How to Charge Lipo Batteries

LiPo is well-known for its versatile, lightweight, and high-capacity batteries. However, they are notoriously difficult to charge.

With LiPo batteries, paying attention to the voltage of the cells is the key to properly charging them. Using an ordinary or balance charger will replenish the battery’s voltage, but using the former tends to result in uneven voltages between the cells. 

Don’t worry! We’re here to guide you through how to charge your LiPo batteries using both charger types.

Charging Your LiPo Batteries

Charging your LiPo or Lithium Polymer batteries takes more than simply plugging them in. It takes some electrical know-how to charge and maintain their efficient charging cycles properly.

Using an Ordinary Charger

Remember that, in the long run; ordinary chargers aren’t good for LiPo batteries.

These chargers will supply the entire battery with voltage without regard to the individual cells. This often results in unequal cell voltages where some cells are overcharged while others are undercharged.

Still, if you need a quick recharge or have a single-cell battery, an ordinary charger will do just fine.

1. Plug the male end of the power connector into the charger power slots. Match the connector pins to the appropriate terminals—black pins to the negative terminal while red goes to the positive one.
2. Connect the alligator clips of the power connector to the battery. Take note of the charges of the clips and battery terminals. Red clips are to the positive terminal, and black clips are to the negative.
3. Turn on the charger. If your charger has different settings, select Charge and input the battery type as LiPo battery.
4. Press Start to begin charging.

LiPo batteries are sensitive to overcharging, which makes using ordinary chargers difficult.

If your battery has multiple cells, we recommend disconnecting the charger once a cell is fully charged. This prevents the battery from overcharging but may result in a lower runtime.

Using a Balance Charger

Balance chargers are the best option for LiPo batteries since they charge the cells individually. The voltage of each cell is visible through the balance connector’s display, making it easier to track which cells are fully charged.

1. Connect the male end of the power connector to the charger power slots. Match the pins with the correct terminals – positive to positive and negative to negative.
2. Clamp the alligator clips of the power connector to the battery terminals. As you did with the second step, pay attention to the charges when connecting them.
3. Place the balance connector of the LiPo battery in the corresponding charger slot.
4. Turn on the balance charger and switch the setting to Balance Charge.
5. Select LiPo Battery for the battery type. Input the number of cells (usually 1 to 4 cells) and the battery ampere rating.
6. Press Start to start charging.

Things to Note Before Charging LiPo Batteries

Know Your Battery’s Parameters

Familiarizing yourself with your LiPo battery’s specifications is the key to properly charging them.

The exact capacity of your LiPo battery depends on the number of cells it has. A single LiPo cell generally has a capacity of 3.7-volts to 4.2-volts. You can use these parameters to know the exact voltage of your battery. For example, a three-cell LiPo battery will have a minimum capacity of 11.1-volts (3.7-volts times 3) and a maximum capacity of 12.6-volts (4.2-volts times 3).

If your battery has multiple cells, the voltage of each cell should stay consistent with each other.

LiPo battery cells are charged individually, making their charging a unique and complicated process. When recharging, the cells should be connected in series and balanced at the same voltage. Moreover, LiPo batteries are sensitive to overcharging, so avoid exceeding their maximum charging voltage.

It sounds like a complicated procedure, but there is a way to ease it: Using a balance charger.

Use Balance Chargers If Possible

A balance charger is a device that uses a connector to recharge batteries while monitoring the voltage of each cell.

Typically, a balance charger has a small display showing the voltage and amperes of the battery it connects to. It also has small knobs or buttons that set the specifications and activate recharging. Balance chargers allow you to monitor the status of the entire pack or each cell individually.

References

3.7V Lithium Polymer Battery Cell – DNK Power. https://www.dnkpower.com/lithium-polymer-battery/

Video References

beyondRC

DIY PINOY

Robocraze