What factors determine battery life?
2009-11-02 10:25:14
The duration of the battery charge is governed by five factors including:
Physical Size - the amount of capacity that can be stored in the casing of any battery depends on the volume and plate area of the actual battery. The more volume and plate area the more capacity you can actually store in a battery.
Temperature - capacity, or energy stored, decreases as a battery gets colder. High temperatures also have an effect on all other aspects of your battery.
Cut off Voltage - To prevent damage to the battery and the device, batteries have an internal mechanism that stops voltage called the cut-off voltage, which is typically limited to 1.67V or 10V for a 12 Volt battery. Letting a battery self-discharge to zero destroys the battery.
Discharge rate - The rate of discharge, the rate at which a battery goes from a full charge to the cut off voltage measured in amperes. As the rate goes up, the capacity goes down.
Battery History - Deep discharging, excessive cycling, age, over charging, under charging, all reduce capacity. Note charging your battery 1 time will reduce capacity as much as 15%-20% depending on your battery's chemistry.
Physical Size - the amount of capacity that can be stored in the casing of any battery depends on the volume and plate area of the actual battery. The more volume and plate area the more capacity you can actually store in a battery.
Temperature - capacity, or energy stored, decreases as a battery gets colder. High temperatures also have an effect on all other aspects of your battery.
Cut off Voltage - To prevent damage to the battery and the device, batteries have an internal mechanism that stops voltage called the cut-off voltage, which is typically limited to 1.67V or 10V for a 12 Volt battery. Letting a battery self-discharge to zero destroys the battery.
Discharge rate - The rate of discharge, the rate at which a battery goes from a full charge to the cut off voltage measured in amperes. As the rate goes up, the capacity goes down.
Battery History - Deep discharging, excessive cycling, age, over charging, under charging, all reduce capacity. Note charging your battery 1 time will reduce capacity as much as 15%-20% depending on your battery's chemistry.
