Lithium Ion/Lithium Polymer charging

[Chris Eilbeck]

I've got a laptop with a shagged battery and I'm damned if I'm gonna
spend nearly 150 quid on a new battery. I don't seem to be able to
find anyone who'll sell me the lithium ion cells to rebuild the pack
myself so I've been considering replacing the pack entirely using a
stack of lithium polymer cells. Is the charging regime the same for
both lithium ion and lithium polymer?

Thanks

Chris

 

[James Meyer]

I've got a laptop with a shagged battery and I'm damned if I'm gonna
spend nearly 150 quid on a new battery. I don't seem to be able to
find anyone who'll sell me the lithium ion cells to rebuild the pack
myself so I've been considering replacing the pack entirely using a
stack of lithium polymer cells. Is the charging regime the same for
both lithium ion and lithium polymer?

For all intence and porposes, yes.

However.... Most laptop batteries are "smart". That means that they
have voltage and current monitors built in. Those monitors "talk" to the laptop
and provide it with vital information about battery "health". If you don't
provide a substitute for those monitors, then the laptop may "decide" that the
batteries are either not present or defective. In which case the laptop may try
to "protect" its self and refuse operate on your sham battery pack.

If you could retain the monitor circuits from the original battery and
simply replace the original LiIon cells with LiPoly cells, that would be a
superior plan of attack.

There are a couple of other "gotchas". All in all, your best bet would
be to bite the bullet and purchase a compatable, commercial, battery.

Good luck,
Jim

 

[Dirk Bruere at Neopax]

For all intence and porposes, yes.

However.... Most laptop batteries are "smart". That means that they
have voltage and current monitors built in. Those monitors "talk" to the laptop
and provide it with vital information about battery "health". If you don't
provide a substitute for those monitors, then the laptop may "decide" that the
batteries are either not present or defective. In which case the laptop may try
to "protect" its self and refuse operate on your sham battery pack.

If you could retain the monitor circuits from the original battery and
simply replace the original LiIon cells with LiPoly cells, that would be a
superior plan of attack.

There are a couple of other "gotchas". All in all, your best bet would
be to bite the bullet and purchase a compatable, commercial, battery.

Which is about half the price of a bottom of the range laptop.
Reminds me of why I stopped being a biker and got a car.
The rear disc on my Honda 900 seized, went red hot and buckled. I then
discovered that the cost of a new disc from Honda was about 10x what I would pay
for that on a car. So I sold the bike and got a car.

--
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org

 

[Tim Wescott]

Which is about half the price of a bottom of the range laptop.
Reminds me of why I stopped being a biker and got a car.
The rear disc on my Honda 900 seized, went red hot and buckled. I then
discovered that the cost of a new disc from Honda was about 10x what I
would pay for that on a car. So I sold the bike and got a car.

If you're in the US http://www.batteriesamerica.com has good deals on
laptop batteries. I've bought ham radio and electric RC batteries from
them, and have been happy with their quality.

 

[Chris Eilbeck]

If you're in the US http://www.batteriesamerica.com has good deals on
laptop batteries. I've bought ham radio and electric RC batteries
from them, and have been happy with their quality.

Thanks for the link. I'm not in the US but the £/$ exchange rate is
very good for us at the moment and I may take advantage of this.

Chris