A Super Rapid Lithium-Ion Battery Charger: Charging Technologies Articles: Eco20/20

A Super Rapid Lithium-Ion Battery Charger

We have all stood frustrated and angry, waiting for the batteries to finish recharging. It is almost enough to just throw your hands up and storm to the nearest discount mart and buy a handful of the cheap single use alkaline batteries and be done with it.

There is good news; a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery has been developed that charges "up to 80% of capacity in about one minute" (palminfocenter.com) although there are some detractors from that statement. That information was released in 2005 and while progress has been made in the speed at which you can charge the Li-ion cells, it is still not as fast or as efficient as some would prefer. It should also be noted that many experts do not recommend rapid charging the Li-ion battery, at least not until the right charging technology is finally discovered.

Consider the chemical process that must occur within the battery for charging to even occur; while it is true that you can pump electrical energy into the cells in a rapid manner, it will probably be put into place faster than the chemicals can react to it which can damage to the battery, or its plates. A slower charge allows for the proper chemical reactions to occur and extends the life of the battery itself. Unfortunately, battery life expectancy for those who are using the Li-ion batteries is about three years maximum regardless of charging, usage, or storage techniques.

The Li-ion battery could end up with a new (and presumably non-damaging) rapid charger as soon as the science is perfected. Current experimentation with lithium titanate coatings allow the lithium-ion crystals to move better and more freely, allowing for a faster charge in theory (Abuelsamid 2009). However there are still some drawbacks and problem areas to manage before this becomes reality.

For now, it is wisest to adhere to the charger's instructions for charging all types of batteries for both safety and product longevity. Li-ion batteries should be charged frequently and not taken down to zero. They can be charged up to 4.10 V which is 10% below top capacity but allows for longer service life. Li-ion batteries do not need primed before first use like the nickel batteries do. [Nickel based rechargeable batteries come with instructions to charge them for up to 8 hours before use. (Buchman)].

References

Sam Abuelsamid. New Lithium Ion Process Could Lead to Fast Charging, Still Needs a Big Pipe! RSS Feed, March 12, 2009. Retrieved from http://greenautoblog.com/2009/03/12/ on August 16, 2009

Isador Buchman. Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries. Retrieved from http://batteryuniversity.com/partone-12.htm on August 16, 2009

Toshiba Announces Super Charge Battery, no author, March 29, 2005 retrieved from http://www.palminfocenter.com/news on August 16, 2009