With the wide application of lithium-ion batteries in the material handling industry, more and more fleet operators have begun to pay attention to factors that affect battery performance and service life. Temperature variation is one of the most common and easily ignored factors in daily operation scenarios, which will produce different degrees of impact on the working state of batteries under different environmental conditions.

First of all, it is necessary to clarify the optimal working temperature range for standard lithium-ion batteries for material handling equipment. In the ambient temperature range of 10℃ to 35℃, the internal activity of the battery remains at a reasonable level, the migration efficiency of lithium ions in the electrolyte and the interface between positive and negative materials is stable, the battery can reach the rated discharge capacity, and the cycle life can reach the design expectation as long as it is operated in accordance with the specifications.

When the ambient temperature drops below 0℃, typical for outdoor yard operations in winter or cold storage working scenarios, the viscosity of the internal electrolyte of the battery will increase significantly, and the migration speed of lithium ions will decrease accordingly. Under such conditions, the actual available discharge capacity of the battery will temporarily drop, and the output power will be limited to a certain extent. If the operator forces the truck to run at full load or performs high-current charging directly in such a low temperature state, it will accelerate the irreversible side reaction inside the battery, which will lead to permanent attenuation of the battery capacity after long-term operation.

When the ambient temperature stays above 40℃ for a long time, which usually occurs in the closed unventilated charging room in summer or the equipment parked under direct strong sunlight, the side reaction rate inside the battery will rise sharply. Long-term operation in high temperature environment will accelerate the aging of the positive and negative electrode materials and the decomposition of the solid electrolyte interface film, reducing the total cycle life of the battery significantly. Relevant test data shows that when the battery runs continuously in the environment above 45℃, the total cycle life is less than 60% of that under normal temperature conditions, and the potential safety risk of abnormal heat generation will also increase.

To mitigate the adverse effects of temperature variations, operators can take targeted maintenance measures according to actual working scenarios. For low-temperature working scenarios, pre-heat the battery system properly before starting high-load operation, and avoid direct high-current charging when the battery core temperature is lower than 5℃. For high-temperature scenarios, ensure good ventilation and heat dissipation in the charging area, and avoid exposing the parked equipment to direct sunlight for a long time. These simple and feasible measures can effectively extend the service life of the battery, and reduce the overall operation cost of the material handling fleet.