Battery formation

There is rising global demand for batteries due to an increase in battery-powered applications, in particular electric vehicles (EVs). But before a battery can be fitted in an EV, it must be formatted and tested. The battery formation process, which relies on special battery formation equipment to charge and discharge a battery, demands a high degree of voltage and current accuracy to ensure the battery lasts for the indicated lifetime. Only after testing a battery can it be deemed market-ready.

Battery formation is currently the main bottleneck in the battery manufacturing process. The charge and discharge cycles that activate the material in a newly assembled battery cell or pack can take up to 20 hours. But the process is essential as it greatly impacts a battery’s life, quality and cost. Nearly every newly produced battery is subject to the formation and testing process before it can be fitted in a system. Battery formation equipment featuring the right power system, often AC-DC or DC-DC stage, is required to carry out these key steps.

Most battery equipment manufacturers expect the supplier to suggest a suitable battery formation power system solution. Ideally, it:

• Enables high voltage and current accuracy of up to 0.01%.
• Provides thermal management of MOSFET for higher current rating requirements.
• Increases the overall power density with a higher current rating size.
• Improves the reliability of a system solution that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In general, manufacturers seek a quality system solution that is not over-engineered. It should have an attractive cost-performance ratio, yet be reliable and stable to facilitate continuous operation under the given conditions. With space at a premium, high power density is an excellent, often preferred way to decrease the solution’s size. Opting for a standard platform that can be scaled to fit a wide range of requirements enables a manufacturer to enjoy fast time to market. 

At Infineon, we have a solid understanding of the battery formation market and are able to provide full-spectrum system solutions, from the AC grid to the battery, that require a highly efficient and power dense PFC stage and isolated DC-DC stage. We recommend a totem pole PFC converter and a bi-directional DC-DC converter in our full system silicon solution. This offers great design flexibility, allowing you to meet varying customer requirements. Particularly noteworthy: for non-isolated DC-DC buck-boost stages, we enable you to achieve high power density, leading, of course, to greater efficiency. Infineon’s comprehensive portfolio of surface mounted devices (SMD) is ideal for those prioritizing a lower BOM and higher power density, compared with a package supported by the PCB board.

Explore our system solutions to get started on your battery formation power system designs.