Should you top off lithium batteries?

Posted on January 9, by /

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What are lithium-ion batteries, anyway? Let&#;s talk about their use cases and how to best maintain their charge for a long lifespan. 

Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) are an industry standard for mobile power sources. They appear in our daily lives, from powering electronic vehicles, lawnmowers, chainsaws, and phones to smart thermometers like FireBoard 2 and Spark. When compared to other rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density, which provides more power in a smaller, lighter package.  When it comes to charging, Li-ion can be charged quickly and has a low self-discharge rate, meaning it retains its power when not being used.  

Best of all, Li-ion batteries have no memory effect, meaning they can be charged at any percentage of charge without adversely affecting the overall battery life capacity. Any user of Ni-Cad batteries from years ago can attest to what a fantastic advancement this is.

How to Charge a Lithium-Ion Battery

Since these batteries have proven themselves and are here for the duration, we&#;ve compiled a list of best charging practices to maximize the performance of Li-ion (Lithium-ion) batteries.

1. Use the charger provided by the device manufacturer or a compatible charger per their specifications. FireBoard2 devices are also USB-PD compatible , which means they can support a high charge rate while also providing power to drive a fan.

2. Charge partially over fully.  Since there is no memory effect, partially charging a Li-ion over a deep discharge-charge cycle is favorable.  Complete charge cycles can deplete the life span of the battery. Generally, keep the battery charge between 20-80% before it drops to very low levels, and avoid a full charge.  

3. Full battery discharges should be avoided since they can reduce the long-term reliability of the battery as well as lead to capacity loss.

4. Keep device software or firmware up to date. FireBoard devices use a smart battery charging chip, enabling us to release updates that optimize charging performance. 

5. Avoid charging in thermal extremes and use with a range of 68-77ºF, which can degrade performance and reduce the battery&#;s lifespan.

6. For long-term or seasonal storage, maintain a charge level half of full capacity. Also, avoid storing a Li-ion battery in a fully discharged state.

7. Replace when necessary. It is important to understand that all batteries have a limited life span and have a finite number of charge cycles they can receive. When you notice a significant decline in charge life, a battery replacement may be necessary. Always be sure to properly dispose of batteries

   Want more information on Lithium Battery? Feel free to contact us.

 

About our Charging Chip

To maximize the performance of a Li-ion, manufacturers need to use charging integrated circuits, or ICs, designed to manage the charging process efficiently and safely.  

FireBoard Labs sourced a smart battery charging chip from Texas Instruments with many features that monitor safe charging and operation.  One such feature is a safety timer, which, as FireBoard Electrical Engineer Harold Tarun explains, &#;is used to prevent extended charging cycles due to abnormal battery conditions.&#; He says this integrated circuit also includes a &#;thermal regulation [that] reduces the charge current when the junction temperature exceeds a set amount.&#;

The risks associated with lesser charging ICs include reduced battery lifespan and overcharging, which can damage the battery or cause a malfunction. 

Harold also explained that the charging chip on the FireBoard 2 series features a boost mode that will increase the voltage when it is low to give longer usable battery life. 

 

Our mAh Battery Pack uses a Li-ion battery for all of the benefits mentioned in this article. If you&#;re looking to pick up a new mobile battery pack that recharges via USB-C cable, you&#;ve come to the right place!

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But there are two things bad for LIs: 1) draining them down all the way dead (I mean all the way drained) greatly reduces how many more recharges they can endure and 2) Applying charging voltage when the batt is charged will also reduce the number of recharge cycle the batt can endure--the higher the voltage and the longer it is applied while the LI is fully charged, the greater the adverse impact. Most LIs have a circuit built into them to impede the current down to a trickle when batt is nearly charged and to stop charging when the batt is full. This does two things 1) it avoids causing the LI to blow up--this is why all cell batts have the protective circuit in the batt and not the , to ensure one can't over charge the batt. Most products (ipods, portable speakers, etc.) with LIs don't have user removable batts so the user can cannot put them on the wronger charge and explode the batt. The only way a charger or protection circuit knows if a batt is charged or nearly charged is to apply a voltage and see how the batt responds--i.e., give a trickle charge and see how the batt heats up. So trying to top a full batt or leaving it on a charger full time allows these little trickle tests every so often, which slightly but needlessly wear the batt.

So rules of thumb:
Don't drain all the way--most LIs have a protection circuit to cut them off when they get very low but not yet dead so this isn't a prob in most units.
don't leave on charger after charged--the trickle charger is short and slight so the damage here is minimal
don't charge unless batt needs a charge.

But don't be neurotic about it; LIs wear well and are meant to be replaced.

LIs do discharge slowly on the shelf so ocassionally recharging (every six months or year, depending on how old the batt is, is good idea)

Age alone will wear an LI out.

powernoodle said:

" A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges."

Link

peace

From batteryuniversity.com:" A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges."peace

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Forget memory effect. Here's the deal with batts and memory. With batts made with cadmium, under rare circumstances one could produce a memory effect. It needlessly scared everyone about memory effect on all rechargeable batts. Lithium Ion batts (LIs), like almost all rechargeable batts don't have a memory effect. Even with NiCads, producing the memory effect was hard to do--you had to discharg to the eaxt same level many many many times before a noticeable memory effect could be seen and then the wear of recharges usually had a greater impact on performance.But there are two things bad for LIs: 1) draining them down all the way dead (I mean all the way drained) greatly reduces how many more recharges they can endure and 2) Applying charging voltage when the batt is charged will also reduce the number of recharge cycle the batt can endure--the higher the voltage and the longer it is applied while the LI is fully charged, the greater the adverse impact. Most LIs have a circuit built into them to impede the current down to a trickle when batt is nearly charged and to stop charging when the batt is full. This does two things 1) it avoids causing the LI to blow up--this is why all cell batts have the protective circuit in the batt and not the , to ensure one can't over charge the batt. Most products (ipods, portable speakers, etc.) with LIs don't have user removable batts so the user can cannot put them on the wronger charge and explode the batt. The only way a charger or protection circuit knows if a batt is charged or nearly charged is to apply a voltage and see how the batt responds--i.e., give a trickle charge and see how the batt heats up. So trying to top a full batt or leaving it on a charger full time allows these little trickle tests every so often, which slightly but needlessly wear the batt.So rules of thumb:Don't drain all the way--most LIs have a protection circuit to cut them off when they get very low but not yet dead so this isn't a prob in most units.don't leave on charger after charged--the trickle charger is short and slight so the damage here is minimaldon't charge unless batt needs a charge.But don't be neurotic about it; LIs wear well and are meant to be replaced.LIs do discharge slowly on the shelf so ocassionally recharging (every six months or year, depending on how old the batt is, is good idea)Age alone will wear an LI out.

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