Storage charging urgency?

[Warby]

Hi all, how important and urgent is it to storage charge lipos?

Does it need to be done after use, at end of the day or only if they are not going to be used for a few days? I only have a cheap balance charger with led indicators at this stage so I'm manually checking the batteries with a voltmeter to get them to 3.85V per cell for storage. We have 2s and 3s, 1100mah to 5000mah and they are sometimes not used for about 16 days at a time due to work commitments. I'm just worried about doing them damage leaving them fully charged or at low voltage overnight.

Your input would be helpful.

 

[Captain Dirt]

I typically storage charge after my runs and leave em there until I'm ready to run again. I definitely wouldn't leave it more than a couple days above or below storage charge. Leaving lipos fully charged will degrade them faster.

 

[Clubin]

Same here. I storage charge rite after batteries cool. Hour or so. Then I recheck storage charge every couple weeks.

 

[Lazy Bushman]

I do a storage charge when I get home from a session. I won't say I do it 100% of the time depending on when I get back, how close to dinner etc. So sometimes I don't get to them until the following day

 

[Jerry-rigged]

Read this-

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Realise those % decline in capacity is % per year. As in, leaving it 100% charged or 100% discharged for a full year. A week either way will not matter. .1v off storage will not matter.

 

[Ari33]

A week at full charge wont destroy a Lipo but I try to have good habits and put them to storage voltage after every outing... just in case I don't get out for a month or two.. if life changes a bit.

 

[Warby]

Read this-

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Realise those % decline in capacity is % per year. As in, leaving it 100% charged or 100% discharged for a full year. A week either way will not matter. .1v off storage will not matter.

wow a lot of data in that article. Someones been busy. thanks @Jerry-rigged

 

[Jerry-rigged]

A week at full charge wont destroy a Lipo but I try to have good habits and put them to storage voltage after every outing... just in case I don't get out for a month or two.. if life changes a bit.

No, it won't.
A week at full charge, in a 90f garage will take about 0.5% off the battery life. Storing it at storage charge, in that same garage cuts that by about 2/3...

 

[slick2500]

I swear I read someplace that damage can start to happen after as few as 2 days if left fully dead or fully charged.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

I swear I read someplace that damage can start to happen after as few as 2 days if left fully dead or fully charged.

If they said "damage" then probably dead- under 3.0v, the chemistry starts to form shunts that can short the cell internally. Bad bad.

AFAIK, 4.20 volts does not damage the cells. Just reduces capacity if you leave them there long term. I guess you could argue that counts as damage, semantics bla bla bla..

 

[jondilly1974]

I used to be lazy about storage charging, but after I had a few packs die quickly, I decided to be better about it. I storage charge as soon as I can. Normally this means DISCHARGING my almost full packs, because I broke something. RARELY do I need to storage charge after I’ve hit LVC. I’m surprised that I even need an LVC on my rigs. ??‍

 

[PaPa Thorn]

I put them on storage charge when I'm done and the batteries have cooled off. Another advantage is then it only takes half the time to charge to full before running out for a bash.

 

[Evil-T]

Read this-

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Realise those % decline in capacity is % per year. As in, leaving it 100% charged or 100% discharged for a full year. A week either way will not matter. .1v off storage will not matter.

Not disagreeing with this but I remember recently readings a very in-depth look into Lipo charged vs storage and supporting evidence that showed putting a fully charge Lipo into storage even if it was only for a day before your next run was beneficial.

Actually here’s what I was referring to
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/sho...I-keep-my-LiPos-charged-a-scientific-approach

 

[Jerry-rigged]

Not disagreeing with this but I remember recently readings a very in-depth look into Lipo charged vs storage and supporting evidence that showed putting a fully charge Lipo into storage even if it was only for a day before your next run was beneficial.

Actually here’s what I was referring to
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/sho...I-keep-my-LiPos-charged-a-scientific-approach

his tables seem to show the same data from the battery University website. The only real difference is that he is saying that a 20% drop in capacity equals a battery that is no longer usable. So your 5000 milliamp hour battery now makes 4000 milliamps, and he says throw it in the trash. If you buy into that philosophy then, he is somewhat correct. However, he is also saying each charge-discharge cycle removes 1% of battery life. That is to say you only get one hundred Cycles, so each cycle removes 1%. Based on the battery University Paige, storing a lipo one week fully charged in a hot garage will remove about one-half percent of total capacity. So to me, this means you could store a fully charged lipo 2 weeks and a hot garage, and that would remove the same life as one full cycle. Of course we also have to remember that the battery is charged. Eventually we must discharge it, and that counts as a cycle too. So that one, charge then store for a week then discharge cycle had the same battery life effect as two full charge discharge Cycles.

 

[Evil-T]

^ Yeah that makes sense at the end of the day I guess it’s just common sense really.

 

[arrmadillo]

Always storage charge when you get home.