Prismatic LiFePO4 Battery Cells: The Premier Choice for Sustainable Battery

Prismatic LiFePO4 battery cells are the most popular choice for battery DIY enthusiasts nowadays. They are widely used in electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications that require reliable, durable, and eco-friendly batteries. But do you know what prismatic LiFePO4 cells are and how they work?

What are Prismatic LiFePO4 Battery Cells?

Prismatic LiFePO4 cells are a type of lithium-ion battery that have a rectangular shape and contain the same materials as other LiFePO4 batteries, such as electrolyte, LiFePO4 positive electrode, and carbon negative electrode. These materials react chemically to produce electricity.

The Construction of Prismatic LiFePO4 Cells

Prismatic LiFePO4 cells have two main parts: the internal structure and the external structure.

The internal structure consists of four components: the positive electrode, the negative electrode, the electrolyte, and the separator. The internal structure of prismatic LiFePO4 cells uses a layered or coiled design to maximize energy storage. The positive electrode material is LiFePO4, which has an olivine structure. The negative electrode material is carbon. Between the positive and negative electrode materials, there is a layer of polymer separator, which only allows lithium ions to pass through, while electrons can only pass through the external circuit. This is why batteries can generate electricity.

External Structure

The external structure of prismatic LiFePO4 cells is slightly different from ordinary cells, but the overall principle is the same. The battery cell is enclosed by an aluminum shell or stainless steel, and there are two wiring ports on the outside of the battery cell, which are the positive and negative terminals, marked by "+" and "-" respectively. Some battery manufacturers will also install two posts on the battery terminals for easier use by customers. These two posts are called battery terminals. There is also a device with different colors between the external positive and negative terminals of the prismatic LiFePO4 cells, which is called an explosion-proof valve, or a safety valve. Although LiFePO4 batteries are very safe, the explosion-proof valve is still necessary to prevent rare accidents.

In addition, there is something that many people may wonder about, what is the blue or other color film wrapped around many LiFePO4 cells? Actually, this film is a material that can prevent electric shock, which is an insulating layer. It can effectively prevent some accidents. In addition, some battery manufacturers will use a battery case to wrap the battery cells, such as CALB. Whether it is a film or a battery case, it is beneficial for both the battery manufacturer and the customer.

In addition, there is an accessory called Busbars, which is a tool for connecting two cells when assembling a battery pack. There are also washers, nuts, etc… to connect into a complete battery pack. These simple accessories are also very important.

The advantages of Prismatic LiFePO4 Cells

Compared with cylindrical LiFePO4 cells, prismatic LiFePO4 cells seem to be more suitable for general customers. Prismatic LiFePO4 batteries have higher energy density and better resistance to overcharge and over-discharge. They are also lighter in weight and have a square shape that allows for more energy in a limited space. For DIY enthusiasts, the biggest advantage is that the single-cell energy is very large. Currently, the capacity of some mainstream LiFePO4 cells can reach more than 300Ah, which means that DIY is more convenient and it is easier to achieve a large system capacity.

Another very important point is that almost every battery manufacturer is currently researching and developing prismatic batteries, because the history of prismatic batteries is relatively short, which means that there is a lot of room for development. Prismatic batteries are evolving, which is a very important advantage.

Summary

Prismatic LiFePO4 battery cells are becoming more and more popular and are gradually being widely used in many fields, such as home energy storage, signal base stations, marine boats, RVs, etc. Large capacity and excellent performance are being recognized by more and more people, but when using prismatic LiFePO4 cells, it is also very important to understand them well.