Getting the battery chemistry right
Most devices on the market now use rechargeable batteries. This creates a two-fold challenge for the engineer: addressing a string of battery chemistries in legacy products developed over a manufacturer’s lifetime, and the need to select the best available chemistry for a particular application. Understanding battery chemistry and testing and charging needs will ensure a product operates optimally and cost-effectively. Even a venerable and almost-vintage technology like lead acid is finding a new lease of life beyond the automobile in applications like microgrid storage.…