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General Category => General Discussions => Topic started by: Just on December 07, 2012, 02:49:27 PM

Title: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Just on December 07, 2012, 02:49:27 PM
Hi All,

Many LiFePo4 batteries have internal resistance of about 0.1Ohm (100mOhm). So, if you want to draw 10Amps from the battery, its voltage will drop by 0.1*10=1V (from 3.3V to 2.3V). If you would draw 20Amps, the voltage drop will be 0.1*20=2V(from 3.3V to 1.3V) - very bad!

So, what internal resistance should be chosen for batteries intended for e-bikes? Let's say I want to allow the voltage drop by just 0.5V on current peaks of 50A, so I would need to take a battery with 10mOhm...

What vendors produce such batteries? RC-toys use batteries of 30C and 100mOhm  of internal resistance - it seems their voltages drop to '0' during accelerations...

Please post your comments.

Thank you!
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER on December 07, 2012, 05:40:58 PM
Are you sure you can say voltage drop is 1V at 10A?

What about the load resistance? It also affect the voltage drop.
Heat, battery lifetime (running hours) affect the current and internal resistance.

So I am not sure you can say internal resistance is 0,1 Ohm at 10A.
You have to measure (loading condition) at that current.



Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Just on December 07, 2012, 06:05:37 PM
Quote
Are you sure you can say voltage drop is 1V at 10A?

What about the load resistance? It also affect the voltage drop.

For a good battery, the Load resistance should not affect the voltage drop. External resistance just affect on the current amount drown from the battery.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER on December 07, 2012, 06:11:43 PM
But it's still in serie with the internal battery resistance.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Morgen 3Eman on December 07, 2012, 06:47:40 PM
Where did you get the .1 ohm spec ?   It seems awfully high. 

TTFN,
Dennis
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Just on December 07, 2012, 06:51:40 PM
Quote
Where did you get the .1 ohm spec ?   It seems awfully high. 
Surely it's too high. HibbyKing's Zippy Flightmate LiFePo4 batteries are rated to 30C-40C, but they have about 80-100(mOhm) of internal impedance. I thought to use them because they are light and sexy  ;)

So, it's extremely important to figure out about the internal impedance of the batteries before purchasing them...

What batteries do you use? I'm seeking for LiFePo4 batteries, which are light and compact.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER on December 08, 2012, 08:27:18 AM
I have Hyperion EX 45C they are okay, but price is high.
But forgot to charge them (store mode) while not using.
They  are dead now!
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Just on December 08, 2012, 10:11:37 AM
Do you know their internal impedance? have you ever measured it?
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Lollandster on December 08, 2012, 01:05:37 PM
It's probably of no help, but I measured my battery at about 0.14ohm internal resistance. My battery is a very cheap type 7070260 (http://www.bmsbattery.com/lifepo4-cell/314-lifepo4-7070260-polymer-cell.html) with a max continues C rating of 1C. I would think 30C batteries have a lot less internal resistance.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Just on December 08, 2012, 01:30:12 PM
Quote
I would think 30C batteries have a lot less internal resistance.
They should, but they not...

BTW, polymer batteries are very dangerous... Take care
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER on December 08, 2012, 01:47:08 PM
Do you know their internal impedance? have you ever measured it?

I think the value was 1 mili Ohm, but it could be lower.
I have used them for 2KW brushless 1:8 RC motor.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Lollandster on December 08, 2012, 03:59:31 PM
Quote
I would think 30C batteries have a lot less internal resistance.
They should, but they not...

BTW, polymer batteries are very dangerous... Take care
They are protected by an aluminum case and stabilized with iron so they should be as safe as rigid cylinder cells, unless I've missed something.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Just on December 08, 2012, 04:40:19 PM
Polymer batteries have a tend being fired on any short or even on over- charge/discharge. LiFePo4 have no this trend...
Just search www.youtube.com for polymer batteries and you will find some very amazing videos.
You should be very careful while dealing with polymer batteries...
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Morgen 3Eman on December 08, 2012, 07:56:24 PM
I have been doing some thinking on this question, and I have an empirical data point to add.

My Morgen has an analog Voltmeter and Ammeter built into the dash.  While accelerating at full throttle I noticed the 60 Amp Ammeter was pegged, and took a look at the Voltmeter as I let off the throttle.  The voltage went from  just under 53V to a little under 54V.  If we were to attribute the entire voltage sag to battery internal resistance (not really accurate, but not too bad) it would give about 16 milliOhms for the upper limit of the series/parallel resistance of the string of cells. That would seem to make the idea of 100 milliOhm resistance of a single cell seem untenable, unless the cell was about to die. 

I also Googled some manufacturers, and found some data that points to anything over 10 milliohms as being a failure indicator, with less than or about 1 milliOhm being a pretty good number for most cells when new.

So where did you get the .1 Ohm value?

TTFN,
Dennis
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER on December 08, 2012, 08:00:57 PM
When I had crappy Hobbking lipo's ( for testing) the internal resistance were above 1 Ohm.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Lollandster on December 08, 2012, 09:36:41 PM
Polymer batteries have a tend being fired on any short or even on over- charge/discharge. LiFePo4 have no this trend...
Just search www.youtube.com for polymer batteries and you will find some very amazing videos.
You should be very careful while dealing with polymer batteries...
Who told you my batteries aren't LiFePO4? Take a better look at the description. I think its only called a polymer cell because it has a polymer laminate case or something similar and not a rigid metal case like many lifepos. Looks like most of Hobbykigs lifepos are pouch cells too.

According to this (http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/smart-fortwo-ev-high-power-version-51472p3.html) Headway cells are 3-4mOhm. They should work for you and are very cheap from bmsbattery and greenbikekit.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Bikemad on December 08, 2012, 11:34:43 PM
Polymer batteries have a tend being fired on any short or even on over- charge/discharge. LiFePo4 have no this trend...

Check out this post (http://www.batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1825) to see what can happen if a LiFePO4 pack does catch fire.

Alan
 
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Lollandster on December 08, 2012, 11:50:17 PM
Shorting a battery big enough to power a car is bound to generate enough heat to catch something on fire. If the battery itself doesn't catch fire, everything aroud probably will. Nothing with potential of releasing that much power should be considered fail safe.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: Cornelius on December 09, 2012, 04:42:43 AM
I think 100mOhm are a sign of a tired LiFePo cell...

I use some 'Hether' 3.3V, 10Ah cells, which have a spec of max 2C cont., and an internal resistance of <= 15mOhm/cell.
I built a 36V, 20Ah pack with these cells; 2p12s, and each 2p cell-pair measures 4-7mOhm, even after 1/2 year use...

When battey cells reach its end-of-life (by normal wear or misuse), the IR will rise, which gives less max Amp discharge, and lower Ah.
Title: Re: Battery Internal Resistance & Max Current
Post by: MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER on December 09, 2012, 06:10:20 PM
I like Headway the best.
Value for money and quality.
Don't forget easy to build with screws terminal :)