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i've seen in the rules that lithium polymer batteries are allowed but it doesn't at all mention lithium ion. i'm new to this and i'm currently in the process of designing a robot and i presumed lithium ion would be a good battery choice but the rules only state lithium polymer, not ion. Are they the same thing or are lithium ion not allowed?
Which chemistry in particular? LiFePO4 are commonly used in combat robots. Not a fan of them myself as the discharge isn't as great as with lipo but each to their own.
Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer are the same kind of batteries with small differences in chemistry and internal construction.
Both types are interchangable and allowed. The only thing you have to watch out for is discharge rate. Some Lithium based batteries have a rather low charge/discharge rate, called the C value.
2000mAh 10C can deliver 20A for 6 minutes, but 20 amperes is low for a featherweight, and there are beetles that demand more.
Demand more from that battery, and you will damage it, and possibly set it on fire.
The LiPo(or Ion) battery should (according the rules) be protected with a fuse, rated at the maximal capacity of that battery, just to avoid this.
Lithium Polymer (LiPo) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) are the only types of Lithium Ion chemistries allowed for use (providing the design meets the build rules). It is important to note that different Lithium chemistries are not interchangeable.
There have not been tests conducted on other types of Lithium Ion batteries and it is not advisable you use other types unless you can prove they are safe for use in fighting robots.
They are the same thing, I'm 99% sure - 'polymer' is something of a misnomer if I remember correctly and mainly serves as shorthand for them being in a non-rigid packaging. Actual lithium polymer batteries do exist, but aren't what we call them!