Some Things You Need to Know
About Battery Technology and Trade Shows

Some Things You Need to Know About Battery Technology and Trade Shows
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batteries

When you were growing up, the biggest piece of information you needed to know when you were going to buy a battery was if the cell size was AA, 9 Volt, C or D. As with most things, that is not the case today! Technology continues to expand at rapid levels, and the area of battery technology is no exception.







What do I need to know to determine the size and type of battery I need?
 tradeshow sign In the area of using batteries for trade shows, you need to know:

  • What is being powered by the battery;
  • The wattage and voltage draw;
  • The desired length of time that you want to have the device operate;
  • Is disposable battery technology adequate;
  • Alternatively, does the battery need to be rechargeable
  • If rechargeable, what are the expectations for the time it will take to recharge;
  • The number of times someone intends to recharge the battery pack.


How much will the batteries cost?
Budgets for batteries are also a big factor in selecting batteries. Various technologies carry with them different price tags. Smaller and lighter is often more expensive, so often times, compromises need to be made.



Is the transportation of batteries regulated?

Once all of this information has been gathered, then the next very important question to be answered is how will the batteries be transported? In this era of regulation, not all type of batteries can be shipped by air!


In particular, there are strict regulations on the transportation of lithium ion battery technology. Most lithium ion types of batteries of the size needed to power equipment at a trade show are prohibited from being shipped by air due to these strict shipping regulations. Please consult your carrier for their exact regulations – for example, UPS regulations for the U.S. can be found at:

https://www.ups.com/media/news/en/us_lithium_battery_regulations

As a result, if air shipments are involved, then one may turn to another battery technology like nickel metal hydride battery technology as the solution.


Are there levels of safety associated with batteries?
Knowing the above information, DS&L then turns to its application engineering team which does its calculations to determine the proper size and type of battery needed for the project. Many vendors simply take the battery cells to be used, place a connector on the end of the battery pack and put some shrink wrap around the cells. This is not the safe way to package batteries. As a result, DS&L has its batteries encased in a metal can. Wires with quality connectors and strain reliefs are added to the units, as well as mechanism to shut the batteries down in the event that they overheat in the recharging process. These are extra steps and cost a little more money, but ultimately provide a safer product for use in venues.





What to Remember

One battery solution does not fit every application! Sometimes, batteries are not even the right solution. As with most technologies, consult with an expert who can properly advise you on battery technology and your choices.