Maker Pro
Maker Pro

BATTERY RECHARGING DETAILS NEEDED

Audioguru

Sep 24, 2016
3,656
Joined
Sep 24, 2016
Messages
3,656
The charging voltage is higher than the discharging voltage which is why charging to only 1.3V is an almost dead battery.
 

HANKMARS

Jul 28, 2019
498
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
498
I religiously used Duracell coppertop AA cells in my Fuji digital camera. Excellent performance. I most often replaced the 2 cells when low battery indicator was midrange. The partially spent alkaline cells would read 1.37V to 1.40V, no load. I spent tens of hours trying to develop a satisfactory recharging scheme for the alkaline cells but failed on most efforts. I sincerely believe that I will not be able to recharge the coppertops to their initial power level. Anyway, I am currently using the AA NIMH in my camera and will try to get a cost comparison figured. Thank you for the info.
 

Harald Kapp

Moderator
Moderator
Nov 17, 2011
13,700
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
13,700
Standard alkaline cells are not rechargeable. Forget the promises of dubious manufacturers.
You an buy special rechargeable alkaline cells. I have never used them. Wherever I made such heavy use of batteries that I wanted rechargeables, I used first NiCd, later NiMh (which I'm still using) with good results.
Lately I started using LiIon 18650 cells salvaged from electronic devices. Of course with their 3.6 V output these are not a 1:1 replacement for the typically used AA or AAA cell. But with an inexpensice adapter module these cells make super simple 5 V power banks for all kind of electronic DIY stuff.
 

HANKMARS

Jul 28, 2019
498
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
498
Standard alkaline cells are not rechargeable. Forget the promises of dubious manufacturers.
You an buy special rechargeable alkaline cells. I have never used them. Wherever I made such heavy use of batteries that I wanted rechargeables, I used first NiCd, later NiMh (which I'm still using) with good results.
Lately I started using LiIon 18650 cells salvaged from electronic devices. Of course with their 3.6 V output these are not a 1:1 replacement for the typically used AA or AAA cell. But with an inexpensice adapter module these cells make super simple 5 V power banks for all kind of electronic DIY stuff.
Good info. Thanks. For some lighting applications that I have developed, my needs are for a 9V battery pack. Six 1.5V alkaline cells work great but when batteries are spent, I would either have to have battery pack returned to me or expect consumer to make up cost of battery pack enclosure, switch and other hardware, and assembly labor cost. My current solution is to use a larger enclosure to house 8 NIMH AA cells. Presently I am not marketing any of my devices. Hopefully I will at some point. I prefer to develop and test a product and prove its performance prior to marketing. Software is a good example of release date panic. "Release it today and we'll patch it as we can." Pretty sure that was the case on the MAX737 catastrophes. Praise be to the almighty dollar? Not my belief set. That is unpopular in corporate thinking, but hey, I'm retired.
 

Harald Kapp

Moderator
Moderator
Nov 17, 2011
13,700
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
13,700
when batteries are spent, I would either have to have battery pack returned to me or expect consumer to make up cost of battery pack enclosure, switch and other hardware, and assembly labor cost.
Why would that be? None of my battery operated devices has such an option. It is usually up to the user to replace batteries. A battery holder will be needed anyway, so will probably an on/off switch. So there is no additional cost in these components.

Alternatively consider this setup which I am using in a similar form:
  1. LiIon charger module with micro USB input to charge 2.
  2. 18650 LiIon battery for energy storage.
  3. Boost converter module to generate 9 V from the LiIon battery's 3.6 V.
The user is now able to charge the device using a standard USB charger through the micro USB port (which has to be located conveniently) without the need to open the device or replace batteries. Plus the power supply will be at a stable 9 V (or any other voltage you set the boost controller up to) as long as the 18650 cell is charged.
 

HANKMARS

Jul 28, 2019
498
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
498
Compact size is always a consideration. The initial enclosure I used has dimensions of approximately 1" X 2.25" X 4". This size does not allow for use of any standard battery holder. Six AA cells taped together fits nicely and leaves a little room for circuitry and controls. Battery pack size is not so important for lighting application but it is for another application. The non-lighting app does not demand a 9V supply, so the 6 NIMH cells will work well enough for that app. I will use a larger enclosure ( 2" X 2.625" X 3.875" ) for the lighting app. This will allow room for 8 AA cells plus circuitry and controls. However, small enclosure cost is $1.00 each while larger enclosure cost is $5.00 each. I am confident that with some serious shopping, I can find a more cost effective large enclosure. Low cost with premium performance is paramount. Being in the development phase, I am purchasing off the shelf items at Amazon. After development, testing, and beta testing, marketing questions can find some answers. Any particular reason that you use salvaged LiIon cells?
 

HANKMARS

Jul 28, 2019
498
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
498
Why would that be? None of my battery operated devices has such an option. It is usually up to the user to replace batteries. A battery holder will be needed anyway, so will probably an on/off switch. So there is no additional cost in these components.

Alternatively consider this setup which I am using in a similar form:
  1. LiIon charger module with micro USB input to charge 2.
  2. 18650 LiIon battery for energy storage.
  3. Boost converter module to generate 9 V from the LiIon battery's 3.6 V.
The user is now able to charge the device using a standard USB charger through the micro USB port (which has to be located conveniently) without the need to open the device or replace batteries. Plus the power supply will be at a stable 9 V (or any other voltage you set the boost controller up to) as long as the 18650 cell is charged.
Both the charging modules and converter modules are nicely priced. Thanks.
 

HANKMARS

Jul 28, 2019
498
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
498
Salvage is a billion dollar business opportunity. I still like the idea of launching a capture device to bring sats back to surface, under control. What's the count now? Approx 650,000 orbiting drones? Sorry, a little off topic.
 
Top