Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Isolation Switches Amazing Discoveries when Conducting Life Tests at Elevated Temperature

Several recently launched platforms featured powerful Lithium-Ion batteries.The Li-ion technology offers significant advantages in terms of weight saving, and severe cycling tests have opened the path for a widespread use.As the expected life of a satellite increases year after year, the battery cell requirements are increasing, particularly in regards to cycling capacity (cumulated number of charge and discharge operations).Battery cell isolation switches can significantly increase the life of a complete battery by surviving the first failures of cell elements. With the switches configured on the battery, a failing cell can be electrically isolated, and the battery continues to work without this element.The switch is designed to redirect the high currents of charge and discharge, and to disconnect a failed element while live power is passing through it. This operation is completed extremely fast, and the complete platform electrical power is maintained without any discontinuity.This is why the qualification program of such isolation switches includes a life test under permanent electrical overload and switching under load, in the course of those endurance tests.