Normally, a new battery pack comes in a very low charge condition
and must be fully charged before use. Refer to the user manual of
your portable electronic equipment for charging instructions.
A new battery pack needs to be fully charged and fully discharged
or "cycled" as much as five times to condition them into performing
at full capacity.
Your equipment may report a fully charge condition in as short
as 10 to 15 minutes when the new battery pack is being charged for
the first time. This is a normal phenomenon especially for Nickel
Cadmium (Ni-Cd) and Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) chemistries. When
this happens, remove the battery pack and let it cool down for about
fifteen minutes then repeat the charging procedure.
"Conditioning" (fully discharging and then fully charging) is necessary
so as to maintain the optimum performance of a battery pack, and
is recommended at least once a month particularly for Ni-Cd and
Ni-MH batteries. Failure to do so could result in reduced charge
capacity and can significantly shorten the battery packs useful
life. Lithium Ion batteries do not require conditioning.
It is normal for a battery pack to get warm when charging and during
use. However, if the battery pack gets excessive hot, here may be
a problem with the portable electronic equipments charging circuit
and should therefore be checked by a qualified technician.
Rechargeable batteries undergo self-discharging when left unused
for long periods of time. This is normal particularly in the case
of Ni-MH and Li-ion chemistries. For best results, always store a
battery pack fully charged. It should be removed from the equipment
and kept in a cool, dry and clean place.
The amount of runtime a battery pack produces depends on the power
requirements of components in your electronic equipment. This could
be the hard drive setting, screen intensity and back-lighting on
notebook computers, the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and
floodlight feature in a video camcorder, or the tri-mode communications
network of a cellular phone. Always refer to your equipments user
manual for power management settings.
In simplest terms, a rechargeable battery pack is a collection
of one or more rechargeable cells, assembled together to provide
power, measured in watts per hour (Whir), to a portable electronic
device such as a camcorder or notebook computer.
The most common forms of rechargeable cells are the Nickel Cadmium
(Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH ) and recently, the Lithium-ion
(Li-ion) chemistries. Each of these rechargeable technologies provides
their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Ni-Cd battery is the oldest of the rechargeable chemistries used
in today's portable electronic industry. Its low cost and high discharge
rate capability make it suitable for low cost electronic applications
like games and toys as well as for high discharge applications such
as cordless power tools. Its low energy density (power-to-weight
ratio) makes it undesirable for use in equipment such as notebooks
and cellular phones. Ni-Cd has a chemistry-related problem associated
with it called Memory Effect, which limits the discharge capacity
of the cell if not completely discharged during each use.
Ni-MH is most commonly used in the cellular phone battery,
camcorder battery, laptop battery and notebook battery. A relative
of the Ni-Cd chemistry, it has improved performance in respect
to the memory effect problem, increased capacity, and therefore
a higher energy density than Ni-Cd. Operation of this chemistry
at elevated temperatures decreases its cycle life or the number
of times a cell can be charged and discharged.
The newest of the rechargeable chemistries, Li-ion has been
in mass production since 1995. With three times the voltage per
cell as Nickel-based chemistries (3.6 V vs. 1.2 V), Li-ion has a
higher energy density and is therefore ideal for lightweight applications.
It is currently the chemistry of choice for laptop battery, notebook
battery, camcorder battery and cellular phone battery applications.
Li-ion battery has had a history of early production overheating
related problems and is designed in a battery pack with a Pack Control
Circuit (PCC) to protect the cells from abusive conditions such
as current and voltage overcharging, high temperature, and over-discharge.
The relatively high cost of Li-ion cells combined with the need
for circuitry makes the cost of Li-ion battery packs higher than
for other chemistries.
Ni-Cd batteries remember how much charge was released on previous
discharges. It has a tendency to release the same amount of energy
with every charge/discharge cycle. If a Ni-Cd battery is always
partially discharged before recharging, the usable capacity of the
battery will be reduced. The Ni-MH battery is also affected by memory
effect but to a lesser degree. A periodic discharge to one volt
per cell or "exercise" is essential for Ni-Cd cells to prevent
the building-up of memory. "Conditioning" (fully discharging and
then fully charging) a battery pack also helps minimizing memory
effect. Batteries can be fully discharged by disconnecting the equipment
from the AC power supply and letting the equipment run on battery
power until it ceases to function. Conditioning the battery once
a month will keep it performing at its optimum level for a long
time.
The cells are assembled into a battery pack configuration to provide
a required amount of voltage (V) and capacity (Amperes per hour
- Ah) needed to operate the equipment. The cells are connected using
metal strips called tabs. The number of cells needed and the size
of these cells determine the size and shape of the pack. A wire
lead or connector is then attached to the positive and negative
terminals of the pack for connection to the electronic device. The
pack can then be wrapped in heat-shrink plastic or encased in a
hard plastic enclosure.
Increasingly, portable electronic equipment is becoming more complicated
and power hungry. Also, users demand to know how much battery life
is remaining during the use of the equipment. This has created a
need for the inclusion of complex circuitry into the design and
manufacture of today's battery packs (Fuel gauging is very common
in the latest laptop battery, notebook battery and camcorder battery).
Although it has caused an increase in the price of these battery
packs, it has also improved the efficiency, prolonged the life and
increased their user friendliness.
Here are two important figures to consider in reading and understanding
a battery packs specifications. First is the voltage of the battery
pack in terms of Volt or V. Second is the capacity rating in terms
of Ampere-hours (Ah) or milliamp-hours (mAh: 1mAh=0.001Ah). The
voltage of the new battery pack should always match the voltage
of the original battery. The higher the Ah or mAh capacity rating
of the battery pack means the longer runtime and does not mean incompatibilities.
Most IBI battery packs have higher Ah or mAh readings than the original,
yet are manufactured up to original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
standards.
More passenger airline companies are providing outlets or receptacles
into which passengers can plug portable electronic equipment such
as notebook computers and cellular phones for recharging during
flight. Our industry trade associations like the Battery Association
of Japan, European Portable Battery Association, Passenger Electronic
Device Association and Portable Rechargeable Battery Association
have taken into account that the recharging of batteries in portable
equipment while on board aircraft is not recommended. Such practice
should be deferred until appropriate technical safety standards
are established and that such standards are fully implemented. Intelligent
Batteries Inc. advocates and favors such position and do not recommend
that any battery pack product be recharged through airline in-the-seat
power sources.
Any statements and data provided in this file are for general information
purpose. We reserve the right to modify the data in this file without
prior notice. The information is provided in a descriptive way and
does not guarantee any properties or enlarge any warranties given.
Site New Version
