How to Charge - When to Charge Table

Batteries have unique needs and Table 1 explains how to satisfy these desires based of common batteries. Because of similarities within the battery family, we only list lead, nickel and lithium systems. Although each chemistry has its own requirements, there are common denominators that affect the life of all batteries. These are:

• Keep a moderate temperature. As food stays fresher when refrigerated, so also does cool temperature retard battery corrosion, a life-robbing adversary of any battery.
   
• Control discharge. Each cycle wears the battery down by a small amount. A partial discharge before charge is better than a full discharge. Apply a deliberate full discharge only to calibrate a smart battery and to prevent “memory” on a nickel-based pack.
   
• Avoid abuse. Like a machine that is exposed to strenuous work, a battery wears down more quickly if discharged harshly and if force-charged with high currents. Strenuous demands cannot always be prevented, but the user has the choice of selecting the right battery size, keeping the temperature moderate and following life-extending service guidelines.

Batteries for the electric powertrain have changed the philosophy of battery manufacturers from designing packs for maximum energy density, as demanded by the consumer market, to focusing on optimal safety and longevity. Batteries on the road are exposed to extreme environmental hazards; they must perform at maximum duty under severe heat, cold, shock and vibration. Storing energy of several kilowatts, batteries for the electric powertrain can be dangerous if stressed beyond normal conditions. Furthermore, vehicular batteries are expensive and must last for the life of the car.

Pampering a battery to achieve an extended service life, as is sometimes possible with a laptop or cell phone pack, is more difficult with a large battery in a vehicle that must deliver high load currents on command and is exposed to freezing temperatures in the winter and blistering summer conditions. The user has limited control as to the care and attention of the battery. This task is passed over to an intelligent battery management system (BMS), which takes over the command and does the supervising. The BMS assumes the duty of a lead commander who must make sure that the troops in a large army are well organized and that all soldiers are marching in the same direction.

While a battery in a portable device can have its own personality and occasionally slack off, this liberty does not exist in a large battery system where all members must be of equal strength. Managing fading and failing cells as the battery ages is a complex issue that the BMS must address effectively. Monitoring and eventual replacing the cells or battery groups is far more complex than getting a new pack for a portable device when the old one becomes a nuisance.

Table 1: Best charging methods. Strenuous demands cannot always be prevented.

Comments

On January 6, 2011 at 11:52pm

antonyananth wrote:

tnx sir

On January 15, 2011 at 3:36am

arpit wrote:

gr8 article

On January 15, 2011 at 3:36am

arpit wrote:

gr8

On January 19, 2011 at 2:31pm

Glyn wrote:

Very useful and informative - keep up the good work

On February 8, 2011 at 7:39pm

john wrote:

Is there a problem if 5 batteries in different stages of remaining capacity are charged together with one charger?

On March 25, 2011 at 7:04pm

Francisco Bolivar wrote:

I have an elerctric bike with a 600w - 36v motor.
It uses a li-Ion battery.
Usually each time I use the bike its charge drops about 20% of the total battery charge.
WHAT IS BETTER DO DO:
1 - CHARGE THE BATTERY EACH TIME I USE THE BYKE (battery with 80% of charge)
2 - CHARGE THE BATTERY ONLY WHEN IT HAS 60% OR 40% OF CHARGE

On April 18, 2011 at 1:23am

Sameer Wagh wrote:

Good articles , but I have one question…..

If we add batterties in Parallel to increase capacity , how much capacity chargers are required. i.e. do we need to add the Ahr. capacity of all batteries to determine the capacity of charger?

If we add batteries in series to increase voltage requirements , do we need to increase the capacity of charger.

Rgds

On June 8, 2011 at 1:42am

Lazaros wrote:

My original charger is at 700 mAh. Could I use another at 1500 mAh or it would deteriorate my phone battery?

On July 4, 2011 at 10:37pm

Jerome Girard wrote:

Simple, precise, thanks a lot!

On July 18, 2011 at 3:39pm

rich chapman wrote:

I’ve got one- Why do instructions for many battery cell chargers say to first put the battery in the bay and then to plug the unit in?  Does it not charge correctly if you put a battery in the bay when its already plugged in?

On August 26, 2011 at 5:49pm

fastman wrote:

Thanks ...this article is very useful ..I am going to buy a new laptop tomorrow with lithium battery and I will not fully cahrge it the first time as i thought

On October 5, 2011 at 2:35pm

Ramakanth Viswanatha wrote:

can i use a dynamo ( for example a dynamo in a cycle to lighten the head light ) in a byke rear wheel . So, that while running the byke the dynamo works and through wiring the dynamo is connected to a rechargeable battery and so the battery is charged and there is no issue of charging drop rate….This was my assumption .

On October 13, 2011 at 10:59pm

jacob wrote:

What is the recommended charging time for the first charge of a lithium ion battery for a new cell phone? I should charge it before I turn my phone on, correct? Its a 1500halloween mah, 3.7v. Any help would be appreciated. Good articles here.

On November 22, 2011 at 7:09am

zachary wrote:

how long do you charge a 12v Lead acid
(Sealed, flooded) battery?

On December 1, 2011 at 8:07am

mahesh wrote:

sir i have a huiandai tubler bettary for my invertor it is 60% damage but company can not change it. in what type i can dead fully damage my bettary

On January 9, 2012 at 10:04pm

Himani wrote:

Informative article !

On January 22, 2012 at 12:01pm

Junedul wrote:

my batteries alithium ion

i bought it new as a replacement and have been charging it for 3 day

i turned it on and it was at 75% and said critical

i turned the adapter off and the laptop lasted a minute, have i damaged the new battery
and why is it stuck on 75%
thanx

On January 23, 2012 at 5:31am

Mercy Ejindu wrote:

my phone battery is charging on it own with the power what should i do

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