LiPo (Lithium Polymer) Battery Information

The Letters
S = The number of cells in Series, i.e. 3S = 3 cells
mAh = The Battery Capacity in milliAmp hours
C (value) = battery mAh divided by 1000/h, i.e. for
a 1500mAh battery, the (1)C value would be 1.5A.
A 1500mAh battery discharged at 1C could supply
1.5A for 1 hour, or at 2C it would supply 3.0A
(2 x 1.5A) for 30min.
xxC = The Maximum Continuous Discharge Rate
in Amps shown in large print on the battery i.e.
15C = 15 times the C value. Always assume the
charge rate is 1C maximum.
Series Voltages Cheat sheet
Nom Max Min Stor
1S 3.7 4.2 3.0 3.85
2S 7.4 8.4 6.0 7.70
3S 11.1 12.6 9.0 11.55
4S 14.8 16.8 12.0 15.40
5S 18.5 21.0 15.0 19.25
6S 22.2 25.2 18.0 23.10
7S 25.9 29.4 21.0 26.95
8S 29.6 33.6 24.0 30.80
Per Cell Voltages
Maximum Voltage = 4.2V
Nominal Voltage = 3.7V The number used to
determine the listed battery voltage. # of cells
times 3.7 = battery voltage.
Minimum Voltage = 3.0V Generally considered the
lowest voltage a cell should see. Often used to set
the Low Voltage Cutoff (LVC) for motor controls.
Storage Voltage = 3.85V The recommend voltage
to store batteries (~6 months regardless of
charge). Recommend storage is in a refrigerator
in a plastic bag to seal out humidity.
Dead Cell Voltage < 2.5V Anything less than this
is considered a dead cell and the LiPo should be
recycled. If charging is attempted it must be a
balance charge and checked frequently.
80% rule
It is recommended to only use 80% (4/5) of the
batteries capacity, i.e. for a 2500mAh battery only
use 2000mAh. This equates to roughly 3.2V. For
cars the LVC is often raised to 3.2V. For planes
and heli’s this is usually accomplished by using a
timer. Check the manual or web for approximate
times. A charger that displays the number of mA
a battery took is helpful to adjust timer lengths.
Charging and Balancing
Never charge a puffed or damaged battery!
Wait for the battery to cool (reach ambient
temperature) before charging!
Charge in a LiPo fire safe charging bag!
Monitor the entire charging process for any
battery that has been involved serious crash
or had been exposed during the crash! Mark
the battery so you know it may be damaged!
Unless otherwise specified all LiPo’s maximum
charge rate is 1C, i.e. for a 3800mAh battery the
1C charge rate is 3.8Amps. For batteries with
more than one cell, cell balancing, or balance
charging must be done.
Balancing means that each cell in the battery is
equalized (balanced) so they are all the same
voltage. It is recommended to balance the battery
after every 5 unbalanced charges or more often.
Most chargers and balancers should be able to
balance the cells to within 0.02V. If any cells are
off by more than 0.3V you are risking damage to
the battery and possibly an unsafe condition.
A 1C charge will charge a fully discharged battery
in roughly 1 hour. Most chargers decrease the
charge rate as the battery reaches its maximum
voltage which will increase the charging time.
Balancing of the cells also increases the charging
time.
General Information
Most planes, heli's, and cars specify the number
of cells - nominal voltage they require and the
minimum (discharge) C rating and a minimum
mAh. Always keep the nominal voltage (S value)
the same. A higher C battery will offer a safety
factor that it can handle the load and more mAh
usually equates to a longer run time. Keep in mind
batteries from different manufacturers can differ in
dimensions and weight for batteries with the same
cell count and capacity, and the size and weight
usually increases as the mAh's increase. Also
consider whether you think the manufacturers
published C rating and capacity information is
overrated.
Discharge Power
The generally accepted maximum power or load
rating in Watts for a battery is the Nominal Voltage
times the Maximum Continuous Discharge Rate in
Amps. This is often used when matching a
battery to a motor, ESC, prop, etc. For a 3S,
2200mAh, 20C battery the power rating would be:
11.1V x (2.2A x 20) = 488W
Charge Power
Power and time is also a factor to consider when
charging a battery. To calculate the charging
power required or the maximum charge rate a
charger can do, use the maximum voltage (4.2V
per cell) times the charge rate. A 3S, 3800mAh
battery charged at 1C would require about 50W.
12.6V x (3.8A x 1) = 47.9W.
Chargers have a maximum charge rating in Watts,
i.e. a 50W or 100W charger. This is the maximum
power they can supply. (Chargers often have a
max. number of cells they can charge as well.)
This means that some chargers will only be able
to charge a battery at less than 1C or won’t be
able to fast charge a battery at the highest rate.
Two examples below are for a 50W charger.
A 3S 2600mAh battery that could be charged at
3C (7.8A) in something over 20 min, the maximum
charge rate would only be just under 4A (3.97A)
and take something over 40 min
50W ÷ 12.6.8V = 3.97A (4A)
60min x 2.6A (1C rate) ÷ 4A = 40min
Charging at the maximum rate would require
about 100Watts
A 4S 4500mAh battery that could be charged at
2C (9A) in something over 30min, the maximum
charge rate would only be just under 3A (2.98A)
and take a little over 90min.
50W ÷ 16.8V = 2.98A (3A)
60min x 4.5A (1C rate) ÷ 3A = 90min
Charging at the maximum rate would require a
little over 150Watts.