Is it possible to charge AA batteries with a charger? Batteries: what voltage to charge and how to do it. Nickel-cadmium battery
There comes a time in the life of each of us when we ask ourselves some question that is important to us.
For example: “Accumulators and batteries – what to choose?”
Although no, we have already solved this issue – batteries, of course!
A. here: “How to properly charge a car battery.” Stop! This is not what our site is about!
Cough cough... Hm... Ah! So here it is, the question!
How long does it take to charge batteries?
In fact, “how long to charge batteries” is one of the most important questions for every battery owner, since this directly determines how much electricity they will store and how long they will work (i.e., how many charge cycles). -discharge” they will withstand).
Ask the experts how to charge your batteries in a way that will extend their life.
So - here is the answer to the most important question - how long to charge the batteries so that they are fully charged and do not deteriorate?
And, in the end, how long does it take to charge AA batteries of different capacities?
If you have a charger with DC charge, the time required to fully charge is calculated as follows: divide the battery capacity by the charging current of the charger (indicated on the device itself) and multiply by a special coefficient of 1.4 (since to charge, you need to do work.
And as with any work, part of the energy turns into heat). For example…
Having a battery with a capacity of 2700 mAh. , and a charger with a charging current of 200 mA., the full charging time will be
t=2700/200*1.4=19 hours
It must be kept in mind that this coefficient is correct for Ni (nickel) and Ni-MH (nickel metal hydride) batteries.
And finally, the easiest way out would be, of course, to let someone who already has a charger for AA/AAA batteries charge the batteries. And if this person owes you something and understands how this is done, then your problem is solved even easier.
If there is no such person, then buy yourself a charger - an “automatic” one with the so-called “Delta-V”. Within the specifications specified on the device, you will receive an automatic charge of any battery whose type is supported by this device. charger.
All you need is to insert the discharged battery and remove the charged battery.
In this case, the question of how to charge the batteries is simply “shifted onto the shoulders” of the smart charger.
If this information was not enough, check out other articles on our site! It's all about power supplies and batteries!
In order to charge regular batteries, you can use both a charger and improvised means. The main thing is to know how to do it correctly. There is an opinion: if you knock the batteries well against the wall, they will last another couple of hours. And indeed it is. But there are other interesting and proven methods.
Ways to charge a regular battery at home
You can charge the batteries as follows. The wrapper must be removed from the batteries, after which several holes are made in the case. This can be done with an awl or a gypsy needle. The batteries, prepared for charging, are placed in a pan of well-salted water. Next, the pan is placed on gas, and the batteries are boiled for a short time. After this, you need to remove the batteries from the water, dry them, and wrap them well with electrical tape. So, as a result of this whole process, the batteries are charged and ready for new work.
It is also possible to charge regular batteries with an awl on hand. So, with an awl you need to make two holes in all batteries next to the graphite rod. The depth of the puncture should be approximately ¾ of the height of the battery. It is necessary to drip either water, or a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, or double table vinegar into the resulting holes. After the liquid has been dripped to the very top, the holes are well plugged with a piece of rye bread or clay. Regular batteries charged in this way can last for some time.
Methods for charging a regular battery using special devices
Today there are special devices (devices) on sale, for example, Battery Wizard, with which you can fully charge the most ordinary batteries up to 10 times or more. Many people consider this a fairly profitable purchase, which will allow them to save a decent amount of money in the future.
You can charge regular batteries using a special charger. The batteries must be placed in the device and charged. As soon as the batteries get a little warm, they must be removed immediately. If the batteries become overheated or hot, the charger may become unusable, ignite, or the batteries may explode. You can test whether the batteries have warmed up or not simply by hand.
Of course, you can resort to improvised means and amateur experiments, but very carefully and extremely rarely if the situation requires it. It is best to use special devices to charge regular batteries or buy new batteries.
IN modern world There are many devices and rechargeable batteries are already a necessity. While some people change one battery after another, others simply charge the battery. In order for the product to last as long as possible, it is necessary to follow the recommendations for charging and operation and select them in accordance with the requirements of the devices.
Contents
What batteries can be charged?
You can only charge rechargeable batteries that are marked as such on the case. It is forbidden to insert the most ordinary models into the memory, no matter what type they are - AA or smaller.
