For a long time I wondered what the real physical properties were concerning batteries in general (laptop, cell phone etc…). I hear a lot of advice around me…Often old advice not always up to date…We only rarely have Ni Cd (nickel cadmium) batteries. These batteries must often be completely discharged before recharging… The Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion ) are much more common and it is those which interest us:
Here are simple Guidelines to Prolong Lithium-ion Batteries
- Do not discharge Li-ion too low; charge more often. A random or partial charge is fine. Li-ion does not need to be fully full charged as with lead acid.
- Heat the battery to room temperature before charging. Do not charge below freezing.
- Limit the time the battery resides at 4.2V/cell (full charge), especially when warm.
- Moderate the charge current to between 0.5C and 0.8C for cobalt-blended lithium-ion. Avoid ultra-fast charging and harsh loading.
- When possible, lower the charge voltage limit to prolong battery life.
- Keep the battery cool. Move it away from heat-generating environments. Avoid hot cars and windowsills that are exposed to the sun.
- It is not necessary to unplug the laptop from the power grid when not in use. The charger stops charging when the battery is fully charged.
- When the SoC fuel gauge becomes inaccurate, calibrate smart batteries by applying a deliberate full discharge and charge.
- Add some charge before a long storage. The charge level is not as critical as cool storage.