance is slightly lower
than the other oxides. Lithium
moves into the oxide matrix
during discharge (intercalation)
and back out during charge, hence
the term 'rocking chair' battery.
Electrolyte
This
has two parts, the ions that
carry the current and the medium
through which these ions flow. In
lithium-ion batteries, this
material may be a liquid (which
may or may not be a polymer), a
solid polymer, or a gel-like
material (polymer with additives
to partially plasticize it).
OERLiCon technology utilizes a
gel electrolyte heavily doped
with lithium to further increase
discharge capacity.
All
currently available lithium-ion
batteries come from Japan and all
have liquid electrolytes. Since
liquid electrolytes require more
containment than gel
electrolytes, the future gains in
cost due to reduced packaging,
and in safety due to immobilized
electrolyte, lie in lithium-ion
composite polymer electrolyte
batteries, such as Bellcore's
lithium-ion technology or AIIR's
composite technology.
Separator
Since
the anode and cathode cannot
touch each other, they must be
electrically separated by this
insulator, but not ionically
separated. The ions must flow
through the separator. Thus a
separator is an insulator and is
often a polymer material. In
AIIR's technology, the layered
polyimide itself functions to
keep the two electrodes separated
and an additional separator is
not needed.
Containment
Some
form of can or plastic seal is
required to keep everything
inside and in place. With lithium
batteries this is even more
important as moisture entering
the battery causes hazards or
degradation. The OERLiCon system
uses Nylon casings to maintain
battery integrity while saving
weight.
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