Prismatic batteries large

An experimental investigation of explosion hazards in lithium-sulfinyl chloride cells on forced discharge showed cathode limited cells are safe, but anode limited cells may explode without warning signs [1]. Extended reversal at -40°C caused explosion on warming to ambient temperature, owing to thermal runaway caused by accelerated corrosion of lithium [2], The violent explosion of a large prismatic cell of a battery is described [3], Another study of explosion mechanisms in lithium/thionyl chloride batteries is reported [4]... 

Only a minute fraction, about 0.1%, of the total lead consumed by the battery industry enters into the manufacture of small consumer type lead-acid batteries, and they are likely to be discarded as part of general household waste. The recycling of batteries in that category may be handled by processes described in Section 5.3 below. Almost all the leadf consumed by the battery industry is employed in the manufacture of large prismatic automotive and industrial type batteries. 

Additionally, very large prismatic Li/SOCl2 cells have been developed with capacities up to 16,500 Ah for use in nine-cell batteries for Missile Extended System Power (MESP) as backup power in ICBM silos. A typical 10,000 Ah cell weighed 71 kg and provided a specific energy of480 Wh/kg... 

Low-rate cylindrical cells are employed for CMOS memories, radio-frequency ID tags, utility meters, toll collection systems, and wireless security systems, among others. High-rate cylindrical cells, disk-type cells and very large prismatic batteries have been used for military applications. Use in consumer products has been limited by safety and cost considerations. 

Low-rate batteries have been used commercially for a number of years for memory backup and other applications requiring a long operating life. The large prismatic batteries have been used in military applications as an emergency back-up power source. Medium- and high-rate batteries have also been developed as power sources for a variety of electric and electronic devices. Some of these batteries contain additives to the thionyl chloride and other oxyhalide electrolytes to enhance certain performance characteristics. These are covered in Sec. 14.7. 

TABLE 14.15 Characteristics of Large Prismatic Li/SOClj Batteries... 

The wide variety of applications has led to an immense number of configurations and sizes, for example, small round cells for hearing aids or large prismatic cells like lead-acid batteries for use in trucks. Here the great variety of demands has the consequence that nowadays no battery system is able to cope with all of them. The choice of the right battery system for a single application is therefore often a compromise. 

Sometimes other methods of classification are also used, for example, on the basis of the application (stationary or mobile batteries), shape (cylindrical, prismatic, disk-shape batteries), size (miniature, small-sized, m ium-sized, or large-sized batteries), electrolyte type (alkaline, acidic, or neutral electrolyte, with liquid or solid (solidified), or molten salt electrolyte), voltage (low voltage or high voltage batteries), electric power generation (low power or high power batteries), and so on. 

Another potential advantage of the solid polymer battery is that the design lends itself to manufacture by automatic processes and the capability to be easily fabricated in a variety of shapes and forms. Very thin batteries for cell phones, PDAs and similar applications can be manufactured. At the other extreme, large thin plates can be manufactured and assembled in multiplate prismatic or bipolar batteries. 

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