How do I judge the quality of rechargeable batteries?
1.What
is a battery?
Battery, can be any device that stores energy for later use. The
word battery, is limited to an electrochemical device that converts
chemical energy into electricity, by use of a galvanic cell. A
galvanic cell is a fairly simple device consisting of two electrodes
(an anode and a cathode) and an electrolyte solution. Batteries
consist of one or more galvanic cells.
A battery is an electrical storage device. Batteries do not make
electricity, they store it. As chemicals in the battery change,
electrical energy is stored or released. In rechargeable batteries
this process can be repeated many times. Batteries are not 100%
efficient - some energy is lost as there are heat and chemical reactions
when charging and discharging. If you use 1000 watts from a battery,
it might take 1200 watts or more to fully recharge it. Slower
charging and discharging rates are more efficient. A battery rated
at 180 amp-hours over 6 hours might be rated at 220 AH at the
20-hour rate, and 260 AH at the 48-hour rate. Typical efficiency
in a lead-acid battery is 85-95%; in alkaline and Ni-Cad battery,
it is about 65%.
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2.How
do I identify my battery?
The first information to provide would be the make and model of
the equipment that you require the battery for, e.g. Toshiba Satellite
Pro 400, or Compaq Presario 1283. There is also usually a label
on the battery, and some of the information on the label will
help our sales team to identify your battery quickly.
This information includes the voltage of the battery pack (note:
this is not the same as the voltage on the power supply), the
capacity of the battery pack and the chemical construction of
the battery pack, e.g.Li-ion, Ni-MH or Ni-Cad. This information
can be used to ensure the information you have provided matches
the information we have about your battery. Many battery packs
also have part numbers on the label; this can sometimes be used
to help identify the battery. We would suggest that it is best
to have all this information written down or close to hand before
you call our sales team. This will help us deal with your call
in an efficient manner.
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3.What
is the difference between Ni-Cad,Ni-MH,and Li-ion?
Li-ion (Lithium Ion). This is one of the newest cell types available.
It is also the lightest battery type currently available on
a commercial basis and can provide more power than the other
main cell types. There are no known problems of memory effect
with this battery type and it is the easiest battery type to
care for. The downside of this battery is that it has the highest
engineering costs and therefore the price is usually considerably
higher than other cell types.
Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride). This cell type is
the most common cell type currently available for laptop computers
(although Li-ion is rapidly becoming the most popular) This battery
type is relatively low price to manufacture and therefore tends to
be cheaper than Li-ion. This cell type is prone to memory effect,
so it is important to take good care of your Ni-MH battery to ensure
that you obtain the best runtimes.
Ni-Cad (Nickel Cadmium). This is one of the
oldest cell types and is generally only found in older laptops.
The main pro for this cell type is its ability to handle higher
loads, and therefore is more commonly found in portable power
tools or devices that need a lot of power to work efficiently.
The main downside of this cell type is that it is notorious
for suffering from memory effect, so good care must be taken
with this battery type to ensure most effective use of battery.
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4.How
long will the new main battery power the laptop?
Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual
battery running time depends upon the power demands made by
the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive and other
accessories also results in an additional drain upon the battery,
effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of
the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment.
Generally, a new Hi-Capacity battery will run 30% to 50% longer
than the old battery did when it was new.
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5.How
to maximize and battery performance?
It is recommended to condition(fully charge and discharge) the
new battery few times to allow it to reach its maximum rated
capacity.
Condition the Ni-MH and Nicd battery at least once a month. It
will reduce the memory effect.
Use the battery at least once a month even it was kept in a
dry and cool storage.
Clean the metal connector (the contact to the notebook, usually
in color of gold or silver) by alcohol or Electronics Cleaner
Degreaser. It will maintain the good conductivity. Which improves
the power conduction from battery to Notebook.
Fully optimize the Power Management features the
provides in system BIOS, and Operating System will also improve
the battery performance. Consult the user's manual to fully understand
the usage of these features.
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6.How
long does batteries last?
The life span of a Notebook battery is about 1.5 to 3 years
under normal conditions.As the rechargeable battery begins to
die,the user will notice a decline in the running time of the
battery.
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7.How
can batteries be connected?
Note: When interconnecting batteries (cells),
they must be identical in voltage and amp rating!
Batteries may be connected in series. The positive terminal
of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of
the second battery; the positive terminal of the second is connected
to the negative of the third, and so on. The voltage of the
assembled battery is the sum of the individual batteries. The
batteries are connected: + to - to + to - to + to -, etc. The
capacity of the battery is unchanged.
Batteries may also be connected in parallel. The positive terminal
of the first battery is connected to the positive terminal of
the second battery, the positive terminal of the second is connected
to the positive of the third; the negative terminal of the first
battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second
battery, the negative terminal of the second is connected to
the negative of the third and so on. The batteries are connected:
+ to + to + and - to - to -. In this configuration, the capacity
is the sum of the individual batteries and voltage is unchanged.
For example, (5) 6V 10AH batteries connected in series produces
a battery array that is 30 Volts and 10AH. Connecting the batteries
in parallel produces a battery array that is 6 Volts and 50AH.
Ordinary auto batteries are designed in the same fashion. Six
2-volt cells are arranged in sepries to produce a 12v battery.
Many Ni-Cad batteries are arranged in the same way.
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8. How do I maximize the life of my battery?
A: Careful and proper usage of your battery can avoid premature damage to your battery.Here are some tips in maximizing your battery's life:
1. Do not leave your batteries on the charger for extended period of time after thery have been fully charged. - After they are fully charged, unplug the power cord or take them out from the charger.
2. Do not charge your batteries in or near a hot environment such as a stove or under direct sunlight. - Excessive temperature may affect batteries' performance and charging efficiency.
3. Do not use a charger you are not sure of it origin and application. The quality of a charger has great effects on the life and performance of a battery.low price quality or mismatched chargers may damage the battery.
4. Do not use a power supply or charger that is not designed for the device or battery. - Different devices have different working or charging current.Misuse of power supply or charger may damage your battery if doesn't damage the electronic devices.
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9. How do I judge the quality of rechargeable batteries?
A: There are many different battery testing criteria and standards such as battery's internal resistance, testing the capacity and life cycle with different C-rate and environment temperature, etc. Most of them require specialized equipment and controlled enviroment to conduct the tests. Therefore, regular consumers really cannot just the quality of rechargeable battery from their outside appearance. But from BatteryX's experience, Japanese made cells have tighter tolerances, closer in performances meeting their designed specifications, and higher life cycles.
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