Do lithium batteries need to be charged? How to properly charge a lithium-ion battery: instruction manual
Modern devices like, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, etc. operate from an autonomous power source, which is often a li-ion battery.
The widespread use of this particular type of battery is explained by the simplicity and low cost of its production, as well as excellent performance characteristics and a large supply of discharge-charge cycles. And in order to extend the life of the device and battery, you need to know how to charge a li-ion battery correctly and what mistakes you should not make.
Rules for charging li-ion batteries
For the convenience of users, most batteries are equipped with a special controller that will prevent the charge from going beyond critical levels. So, when the lower discharge limit is reached, the circuit simply stops supplying the device with voltage, and if the maximum is exceeded permissible level charging, the incoming current is switched off.
So, how to properly charge li-ion batteries: you need to recharge the device when the charge level reaches at least 10-20%, and after reaching 100% charge, you need to leave the battery on recharging for another 1.5-2 hours, because In fact, the charge level at this moment will be 70-80%.
Approximately once every 3 months it is necessary to carry out a preventive discharge of the battery. To do this, you need to “land” the battery, and then recharge the completely discharged li-ion battery for 8-12 hours. This will help reset the battery threshold flags. However, frequent discharge to zero is harmful for li-ion batteries.
What current should I use to charge li-ion batteries?
Users often have questions about what current to charge the li-ion battery of a smartphone or other device. This type of battery is charged using the constant voltage/constant current method. The nominal voltage per cell is 3.6 V, and it does not 
Supports slow recharging after full charging.
The recommended charge current for such batteries is on average 0.7 C, and the discharge current is 0.1 C. If the battery voltage is below 2.9 V, the recommended charge current is 0.1 C. A deep discharge can lead to bad consequences, including battery damage.
You can charge li-ion batteries when you reach any discharge level, without waiting for critical values. During recharging, as the voltage approaches maximum, the charging current decreases. At the end of the charge, the charging current stops completely.
If you are wondering how to charge lithium ion battery, then you have come to the right place.
Modern mobile devices require an independent power source.
Moreover, this is true for both “ high technology» like smartphones and laptops, and for more simple devices, say, electric drills or multimeters.
There are many different types of batteries. But for portable equipment Li-Ion is most often used.
The relative ease of production and low cost led to such wide distribution.
Excellent performance characteristics, plus low self-discharge and a large reserve of charge-discharge cycles, also contributed to this.
Important! For greater convenience, most of these batteries are equipped with a special monitoring device that prevents the charge from crossing critical levels.
When a critical discharge occurs, this circuit simply stops supplying voltage to the device, and when the permissible charge level is exceeded, it turns off the incoming current.
A phone or tablet with a lithium-ion battery should be charged when the battery level is 10–20%.
Moreover, after reaching the nominal 100%, charging should last another one and a half to two hours.
This is necessary because the battery will actually be charged to 70–80%.
Advice! Approximately once every three months it is necessary to carry out preventive discharge.
When charging from a laptop or desktop computer it must be taken into account that USB port unable to provide sufficiently high voltage, therefore the process will take longer.
Alternating cycles of full and incomplete (80–90%) charging will extend the life of the device.
Despite such a smart architecture and general unpretentiousness, following some rules for using batteries will help extend their life.
To prevent the device’s battery from “suffering”, it is enough to adhere to simple recommendations.
Rule 1. No need to completely discharge the battery
Modern lithium-ion batteries do not have a “memory effect”. Therefore, it is better to charge them before the moment of complete discharge comes.
Some manufacturers measure the service life of their batteries by the number of charge cycles from zero.
The highest quality products can withstand up to 600 such cycles. When charging the battery with 10–20% remaining, the number of cycles increases to 1700.
Rule 2. Complete discharge still needs to be done once every three months.
With unstable and irregular charging, the average maximum and minimum charge levels in the previously mentioned controller are lost.
This leads to the device receiving incorrect information about the amount of charge.
Preventive discharge will help prevent this. At complete discharge battery, minimum value charge in the control circuit (controller) will be reset to zero.
