Machinery Junhua

Lithium
Ion (Li-Ion) battery technology is one of the fastest growing trends in the
tool community, and certainly for good reason. Lithium Ion batteries have the best
energy to weight ratio, meaning they pack the most power with the smallest
amount of bulk. They also experience no memory effect or, lazy battery effect.
This occurs when a battery can no longer accept a maximum charge for having
been repeatedly recharged without being fully used (a common symptom of Nickel
Cadmium (NiCad) batteries). Li-Ion batteries, conversely, have absolutely no
memory and can continually accept a maximum charge. Additionally, Lithium Ion
batteries have a very slow rate of charge loss while the battery is disengaged.

A boat's electrical system starts with a
battery that will supply the electricity for the boat. The system is usually 12
volt DC (direct current), but can be 6 volt, 12 volt or 24 volt depending on
how many and what type of batteries the system is designed for. For this
article, the system discussed is a 12 volt system.

A boat's wiring is a two wire system.
One wire goes from the battery to the light or instrument to be used and a
second wire returns to the
battery from the light or instrument to complete the circuit. In a Direct
Current system the electricity flows only in one direction. The electricity
flows from the battery to the light and then back to the battery. Each item
used will have its own two wires, one to get power to it, and one to return the
electricity. This is a very simple explanation of how a boat is wired.

Battery technology seems to have taken a
leaping step recently, allowing electric RC models to go places where once only
nitrous model could go. Leading this innovation are the Li-Po or Lithium Polymer batteries which has
become the standard power source for electric powered helicopters, planes,
cars, boats, and almost every other type of model. However, these batteries are
not exactly cheap, and improper operations will have detrimental effects. Here
are seven tips to maximize your battery performance.

1. Break In New Batteries

Although not as big a deal with newer Li-Po
packs as it was when NiMh and NiCad batteries were kings, it is still
recommended that you fully charge the battery before first use. Fully
discharging and charging batteries a few times before first flight or will also
give your battery a little bit extra lifetime and power.

2. Keep the pack clean

This is probably one of the most overlooked
aspects of battery operations. It is a good idea to keep the battery pack
clean, and this is especially important for the dean connectors. If the dean connectors
are dirty, the connection may be obstructed and could result in a mid-flight
power failure. The easiest way to clean dirty contacts is simply with alcohol
and cotton swaps.

3. Keep up the battery's health by constant
exercise

Leaving the battery inactive for a long
period of time shorten its life and decrease its total potential. You should
use your
battery pack at least once every one to two weeks. Fully discharging then
charging the pack will also quell this problem.

4. Take breaks between flights

A fully charged li-po pack has enough power
for a 10-minute flight. However, to fly for ten minutes straight on one pack is
not recommended. If you have two packs, it's best to fly a 5 minute flight,
switch to a fresh pack, fly for another 5 minute, and then switch back to the
old pack. Doing this will greatly increase the life-span on the battery.

Lithium
polymer batteries have the same technology that is used by liquid lithium
ion batteries. In other words, the anode and cathode are of the same type. The
only difference is that these units use aluminum plastic film and gel
electrolytes. Therefore, these power packs are thinner and lighter but offer a
higher density of energy. In this article, we are going to talk about 10
advantages of these power packs. Read on to find out more.

1. High Energy Density

Compared to nickel-hydride or
nickel-cadmium, lithium-polymer batteries are 50% lighter. But they have the
same degree of energy density, which makes them an ideal choice.

2. Thin Design

Liquid lithium-ion battery features a
customized shell and positive/negative electrodes. And then there is a
technical limit that doesn't allow the batteries to be thinner than 3.6mm. On
the other hand, the polymer cells don't have any such limitations. Therefore,
the thickness of these units can below 1mm.

3. Low Internal Resistance