What are Li ion batteries? A new breakthrough in portable devices has arrived with the production of the Li ion battery. The advantages of these batteries are many and they are going to be making inroads into the portable industry very soon. They have a lot of power, high discharge rates, and can be recharged quickly and easily. There are some downsides to these batteries however, and here is a look at what some of them are.
Power Drain: One of the big problems with Li ion batteries is that they can draw too much current from a source that they are plugged into. If the source is not strong enough to sustain the charge for a long period of time the battery will shut down. This is not a huge problem in a laptop, but it can cause a power outage in your portable device. It can also prevent the Li ion battery from being able to maintain a charge for a number of charger cycles.
Higher Energy Demand: The higher the energy demands of the battery the harder it will be for it to displace energy. A Li ion battery will draw twice as much energy as a standard battery. This energy demand makes the battery extremely hard to manage and recharge. This energy demand also means that they can only be used for specific tasks or programs. If a program depends on the life of the battery then this limitation could be limiting the number of uses you can get out of the battery.
Features of Li ion Battery
Safety Features: The invention of the li-ion battery has greatly reduced the number of harmful chemical reactions that Li ion batteries experience. However they still experience surface scratches and dents. They can also experience overheating at times. You should avoid using a li-ion battery under any circumstances where you will be working near a source of heat such as an open flame. When transporting your Li-Ion battery make sure you place it in an area that does not have any heat buildup. You could also wrap the battery in a soft cloth when carrying it.
Low Voltage: It is very common for Li-Ion batteries to run out of charge while charging other batteries. This can cause a number of different problems with your devices. First it will prevent the battery from being able to charge fully, which could leave you stranded. Another drawback of running out of charge is if you attempt to charge your battery to full it could take quite some time before the battery's charge returns to normal.
Overcharging: Overcharging your battery can damage the internal chemical processes and affect how well your battery works. Make sure you do not overcharge your battery. This can shorten the life of your Li-Ion battery. You can avoid damaging your battery if you let the battery discharge itself for a few minutes between charges. This gives your battery time to recover from the damage it has incurred while being charged.
Shorting Out: This is one of the biggest reasons why your Li-Ion battery will begin to show signs of losing power. If you connect the positive side of the battery to the terminal and then connect the negative side, you will create a chemical reaction that shortens the battery's ability to release power. This can be avoided by not connecting the positive and negative sides of the battery at the same time. By doing this your battery will last a lot longer and will have plenty of power left to charge up a new battery or load your device.
These are some of the main reasons why Li-Ion batteries are better suited for hand held personal electronics devices. They have high discharge rates for applications where high power is needed but a lower capacity for low power usage. They are also very safe to use and provide a great level of power and portability. Li-Ion batteries are great choices for your laptop, mobile phone, digital camera and power tools.