After this, you need to charge the battery to capacity, keeping it connected to the network for eight to twelve hours.
This will update maximum value. After such a cycle, the battery operation will be more stable.
Rule 3: An unused battery should be stored with a small amount of charge.
Before storage, it is better to charge the battery by 30–50% and store it at a temperature of 15 0 C. In such conditions, the battery can be stored for quite a long time without much damage.
A fully charged battery will lose a significant portion of its capacity during storage.
And completely discharged ones after long-term storage will only have to be sent for recycling.
Rule 4. Charging must be done only with original devices
It is noteworthy that the charger itself is built into the design of the mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.).
In this case, the external adapter acts as a rectifier and voltage stabilizer.
Cameras and video cameras are not equipped similar device. That is why their batteries must be removed and charged during external device.
The use of third-party “charging” can negatively affect their condition.
Rule 5. Overheating is detrimental to Li-Ion batteries
High temperatures have an extremely negative impact on the design of batteries. Low ones are also destructive, but to a much lesser extent.
This must be remembered when operating lithium ion batteries.
The battery must be protected from direct sunlight and used at a distance from heat sources.
The permissible temperature range is between -40 0 C and +50 0 C.
Rule 6. Charging batteries using a “frog”
Using uncertified chargers is unsafe. In particular, the common "frogs" made in China often ignite during charging.
Before using such a universal charger, you must check the maximum instructions on the package. acceptable values.
So, attention must be paid to the maximum capacity.
If the limit is less than the battery capacity, then at best it will not be fully charged.
When the battery is connected, the corresponding indicator on the frog body should light up.
If this does not happen, it means the charge is critically low or the battery is faulty.
When the charger is connected to the network, the connection indicator should light up.
Another diode is responsible for achieving maximum charge, which is activated under appropriate conditions.
How to charge and maintain a lithium ion battery: 6 simple rules
Lithium-ion batteries are not picky, but for correct operation they need to be looked after properly. A few simple rules will help significantly increase battery life. Let's determine how to properly charge Li-Ion batteries so that they work for a long time.
A few simple rules for your battery
The lithium-ion battery should be used as follows:
- carry out a complete discharge every three months
- the rest of the time do not completely discharge
- store partially charged
- avoid overheating
Now let's talk about everything in order
Batteries of this type do not have a memory effect, so the owner can charge them without waiting for complete discharge. Typically, the manufacturer calculates the service life by the number of discharge cycles. A high-quality battery can easily withstand 500-600 times. If you start charging the battery in a timely manner - more precisely, when its charge level drops to 10-15 percent, then its service life will approximately double.
But there is an important fact - sometimes it is useful to completely discharge the battery. Full charge during the entire period of operation can also cause harm.
Experts advise completely discharging the battery once a quarter, and then charging it to maximum and keeping it connected to the network for ten hours.
Why are batteries kept charged?
If you are going to store the battery, then the best state for it will be a charge level of 50 percent. A positive temperature is required, preferably about 20 degrees. If you leave a battery on a shelf for a long time, its capacity will gradually begin to decrease. If you put a completely discharged battery aside for a long time, then this situation is even worse; there is a high probability that then the device with it will not even start.
How long do batteries hold a charge?
Batteries discharge very slowly, 5-7 percent of the charge is consumed per month. Manufacturers recommend using only original charging device. Use only high-quality items; buying counterfeit Chinese ones can negatively affect the condition of the battery.
Features of proper charging
In order for the battery to last longer, you should not start charging it immediately after coming in from the cold. Heat– is also a dangerous enemy of such devices; they are unable to withstand overheating. This is detrimental to their condition and dangerous to your health; there are often cases when the battery, heated up under the influence of work and sunlight, caught fire. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the most striking example of such devices; a battery defect led to the recall and replacement of a large batch of smartphones. Try to use the battery correctly, this way you can significantly extend its life.
If you are interested in how to charge a lithium-ion battery, then you have come to the right place.
Modern mobile devices require an independent power source.
