How Partial Discharges Affect Battery Life
- A partial discharge, meaning not fully discharging the battery before recharging, reduces stress on the battery and prolongs its life compared to full discharges. This is because deep discharges (high Depth of Discharge, DoD) accelerate battery aging, while shallower cycles significantly increase cycle life. For example, a battery cycled at 10% DoD can have up to 6,000 to 15,000 cycles, whereas at 100% DoD it may only last around 300 to 600 cycles depending on chemistry.
- Maintaining a battery in a mid-state-of-charge with frequent partial discharges and charges is optimal for longevity, as it avoids the extremes of full charge and full discharge that cause more stress.
Impact of High Temperatures
- High temperature accelerates battery deterioration. Lithium-ion batteries exposed to temperatures above 30°C (86°F) or kept at high charge voltages suffer more stress, which shortens cycle life and capacity retention.
- Since temperature and charge state both affect aging, partial discharges at elevated temperatures can help reduce stress by avoiding continuous high charge voltages and deep discharges, but they do not eliminate the negative effects of heat entirely.
Best Practices to Extend Battery Life in High Temperatures
- Use partial discharges and avoid deep cycles as much as possible.
- Keep the battery’s state-of-charge between about 20% and 80%, avoiding both full charges and very low charges for extended times.
- Avoid exposing the battery to direct sunlight or other sources of heat to prevent overheating.
- Store batteries at around 60-70% charge if not used for a long time.
Conclusion
Frequent partial discharges help prolong lithium-ion battery lifespan by reducing stress compared to full discharges. This benefit holds in high-temperature environments, but elevated temperature still poses an unavoidable challenge to battery longevity. Combining partial discharges with thermal management (avoiding excess heat) provides the best strategy for extending battery life under such conditions.
Thus, while partial discharges do help, they should be part of a broader approach that also includes thermal control and moderate charge levels to maximize battery lifespan.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/can-frequent-partial-discharges-help-in-extending-the-lifespan-of-a-battery-in-high-temperature-environments/
