Here is EBN's article on ULBI's battery for the HP/Mitsubishi portable from their 10/28 printed magazine:
techweb.cmp.com
Here's the text anyway, the above URL doesn't look like it'll persist
Co. commercializes li-polymer
By Gina Roos
Ultralife Batteries Inc. is supplying the industry's first commercially viable rechargeable lithium-ion solid polymer (lithium-polymer) battery to Mitsubishi Electric Corp. for use in its ultrathin, lightweight notebook computers.
According to Ultralife, its lithium-polymer battery technology enables Mitsubishi notebooks to represent the leading edge of technology. The battery made it possible for the computer maker to design an ultrathin and very lightweight computer, said Julius Cirin, director of marketing at Newark, N.Y.-based Ultralife.
The Mitsubishi notebook computer measures 297 mm ' 218 mm ' 18 mm and weighs 3.1 lbs. - 35% lighter and thinner than any comparable notebook computer in the industry, according to Ultralife. The computer is currently available in Japan and will be available in the United States during the first quarter of 1998.
Measuring approximately 4 in. ' 6 in. ' 1/4 in., Ultralife's flat, rectangular battery contains three cells, each with a typical operating voltage of 3.7 V, said the company's Greg Smith, marketing manager. The fully charged voltage is 12.6 V, or 4.2 V per cell.
The lithium-polymer battery has an average run time in the new notebook computer of about 1.8 hours. An optional external battery - containing three lithium-polymer batteries in parallel - provides more than 5.4 hours of run time. The basic battery is rated at 1,700 milliamp-hours, while the optional external battery is rated at 5,100 mA-H.
Although Ultralife would not comment on actual production capacity, Cirin did say that the company is prepared to provide production capacity necessitated by high-end computer sales, which are expected to range between 5,000 and 10,000 units per month. "We are on a ramp-up schedule right now," he said.
The batteries are manufactured at Ultralife's plant in Newark.
Smith acknowledged that Ultralife is in the earliest stage of commercialization. "We are the first company to get behind the technology in a big way, and the first to make some key breakthroughs in translating laboratory technology into a commercially viable product," he said. "This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that we have started to deliver some batteries to a major battery manufacturer."
Prices will be competitive with those of other prismatic lithium-ion batteries, he said.
Lithium-polymer batteries can be configured in any prismatic shape and are available as thin as 1 mm. They provide high energy density, which translates into long operating life, Smith said.
The cells can be configured in series or parallel in order to gain optimum voltage, capacity, and rate capability in any application, according to Ultralife.
"We are talking to a lot of interested parties about creating a form factor that is unique and that will lead to a new generation of design for portable electronic products," he said. "The thinness of the batteries allows design engineers to think about slimmer designs than they could have thought about before."
He said that most of the interest in the batteries comes from manufacturers of notebook computers and cell phones.
Also, in the same issue under Power Sources, Briefs:
Bellcore, Morristown, N.J., demonstrated its moldable, high-power PLiON lithium-ion batteries for laptops, children's toys, and cell phones at the recent Power '97 show in Santa Clara, CA. The batteries' anodes, separators, and cathodes are produced in thin plastic sheets and provide 120 watt-hours of power for 650 grams, compared with 40 W-h for 400 g in conventional batteries, according to the company. Bellcore said it will license the technology to battery makers and work with licensees to develop lighter, more powerful batteries. (This works out to about 184 W-h/kilogram energy density).
Also from Briefs: NEC Electronics Inc., Santa Clara, CA, has entered the lithium-ion rechargable-battery market through an exclusive North American distribution agreement with Moli Energy Ltd., a battery manufacturer based in Maple Ridge, B.C. NEC is offering cylindrical and prismatic batteries. Prices vary according to customer's requirements. |