Moreover, this is true both for “high technologies” such as smartphones and for simpler devices, say, electric drills or multimeters.
There are many different types of batteries. But for portable equipment, Li-Ion is most often used.
The relative ease of production and low cost led to such wide distribution.
Excellent performance characteristics, plus low self-discharge and a large reserve of charge-discharge cycles, also contributed to this.
Important! For greater convenience, most of these batteries are equipped with a special monitoring device that prevents the charge from crossing critical levels.
When a critical discharge occurs, this circuit simply stops supplying voltage to the device, and when the permissible charge level is exceeded, it turns off the incoming current.
A phone or tablet with a lithium-ion battery should be charged when the battery level is 10–20%.
Moreover, after reaching the nominal 100%, charging should last another one and a half to two hours.
This is necessary because the battery will actually be charged to 70–80%.
Advice! Approximately once every three months it is necessary to carry out preventive discharge.
When charging from a laptop or desktop computer, it is necessary to take into account that the USB port is unable to provide a sufficiently high voltage, therefore, the process will take more time.
Alternating cycles of full and incomplete (80–90%) charging will extend the life of the device.
Despite such a smart architecture and general unpretentiousness, following some rules for using batteries will help extend their life.
To prevent the device’s battery from “suffering,” it is enough to follow simple recommendations.
Rule 1. No need to completely discharge the battery
Modern lithium-ion batteries do not have a “memory effect”. Therefore, it is better to charge them before the moment of complete discharge comes.
Some manufacturers measure the service life of their batteries by the number of charge cycles from zero.
The highest quality products can withstand up to 600 such cycles. When charging the battery with 10–20% remaining, the number of cycles increases to 1700.
Rule 2. Complete discharge still needs to be done once every three months.
With unstable and irregular charging, the average maximum and minimum charge levels in the previously mentioned controller are lost.
This leads to the device receiving incorrect information about the amount of charge.
Preventive discharge will help prevent this. When the battery is completely discharged, the minimum charge value in the control circuit (controller) will be reset to zero.
After this, you need to charge the battery to capacity, keeping it connected to the network for eight to twelve hours.
This will update the maximum value. After such a cycle, the battery operation will be more stable.
Rule 3: An unused battery should be stored with a small amount of charge.
Before storage, it is better to charge the battery by 30–50% and store it at a temperature of 15 0 C. In such conditions, the battery can be stored for quite a long time without much damage.
A fully charged battery will lose a significant portion of its capacity during storage.
And completely discharged ones after long-term storage will only have to be sent for recycling.
Rule 4. Charging must be done only with original devices
It is noteworthy that the charger itself is built into the design of the mobile device (, etc.).
In this case, the external adapter acts as a rectifier and voltage stabilizer.
Cameras are not equipped with such a device. This is why their batteries must be removed and charged externally.
The use of third-party “charging” can negatively affect their condition.
Rule 5. Overheating is detrimental to Li-Ion batteries
High temperatures have an extremely negative impact on the design of batteries. Low ones are also destructive, but to a much lesser extent.
This must be kept in mind when using lithium-ion batteries.
The battery must be protected from direct sunlight and used at a distance from heat sources.
The permissible temperature range is between -40 0 C and +50 0 C.
Rule 6. Charging batteries using a “frog”
Using uncertified chargers is unsafe. In particular, common Chinese-made “frogs” often ignite during charging.
Before using such a universal charger, you must check the maximum permissible values indicated on the packaging.
So, attention must be paid to the maximum capacity.
If the limit is less than the battery capacity, then at best it will not be fully charged.
When the battery is connected, the corresponding indicator on the frog body should light up.
If this does not happen, it means the charge is critically low or the battery is faulty.
When the charger is connected to the network, the connection indicator should light up.
Another diode is responsible for achieving maximum charge, which is activated under appropriate conditions.
How to charge and maintain a lithium-ion battery: 6 simple rules
How to properly charge a lithium-ion battery and significantly extend the life of 18650 batteries. What current to charge Li-Ion battery 18650?
