Why Pulse Current Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries Extends Their Useful Lifespan

For as much capacity lithium-ion batteries have, their useful lifespan is generally measured in the hundreds of cycles. This degradation is caused by the electrodes themselves degrading, including …

Tearing Into A Sparky Sandwich

We’re still in the early days of modern EV infrastructure, so minor issues can lead to a full high voltage pack replacement given the lack of high voltage-trained mechanics. [Ed’s Garag…

This Open Hardware Li-Ion Charger Skips The TP4056

There’s a good chance that if you build something which includes the ability to top up a lithium-ion battery, it’s going to involve the incredibly common TP4056 charger IC. Now, there&#…

Just How Fast Could You Charge An IPhone?

An iPhone 8, now a relatively cheap model, can charge its battery fully in two hours’ time. There’s hardly ever a need for faster charging, but it’s fair to ask – how much f…

Gun Safe Made Safer With Lithium Battery Upgrade

A proper gun safe should be difficult to open, but critically, allow instant access by the authorized party.[Dr. Gerg] got a SnapSafe and discovered that, while it was quite easy to use, it would a…

Li-ion Battery Low-Level Intricacies Explained Excellently

There’s a lot of magic in Lithium-ion batteries that we typically take for granted and don’t dig deeper into. Why is the typical full charge voltage 4.2 V and not the more convenient 5 …