Blade battery and cube battery-0204

The shape of the battery cell

In addition to materials affecting battery performance, different manufacturing processes can also lead to differences in battery performance.

Currently, there are three shapes of battery cells used in power batteries.

1. Cylindrical battery cells

The production process is mature, the quality is reliable, the energy density is high, and the cost is low, but the battery pack packaging is complex.

2. Square battery cell

It has low energy density, solid structure, good collision resistance, and customizable size for easy packaging.

3. Soft pack battery

It has high energy density and customizable size for easy packaging. Its disadvantages are poor collision resistance and high cost.

Square battery pack

The general production method of battery packs is: N battery cells are packaged into square-shaped modules, and N modules are then packaged into a battery pack for a complete vehicle, which is called a square battery pack.

The advantages of the square battery pack are simple production process, convenient and economical maintenance, while the disadvantages are more components and low energy density.

Blade battery pack

Blade battery packs are also called CTP battery packs (Cell to Pack), which means that the cells are directly packaged into battery packs. A single soft-pack battery cell is made into a thin and long blade shape and directly packaged into a battery pack. Blade batteries are mainly an improvement in manufacturing technology, which arranges more cells in a limited space, thereby improving the overall energy density of the battery.

The advantages of the battery pack are improved energy density and reduced components; the disadvantages are reduced anti-collision performance, complex production process and high maintenance costs.

Comprehensive comparison of various battery packs

With the improvement of positive electrode materials and manufacturing processes, power battery packs have also undergone many changes.

1. Cube lithium iron phosphate battery pack: the earliest to be produced, with good safety but low energy density.

2. Square ternary lithium battery pack: It has been the mainstream in recent years. It has high energy density and is not afraid of cold, but it is not safe enough.

3. Blade lithium iron phosphate battery pack: launched in 2020, it has high energy density, good safety and low cost, but is still afraid of cold.

4. Blade/magazine shaped ternary lithium battery pack: launched in 2021, with high energy density, good safety, not afraid of cold, and high cost.

At present, it is very difficult to improve the chemical properties of batteries. It is effective to improve the manufacturing process of blade batteries or magazine batteries to improve battery performance. In the next few years, more new processes will emerge to continue to promote the improvement of battery performance.