When purchasing LiFePO4 batteries, the LiFePO4 energy density is often encountered. This parameter is very important and demonstrates the performance of the LiFePO4 battery to a large extent.
What is LiFePO4 Energy Density?
LiFePO4 energy density is the ratio of LiFePO4 cells to their weight and the energy contained. Energy density is usually expressed in watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), where Wh is the number of watts consumed per hour, and kg is well understood as a unit of weight. The size of the energy density can fully measure the discharge time of LiFePO4 batteries. Generally speaking, the LiFePO4 battery with higher energy density has a longer usable time and lighter weight. In a sense, the higher the LiFePO4 energy density, the better.
LiFePO4 Energy Density really matters?
The answer is yes. The LiFePO4 energy density is very important. Since LiFePO4 batteries are currently one of the safest lithium-ion batteries, they are widely used in all walks of life. The greater the energy density, the more available scenarios, such as some electric vehicles, forklifts, etc. In these scenarios, what is needed is a battery that is lightweight (or small) and can provide long-lasting power, and LiFePO4 batteries with high energy density will be a good fit for this approach. There is no doubt that everyone will like smaller and more powerful batteries, which is why LiFePO4 batteries are starting to gradually replace lead-acid batteries.
How about LiFePO4 Energy Density now?
At present, most LiFePO4 energy density is 90~160Wh/kg, but some powerful battery manufacturers have developed 180~210Wh/kg LiFePO4 batteries, and have plans to sell them. One might wonder if a battery with a higher energy density means more danger (such as battery thermal runaway). For the LiFePO4 battery, this may not be a big problem. The chemical properties and manufacturing process of LiFePO4 batteries determine that it is resistant to high temperatures and is difficult to thermal runaway. The improvement of energy density is basically beneficial for the LiFePO4 battery.
It is worth mentioning that another popular type of lithium-ion battery, such as the NMC/NCA battery, has an energy density of more than 200Wh/kg, and even more than 300Wh/kg has been researched and developed. Despite the high energy density of such batteries, the relative safety and cycle life will be poor. Therefore, it is not possible to blindly follow high-density batteries. The characteristics of different batteries should be fully considered to obtain relatively objective results.
Summary
LiFePO4 battery is a very safe type of battery that is also environmentally friendly and requires no maintenance. It has a long life and cycle times. More importantly, the LiFePO4 energy density is not low at all, and it can be used in many scenarios. However, in order to better broaden the usage scenarios, many battery manufacturers in the world are continuing to develop LiFePO4 batteries with higher energy density. Because LiFePO4 batteries that are smaller and lighter and have more energy have always been our expectations, we believe that this is also an important foundation for the development of the power industry in the future.