Lithium-ion Battery Failures in Consumer Electronics

Lithium-Ion Battery Failures in Consumer Electronics
	Preface
	1
Lithium-Ion Cells
		1.1 Other Cell Chemistries
			1.1.1 Lead Acid
			1.1.2 NiCd
			1.1.3 NiMH
		1.2 Li-Ion Cell Operation
		1.3 Li-Ion Cell Varieties
			1.3.1 Cathode Materials
			1.3.2 Anode Materials
			1.3.3 Separator
			1.3.4 Electrolytes
			1.3.5 Current Collectors
			1.3.6 Solid Electrolyte Interface Layer
		1.4 Cell Construction
			1.4.1 Prismatic Cells
			1.4.2 Cylindrical Cells
			1.4.3 Pouch Cells
		1.5 Battery Management System for Li-Ion Cells
		1.6 Charger Circuits for Li-Ion Cells
		1.7 End of Life
		1.8 Shelf Life
			1.8.1 Life Test and Verification Process
		1.9 Cycle Life
		References
	2
Overview of Li-Ion Battery Systems
		2.1 Single-Cell Li-Ion Battery Systems
		2.2 Multicell Li-Ion Battery Systems
			2.2.1 Other Configurations
		2.3 Automotive Battery Systems
		2.4 Battery Systems for Large-Scale Energy Storage Systems
		References
	3
Power Supplies for Portable Consumer Electronic Products
		3.1 Components of a Typical AC-DC Converter (AC Adapter) Circuit
		3.2 AC Adapter Requirements
			3.2.1 Propagating Circuit Board Failures
			3.2.2 Burn Hazards
			3.2.3 Component Derating
			3.2.4 Power Supply Efficiency
			3.2.5 Single Points of Failure
			3.2.6 Power Supply Connectors
		3.3 Adapter Specifications
		3.4 Power Supply Construction and Assembly Issues
			3.4.1 Input Power Connection
			3.4.2 Electrolytic Capacitors
			3.4.3 Mechanical Damage and Access to High Voltages
			3.4.4 Creepage and Clearance Distances
			3.4.5 Soldering/Contaminants and Other Assembly Issues
		3.5 Testing AC Adapters
			3.5.1 Electrical Characterization Tests
			3.5.2 Thermal Characterization Tests
			3.5.3 Mechanical Abuse Tests
			3.5.4 Single Points of Failure Tests
		3.6 DC-DC Converter Circuits
		References
	4
Li-Ion Battery Pack Charge Circuits
		4.1 Charge Profile
		4.2 Safety Timers
		4.3 Battery Temperature Monitoring
			4.3.1 Charging Li-Ion Cells at Low Temperatures
			4.3.2 Charging Li-Ion Cells at High Temperatures
		4.4 Battery ID
		4.5 Charger Specifications and Requirements
		4.6 Charger Circuit Construction and Assembly Issues
		4.7 Testing Charger Circuits
		4.8 Wireless Charger Circuits
		References
	5
Battery Protection Circuit Consideration
		5.1 Need for a Protection Circuit
		5.2 Single-Cell Battery Packs
		5.3 Multicell Battery Packs
		5.4 Large Battery Packs
		5.5 Battery and PCM Specifications
		5.6 PCM Design Review Tools
		5.7 PCM Construction and Assembly Issues
			5.7.1 Single-Cell Battery Packs
			5.7.2 Multicell Battery Packs
		5.8 Cell Failure Predictions
			5.8.1 Cell Resistance as a Predictor of Failure
		5.9 Testing PCMs
		5.10 Summary
		Appendix 5A: Electric Shock Hazards
		References
	6
Industry Standards and Testing
		6.1 Commonly Used Standards to Evaluate Li-Ion Cells and Batteries in Portable Consumer Electronic Devices
			6.1.1 UN Transportation Requirements
			6.1.2 Underwriters Laboratories Testing Requirements
			6.1.3 IEC Standards
			6.1.4 IEEE Standards
			6.1.5 Comparing Standards
		6.2 Other Tests
			6.2.1 Forced Internal Short-Circuit Test
			6.2.2 Nail Penetration Test
			6.2.3 Thermal Stability Test
			6.2.4 Dent/Pinch Test
			6.3 Predicting Li-ion Cell and Battery Shelf Life
			6.3.1 Capacity Degradation
			6.3.2 Calendar Aging
			6.3.3 Fit Method
			6.3.4 Time Dependence
			6.3.5 Summary
		Appendix 6A: International Organizations and Standards
		Appendix 6B: Common Tests in Industry Standards
		References
	7
Physical Construction of Battery Packs
		7.1 Single-Cell Battery Packs
			7.1.1 Soldering of Cell Tabs
			7.1.2 Routing of Battery Pack Wires
			7.1.3 Cell Tab Insulation
			7.1.4 Circuit Board Insulation and Mounting
			7.1.5 Contaminants
		7.2 Multicell Battery Packs
			7.2.1 Routing of Voltage Sense Wires
			7.2.2 Separation and Insulation of Solder Joints
			7.2.3 Tab Placement and Spot Welding
		7.3 Larger Battery Packs
			7.3.1 Excessive Length of Voltage Sense Wires
			7.3.2 Improper Wire Routing
			7.3.3 Inadequate Insulation
			7.3.4 Improper Torqueing of Screws
			7.3.5 Cell Separation
			References
	8
Field Failures and Investigation Tools
		8.1 The Scientific Method for Investigating Battery Failures
			8.1.1 The Scientific Method
			8.1.2 Applying the Scientific Method to Battery Failure Investigations
		8.2 Analyzing Battery Failures
		8.3 Battery Failure Root Cause Analysis: A Case Study
			8.3.1 Background
			8.3.2 Battery System Design
			8.3.3 Visual Inspection and X-Ray Analysis
			8.3.4 Battery Charger Circuit Review and Evaluation
			8.3.5 Battery Protection Circuit Review and Evaluation
			8.3.6 Likely Cause of Failure
			8.3.7 Cell Construction Review
			8.3.8 Summary
		Appendix 8A Investigating Failures
			Cause of Failures in Electrical Equipment
			Overview of Tools Used when Conducting an Analysis 
of the Cause of the Failure
		References
	9
Checklists
		9.1 Charger Checklist
		9.2 Battery Checklist
	Glossary
	About the Authors