Battery AA NiСd
If you violate safety rules, be prepared for:
- Nothing will happen, then you can be considered lucky;
- The battery will hiss and deteriorate;
- Overheating, fire and even explosion are possible;
- Short circuit in the network.
Depending on the materials, batteries are of the following types:
- Nickel metal hydride;
- Nickel-cadmium;
- Nickel-zinc;
- Lithium-ion;
- Lithium polymer.
The nickel-cadmium battery has a memory effect, so it must be fully discharged and recharged. Nickel metal hydride also has a memory effect, but it is kept to a minimum.
Rechargeable batteries have standard sizes similar to classic models:
- Little finger (AAA)
- Finger (AA).
- Thumbelina type C.
- Keg or D battery.
- Crown or Corundum.
- 1/2 AA.
- Large square.
There can be both batteries and accumulators of such standard sizes, because of this it is very important not to confuse them. It's worth noting that there are no coin cell batteries, with the exception of a limited edition for hearing aids.
There are also Li-Ion batteries in the following sizes, and they can be charged:
| Designation | Height, mm | Diameter, mm | Voltage, V |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10180 | 18 | 10 | 3,7 |
| 10280 | 28 | 10 | 3,7 |
| 10440 (AAA) | 44 | 10 | 3,7 |
| 14250 | 25 | 14 | 3,7 |
| 14500 (AA) | 50 | 14 | 3,7 |
| 15270 | 27 | 15 | 3,7 |
| 16340 | 34.5 | 17 | 3,7 |
| 17500 | 50 | 17 | 3,7 |
| 17670 | 67 | 17 | 3,7 |
| 18500 | 50 | 18 | 3,7 |
| 18650 | 65 | 18 | 3,7 |
| 22650 type B | 65 | 22 | 3,7 |
| 25500 type C | 50 | 25 | 3,7 |
| 26650 | 65 | 26 | 3,7 |
| 32600 type D | 61 | 34 | 3,7 |
The type of battery is selected according to specific devices. Cameras will accept AA, but some toys will require a barrel. The most popular are still 10440 and AAA.
Battery capacity can vary from 150 mAh to 6000 mAh. The larger the capacity, the more expensive the device. The capacity size is indicated on the case in large letters. The larger the capacity, the longer the device can work.
Why can't you charge regular batteries?
Disposable cells have a completely different operating principle - ions flow from the electrolyte to the electrodes. Over time, their supply runs out, and then the battery runs out. If you pass current through a conventional model, the recovery process simply will not occur. For example, during operation of zinc-manganese batteries, the zinc electrode will dissolve.
The batteries are designed in such a way that the indicators of electrolytes and electrodes can be returned to the original version. When such a battery is connected to a charger, oxygen and hydrogen ions are converted from the electrolyte. The reduction process begins, where hydrogen acts as a catalyst for converting the cathode into lead, and oxygen – the anode into lead dioxide.
How to determine if it is a battery or an accumulator
Before purchasing, you should know a few nuances that will allow you to determine regular batteries from rechargeable ones:
- Pay attention to the inscription on the case. If there is a capacity, then it is a battery; it is indicated in mah (milliamps) per hour. The higher this indicator, the longer it will last.
- If there is a rechargeable inscription on the case, then it is rechargeable. If the inscription sounds like do not recharge, then recharging is prohibited.
- Please pay attention to the cost of the product. Regular batteries are cheaper than rechargeable batteries. The price directly depends on power indicators and recharge cycles.
- Rechargeable batteries have a greater safety margin. They last a long time and charge gradually, but ordinary batteries stop functioning when connected to more powerful devices.
- The battery boasts a voltage of ~1.5 V, but the battery has a voltage of ~1.2v, ~3.7v. The crown will have 9 volts in both cases.
- If the markings on the case contain the letters: R, CR, LR and FR, then this is a battery.
- If the case is marked with: NiCd, Ni-MH, Ni-Zn, HR, ZR, KR, li-ion or li-pol, then this is a battery.
By following simple steps, everyone can determine the necessary batteries for themselves.
In the picture on the left there is a battery, as it is written on the case: 850 mAh, rechargeable and nickel metal hydride. On the right is the battery, as it only says Alkaline.
