Battery formation
Solutions that make battery formation equipment more accurate and efficient
There is rising global demand for batteries due to an increase in battery-powered applications, in particular electric vehicles (EVs). But before a battery can be fitted in an EV, it must be formatted and tested. The battery formation process, which relies on special battery formation equipment to charge and discharge a battery, demands a high degree of voltage and current accuracy to ensure the battery lasts for the indicated lifetime. Only after testing a battery can it be deemed market-ready.
A time-intensive formation process
Battery formation is currently the main bottleneck in the battery manufacturing process. The charge and discharge cycles that activate the material in a newly assembled battery cell or pack can take up to 20 hours. But the process is essential as it greatly impacts a battery’s life, quality and cost. Nearly every newly produced battery is subject to the formation and testing process before it can be fitted in a system. Battery formation equipment featuring the right power system, often AC-DC or DC-DC stage, is required to carry out these key steps.
System diagram: battery formation
Manufacturers demand accuracy and reliability
Most battery equipment manufacturers expect the supplier to suggest a suitable battery formation power system solution. Ideally, it:
- Enables high voltage and current accuracy of up to 0.01%.
- Provides thermal management of MOSFET for higher current rating requirements.
- Increases the overall power density with a higher current rating size.
- Improves the reliability of a system solution that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In general, manufacturers seek a quality system solution that is not over-engineered. It should have an attractive cost-performance ratio, yet be reliable and stable to facilitate continuous operation under the given conditions. With space at a premium, high power density is an excellent, often preferred way to decrease the solution’s size. Opting for a standard platform that can be scaled to fit a wide range of requirements enables a manufacturer to enjoy fast time to market.
Higher power density, greater efficiency: Infineon empowers successful designs
At Infineon, we have a solid understanding of the battery formation market and are able to provide full-spectrum system solutions, from the AC grid to the battery, that require a highly efficient and power dense PFC stage and isolated DC-DC stage. We recommend a totem pole PFC converter and a bi-directional DC-DC converter in our full system silicon solution. This offers great design flexibility, allowing you to meet varying customer requirements. Particularly noteworthy: for non-isolated DC-DC buck-boost stages, we enable you to achieve high power density, leading, of course, to greater efficiency. Infineon’s comprehensive portfolio of surface mounted devices (SMD) is ideal for those prioritizing a lower BOM and higher power density, compared with a package supported by the PCB board.
Explore our system solutions to get started on your battery formation power system designs.
![battery formation, battery production, formation power, non isolated DCDC](/export/sites/default/_images/product/power/eLearning/PSS_eLearning_Battery_Formation_M1_english.jpg_1787261563.jpg)
The first of three trainings on battery formation will introduce you to this crucial application in the battery manufacturing process.
![battery formation, battery production, formation power, non isolated DCDC](/export/sites/default/_images/product/power/eLearning/PSS_eLearning_Battery_Formation_M2_english.jpg_1787261563.jpg)
The second of three trainings on battery formation will go into more depth about the process by looking at converter topologies.
![PSS_eLearning_Battery_formation_M3_english](/export/sites/default/_images/product/power/eLearning/PSS_eLearning_Battery_formation_M3_english.jpg_1758632412.jpg)
The third of three trainings on battery formation will dive even deeper into the process
![Bidirectional_PSFB](/export/sites/default/_images/product/power/eLearning/PSS_eLearning_Bidirectional_PSFB_english_with_button.jpg_1787261563.jpg)
Description: In this eLearning you will learn how to use the bi-directional phase-shift full bridge without changing the design or lowering the performance.