What factors affect the price of lithium batteries based on their structural composition!
Composition of lithium batteries
The price of lithium batteries is mainly composed of three major components: the battery cell, the protective plate, and the outer shell. At the same time, due to the power consumption and current size of the electrical appliances used, the material selection of the connecting pieces between the battery cells (conventional nickel pieces, formed nickel pieces, copper nickel composite pieces, jumper pieces, etc.) will affect the cost. Different connectors (such as aviation plugs, ranging from tens of yuan to thousands of yuan) may also have a significant impact on the cost, and different PACK processes may also affect the cost.
Factors affecting the price of lithium batteries
1、 Selection of battery cells:
The selection of battery cells from different material systems will affect the overall price of lithium batteries. Lithium batteries come in various material systems based on the different positive electrode materials, including lithium manganese oxide (3.6V), lithium cobalt oxide (3.7V/3.8V), lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (commonly known as ternary, 3.6V), lithium iron phosphate (3.2V), lithium titanium oxide (2.3V/2.4V), etc. The voltage platform, safety factor, number of cycles, energy density ratio, operating temperature, etc. of the cells in different material systems are different.
Secondly, the prices of different brands of battery cells can also vary greatly. The overall price gradient can be divided into: special battery cells (including ultra-low temperature, ultra-high temperature, ultra-high rate, and special-shaped), Japanese battery cells (Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony), Korean battery cells (Samsung, LG), and domestic battery cells (which are further divided into first tier (Lishen, Bick, BYD, ATL), second tier, and even fifth tier and sixth tier). Different brands of battery cells with the same material system will have significant price differences, and the quality (safety, consistency, stability) of various brands of battery cells selected through market competition is basically proportional to their prices.
2、 The demand and design of lithium battery PCM
PCM design can be divided into: basic protection, communication, BMS
Basic protection: Basic protection includes overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent, and short-circuit protection, and can be added with over temperature protection according to product requirements
Communication: Communication protocols can be divided into I2C, RS485, RS232, CANBUS, HDQ, SMBUS, etc., and there is also a simple power display that can use a power meter with LED indication.
BMS: BMS is the first letter abbreviation combination of BATTERYMANAGEMENTSYSTEM, known as the battery management system, commonly known as the battery nanny or battery manager. It is mainly used for intelligent management and maintenance of various battery units, preventing overcharging and overdischarging of batteries, extending the service life of batteries, and monitoring the status of batteries. Its main functions include: real-time monitoring of battery physical parameters; Battery state estimation; Online diagnosis and warning; Charging, discharging, and pre charging control; Balanced management and thermal management, etc. The secondary system is mostly applied to electric vehicle batteries.
3、 The demand and design of lithium battery casing
The design of lithium battery casing can be divided into: PVC heat sealed, plastic, metal
PVC heat sealing: The specific packaging form of the external shell of the battery pack depends mainly on the specific needs of the customer's product. For packaging forms that use PVC heat sealing, it is generally suitable for situations where the number of cells in series is small and the overall weight is light (≤ 2kg), and can be used. However, for battery packs with an overall weight of ≥ 1kg, it is necessary to add fixed brackets between the cells, protect the periphery with fiberglass boards, and then use PVC heat sealing.
Plastic: Plastic shell is used, mainly because after different battery packs are shaped, the shell involved may need to be molded, and the mold cost is a considerable expense. If the product is not shaped in the early stage of development, a prototype shell can be used for sampling (the prototype strength is not as strong as the material strength after mold shaping). Different requirements for the material and process of the shell (especially with three proof requirements) may also affect the cost.
Metal: The metal shell is also similar to the plastic shell. Before the product is finalized or the quantity demand is not high, it is recommended to use sheet metal sampling. This is mainly due to the shorter sample delivery time. If the batch is large, it is also recommended to open a mold. For metal shells with waterproof grade requirements, it will also greatly affect the cost, and for special materials (such as titanium alloy, etc.) that require metal shells, the cost will be higher.
The cost of lithium batteries mainly consists of battery cells, PCM, and structural components, plus the company's PACK costs, aging costs, management costs, etc. At the same time, due to the technical difficulty of the product, different requirements for procurement quantity and defect rate, the price of lithium batteries will also vary greatly!
