Battery lithium-ion: how to charge the first time. Lithium-ion battery: how to properly charge, types and recommendations

Modern man can not imagine his life without a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, portable drill, screwdriver, flashlight and other devices that can work either from the power grid or from the battery. Often, such devices use lithium-ion power sources.

Many will ask why this type of energy storage device is most often used in electrical appliances. The answer is quite simple and obvious - lithium-ion batteries have small dimensions, and they have a fairly long service life - from 300 to 2000 charge-discharge cycles. Precisely because there are a lot of sources of power of this type around us, everyone should know how to charge a lithium-ion battery.

What is a Li-ion battery

Despite the fact that each person encountered such a power source, not everyone understands what kind of battery and how it is arranged. The most simple and common option is a lithium-ion power source for mobile phones. It has this design: on top is the controller for charge-discharge control, and below the battery cell (bank).

In 99% of batteries for cell phones, only one battery cell is used, specialists in its jargon often call it a jar. The nominal voltage of this power supply is 3.7 volts.

The device also has a special controller (a conventional board with a microcircuit), thanks to which there is no battery recharge. Therefore, the manufacturer, on its part, did everything possible to ensure that there were no extraordinary situations that would lead to a rapid breakdown of the power source.

How to charge for the first time

Many people probably remember how everyone said that the new battery should be brought to full capacity, and then fully charged, and so do three times. Such process of the first charge really is, it is actually necessary, but for Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries. Such batteries were put in quite ancient phones, which are now almost not produced.

How to properly charge the lithium-ion battery for the first time, not everyone knows, and begins to carry out the procedure of complete discharge. Batteries of this type are constructed in a completely different way, and the process of deep discharge destroys them very badly. That's why such devices are sold with a charge of 2/3 of the capacity, and not for a person to check the phone or other device.

Unfortunately, quite often consumers, before the first time to charge the lithium-ion battery, remembering the old times, begin to completely discharge it, thus almost immediately taking away half of their life from them. Therefore, be careful and do not allow common mistakes that lead to breakage of the battery.

How to properly charge a lithium-ion battery?

The most optimal working environment for a conventional Li-ion power supply is the level of charge at the level of 20-80%. These devices do not like reloading, and although there is a special controller on the battery that will not allow this, but there are some consumers who keep the battery on charge for 24 hours a day. It's completely useless, and so do not extend the device, but vice versa.

Li-ion battery 18650

This battery has a cylindrical shape and looks completely like an ordinary battery. It is worth noting that unscrupulous manufacturers, in every way trying to increase sales, begin to indicate inflated performance. To date, there is no more energy-intensive Li-ion battery type 18650 than 3400 mAh. If the power element indicates a figure larger than this, it should be understood that the manufacturer intentionally overstates the characteristics of his product. In this case there is a high probability that in fact the battery will have no more than 2200 mAh.

How to charge Li-ion battery 18650

You can charge such batteries only with the help of a special charger, which is sold in almost any store with electrical goods. For charging lithium-ion batteries, a charger is necessary, where the minimum voltage is not less than 2.2 V, and the maximum voltage is no more than 4.35. The discharge current must not be greater than the double capacity of the battery. That is, if the battery has 2000 mAh, then the current on the charger should not be more than 4000 mAh.

What is dangerous to recharge and deep discharge?

Due to the fact that people do not know how to charge a lithium-ion battery, they often make mistakes and can spend too long on charging or, conversely, forget about it for a long time. What is dangerous for improper battery operation? The thing is that in this case lithium ions move from one electrode to another. The material for making the electrodes themselves can be different, but in this topic these details are not so important.

Simply put, the more the battery is charged, the more lithium ions are in the electrode. If their value is constantly at a maximum, then in this case, the device wears out rather quickly.

How to charge batteries

Li-ion batteries have become very popular also because there are quite a lot of options than you can charge them.

The most logical and correct way to charge a lithium-ion battery is a standard charger. Thanks to a special device, the battery will receive the maximum charge in the shortest possible time. Moreover, it is completely safe for the battery.

Those who do not know how to charge a lithium-ion battery, if there was not a regular charger at hand, we inform you that it can be done with a computer and a USB cable. However, in this case, the current will reach only 0.5 ampere.

It is also possible to charge the Li-ion battery through the cigarette lighter in the car. To date, many stores sell special USB-adapters, which give a different current. How to charge lithium-ion batteries, it is best to find out in the documentation that is provided with the phone, laptop or other device. The bulk of the batteries are charged from 3.7 to 19 volts. However, there are battery models that need more or less voltage. In any case, do not take risks, but it is better to look at the operating instructions once again.

If none of the previous methods of charging is not suitable, you can use the old, but still relevant, and to this day device, which was called "frog" by the people. Such devices are mostly intended for batteries from cellular phones. The design of the "frog" is quite simple: there is one dock, where a lithium-ion battery is installed, as well as contacts that are adjustable in width. Thus, this charge will fit almost any battery of this type.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways of charging the battery. But before you charge a lithium-ion battery, you should make sure that you really can not use the regular charging. The remaining methods are used if necessary. They do not harm the battery, but still the original charging should be in priority in comparison with the rest.

If a person does not know how to charge a lithium-ion screwdriver battery, then we inform you that this should only be done by specialized charging that comes with the device. It is worth noting that if the charging fails, and you can not buy a new one, for example, this model is no longer produced, then in this case, you can connect several 18650 batteries and insert them into a box with the original charging. How much you need a battery type 18650, you can not say, it all depends on the voltage of the screwdriver.

Calibration

Approximately once every three months, you need to calibrate. To do this, you should completely discharge the battery. In this case, the battery controller can independently calibrate the boundaries of the full charge and discharge of the device. This is necessary in order to display the actual information about its charge on the device in which the Li-ion battery is installed. If the battery has not been completely discharged for a long time, incorrect information on the percentage charge of the battery may be displayed.

After the battery is completely discharged, it must be fully charged to 100% when the device is turned off. See the charging time of the battery in the instructions. If, at the end of this time, you turn on the device, and the charge shows less than 100%, then you must turn it off again and continue charging until there is a full charge level.

Storage

If you do not plan to use the battery for a long period of time, you should pay special attention to how it should be stored. The optimal charge is 30-60% of the capacity. The battery should be in a sufficiently cool room, where the air temperature remains about 15 degrees. If the battery is stored in a fully charged state, then the next time you turn it on you will find that its capacity has decreased significantly.

When the device is left completely discharged, it is even worse. With a high degree of probability in six months it will need to be handed over for recycling. Lithium-ion batteries are forbidden to store for a long time in deep discharge.

External superheat

Another evil enemy of Li-ion batteries is a high temperature, which they categorically do not tolerate. The owner of this type of battery should not be allowed to hit the sun, do not put heat near the battery or other sources of radiation. The maximum permissible temperature of battery use is +50 degrees. If we neglect the temperature regime, then probably in a few months the new battery will turn into a spoiled one.

Conclusion

Now you know if it's possible to charge lithium-ion batteries and how it can be done correctly. Summarizing all of the above, we can distinguish such main points:

1. If possible, the battery should always be charged with original chargers.
2. The best way is to charge batteries up to 80%, while not lowering the discharge value below 20%.
3. Do not keep the battery constantly on the charger, nor is the full discharge recommended.

If several simple rules are observed, a Li-ion battery can last a fairly long period of time, while the energy intensity will remain at a high level.