Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most popular types of rechargeable batteries used today.

They're in solar power systems, electric cars, and tablets.

There are usually more than one way to charge both regular batteries and LiFePO4 cells. The pros of each method are different.

Find out how to safely and effectively charge your Li-ion battery below, along with the most popular ways to do it.

Five common ways to charge a Li-Ion battery

Whatever it is that runs on lithium-ion batteries, you need to know how to charge it right. Plugging into an AC wall plug is one way to do it, but it's not always the best way. You can't do it either when you're not connected to the internet.

There are five main ways that lithium-ion batteries can be charged:

l ‬AC power for homes

l DC power (often with an adapter for a car or RV)

l USB-C

l Solar Panels

l EV Charging stations

In all of these charging ways, lithium-ion batteries go through the same process: the cathode (the positive electrode) gives off lithium ions, and the anode (the negative electrode) takes them in.

How you charge the battery can affect how long it lasts and how long it takes to charge.

Keep reading to learn how the different ways to charge lithium-ion batteries work.

1.AC Power (Electricity for Homes)

To charge a Li-ion battery, most people use a normal wall outlet in their home and AC power. Simply use the wire or cord that came with your device to plug it into the wall.

When you go abroad, keep in mind that the voltage and watts used to power electronics vary from country to country. A lot of portable electronics, like computers and smartphones, can work with all of the world's standard electrical currents. But a lot of machines can't.

Make sure the AC plug adapter you want to use to connect a device while you're away from home works with the current in that country. If you don't, you might break or damage the gadget.

2.DC Power (Adapter for Car)

Another popular way to charge Li-ion batteries is with DC power, which can come from a car or RV adapter. This method works with many different kinds of devices. To charge something DC, you usually need a wire that you can plug into the device and the 12V DC outlet in your car or another vehicle.

It is very important to know that charging a Li-ion battery with DC power while your car is not running can drain the battery very fast. Also, make sure that the adaptor's voltage matches the DC input level of your device so that you don't hurt the battery.

3.USB-C

A USB-C port can also be used to charge your lithium-ion battery. USB-C ports are replacing micro-USB and USB-A ports on most small electronics, making them the norm.

The USB-C port can send more power than the older USB-A port.

With this way, all you have to do is connect the device to a USB power source, like a laptop or desktop computer, an external battery pack, or the wall.

4. Solar Panels

Solar panels are becoming a popular way to charge Li-ion batteries because they use sunlight as a renewable energy source to make power. Li-ion batteries can be charged by solar panels. To do this, connect the battery to the panel system and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Setting up and using solar panels isn't too hard, but how well they work may depend on a number of things.

Also, keep in mind that the amount of energy made will probably change depending on how warm it is and which way the sun is shining. If you are using solar panels to charge your battery, the fastest way to do it is to make sure that the panel or panels are always in full sunlight.

5. EV Charging Stations (240V)

Electric cars use lithium-ion batteries, but more and more new EVs are using LiFePO4 batteries instead, which are better in many ways than Li-ion batteries.

Since lithium-ion batteries are so common, it makes sense that EV charging points can charge both Li-ion and LFP batteries. On the other hand, EVs use and store a lot of energy. An EV station can only charge a very small number of consumer electronics and gadgets.

When an EV charger charges a lithium-ion battery, it does so in two stages: the "topping charge" phase and the "constant current phase." All of them are important. That part is much faster, and it can quickly charge the battery to about 80%.

The battery will then go into a topping charge phase, which is much slower so that it doesn't get too hot. This is very important. It may take the same amount of time to go from 80% to 90% battery power as it did to go from 40% to 80% battery power.

Most Li-ion batteries can't be charged at an EV charging point.

Five tips from experts on how to charge your lithium-ion batteries so they last longer

Lithium-ion batteries made for industrial use can power your remote or handheld devices. They are tough and have a high energy density, so they last a long time, even in extreme temperatures. How the battery is charged and drained, as well as the temperature at which it is used, all affect how long it lasts.  

