When designing a battery pack for a new device, a common question that engineers may find themselves asking is "Which is the best cell to use for my application?" When choosing the cell for a battery, an engineer must decide what variables are most important to the final application of the battery and must also understand the tradeoffs between different variables and prioritize what is absolutely needed versus what is just nice to have.  Energy vs. power is a start, but what about cycle life, temperature range, calendar life? Then, there is form factor and size: cylindrical (18650, 26650 or 21700), pouch, prismatic? There are also decisions to be made depending on application use regarding cell supplier selection and market availability. 

In our latest white paper, we provide guidance on which criteria engineers should consider when selecting Li-ion cells for emerging applications, such as:

• Cell chemistry & form factors
• Cell performance variables (discharge profile, cycle life, temperature, etc.)
• Supply & market availability