Compact Thermal Protection for Lithium Batteries

Battery applications designers are tasked with meeting increasingly stringent safety standards for ultra-thin notebooks and other portable consumer electronics powered by high-capacity lithium polymer and prismatic cells. In response, TE Connectivity's business unit, TE Circuit Protection, introduces the new MHP-TAM series. The MHP-TAM device features an ultra-low-profile (L: 5.8mm x W: 3.85mm x H: 1.15mm max.) package and a high (9VDC) rating. The devices in the series offer a choice of two different levels of current-carrying capacity and multiple cut-off temperature ratings. The device provides a space-efficient thermal cutoff (TCO) solution that helps designers meet the demanding peak-current requirements of consumer products.

Utilizing innovative MHP (metal hybrid PPTC) technology, the MHP-TAM device combines a bimetal protector in parallel with a PPTC (polymeric positive temperature coefficient) device. In battery applications, the MHP-TAM device helps provide resettable over-temperature protection to shut down the battery when a fault is detected. The device rests when the fault is removed. The devices in the MHP-TAM series feature different open temperatures, ranging from 72°C to 90°C (typical), which are appropriate for the battery market. They also offer two levels of hold currents: low-current (approximately 6A at 25°C) and high-current (approximately 15A at 25°C).

The MHP-TAM series complies with the regulatory agency requirements of the most rigorous international quality and safety standards: UL, cUL and CB.