Re: How fast can LiPo packs be recharged?



On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:35:51 -0500, "Peter Olcott" <NoSpam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I said it all in the subject line.


********WARNING, OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ********


the short answer is,
It all depends on whether you intend to ever use them again.
discharging to too low a level or too fast, or attempting to charge too fast are
good ways to kill the batteries

the longer answer is,
some packs can't take more than 1C charge rate, and some can

the realistic answer is,
As long as it takes at a safe charge rate.
I rarely charge above a rate of 0.75C, and they are always done in 3 hours or
less
I usually charge at a rate as low as 0.25C and it rarely takes over 5 hours,

But then, I do NOT try to drain every last watt from my packs before I quit

at a 1C rate, on a pack discharged to the nominal discharge voltage, somewhere
around 1-1/3 hours should get it done

I do NOT charge batteries where I fly. I charge at home, take enough batteries
with me to "get my fix" and quit when the batteries are done.

It's the whole "Pay me now or pay me later." philosophy.
If you fry a pack at the field trying to get "one more flight", it is going to
cost just as much to buy a replacement as it would have cost to have an extra
pack.

YMMV

bob


.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: More Battery Recharging Questions
    ... >> No way am I going to live on 25% percent of capacity. ... That depends on the batteries. ... charge in about 2 hours with my CBC. ... The next time I change out my pack, I'm going to move them indoors ...
    (rec.outdoors.rv-travel)
  • Re: Laptop/ drill rechargable batterys.. methods for longer life?
    ... alot but I do not charge the packs when done. ... In case anyone hasn't told you, NiCds and NHMs aren't dry cells. ... I agree that many people are too keen on discharging their packs until every ... Then if the pack is ...
    (sci.electronics.repair)
  • Re: Charging Un-matched Li Polies in Parallel?
    ... You should not charge Lipoly batteries in 30 minutes. ... One of the idications of an unbalanced pack is if the volage per cell ... voltage, but this is the most common symptom. ...
    (rec.models.rc.air)
  • Re: Ni-Cad vs Lithium batteries
    ... specifications it said electric, nothing mentioned about batteries. ... if i was going for cordless. ... Fast charger systems have sensors or smart ICs to monitor charge and shut ... Ok,the guy wanted to know how to maintain the NiCd pack he ALREADY HAS. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: Li-Ion slow charger
    ... my batteries are lithium polymer, so there's no protective metal casing as with the li-ion batteries, so when a li-po goes up, it goes up spectaculary.. ... but most of those you tube videos of li-po's bursting into flames whilst on 'charge' are staged, usually to sell a protectice charging bag or similar, they are deliberately over charging the batteries, with no current clamping in place. ... i set the voltage to the equivelent of 4.20 volts per cell, and the current to 2 times the pack capacity (my packs are 5C charge, 30C discharge jobbies. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)