Overcurrent Protection Device For Li-Ion Batteries Offers Size, Cost Benefits
Due to advances in lithium ion (Li-ion) technology, smaller, lighter weight, and higher power Li-ion batteries can now replace nickel cadmium or lead acid batteries previously used in high-rate-discharge battery applications. This trend has resulted in a rapidly expanding market for high-rate-discharge Li-ion battery applications, which, in turn, has created the need for cost-effective, robust circuit protection devices that help ensure battery safety in end-products.
However, few protection solutions address high-rate-discharge battery applications and traditional circuit protection techniques tend to be large, complex, and/or expensive. In response, MHP technology provides a cost-effective, space-saving device that conventional circuit protection approaches are unable to deliver.
The initial product in a planned family of MHP devices, the MHP30-36 device has a 36 VDC/100 A maximum rating and a time-to-trip of under five seconds at 100 A (at 25°C). The device’s hold current is 30 A and the initial resistance is under 2.0 mOhms.
The MHP30-36 device offers excellent arc suppression characteristics compared to standard breaker devices that must limit the number of switching cycles since arcing between contacts may damage them. The MHP30-36 device can also help reduce the number of discharge FETs and accompanying heat sinks in applications that typically use IC-plus-FET battery protection designs.