Encell Technology, an energy storage battery and electronics company, recently announced the introduction of the Atlas 160 Nickel-Iron battery. The first production of these 160 Ampere-hour, front-terminal, 12 volt rechargeable batteries shipped this week.
The battery is designed to replace traditional valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries in demanding microgrid energy storage applications. Batteries in this application are frequently cycled and may undergo deep-discharge cycles. The battery life of VRLAs is severely reduced by sustained deep-discharge cycles. Typical specifications show reduction from over 5,000 cycles at 20% discharge to just over 500 cycles at 80% discharge. In contrast, the Encell Atlas 160 NiFe cycle life under similar deep-discharge operating environments approaches 9,000 cycles, according to the company. For a typical installation, this extended deep-discharge performance can result in a significant reduction in the number of batteries needed without compromising battery life.
The Encell Atlas 160 weighs 120 lbs and is packaged in the standard, front terminal configuration with maximum dimensions (5.3 x 22.3 x 13.0 in) similar to comparable VRLAs. High-end temperature ranges for both operation (100 degrees C) and storage (60 degrees C) exceed VRLA specs. According to Encell, the float charge battery life of the Atlas 160 is up to 20 years – several times longer than comparable VRLAs. Encell notes that when energy available over the entire cycle life of a battery is considered, the Atlas 160 product cost is one-tenth that of a lead acid battery with similar name plate capacity.
Source: Encell Technology