How to properly charge a battery
- Before charging at home, read the instructions for the device and recommendations from the manufacturer.
- Modern batteries do not have a memory effect, so there is no need to pump up the battery. With the exception of nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries.
- Observe temperature conditions, do not insert into the charger at temperatures below 5 degrees and above 50 degrees Celsius.
- Select a charger specifically for batteries; it’s good if this was done right away. Keep in mind that the slower the energy charge is delivered, the better.
- Do not leave the battery in the charger for more than a day. If they are not charged, then there is no point in continuing.
Important! When charging, the battery will heat up, this is normal, but it should not be very hot; if it seems to you that it is overheating very much in the charger, then stop the procedure.
Battery 18650 How long does it take to charge batteries?
To correctly determine the battery charging time, use the standard formula:
X (hours) = 1.4 * Y (mAh) / Z (mA), where 1, 4 is the coefficient used, because not all the current goes into the battery charge, you can call this a discount on heat transfer.
Some of the current turns into heat, so the battery overheats.
If the capacity is 2400 mAh, and the charger current is 150, then the formula turns out: 1.4 * 2400 / 150 = 22.4
To charge a battery with a capacity of 2400 mAh with an incoming charge of 150 mAh it will take up to 22 and a half hours. Some chargers do not detect the battery charge; voltage is supplied constantly, even if the battery is already fully charged. This approach can harm the battery by shortening its shelf life or rendering it unusable due to overheating.
In order to make your life easier, it is recommended to use modern smart chargers that are equipped with a charge indicator. They can provide information on how many milliamps (mA) were transferred to the battery, and since the capacity is indicated on the case, using a simple subtraction method you can find out how many percent the battery is charged. Also, after charging is complete, the device will turn itself off.
Still have questions or have something to add? Then write to us about it in the comments, this will make the material more complete and accurate.
One of the most important criteria for correct operation, good efficiency and long service life of a battery is its correct charge. This applies to all batteries, be they massive industrial batteries of rather large capacity, or tiny batteries in your tablets or phones.
Most of batteries have the so-called “memory effect” to varying degrees. It is expressed in the fact that the batteries “remember” the limits of the used capacity.
For this reason, in fact, preparatory training of batteries is being carried out. Due to the above result, it is not recommended to charge batteries that have not yet run out completely.
In this case, the batteries will, among other things, “remember” the limits to which they are given the opportunity to reach.
The result will be a reduction in the physical capacity of the batteries, their rapid discharge, and short service life.
When purchasing new batteries, it is recommended to “train” them. It consists of completely discharging/charging the batteries themselves. To put it simply, you need to discharge the batteries, then charge them “all the way”. The process is repeated 3-4 times.
As a result of this procedure, the batteries will last much longer. With all this, you seem to be “overclocking” them, increasing the potential capacity to the limits.
The fewer times the battery is discharged and the shallower each individual discharge, the longer its service life will be.
How can I charge the battery?
- The best option is charging with direct current 0.1 - 0.2 C for 6-8 hours.
- Fast charge - within 3-5 hours. current is about a third of the rated current.
- Accelerated charging - is carried out with a current equal to the nominal capacity of the battery itself; heating and destruction of the element is possible.
It is standard practice to state that their voltage is 3.7 volts, but one element can have a voltage in the range of 2.5 (discharged) - 4.2 volts and this is usually the maximum.
On average, their service life is 1000 - 1500 charge-discharge cycles
As a rule, if such a battery is discharged below 2.5 volts or charged more than 4.2 volts, the battery fails. To protect against this, most batteries of this type have a protection board that turns off the battery bank when the voltage goes outside the normal range.
The charging device must be able to charge batteries up to 4.2 volts and automatically turn off the charge.
Newer variety lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density and smaller size (element thickness from 1 mm! with significant flexibility). Use down to minus 20 degrees. And the complete absence of “memory effect”.
Batteries of this type are explosive and fire hazardous if they are overcharged, quickly discharged or short circuited. Therefore, all elements are equipped with a built-in charge and discharge controller board.
The number of operating cycles is 900 full charge-discharge. It should be noted that a deep discharge can completely damage the battery. It is recommended to discharge such batteries to no more than 40% of their maximum capacity.
