Battery life is one of the crucial selling points of any device. It technically decides how long you can use your device. But if you have a cold weather application to replace or complement standard heating or cooling systems, getting a battery that lasts longer than the standard would significantly improve device performance.
The Best Battery for Cold Weather Applications
Quality of life is a key consideration in any device that keeps an ongoing energy source. It means that if you recharge your mobile phone, you will be able to use that mobile phone and a Bluetooth speaker when it runs out of power. These devices have their own ideal use time and can significantly extend time with the correct battery.
The battery will not last as long as it would in warm weather when using your device in cold weather. The ideal battery for cold weather applications, by a significant margin, will have high-quality lithium batteries that don’t lose charge when they get cold.
When looking for the ideal battery for your cold-weather application, you need to ensure that it has high-quality lithium batteries. There are four main types of lithium battery which include:
1. Lithium iron phosphate
This battery is very cheap and does not offer an excellent long-term cycle life. This type of battery is also not able to withstand repeated deep discharges. The price and the cycle life are enough to avoid this type of battery.
2. Lithium-ion
Lithium-ion batteries are the original form of lithium battery, offering a longer cycle life than lithium iron phosphate and withstanding repeated deep discharges. This battery has a smaller energy density than lithium iron phosphate. It will not have the ideal size for mobile phone applications where a high energy density is required. However, this type of battery does offer the best performance for cycling applications in cold weather.
3. Lithium manganese
This type of battery is much better than the previous two types and has a lower cycle life than lithium-ion. This battery can withstand repeated deep discharges and is used in high-rate discharge applications such as cordless power tools.
4. Lithium cobalt oxide
Lithium cobalt oxide batteries have a long cycle life and can be used in mobile phone applications. This type of battery has an even higher energy density than lithium-ion, able to achieve an energy density of up to 1200 watt-hours/kg. However, the low power-to-weight ratio of this type of battery means that it isn’t ideal for cycling applications.
Purpose of a Good Battery for Cold Weather Applications
The purpose of a lithium battery is to maintain the supply of power to your mobile phone or other electrical devices. Finding the battery with the best cycle life and energy density combination is essential.
Cycle life is the number of charging cycles a battery can withstand before it becomes unserviceable, or around 500 recharges. Energy density is the amount of electricity you can put into a battery.
A lithium battery should have a long cycle life, withstand repeated discharges, have an energy density of about 100 watt-hours/kg, and have a reasonable price.
Lithium batteries can withstand repeated discharges because they do not degrade as quickly as other types of batteries. Lithium batteries do not lose capacity when they get cold the way other batteries do. It means that a solid state lithium battery should not lose capacity when it is cold out, and so it will ultimately be able to work for longer before it needs to be recharged if you use your mobile device in cold weather.
A good battery for a cold-weather application must go through hundreds of charging cycles and still have a high energy density. The best battery for your cold-weather application should be rated at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 10 degrees Celsius. When the battery is that cold, you can count on it to work appropriately.
Conclusion
When choosing the best battery for a cold-weather application, you must choose the correct lithium battery. Lithium cobalt oxide batteries can withstand repeated deep discharges and have excellent energy density. Lithium cobalt oxide batteries will not lose charge when they get cold and can be used in your new cold-weather application.
