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Whether it is a tablet, smartphone or electric scooter, almost all modern and portable electrical devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries. The importance of these batteries doesn’t stop at the home, either. Many electrical appliances used in industry are also equipped with lithium-ion batteries such as cordless strapping tools, hand sweepers or pallet trucks.
Through continuous use, these batteries begin to wear out and lose capacity. This process is accelerated as the number of charging cycles increases. Being able to accurately test battery capacity is an important skill that can help you keep equipment running for longer and reduce costs for spare parts.
Checking current battery capacity can be done through a variety of methods. Read on to discover some of the most common tests.
Before you measure li-ion battery capacity
Li-ion batteries have many advantages. Due to their high energy density, they can be powerful while remaining compact and lightweight. Unlike other types of batteries, such as nickel-based alternatives, the performance of lithium batteries is not impacted by memory effect, meaning they can be charged at any time, regardless of whether all stored energy has been expended.
Now, before we begin learning how to best test the capacity of a battery, there are a few things you should consider first:
- How accurately do you want to measure battery capacity?
- How frequently do you want to test battery capacity?
- Are the batteries removable or permanently installed?
The capacity of lithium-ion batteries is always measured in milliampere hours (mAh) which indicates how long a battery is able to supply a device with power before it needs to be recharged.
What devices can you use for battery capacity testing?
To determine the capacity of permanently integrated lithium-ion batteries, you can use various voltage testers such as:
- USB multimeter
You can connect a multimeter to your smartphone or mobile workstation via USB. The integrated display then makes it easy to read the capacity of your battery. Multimeters are typically inexpensive and lightweight, making them perfect for more casual uses.
- Digital power meters
With a digital power meter, you have a device at your disposal that works very much like a small computer. In addition to checking battery capacity, this device can also read the voltage and wattage of your electrical appliance(s).
- Battery tools
Battery tools are downloadable software applications that, once installed, will monitor the battery performance of your devices. Measure total capacity, current charge level, and battery type.
Performing frequent capacity tests with a battery charger is not recommended. Lithium-ion batteries evaluate every connection to the charger as a complete charging process. However, each new charge cycle reduces the life of the battery.
FAQ on how to test lithium-ion battery capacity:
Over time, regularly checking the capacity of batteries can significantly extend the service life of electrical appliances and even reduce the cost of operating them.
However, be aware that applications running in the background of your computer consume additional energy. Activating power saving mode can be an efficient solution to keep the load on your battery to a minimum. For computers and mobile workstations, reducing screen brightness is another highly effective way to save power and thus extend battery lifecycles.
To measure the battery capacity of lithium-ion batteries, you can use the following devices:
• USB multimeter
• Digital power meter
• Software / apps for PC and mobile devices
You should not check the capacity of a li-ion battery with a charger. This is because the battery counts every connection to the charger as a completely new charging process. This can reduce the longevity of the battery over time.
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