|
Why Are Laptop Batteries So Bad? |
|
|
|
|
If you are like most people
with laptops you know that they are only as portable as the nearest
outlet. The companies advertise like their laptop batteries make these
machines so that they can go anywhere with you and there will be no
problem but there is a problem. You only have a couple hours max of
normal word processing type use and then you are toast unless you
either have a backup battery or you can plug in somewhere and recharge.
The other problem is that lots of places that you go and that you would
love to use a laptop at aren’t able to supply outlets to everyone and
so you are up a creek as they say.
So my main question for this piece is why are laptop batteries so bad?
To answer this question I am going to do a quick search on the internet
and try to quickly glean as much information as I can in the next few
minutes and then I will proceed to pack it in to the next 2 paragraphs
or so. Here I go….
Well we will start with what most batteries are made of and that is
Lithium Ion cells (older laptop batteries were made of nickel cadmium).
These batteries have several advantages including no memory and no
scheduled cycling (That does not mean however that it is a good idea to
repeatedly run your battery dead). These batteries are therefore low
maintenance. However because their cell oxidation can not be reversed
through cycling there is a definite and short lifespan for these
batteries. This turns out to be around two to three years and is not
necessarily lengthened by not using as oxidation goes on in the form of
self discharge even when stored.
Now it is recommended that one stores the battery at about 40% capacity
and in a cool place. The 40% capacity gives it the ability to self
discharge slowly without going all the way dead (which is bad for these
laptop batteries, if you recall). These batteries will oxidize more
slowly in cooler temperatures which prolongs the life. These power
cells are not meant for long term storage as already mentioned because
the self discharge will drain it sometimes to the point of no return.
The reason why these new laptop batteries are so much more expensive
than they used to be is because they require an internal circuit that
prevents it from overcharging. Overcharging can cause the battery to
heat up and actually burst into flames.
By: Julee Mitchelsin -
Sustainable Living Articles @ http://www.articlegarden.com
Julee Mitchelsin is leading a push to improve laptop batteries lifespan in order to increase the users’ freedom. To learn more visit www.findlaptopbatteries.info
|
