With much higher energy density, longer cycle life, and lightweight,lithium batteries are being widely used today. Still, for better performance and to extend service life, it is critical for people to charge at an appropriate time. In the following article, we will elaborate on how to recognize that the lithium battery needs to be charged, use a suitable method, and follow the best practices for charging.
1. Timing judgments of lithium battery charging
Voltage warnings
Screen prompting: There are devices that sometimes may come with a screen notification that pops, reminding you; here lies a warning; the battery may be low.
Charge in Time: Various devices will usually have blinking LED or some optical indication light for low voltage state.
Performance alterations
Slower operation: the operational speed will be considerably slow when the lithium battery is low. From screen refresh, and application loading, to operation, it's not responsive at all. Screen brightness reduces: the screen brightness of the device might automatically reduce in order to save power, which eventually makes the screen display somewhat dark.
Auto reboot or shutdown: If the level of the battery is very low, it may cause an auto reboot or sudden shutdown of the device to save the battery and system from damage.
Voltage level
Voltage Drop: Li-ion batteries normally work within a range of 3.0V to 4.2V per cell. If the voltage drops further below 3.2V, that means the battery is seriously low and needs immediate charging.
Built-in Battery Management System (BMS) Signal
BMS Notice: Some lithium batteries have an inbuilt BMS that automatically sends a signal at low battery levels or when the battery needs recharging, thereby reminding the user to do the recharging on time.
Monitoring Use-Time
Poor or short battery life: If the battery life is considerably short and other factors contributing to power consumption are excluded, then the lithium battery is probably low and needs recharging in time.
Reminder of charging cycle: According to the lithium battery charge and discharge cycle and use habit, the normal charge can avoid the power being too low. Generally, charge when the power drops to about 50%, which is conducive to prolonging life and maintaining the best performance.
2. lithium battery charging strategy
Avoid deep discharge
Power cordon: Try not to let the battery power fall below 20%. Frequent deep discharging will speed up the aging of the battery and shorten its service life.
Charge at the appropriate voltage
Charger matching: In the use of a charger that matches the type of battery, pay attention to the charging voltage not to exceed the battery's maximum voltage limit value, so as not to damage the battery due to over-voltage charging.
Use appropriate charger
Designed for Li-ion batteries: For Li-ion batteries, make sure that your charger is specially designed for this kind of battery and features some inbuilt protection, such as an automatic shut-off mechanism or voltage regulator that can accurately control the charge process without overcharging and safely.
Matching battery specification: The output voltage and current of the charger must match the rated voltage and charging specifications of the Li-ion battery to avoid incompatibility resulting in inefficient charging or battery damage.
Reasonable arrangement of charging duration and frequency
Avoid overcharge and over-discharge: control the charging in the rated capacity of the battery, and disconnect the charger in time when the battery is fully charged to avoid the battery overcharge for a long time, resulting in heating and aging of the battery; meanwhile, avoid charging the battery when it is used up, it is suggested to charge the battery when the power of the battery reduces to 20% ~30%.
Regular charging: Get into the habit of regular charging. Even if the battery is not used up, it should be charged from time to time to maintain the activity and performance of the battery.
3. Lithium Battery Charging Status Monitoring
Voltage curve analysis: through the voltage curve, show the variation rule of lithium battery voltage during charging, help users understand the charging status of the battery.
Percentage tracking: Using the battery percentage indicator to track the real-time charging of the lithium battery for the purpose of ensuring that it is adequately charged but without overcharging.
Intelligent monitoring tool recommendation: Introduce some intelligent battery-monitoring tools or apps to help users master any time lithium battery charging.
Conclusion
4. what is the lithium-ion battery charging process?
The general charging process of a lithium-ion battery consists of three important stages:
CC-Constant current charging: In this stage, a constant current is applied to the battery until its voltage rises and reaches a prefixed threshold. The voltage level: Voltage of each of the batteries gradually increases and reaches up to a maximum of 4.2V. Constant Voltage Charging (CV)
Description: When the battery voltage reaches the set upper limit, the charger switches to constant voltage mode. In this case, the voltage of the battery remains constant while the current to the battery tapers off.
Voltage level: Each of the individual batteries has a voltage of 4.2V.
Charge Termination
Description: When the charging current has tapered off to a pre-set lower level, the charging process terminates and the battery is considered fully charged.
Current threshold: usually less than 0.05C, C is the rated capacity of the battery.
Here is the translated table in English:
Stage | Description | Voltage/Current Level |
Constant Current Charging | Charge at a constant current until the voltage limit is reached | Up to 4.2V per cell |
Constant Voltage Charging | Maintain a stable voltage while the current gradually decreases | 4.2V per cell |
Termination | Stop charging when the current drops below a threshold | Current below 0.05C |
5. Lithium battery charging common problems and solutions
How long can a fully charged and disconnected battery last?
The time elapsed after a battery is fully charged and then disconnected can be anything from six weeks to six months, depending on many factors which include but are not limited to the type of the battery, temperature environment, and health of the battery. To ensure that the battery remains in optimal condition during storage, it is recommended that it be stored in a dry location at temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, which helps to slow down the self-discharge process and maintain stable performance. It is important to note that the self-discharge rate varies among different models and brands of batteries. This is so that over-discharge will not degrade the performance of the battery in subsequent use. In three months, it is highly recommended to recharge and replenish the power consumed in the storage process.
How to detect the charging status of the battery without disassembling it?
There are a couple of ways of ascertaining the state of charge of a battery without necessarily having to open it. Of these, the most direct way is measuring its voltage. However, this measurement precision may be affected by several factors such as material and temperature, which will result in less accurate results. Besides, one can measure the specific gravity in the electrolyte for the same purpose, which usually applies to non-sealed batteries. Current or voltage-based measurement methods can reflect the charge level and health status of the battery more accurately, which is an important basis for judging the state of the battery.
Can lithium batteries be charged when they are not depleted?
Of course! The lithium batteries have no memory effect; they can be recharged at any time without affecting the capacity of the battery, even if it is not completely discharged. Actually, it is a good idea to charge the battery partially often to improve the performance of the battery in the long run.
Is slow charging more conducive to prolonging the life of lithium batteries?
Slow charging prolongs the life of lithium batteries and sustains their performance. It minimizes aging factors, since less heat is generated during recharging and less battery stress, thus the battery can sustain high capacity and stability for a long time, which is important to optimize the general performance and dependability of the battery.
6. Lithium battery maintenance advanced guide
Stay away from high power consumption scenarios
Continuous high power consumption operation will only increase the burden on the battery and erode its capacity over time. In the case of some equipment's demand to cope with high-power-consumption tasks, a battery adapted for such scenes is necessary for stable performance of the battery.
Store the batteries properly
In a situation where the lithium battery is not in use, it should be charged to 40%-60% of the charge and then stored in a cool and dry environment; this will help to effectively reduce the rate of capacity degradation and make the battery service life longer.
Regularly check the appearance
Check the battery case regularly to find out if it has swellings or not. Such symptoms may mean internal malfunctions of the battery, and finding them out in time will help prevent possible risks to safety and prolong the service life.
To master accurately the timing of charging the lithium battery, stick to a scientific way of charging; and do routine careful maintenance each day. Doing this would keep it new in performance. Thus, treating charge-up seriously protects equipment performance by carefully taking good care of its batteries, thus giving a great role for a lithium battery in your devices.