Digitimes: Notebook industry to push standardized prismatic lithium-ion battery spec

[cbn]

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120711PD223.html

Notebook industry to push standardized prismatic lithium-ion batteries as a new specification

Aaron Lee, Taipei; Joseph Tsai, DIGITIMES [Thursday 12 July 2012]

Prismatic lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that Intel has been aggressively promoting in the notebook industry, have already received full support from Japan-based Panasonic and Korea-based Samsung SDI and LG with these companies to start pushing standardized solutions in the second half, according to sources from notebook battery players.

Currently, the notebook industry mainly adopts 18650 cylindrical batteries for traditional notebook models, while ultrabooks and tablet PCs mostly adopt customized LIBs that are small in size, but are not removable from the devices, to allow ultrabooks and tablet PCs to feature even thinner sizes.

However, since prismatic LIBs are rather cheap, while also lightweight, once the battery become standardized and are designed to be removable, the sources expect the penetration of prismatic LIBs in the battery market will start rising in 2013 and become the third-largest notebook battery standard.

The sources pointed out that battery cell makers are usually the setters of a new battery standard, and Panasonic, Samsung SDI and LG have all already decided to launch prismatic LIBs with a size of 60mm by 80mm and a thickness of 5-8mm

Currently, prismatic LIBs are about 25-30% cheaper compared to traditional LIBs with the same capacity, while prismatic LIBs are also 5% lighter in weight. Acer and Asustek Computer have already decided to adopt prismatic LIBs for their upcoming ultrabooks.

Sounds like great news!

P.S. I have been wondering if Intel is planning to take this one step further and develop some kind of standardized modular cooling system for their future "Configurable TDP system" ---> (Remove battery when device is docked to AC power.....then dock the supplemental cooling in the spot previously occupied by the battery).

 

[techs]

That would be a great idea for the consumer but the manufacturers would lose money on the sale of replacement and secondary batteries.

 

[cbn]

That would be a great idea for the consumer but the manufacturers would lose money on the sale of replacement and secondary batteries.

The article does mention the current Ultrabook and Tablet PC custom Lithium-Ion batteries being non-removable.

while ultrabooks and tablet PCs mostly adopt customized LIBs that are small in size, but are not removable from the devices, to allow ultrabooks and tablet PCs to feature even thinner sizes.

So secondary battery sales shouldn't being affected.

Now as far as profit loss goes for the replacement primary batteries....maybe standardizing the battery size for standardized cooling interface will more than offset that?

If that happens wouldn't the potential exist for win-win-win?

 

[Gunbuster]

My take is the battery OEM's decided on a standard base unit size. Just like cylindrical batteries it is up to the laptop maker choose the number of units and combine them into the final package, wire together, and encase them into modules.

This does not mean all laptops using prismatic LIB's will be using the same module size.