Next, we'll talk about how these batteries work and give you our 5 best tips for charging industrial-grade lithium-ion batteries so that they last as long as possible. Getting the right charging speed and rate is important for commercial uses as well as for your cell phones, laptops, and e-bikes.

Tip 1: Learn about batteries language.

Batteries that use lithium have two parts called electrodes. One is positive and the other is negative. Since electricity flows through the battery when it is charged or discharged, electrons leave the battery and ions move from one end to the other. It's as if both sensors are breathing, letting ions come in and go out.

Electrons move from the anode to the cathode outside the battery when the battery gives power. By using reverse current, the battery can charge itself again; the electrons are sent back to the anode, and the lithium ions move back into the cathode. This makes the battery work again. The whole process of charging and releasing is called a cycle. The number of rounds your battery can go through depends on how it was made, the chemicals it contains, and how it is used.

Ah are used to measure how much power a recharging battery has.

These things have a direct effect on this ability:

1. The rate at which the battery charges and discharges is known as the C rate. Most of the time, charge and discharge currents are given as fractions or multiples of the C rate. For example, a C charge/discharge means that the battery will be charged or discharged in one hour. With a C/2, it takes two hours to charge and discharge. With a 2C, it only takes thirty minutes, and so on. The MP 176065 xtd C rate for safeguard is 5.6A. It would take about to charge a C/2 at 2.8A. Two hours.

2. The voltage level that shows how charged the battery is: in the case of the MP 176065 xtd, 4.2V means the battery is fully charged and 2.7V means it is completely drained (cut-off voltage).

3. The temperature at which it charges, discharges, and works.

4. Multiple cycles: Over time, the battery loses power because the electrodes and liquid break down physically and chemically.

It is possible to extend the battery's life and number of cycles by carefully controlling the highest charging voltage and the depth of discharge (DoD). DoD is the percentage of the battery's capacity that has been lost when it was fully charged.

Tip 2: Charge your CCCV slowly, especially when it's in floating mode (the charger is your friend).

It's not easy to charge a lithium-ion battery. In this case, the charger you choose is very important because the way you set up the settings affects how long your battery lasts. If you don't want to risk safety, don't just plug it into any power outlet or use a charger made for a different technology (Nickel-Cadmium or Lead).

A lithium-ion battery needs to be charged in two steps: first with constant current (CC), and then with constant voltage (CV). To get the voltage to the end-of-charge level, a CC charge is first put on it. To protect the electrode, you might even choose to lower the goal voltage. As soon as the needed voltage is met, CV charging starts and the current starts to drop. If the current is too low, the charge is over and the current needs to be turned off.

One way to get your MP 176065 xtd back to its 4.2V end-of-charge energy is to use a 5.6A current. Once the voltage reaches 4.2V, it is kept there by slowly cutting the current until it is 100 mA or less and then stopping it. You could also choose to only hit 4.1V. This would keep the electrodes flexible and make the battery last longer.

It is directly related to the end-of-charge voltage, so dropping the voltage will make the battery less powerful. You'll have to find the best balance between how long the battery lasts, how autonomous your device needs to be, and how low the power must be for it to work.

In this mode, the battery stays charged permanently with a floating current after the CV mode. This is called the floating mode. The solar panel is a common example of a programme that uses the floating mode.

The floating mode isn't recommended by most makers because it wears out batteries quickly. Due to its low self-discharge level, Li-ion chemistry does not need to be kept up. Also, keeping the charge rate up on a fully charged cell could cause it to explode if the battery design doesn't have the right safety features.

Tip 3: Make sure your BMS (your other best friend) is well thought out.

Li-Ion cells must be used with technology no matter what the purpose is. A Battery Management System (BMS) is the name of this important electrical part. The required safety features stop the discharge and charge to keep the battery safe from too much or too little energy. The BMS checks the temperature and turns off the battery if it gets too hot.

The BMS can also have electronics that make sure that each cell in the battery pack has the same amount of charge (balance). If you connect several cells in series in a battery, the cells will age in different ways after some time in the field. If the BMS doesn't have this balancing function, the oldest cell in the group will age faster than the others. Because the oldest cell in the pack affects the whole pack's life, a good balancing method will make the battery last longer.

