Panasonic made an announcement on development of a 1.5kWh battery module from 18650-type (18mm in diameter x 65 mm in length) lithium-ion battery cells. These types of batteries are widely used in laptop computers. The newly developed battery can be connected in a series and/or parallel in storing generated energy by home type photovoltaic (PV) system and fuel cells as well as in electric vehicles (EV). The battery module has a volume of around 7L and it weighs 8kg and has a voltage of 25.2V plus a capacity of 58 Ah.
This high energy module has been made from 140 pieces of 18650-type lithium-ion batteries, seven serially connected rows with each row comprised of 20 parallel connected battery cells. This structure ensures helps in avoiding the system shutdown even if some of the individual cells fail. For development of this new battery, Panasonic has used its high capacity and durability cell technology through use of proprietary nickel based positive electrode material. Among other technologies that have been used in developing this new battery module are the cell safety technology using a heat-resistant insulating layer between the positive and negative electrodes in preventing short circuits and thermal overheating which can happen when foreign particles get mixed into the battery cell.
