Comprehensive knowledge about lithium ion battery charger and its uses

A quick and efficient battery charger for electrical devices and equipment is now necessary due to the explosive development in the use of rechargeable batteries in recent years.

To answer the question that what are the types of battery charger, there are plenty types of battery chargers including simple charger, solar charger, pulse charger, motion powered charger and lithium ion battery charger. This article will introduce comprehensive knowledge about lithium ion battery charger and its uses.

What charger do I use for lithium-ion battery

Nowadays, lithium ion batteries are used everywhere such as powerwall, goft carts, marine applications and so on due to its high energy density, low self discharge rate, light weight and long cycle life. Since the electrode structure of lithium ion battery has strict requirements on the voltage of charge and discharge, the lithium-ion battery requires constant current and constant voltage (CC / CV) charging mode.

General non corresponding lithium ion battery charger can not meet the charging requirements of lithium-ion batteries. If such chargers are used, the life span of the batteries will be shortened and it may cause danger. Therefore, special lithium ion battery charger should be used for charging. This lithium ion battery charger works on the principle of constant current and constant voltage.

What is the best way to charge a lithium-ion battery

A lithium-ion battery has to be charged in two stages: Charges are made using constant current (CC) and then constant voltage (CV). To raise the voltage to the final voltage level, a constant current charge will be first applied. To protect the electrode, one can even choose to lower the goal voltage. This is how we can charge a lithium-ion battery.

Additionally, because the circuit uses the PI Laplace transformation, the peak charging current may be readily changed to shorten the charging time by modifying the proportional-over-integral controller’s saturation level.

What’s the difference between a lithium ion battery charger and a lead acid battery charger

First of all, lithium ion battery charger and lead acid battery charger are differentiated by the point that how they monitor the state of charge. Furthermore, a different scenario comes when we use lithium ion battery with lead acid charger. The lead-acid battery charger does not follow the charging method of constant current and constant voltage, so it may be damaged.

How can I make the lithium ion battery last longer

● Maintain power:

First of all, keep the charge of lithium ion batteries between 20%-80% is helpful to prolong the span life.

● Avoid overcharge and overdischarge：

Overcharge and overdischarge are also bad for the lithium ion batteries. Because overdischarge will cause irreversible capacity loss. the life span of the battery depends on the number of repeated charge and discharge. Lithium-ion batteries are already the highest cycle-life rechargeable batteries on the market, up to 4,000 times, after which the capacity declines significantly. It is necessary to avoid discharging all the electricity in the battery before recharging, which will reduce the performance of the battery.

● Storage：

If the battery is not used for a long time, it should be stored in a dry and cool place and charged once within a month.

● Charger：

Special charger, lithium ion battery charger, must be selected for lithium-ion battery, otherwise it may not reach saturation state and affect its performance. One should always follow the manufacturing instructions like keep it in room temperature and keep it out of reach of children and sunlight. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the charging and discharging of these batteries.

How do you charge a rechargeable battery without a charger

Well, if you had a current-limiting power supply and the knowledge necessary to charge the battery, such as the requisite voltages and currents over time, you might manually manage that power supply for the appropriate number of hours.

Of course, depending on the battery chemistry, failing to pay attention might cause your battery to malfunction or even ignite a fire. It is not advised to do this. In order to avoid getting burned or poisoned, put your batteries in a fireproof container with a fire extinguisher close by, in a room with excellent ventilation. Disconnect the power supply after charge, and never overcharge, otherwise there may be explosion risk.

How do you tell if a lithium battery is fully charged

When the voltage threshold is reached and the current is three percent of the rated current, the battery is fully charged. When the current reaches a plateau and cannot fall any further, a battery is also regarded as completely charged. If we increase the charge current, it does not mean that the battery significantly speed up the full-charge condition. The saturation charge will take longer even though the battery reaches the voltage peak more quickly.

Unlike lead acid, which must be completely charged before use, lithium ion batteries do not require or prefer this and it doesn’t need a full discharge before charging lithium batteires. In actuality, it is preferable to avoid a complete charge due to the battery’s stress caused by a high voltage. Longer battery life can be achieved by lowering the voltage threshold or doing away with the saturation charge completely, but this shortens runtime. However, lithium-ion batteries can be used as charged because there is no memory effect.

Figure 1 Charge stage of lithium ion battery

FAQs

1.What voltage should a lithium-Ion battery is charged at

The design of lithium-ion batteries is such that they should be charged at the voltage range between 2.7v to 4.2v. Generally, the charger with 5V output is used to charge the NMC battery, and the nominal voltage of the battery is generally 3.7V, which is about 4.2V after full charge. The charging voltage of lithium iron phosphate battery shall be 3.65v and the nominal voltage shall be 3.2V. 

It is recommended by most of the lithium ion battery manufacturers to keep the charging voltage with in this range otherwise the battery can cause a serious damage or it may take fire. If we charge the lithium ion battery above 4.3v, it can overheat and the battery may take fire. 

Fortunately, all lithium-ion batteries are equipped with a battery management system, which can prevent the battery from overcharging, and automatically cut off the power supply in abnormal situations such as overheating and short circuit, to ensure safety. By charging the lithium ion battery below 3v, it might take some time to be charged and to restart the battery management system.

2.Can you use a trickle charger on a lithium battery

You use a trickle charger on a lithium battery in the final stage of charging. The last stage of the general lithium battery charger is the trickle of charging. The UPS can be charged using a trickle charger as a backup.

3.How long does it take to charge a 100Ah lithium battery

The process of charging any battery is affected by the battery’s charge rate and capacity. Considering a 100Ah lithium ion battery, by giving fifty ampere current, it will take about two hours to charge fully.

4.Is it better to let the lithium-Ion battery drain

No. It is not recommended to let the lithium ion battery drain. The power of a lithium ion battery should be remain between 20%-80%, which is useful for the battery life. Overdischarge will lead to decomposition and destruction of lithium-ion active material and reduce battery performance.

5.Should you leave Lithium-ion battery on charge all the time

When the charging is near 100%, the lithium ion battery charger should be plugged off for the better health of the battery and for long life.