How to Maintain LiPO Batteries-Care and Weather Effect

LiPO or Lithium-ion polymer batteries are like any other Lithium-ion battery types. The difference is LiPO batteries use polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte. These batteries are designed with weight being one of the critical considerations. LiPO batteries are very light and thin which makes them appropriate for mobile electronic devices. The size and weight of these batteries mean packing lots of energy within a small volume of the battery pack which leads to high energy density inside the battery.

Batteries with high energy density need to be handled with much more care than those having low energy density. This is mainly because such batteries are much vulnerable to high temperatures and physical damage. Exposing such a battery to high temperatures increases the chemical activities inside the battery and in the end may make the battery swell or in the worst case explode or catch fire.

It is important to understand the basic chemistry and overall design of LiPO batteries so that you know how best to use and maintain these batteries without causing danger. In this post, I will share with you some basics on how to look after a LiPO battery to lengthen its overall life and performance. Let’s dig in.

How do you look after a LiPo battery?

Taking good care of LiPO batteries will ensure they last longer, perform better and be safer to use. You always need to use the right procedure while charging or discharging LiPO batteries. It is these two processes that have a big impact on the performance and the overall lifetime of the battery.

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What you need to consider before and while charging the battery

• Make sure you read the guidelines on the manual. Even if you are an experienced in battery user, it is always important to read the guiding parameters on the battery tag. These tags always have information like the operating voltage and current of the battery.

• Check the actual voltage of the battery before you start charging. This will help you to know whether the battery has the minimum voltage required for safe charging. If the voltage is below the minimum, then you shouldn't charge such a battery because it could have experienced some sort of technical failure.
  

• Also, check the overall condition of the battery to ensure it has no damages and all the wires/connectors are intact
  

• You also need to use the recommended charger to charge the batteries. This will reduce the possibilities of using a charger that sends high voltage that may lead to increased internal pressure that could in the end fry the battery
  

• Make sure the temperatures of the battery and the environment are within the recommended temperature range for charging. Charging in high temperatures makes the battery vulnerable to exploding and possibly catching fire. So always take note of the temperature of the battery itself and that of the environment while charging.
  

How long can LiPO batteries be stored?

LiPO batteries will always start losing charge and deteriorating in overall health whether they are being used or not. The conditions under which the battery is stored have a big impact on how long the battery lasts. Storing the battery while charged is not a good habit. This is because a charged battery is at a high voltage which means high internal pressure within the battery. Such pressure is what reduces the battery health at a faster rate compared to when it is stored within the normal voltage range for storage.

So, whenever you realize you won't be using the battery after you have charged it, always ensure you don't keep the battery for more than 3 days before discharging it. It is safer to store LiPO batteries when the voltage of each cell is between 3.6 to 3.8V. So, always discharge the LiPO battery to this voltage range before you store them.

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Does humid weather affect LiPo battery performance?

Humid weather doesn't have a direct effect on the performance of LiPO batteries. However, if these batteries are exposed to high humidity levels, the moisture may corrode the terminals which may affect the connection of the battery to the target devices in the long run. So, for the safety of the battery, it is important that you do not expose them to high moisture levels.

The effect in performance comes up when the temperatures of the humid weather are very high or low. In very low temperatures, the activity of Lithium ions within the battery reduces that may at times lead to abrupt shut down of the device having the battery. High temperatures shorten the overall battery life and battery capacity. The recommended operating temperature range for LiPO batteries is between 0-35oC. But the best operational temperature is room temperature (25oC)

Conclusion

LiPO batteries can last longer if they are used and stored in the right manner and within favorable conditions. Exposing these batteries to harsh conditions will highly impact their performance and capacity. It is also important to be critical while charging the battery. Make sure you use the right charger to charge your LiPO battery. Using a wrong charger will not only damage the battery but also put the life of the user in danger. This is because batteries are designed to be charged within a particular voltage range. Charging it with something different may destabilize the internal chemistry of the battery that could lead to explosion and fire.

It should also be noted that humid weather has an impact on the overall life of the battery. This is mainly because temperatures in such weather are often high and above room temperature. The effect may not be felt immediately but in the long run, you will realize that the overall life of your battery will reduce at a slightly higher rate than it normally does. If you stay a place with humid weather, the battery life of your device will reduce much faster than that of your friend in cooler area.