What is a lipo battery?

Lithium polymer battery or as commonly known as lipo battery is a type of a battery that uses polymer electrolyte instead of liquid electrolyte. Just like the other lithium batteries, lipo batteries are rechargeable and they are used in most devices like phones and laptops. Due to their high energy density, lipo batteries are being used in radio controlled planes, drones and helicopters. They are also being used in expensive devices like iPhone among others.

Understanding lipo battery.

Lipo batteries have evolved from the lithium ion and lithium metal batteries and they did undergo extensive research in the 80s before the first battery being made in around 1991. Lipo batteries uses solid polymers such as ethylene oxide opposed to the normal lithium metal/ ion batteries which use liquid lithium salt held in an organic solvent. The solid electrolyte used in lipo batteries are classified in 3 types i.e. gelled SPE, dry SPE and porous SPE. (SPE stands for solid polymer electrolyte). First batteries using gelled SPE were launched in Japan in 1990 and it was until 1996 that batteries using porous SPE were announced in the United States.

Compared to other batteries, lipo batteries are light in weight and they can actually be made into any size or shape. They can be made rectangle and be used in phones and you can be sure to find cylindrical batteries if your device uses such. The batteries have large capacities which means even the smallest batteries holds a lot of energy. As they discharge, lipo batteries are very good at maintaining good voltage to power output but they approach being fully discharged faster compared to NiCad and PB batteries. Just like other lithium based batteries like li-on, lipo batteries has no memory effect. Such benefits are very important to any RC model and even more important to helicopter and plane RC models because high energy density to weight ratio is very convenient.

Lipo batteries are excellent and probably the best types of batteries but that does not mean that they are the RC perfect power solution. Just like the other batteries that have been used on RC models, lipo batteries have their down side too. The very first is that lipo batteries are more expensive as compared to their competitors like NiCad and NiHM. I think I won’t be wrong when I say that lipo batteries has a poor lifespan but we hope they will improve with time because the current batteries are much better compared to those present a few decades ago. If mistreated or not handled properly, lipo batteries can explode or even catch fire and because of the fires these batteries are considered as dangerous by very many shipping companies which makes their shipping even more expensive even for the smallest lipo battery. Once you get yourself a lipo battery you need to take proper care of it so that they can last for a long time.

The average capacity of lipo batteries is 5000 mAh but there are some companies that make batteries with a capacity of even 12000 mAh. The only downside of batteries with higher capacities is that they are heavier so it can be tricky using them in RC helicopters. The batteries with larger capacities can easily burn a motor if not given time to cool down.

The discharge rate on your battery is not just for the first time, it is for every time you charge your battery and that is why the lipo batteries usually takes longer to charge than to discharge.

Lipo battery care tips.

Lipo batteries come with their discharge rate written on their package and so if they have a discharge rate, then it means they must have a charge rate. The charge rate might not be written on the pack but the manufacturers recommends that you keep it low. If you keep your charge rate low you can be sure that it will last for a longer time. It is also highly recommended that you use the appropriate charger of the lipo battery when charging. The appropriate charger will keep the charge rate constant which will make your battery last longer. Also using the appropriate charger will reduce the risk of your battery catching fire.

But even when using the right charger to charge your battery, it is always very important to take extra care as this batteries can be a little bit dangerous. Never ever should you charge your battery while you are sleeping, out of house, or in any other situation that requires you to leave your house. Your battery should always be attended during the whole charging period. You might think that the charger is very safe and everything is going to be alright only to come back and find your room on fire. In case your house or room catches fire because of a lipo battery don’t try to use water to put it off because it will only make things worse. The best way is throwing sands or dirt to the fire to suffocate the flames. You should also make sure that you have a fire extinguisher. It is also wise to use lipo fireproof safety bag when you are charging and storing your battery.

Lipo battery usage or application.

Since their development in 1992, lipo batteries replaced the NiCad batteries and made our digital lives even better. Because of their high energy density, the lithium polymer batteries usage is expanding day by day. Nowadays you will find lipo batteries being used in asthma inhalers, stimulus generators, wireless mobile video solutions, lab automation, fiber optic testers, geolocation gadgets, and oxygen monitors among others.

The lipo batteries are being used in different fields such as agriculture where they are being used in animal food devices, irrigation and fertilizer application devices. They are also being used in communication, automotive equipment, industries, medical care, and metering etc. practically lipo batteries are being used in almost every field.