Entries by administrator

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How to Measure State-of-charge

Explore SoC measurements and why they are not accurate. Voltage Method Measuring state-of-charge by voltage is simple, but it can be inaccurate because cell materials and temperature affect the voltage. The most blatant error of the voltage-based SoC occurs when disturbing a battery with a charge or discharge. The resulting agitation distorts the voltage and […]

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How to Store Batteries

Learn about storage temperatures and state-of-charge conditions. The recommended storage temperature for most batteries is 15°C (59°F); the extreme allowable temperature is –40°C to 50°C (–40°C to 122°F) for most chemistries. Lead acid You can store a sealed lead acid battery for up to 2 years. Since all batteries gradually self-discharge over time, it is […]

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Summary Table of Lithium-based Batteries

Learn the key feature of each Li-ion in a summary table. The term lithium-ion points to a family of batteries that shares similarities, but the chemistries can vary greatly. Li-cobalt, Li-manganese, NMC and Li-aluminum are similar in that they deliver high capacity and are used in portable applications. Li-phosphate and Li-titanate have lower voltages and have less […]

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Gel Lead Acid Battery

Learn the unique advantages of lead acid batteries The early gelled lead acid battery developed in the 1950s by Sonnenschein (Germany) became popular in the 1970s. Mixing sulfuric acid with a silica-gelling agent converts liquid electrolyte into a semi-stiff paste to make the gel maintenance free. The AGM that arrived in the early 1980s offers similar performance […]

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The internal resistance ( IR ) of LiPo batteries

Intro Internal resistance ( IR ) is an opposition against the current flow in a lithium-ion battery while it is in operation, and it is an important technical index to measure the performance of a battery. A large amount of internal resistance turns a part of the energy into heat. This becomes a factor for the increase in […]

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How to Prolong Your Lithium Polymer Batteries

In this issue, we are going to discuss the challenges of Lithium Polymer batteries especially since they suffer from a shorter life if not cared for properly. Luckily, it’s easy to make sure your Lithium Polymers last as long as they should, allowing you to save on money and the hassle. When should you charge? […]

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Why are Protection Circuits Needed?

Batteries can release high energies and the safety requirements for nickel- and lithium-based batteries and cells for portable applications are harmonized under IEC 62133. The standard came into effect in 2012 to reduce the global risk in transporting, storing and operating batteries.   The most basic safety device in a battery is a fuse that […]

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Why do Old Li-ion Batteries Take Long to Charge?

Battery users often ask: “Why does an old Li-ion lake so long to charge?” Indeed, when Li-ion gets older, the battery takes its time to charge even if there is little to fill. We call this the “old-man syndrome.” Figure 1 illustrates the charge time of a new Li-ion with a capacity of 100 percent […]

Alternate Battery Systems

Analyze the pros and cons of other battery systems and learn what the potentials are. The media promotes wonderful new batteries that promise long runtimes, charge in minutes, are paper-thin and will one day power the electric car. While these experimental batteries produce a voltage, the downsides are seldom mentioned. The typical shortcomings are low […]

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Types of Lithium-ion

Become familiar with the many different types of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion is named for its active materials; the words are either written in full or shortened by their chemical symbols. A series of letters and numbers strung together can be hard to remember and even harder to pronounce, and battery chemistries are also identified in […]