age Lithium-ion batteries It can be greatly improved with an adapted charging protocol, As a recently published study from Germany showed. This type of battery is used in many devices – from smart phones until Electronic vehicles.

Pulsing or constant current?

Usually, batteries are charged with a constant current flow – the so-called DC current. However, over time, they lose some of their capacity due to frequent charging. So researchers from Helmholtz Centrum Berlin wanted to find out if constant current was really the best charging protocol for lithium-ion batteries. They discovered that… Pulsed current It reduces battery wear.

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Scientists conducted tests in which they connected batteries to the device X-ray source Bessie II Analyzed. They charged the batteries either with conventional constant current or with pulsed current. The charging process was repeated several times and then checked for quality capacity The batteries were still there then.

Less wear and tear

In batteries charged with constant current, the solid-electrolyte interface at the battery anode was large Thicker And more appeared Cracks In the electrodes. Both caused the batteries to lose some of their capacity. But pulsed current charging wears out the batteries less. Obviously, pulsed current charging has put less stress on them in the long run.

However, after their experiments, the researchers also say that the frequency of the pulsating current is crucial. High frequency charging protocols With pulsed current, the batteries last longer, according to the study Twice as long As with normal shipping methods. Therefore, researchers recommend improving charging protocols for different devices in order to improve battery performance.