What is the difference between cylindrical and prismatic LiFePO4 batteries?
Cylindrical lifepo4 batteries and prismatic lifepo4 batteries are the most popular lithium iron phosphate batteries currently on the market. Although they work on the same principle, the difference in shape affects the performance of the battery. Next, let’s know about what are the differences between lithium iron phosphate batteries and prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries?
What are cylindrical and prismatic lifepo4 batteries?
Cylindrical lithium iron phosphate battery is a battery with a cylindrical appearance. The battery structure mainly includes: cylindrical steel shell, steel cap, positive electrode, negative electrode, separator, electrolyte, gasket, explosion-proof safety valve , etc.
The logo of a cylindrical lithium iron phosphate battery generally consists of 3 letters and 5 numbers. The first two letters represent the battery material, the third letter represents the shape of the battery, and the 5 numbers represent the diameter and height of the battery respectively. For example, “IF” in “IFR 26650 ” represents lithium iron phosphate, “R” represents cylindrical shape, “26650 ” represents a diameter of 26mm and a height of 65mm .
A prismatic lithium iron phosphate battery is a battery with a prismatic shape.The main components of the battery include : top cover , casing , positive plate , negative plate , separator , laminated sheets or windings , insulation parts , etc. The casing of the battery is generally a steel shell or an aluminum shell. With the market’s pursuit of energy density and the advancement of production technology, aluminum shells have gradually become mainstream.
What are the differences between cylindrical and prismatic lifepo4 batteries ?
The space utilization of the two is different . When cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries are formed into a battery pack , gaps will inevitably occur between the cells , while prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries can be closely arranged together to make full use of the space .
The two have different in dissipate heat . Because when cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries are grouped together, there is a gap between the cells, thereby providing space for heat dissipation, therefore the cylindrical lithium iron phosphate battery has relatively good heat dissipation.
The cycle times between the two is different. Cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries have relatively higher cycle times than prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries.
The two have different weights . Because cylindrical batteries generally use steel shells , while prismatic batteries mostly use aluminum shells , cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries are heavier than prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries .
The manufacturing costs of the two are different . Due to the continuous improvement of the production technology level of cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries after a long period of development , the manufacturing cost will be lower and the price will be cheaper than the newer prismatic batteries .
The energy density of the two is different . Due to structural problems , the energy density of prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries will be slightly higher than that of cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries .
The scalability of the two is different . When a large-capacity battery pack is required , due to the relatively low capacity of cylindrical lithium iron phosphate cells, the number of cells will increase exponentially, thereby increasing the difficulty of production. Therefore, for places that require large-capacity batteries , prismatic lithium iron phosphate Batteries would be more convenient .
The damage costs are different between the two . After the cylindrical battery is grouped, the damage of a single cell will not seriously affect the entire battery pack; but under the same situation, the damage of a prismatic lithium iron phosphate battery will seriously affect the entire battery pack, which means that the damage costs of the prismatic lithium iron phosphate battery is higher.
The too have different in utility . Due to structural problems , part of the electrolyte in the inner corners of prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries cannot be fully utilized , while the electrolyte in cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries is evenly distributed and can be fully utilized .
To sum up , cylindrical lifepo4 batteries and prismatic lifepo4 batteries have their own advantages . As a buyer , you can combine your own needs , learn from each other, and make full use of the advantages of the battery to maximize the value of the battery. As a manufacturer of cylindrical lithium iron phosphate batteries, PLB has witnessed the rapid development of cylindrical lithium iron phosphate battery technology and the continuous expansion of its application scope in the past 30 years. We believed that cylindrical lithium iron phosphate battery will become a mainstream product in the battery market in the future .