Electronics components and boards are getting smaller and smaller, and for battery powered devices, the battery may take a big chunk of the volume, and in some cases like smart cards, typical battery are not suitable. PowerStream has designed ultra thin bendable LiPo batteries that aredesigned for smart cards and RFID tags that needs their own power, but I could envision that if battery capacity increases, and/or energy harvesting becomes a more common feature, they could be used for wearables, for example by placing them inside the wristband.
The main features for the battery as listed by the company:
- Operating voltage – 3.6V
- High energy density
- No memory effect
- Self-discharge is less than 3% per month
- Charge/discharge cycle characteristics are excellent
- Safety characteristics are excellent
- Processing temperatures for these cells is 100°C for less than 60 seconds, 120°C for less than 20 seconds and 140°C for less than 5 seconds.
- End-of-discharge voltage cut off 2.8 volts.
- Temperature range of charging is 0-45°C, discharging is -20 to +60°C
The company explains the batteries deliver about 2 mAh and 10 mA per square cm, with the 0.5mm thick model being bendable/flexible. Such battery may have to be custom made for your application, but they already have off-the-shelf models with capacities ranging from 10mAh to 2.5A, the latter being rather large 27×18 cm sheets with 1 mm thickness. Unit prices start at around $8, and samples can be purchased online. Full details can be found on PowerStream thin lithium ion’s product page.
Via Drew Fustini
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