You can change the BMS to fit your needs. Some can show both the State of Charge and the State of Health. For example, 85% of the State of Health means that the battery's capacity has dropped by 15% since it was first made. This is an interesting sign, since a 30% drop in capacity means the battery is almost at the end of its chemical life and needs to be replaced.

Tip 4: Lower your C rate when you charge.

When the charging speed is low, like C/2, C/5, or even lower, the lithium ions move around easily in the graphite sheets and don't hurt the electrodes.

This intercalation gets harder and harder as the charge rate goes up. If the rate is too high, the lithium ions don't have time to properly enter the electrode and end up just sitting on top of it, which makes the battery age faster than it should.

It is possible to charge batteries quickly (4C or 10C), like in cell phones or electric cars, but the electrodes are built differently, and the batteries are supposed to last less long.

There are different ways to find the best balance between charging quickly and taking too long, which will depend on your needs and the length of time your app needs to be charged. A C/50 charging rate is better for the electrodes, but more than 50 hours of charging time isn't always possible. It is possible to charge at 2C for 30 minutes, but the battery will age faster.  

Tip 5: Keep an eye on charging temperature

One electrode of most Li-Ion batteries is made of a material that looks like graphite. A high charging temperature causes the graphite sheets to peel off, which speeds up the battery's lasting loss of capacity. This effect can get worse when there is a high charging rate; the charging current raises the temperature and speeds up the peeling process.

When there is a high voltage level and a high temperature, the electrochemistry inside the cell makes chemicals that speed up the chemistry's ageing process. Depending on how the cells are built, high temperatures can also make them swell. When the battery case or gadget location wasn't made to support it, this kind of deformation can be dangerous. You should not go over the limits set by the battery maker. For example, you should not leave a cell on full charge for a long time in a hot car in the summer!

A cell internal temperature of more than 130°C could cause a thermal runaway if the design of the battery doesn't include the required safety features to prevent overcharging, overdischarging, and overheating.

Most lithium-ion batteries can only handle a high temperature of 60°C and should only be charged at a temperature of 45°C at a C/2 charge rate.

Not many batteries can be charged below 0°C. It gets harder for the ions to move between the electrode sheets because the electrolyte loses some of its electric conductivity. It is possible for lithium deposits to form, which lead to lasting capacity loss. Some makers say that when the temperature is below 0°C, the battery should be charged at a very slow rate (C/20) to make up for it and let the ions intercalate properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between LiFePO4/LFP batteries and lithium-ion batteries?

There are two kinds of batteries: Li-ion and LFP. LFP batteries are a much newer type of Li-ion battery with different chemistry and perks. Other Li-ion batteries don't last as long or as safely as LFP batteries.

Also, they don't use cobalt because getting it takes mining in a way that is both dangerous and unethical. Read this blog post to learn more about LiFePO4/LFP batteries.

How do I charge my Li-Ion battery? What voltage should I use?

The voltage needed to charge lithium-ion batteries can change based on where you are and what gadget you are using. On the product instructions, the manufacturer's website, and the label, it should be clear what the lowest and highest voltages are that your Li-ion battery can safely handle while being fully charged.

Check again before you plug in your device to see if you're sure it can charge or work at a certain power. If you don't, you could hurt or destroy your gadget.

Should you always charge a Li-ion battery?

Not at all. Once the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, you should unplug it from the charger. Some lithium-ion batteries could even blow up if they are left next to a power source after they are fully charged. If the battery is always plugged into a charger, it will also last less long and work less well.

Final Thoughts

If you have more than one way to charge your Li-ion battery-powered gadgets, you can use them at home or while you're out and about.

Luckily, there are several ways to charge most gadgets that use lithium-ion batteries. For some ways, like home AC power, you need to be connected to the power grid. PV panel devices let you use sunlight to make energy that you can use to charge your lithium-ion and LiFePO4 powered devices when you're not connected to the grid.

You can make sure your battery works at its best and lasts for years by understanding how your device's charging methods work and taking care of it while it's being charged.