Charging is carried out with a voltage of 4.2 volts per cell, a current of 1C and the charging process is completed at a current of 0.1-0.2C. Charging time is approximately 2 hours.
Service life is approximately 200-500 charge-discharge cycles. Self-discharge: 100% per year.
To a small extent, the battery has a “memory effect”, which means that if the battery has not been used for a long time, a month or two, then it needs to go through a full discharge-charge cycle.
Low current charging extends the battery life, so the most optimal operating mode would be charging with a current of 0.1 of the battery's rated capacity.
Charging time is 15-16 hours, according to the manufacturers instructions.
It is better to charge such batteries using a constant or pulse current with very short pulses of a negative value (asymmetrical current) - this will help eliminate problems with the “memory effect”
The charge voltage per cell is 1.4 - 1.6 volts, and the voltage of a fully charged cell is 1.4 volts. Discharge is carried out up to 0.9 volts; lower is undesirable.
Most are available in the form of AA batteries and small disk batteries (tablets)
The supply voltage of one element is 1.37 volts
Self-discharge of this type is approximately 10% per month.
They are subject to the “memory effect” and such batteries are not recommended for use in buffer mode. After a long period of inactivity of such a battery, it is necessary to perform a charge-discharge cycle with a current of approximately the nominal capacity. Discharge cycle from 1.36 volts to 1 volt, lower is not recommended.
The rated charging current is within 0.1-1 of the rated capacity of the element.
Can be used at temperatures down to minus 50 degrees.
Pb (lead acid) battery
The most common type of battery energy.The safest charging method looks like this: first the battery is charged with direct current, and after receiving required voltage, the battery maintains this voltage.
The maximum charging current is 0.2 - 0.3 of the nominal battery capacity. The optimal charge current is 10% of the nominal, it is both safe and gentle on the battery.
The maximum charging voltage should not exceed 13.8 volts. With fast charging, up to 14.5 volts are allowed.
The total time for a full charge should be between 5 and 6 hours.
Minimum charge temperature not lower than -15° C
AGM battery
Unlike lead-acid ones, they contain an absorbed electrolyte, and not liquid as in acid ones; glass fabric gaskets between the lead plates are impregnated with electrolyte. And this gives them a number of advantages: resistance to high vibrations, reliable operation even at minus 30 C although the voltage sags a little, sealed design and safer charging.The number of complete charge-discharge cycles is from 500 to 1000, depending on the model brand.
Despite the fact that we are all accustomed to considering AA batteries as disposable, the question has at least once occurred to us: is it possible to charge the batteries. It is especially relevant in unforeseen situations, when we urgently need it, but sat down at the most inopportune moment. So, it turns out that you can return life to a dead one if you know some secrets.
How to properly charge batteries?
The main thing you need to know is that when you charge regular batteries, you run the risk of them exploding. It is strictly forbidden to charge salt batteries. But you can try alkaline (alkaline) ones.
Here are a few ways to charge batteries at home:
- Through the power supply. We connect it to the network and connect the battery with the connection wires, observing the polarity. It is important to prevent the battery from heating above 40-50 degrees. After this, turn off the power supply and let the battery cool. When it becomes warm, reconnect the power supply to the electricity for about 2 minutes, then place the battery in the freezer for 10 minutes. You can use it 2-3 minutes after removing it from the cold. A battery charged in this way can last for some time.
- By heating method. You can place the batteries in hot water for 20 seconds. This is no longer possible, as this will lead to complete failure of the battery.
- Reduce the volume of an element. All of us, at least once in our lives, have desperately bitten and smashed a battery on the ground, thereby returning part of its charge.
How to charge rechargeable batteries?
It's a completely different matter to charge batteries that are designed for reusable use. And for their long and successful operation, you need to acquire a high-quality charger that will automatically stop the current supply when fully charged.
If the charger is not equipped with an indication function, you need to independently calculate how long to charge the batteries. This calculation is made using the formula: time = Y(mA*h)/ Z(mA)*1.4. Where 1.4 is a coefficient that is used due to the fact that not all of the current goes into the battery charge, but part of it comes out in the form of heat.
As an example, let’s look at how long it takes to charge rechargeable batteries with a capacity of 2400 mAh and a charging current of 150 mA. 2400/150*1.4=22.4 hours.