Batteries of this size have several important indicators:
- capacity (mAh – mAh)
- discharge current (A)
- charge current (A)
- maximum number of discharge cycles
In this article, I'll tell you about the last option and how this information can help you extend the life of your batteries.
Step 1: Full Discharge Cycles
What is a cycle?
When a battery is charged and then discharged, this is considered one cycle.
- When charging Li-ion 18650 batteries, the voltage rises to a maximum of 4.2 V, then drops to a range between 2 and 3 V, depending on the specified technical description specific cell charge voltage limit.
- Do not allow less than 3 V to preserve the battery life. This happens with any process that requires battery power. These processes require current, which is provided by the battery, so it is discharged. Test equipment can also be used for discharge.
- Use a dedicated charger to charge 18650 lithium-ion batteries.
- How is the number of cycles calculated? Maximum amount full discharge cycles is determined by the difference between the capacity at the first charge (nominal) and current level charge. For example, initially your phone was charged up to 3000 mAh, but now it is charged up to 2900 mAh, that is, up to 96% of the nominal capacity.
- When this figure drops to 80%, the battery is said to have “died” (even if in fact it will survive another couple of thousand cycles).
- For a 3000 mAh battery, conditional “death” occurs at 80% of the nominal capacity.
- 80% of 3000 is 2400, so when the battery capacity drops to this value, it will be considered “dead”.
- Number of full discharge cycles for 18650 batteries
- Typically, modern batteries of this size have a cycle life of 300 to 500. This number can drop to 200 from overcharging or deep discharging. If the charge level drops below the minimum limit (A), the number of cycles may drop down to 50.
- Under optimal operating conditions, your battery's cycle life can exceed 500.
- Some manage to increase this number as much as 1000.
Step 2: Optimize Temperature
Deviation from these figures entails a decrease in the ability to hold a charge. A deviation of 10°C reduces the capacity by 20 or even 30 mAh.
Extreme temperatures (below 0° and above 70°C) lead to rapid degradation. Operating a battery at temperatures outside the designated limits will quickly damage the battery.
Never charge batteries at temperatures below 0, this will very quickly destroy the battery structure.
If you notice that the battery gets hot while using it, let it rest. During normal use the battery will not get very hot and its temperature will never rise above 60°C. If it heats up quickly, you're overloading it.
Step 3: Do not overcharge the battery (above 4.2V) or allow it to go into deep discharge (below 4.0V)
If you are more concerned about maintaining cycle count rather than capacity, then you may want to avoid charging the battery all the way.
Instead, you can charge it using a partial charge method - where you charge it to, for example, 3.8 V instead of the intended 4.2 V.
You will notice that the capacity has decreased, but if you also reduce the load, the number of cycles of your battery will increase. Overcharging will increase the battery's capacity, but it is dangerous and will shorten the life of your battery.
Step 4: Reduce the charging current (Amps)
Many chargers reduce charging current. « Fast charging"passes at a current of 1 A or higher. Although this will charge the battery faster, it will last significantly less. The graph shows how the charging current affects the number of full discharge cycles.
Step 5: Reduce Discharge Current (Amps)
When your phone is running low, as mentioned above, you can set the voltage limit. But you can also set the discharge current amperage. The higher the amperage, the lower the resulting capacitance.
High current discharge will also reduce the number of discharge cycles. Discharge the battery at low current whenever possible. All major electronics companies typically run discharge tests at only 0.5-0.8A.
Step 6: Increase the limit voltage
A logical continuation of the partial charging method is partial discharging. The partial discharge cycle, in contrast to the full discharge cycle, is little known. Its advantage is that by reducing the load on the battery, the number of charging cycles increases.
Instead of discharging to 2.8V (or the value specified in your battery's data sheet), you can discharge the battery to 3.2V.
Step 7: A little about battery chemistry
Batteries perform differently depending on their chemistry. Under optimal operating conditions, many 18650 sized cans can achieve cycle counts of 1000 or even higher.
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries 18650 type c the largest number discharge cycles have the formula LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate batteries).