A current thread by World of Engineering on Twitter provides numerous good, fundamental recommendation to anybody who owns a lithium-ion battery (or just a few hundred/thousand). Sharing this info periodically is a good concept as a result of many individuals don’t know that lithium batteries require any type of care in any respect.
All the things it is advisable find out about Lithium-ion batteries 🪫🔋
As an electrical automobile proprietor, laptop computer and smartphone consumer, you might have selections tips on how to extend battery life.
Let’s go 🧵
— World of Engineering (@engineers_feed) September 22, 2022
Many readers in all probability already find out about all this, however I’ve seen on many web boards, Fb teams, and Twitter conversations that individuals are skeptical and even hostile towards recommendation on this subject. “You recognize higher than the engineers?” they ask. The prevailing counterargument to care of batteries is that the designers of laptops, photo voltaic turbines, and electrical vehicles will need to have thought-about all of it, and homeowners don’t have to do something.
Whereas it’s true that designers and engineers did think about battery security and longevity, that doesn’t imply you, because the proprietor and consumer/driver, can’t do issues to make them final even longer.
With that out of the best way, let’s take a look at the thread. I’ll add some explanations and extra info alongside the best way.
The necessary takeaway right here is that lithium-ion batteries aren’t like older rechargeable battery designs which have “reminiscence” issues. It’s completely OK to run them solely part-way down after which cost them again up once more. In reality, the much less you discharge them, the extra charge-recharge cycles you’ll get out of them. Hold that in thoughts for the following half.
Particularly, what they’re speaking about right here is how a lot of the battery you employ between recharging it. When you at all times cost it to full, after which run it to useless (100% depth of discharge, or DoD), you’ll get far much less life out of the battery than you’ll for those who solely use half of the battery and even much less.
The connection of depth of discharge to cycle life isn’t linear, both. Being just a bit extra conservative with the battery’s utilization can result in outsized positive aspects in battery longevity. So, for those who’re a type of EV drivers who solely plugs the automobile in as soon as each week or two after which fees it as much as full such as you would with a fuel automobile at a fuel station, you’re not going to get as a lot life out of the automobile as some one who plugs it in each evening.
However, there’s extra to it than how a lot you employ.
How full you cost the battery is one other crucial consider how lengthy your battery will final. The voltage numbers above in all probability aren’t very related to readers who don’t construct their very own battery packs, so I’ll clarify this a bit additional.
A laptop computer pc may need only some cells, and so they’re wired collectively so as to add the voltages as much as no matter voltage the pc must run. Bigger units like electrical bikes, photo voltaic turbines, and neighborhood EVs have increased voltages utilizing extra cells wired so as to add that voltage up. Full-sized electrical autos normally have 400-volt or 800-volt battery packs, once more put collectively by wiring the person cells described above to get that top voltage energy.
So, it’s finest to translate these numbers into percentages. Good producers received’t let the cells ever cost as much as 4.2 volts or increased. They normally program in a “buffer” that retains you from ever attending to a real 100% cost, for battery life. However, they need to stability this with value and the way a lot vitality storage the client will get to make use of out of what they paid for. So, charging as much as what the producer helps you to cost to remains to be extra dangerous than charging to 80-90%.
This retains the person cell voltage nearer to that 3.92 volts (relying on the particular battery cell, in fact).
Most EVs have a way so that you can restrict how excessive it fees. When you can, it’s finest to set that to 80% on routine days when attainable, and solely cost to 100% on days that you actually need all of that vary. Then, add in that you just don’t need an excessive amount of depth of discharge, so attempt to by no means go beneath 10-20% until you actually need to try this to get the place you’re going.
As many people in all probability already know, temperature is one other necessary consider battery longevity.
For laptops, energy stations, e-bikes, scooters, and different issues which you can maintain indoors, it’s finest to not allow them to get too scorching or too chilly. Retaining moveable units at room temperature in your house is finest. Leaving them in a scorching automobile, or leaving batteries in an e-bike outdoors is a nasty concept from a battery life perspective.
For EVs, you’re finest off to purchase an EV with an lively coolant system, normally liquid cooling. This significantly helps the batteries final. If you need or want to purchase an EV with out liquid cooling (the Nissan LEAF is the most typical one which doesn’t), dwell in a gentle local weather and/or maintain it in a storage. Even with liquid-cooled and/or refrigerated batteries, you additionally have to maintain the automobile plugged in in some instances to maintain that cooling system working.
Let’s apply all of this to EVs. In a nutshell:
Attempt to keep as near 50-60% as you possibly can.
Drive between 40% and 70%, or 20% and 80%. You received’t kill your battery off for those who often go to 0% or 100%, however holding the battery there for prolonged intervals of time may be very dangerous for it. It’s important to strike a stability right here between longevity and making the automobile or machine suit your wants.
Certain, you could possibly retailer an EV at 60% cost in refrigerated storage for a decade and by no means drive it, however what good would you get from it? It actually comes all the way down to doing one of the best you possibly can.
Hold the automobile plugged in and in as cool a spot as you possibly can when parked.
Plugged in, charging solely to 80%, and in an air-conditioned storage is good, however not at all times attainable. Sitting at 50% within the shade within the parking zone at work is best than sitting at 100% within the Phoenix solar all day each day. As soon as once more, do one of the best you possibly can given your wants.
Take it simple on the battery pack (keep away from excessive cost and discharge).
Like several automobile, stomping on the accelerator each time you are taking off from a light-weight will likely be tougher on the batteries than hypermiling. No one can hypermile on a regular basis, and few even wish to. So, simply attempt to take it simple and drive regular. The identical goes for regenerative braking (don’t do all of it proper earlier than a cease), and DC quick charging (don’t use DCFC until it is advisable do it to get someplace).
Don’t take any of this too far.
You got no matter machine or automobile you need to do issues with it, and perhaps even have some enjoyable. So, don’t let battery automobile recommendation get in the best way of getting issues finished or having somewhat enjoyable.
Must drive a Nissan LEAF within the warmth? Do it.
Need to step on the thin pedal and have some enjoyable right here and there? Go for it!
Must cost to 100% to make it someplace? Don’t get your self stranded!
All of those battery ideas have for use when you possibly can to suit them round your life. Making an EV battery pack final 50 years in all probability wouldn’t do you a lot good anyway, as a result of by 2072, EVs are going to be wildly higher than they’re in the present day. The identical might be true for 2032. So, do what you possibly can when you possibly can to get just a few extra miles or years out of your automobile, however don’t take it to extremes.
Featured Picture: A prototype battery pack for the upcoming Aptera. Picture offered by Aptera.
Recognize CleanTechnica’s originality and cleantech information protection? Think about changing into a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.
Do not wish to miss a cleantech story? Join daily news updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, wish to promote, or wish to recommend a visitor for our CleanTech Speak podcast? Contact us here.
