Key Battery Concepts and Terminology

Understanding Common Terms in the Lithium Battery Industry

AC (Alternating Current): An electric current that changes direction periodically, often used in household power supplies.

Amp Hours (Ah): A unit of measurement indicating the amount of electric charge a battery can deliver at a specific current over one hour.

Battery (Battery Pack): A collection of two or more interconnected cells arranged in series or parallel to achieve the desired voltage and capacity. The term "battery" commonly refers to a single cell.

BMS (Battery Management System): A system designed to monitor and manage the charging, discharging, and state of health (SoH) of a battery, enhancing safety and longevity.

Capacity: The total amount of energy a battery can store, typically measured in ampere-hours, indicating how much current can be supplied over time before reaching a specified voltage cut-off.

Charge: The process of adding electrical energy to a rechargeable battery or cell, restoring its capacity for future use.

Continuous Current: The maximum current a lithium battery can provide continuously without overheating or damage.

DC (Direct Current): An electric current that flows in a single direction, commonly used in batteries and electronic devices.

Deep Cycling: A usage pattern where a battery is repeatedly charged and discharged to near its full capacity, allowing for extensive cycling and energy usage.

Depth of Discharge (DoD): The percentage of the battery's capacity that has been used relative to its total capacity. Learn more here.

Intelligent Battery: A battery equipped with internal circuits that facilitate communication between the battery and the user. Some intelligent batteries provide only a capacity indicator, while others feature an external bus for interfacing with the devices they power and intelligent chargers.

Parallel Connection: The method of linking cells or batteries with matching terminals to increase the overall capacity of the resulting battery pack. The total capacity of this pack equals the sum of the capacities of the individual parallel-connected batteries or cells.

Peak Current: The maximum amperage that a lithium battery can deliver at any given moment.

Power Consumption: The rate at which energy is used over time, typically measured in watts.

State of Charge (SoC): The ratio of electric charge remaining in a battery or cell during discharge, expressed as a percentage of its rated capacity.

Voltage: The electromotive force or potential difference between two points, measured in volts.

Watt Hours (Wh): A unit of energy representing the capacity of power (in watts) consumed over time. Learn more here.