Optimizing the Lithium Ion Battery Voltage Curve
Lithium ion batteries power millions of devices and vehicles in our daily lives. These batteries are known for their light weight and high energy density, making them a popular choice for hybrids, electric cars and portable electronics. However, battery performance can be limited by several factors. One of the most important is the charge-discharge voltage curve.
In this article, we will look at the different factors that can affect the charge-discharge voltage curve and how to optimize the charging and discharging process to ensure maximum performance.
The charging voltage curve is an important tool in the study of a lithium ion battery’s behavior and performance. It can be used to identify a battery’s state of health (SOH), predict its life and provide information about the battery’s internal resistance. The charging voltage curve is dependent on the chemistry of the battery, its temperature and the discharge rate.
In many applications, a battery is charged and discharged at high current. For example, a GSM cell in a mobile phone requires momentary loads that are double and triple the battery’s C-rating. This places a large demand on the battery and can cause its characteristic to change significantly. Therefore, a method that can extract a constant power discharge curve from a conventional discharge curve would be beneficial for battery powered aircraft application and enable better prediction of a battery’s performance.
The voltage of a lithium ion battery increases when it is being charged. This is due to the fact that the cathode releases lithium ions to the anode and allows electrons to flow between them. As the charge continues, the voltage of the battery will continue to increase until it reaches its peak at around 4.2 volts and then begin to decrease.
