Walt, Anton/Bauer is a battery re-packager. They have a web site at antonbauer.com
The Hytron 100 is based on "new" NiMh cells that appear to be Ovonic. I could not find any mention of specifically whose cells they use. Here is some interesting discussion from their web site:
<<The quest for the "Holy Grail" of video batteries has taken its most recent turn in the introduction of exotic cell types introduced into the cellular
and computer markets. Alas, were these applications only the same as a professional video camera. These new cell types addressed many of the
size and weight issues for mobile communications and computing products. Rightfully so since the market drivers for these
products are several orders of magnitude greater than all camcorders, consumer to broadcast, put together. The cell manufacturer who could
design a cell which could be used in a battery for notebooks and cell phones was designing a product for the largest growth markets the battery
industry has ever seen. Size and weight are paramount to the exclusion of all other considerations. Furthermore, batteries designed for these
applications typically have one product to operate - not the wide range of requirements in today's video professional operations. The publicity these
new technologies - Nickel Metal Hydride and lithium ion - have received for mobile communications and computing have made them seem like the
answer to all battery problems.
Now it seems, since we have heard so much about them, that the impression is that all new batteries are NiMH or Li-Ion. Not so....
Let's look at a few irrefutable facts:
(1) NiCd technology has been commercial for over 40 years with real viability for about 25 years. Everyone remember their first
"dustbuster"? 20 years ago, lead acid was the predominant technology in video. In 1994 about 1500 million cells were shipped; 1996
1650 million cells. Today, NiCd still accounts for about 70% of the world's total of rechargeable cells produced (well over 250 million
cells each day !) Recent improvements have improved capacity in NiCad cells of 10% or more in all sizes.
(2) NiMH cell technology was commercialized less than 10 years ago with real viability less than 5 years. In 1994, 200 million cells
shipped; in 1996, 450 million cells shipped. Today, NiMH technology represents more than 20% of the total cells produced for the
world's consumption.
(3) Lithium ion technology has been commercialized for about 5 years with any real viability for about 3 years. In 1994, only about 15
million cells were shipped; 1996 140 million cells. Today, lithium ion represents a mere 10% of the world's total of rechargeable
cylindrical cells.
(4) NiMH has taken over the computer industry, perhaps the closest application to video in the mobile communications market. In the
US, for example, NiMH accounts for an estimated 70% of all notebook batteries. Lithium ion accounts for less than 30%.
(5) About 60% of all cell telephone batteries are NiCd. About 10% are lithium ion. The rest are NiMH.
(6) A typical notebook computer draws less than 1 amp (with hard drive and back lit color LCD screen) usually at 12 volts or about 10
watts.
(7) A typical cell phone draws less than 1/2 amp at typically 5 volts or well less than three 3 watts.
(8) There is a big difference in cells versus batteries. The largest capacity NiMH cell applicable in video today has a capacity of about
8 watt hours.
The largest lithium ion cell has a usable capacity of 9 watt hours. The largest NiCd cell is 6 watt hours. However, when these cells are put into a
14.4 volt series configuration and discharged at 50 watts (a camcorder and light) look at how the runtime numbers are different:
NiMH: 2 hours Li-Ion: 3/4 hours NiCd: 1.5 hours
Wait a minute. Doesn't lithium ion have more capacity than the other two technologies??? Doesn't NiCd have the least? The answer simply... is
no. Lithium ion has a voltage advantage of 3.6 to 1.2 per cell for nickel based cells. Very simply this means that lithium ion needs only four cells to
power a 12 volt device where nickel based technologies require 10 to 12. But its capacity in the same cell size is virtually the same as a NiCd. The
nickel metal hydride and lithium ion cells are typically available only in small sizes which, although greater in capacity than a NiCd cell of the
same size, are limited in their ability to discharge at the same rates as the NiCd and therefore are de-rated in actual use.
The cell sizes that can be effectively and safely constructed in NiMH and lithium ion are limited. Therefore, the batteries which can be made from
them are limited because they must use the smaller cell sizes. To obtain the capacity of the same voltage NiCd battery, for example, 2 or 3 lithium
ion cells must be paralleled or "stacked". By paralleling cells, theoretically, "larger" cells can be created from smaller cells, matching the capacity
of the nickel based technologies, then put into a series configuration to obtain the voltage necessary. But the volume (smaller size) advantage is all
but lost.
Paralleling or stacking cells "theoretically" creates larger cells, but manufacturing consistency, both in cell and battery assembly, is critical to this
practice. However, in a young technology such as lithium ion, given its track record since its introduction, given the totally new manufacturing
techniques , and given the controls required to safely charge and discharge this technology, no one in the battery industry assumes that today this
practice is viable to all product applications. Recently, NiMH cells have been introduced in larger sizes to power high current applications in
electric vehicles and power tools. These cells do not have to be stacked. It is the performance of these cells which has allowed Anton/Bauer to
introduce the high performance HyTRON 100. >> |
