Charge and Use Batteries in Parallel - DIY Li-Ion Chargers

[@AshieduJude]

Thanks for your help. I want to make a 4x (3.7v, 2500mAh) 18650 4s Battery pack (LiPo battery alternative) for drone project. How do I design & charge the 4s lithium power pack, since it require high current charging

[@mav29]

this is really great very concise and direct. thanks

[@DialedInDIY]

I appreciate the feedback.Thanks for taking the time to watch my video and post a comment.

[@jamesallen6007]

Many thanks. Exactly what I needed.

[@DialedInDIY]

Thanks so much for taking the time to watch my video and post a comment. I really appreciate it.

[@sumopanda5070]

I Fudgin thought so!....thank you ,erm how long did it take to charge?

[@DialedInDIY]

That is a good question... I have not timed the charge duration but it depends upon the battery/batteries capacity and the depth of charge required. It is not a quick charge device so I usually plug it in and check back later. Sorry for the delay in reply... I really do appreciate that you took the time to watch and post a comment!

[@jf3518]

According to the specs of the charging module it should take around 1.75hours to charge a single lithium cell at 5V/1000mA

[@DialedInDIY]

Fantastic... thanks for the assist! greatly appreciated.

[@deankay4434]

Ok, I was distracted for a while with the colored smoke. I felt that perhaps we where witnessing an actual thermal event. I had an opportunity work for GM and during a seminar it was made clear that Li-ion battery packs were stopped in use when they reached 20% of discarded. But when charged, they were programmed to reduce the rate of charge, then off at 80% full. Each cell is rectangular single battery with an NTC Thermistor between two and repeat. The chemistry was different and a battery management system that was extremely complex but very robust. The 18650 cells are being protected inside under the positive terminal with a ring-shaped PTC thermistor pinched during construction or over current protection during use. Once current is removed, they cool then will take a charge. One electronics company makes these and sell to 6 or 7 companies at pennies each. For over a year now (2018 up) some Li-ion companies have been using these claiming an increase of battery life to 60-70%. So you get what you pay for. Nice video but just wanted to top of new batteries before committing to a 10 cell pack used on my power tool. Just being cautious knowing that my cells stand a chance of working. Power tools are crazy with BMS that have qualities on both end of the spectrum. It’s work just doing you video as it helps many! Liked.

[@DialedInDIY]

Thank you very much for the great info and feedback. To be honest I do not know as much as I'd like to about Li-ion battery design but I do recall hearing that all 18650 cells sold in the US require both CID and PTC protection. There is some really good food for thought here especially regarding building more expansive battery packs. I manually monitor my charging packs for heat gain but I imagine with larger and larger packs that is even more critical. Sorry for the delay in reply...I have been soooo slammed with "responsibilities" that I have not had time to tinker, make videos or get back to comments...but all is back on track now. I really do appreciate that you took the time to watch and post a comment!

[@deankay4434]

I forget to check emails with WiFi half of iPhone 6. Phone not on because of no contract, busy paying bills, medical and parts. 5 dead laptop including Mac Air, phone & Mac sent by son. My Craftsman Pro Series 20v Li-ion are dead, with 6 tools and 8 batteries on pray for $100. I ordered 10 batteries to fix one and found it strange that 3.2 volts but spot welded some in series while others in parallel. The battery management system on top of battery uses one PTC thermistor glued to center of pack, 1 with input to charger. I rebuilt the one, it worked and charged great for 2-3 weeks, then quit. I have not had it apart yet to test. I soldered the ends not spot weld. Disappointed as 18650 cells are from everywhere. Used but charge, new but Chinese while good ones come from Taiwan. Good luck buying there as they have a ministry of trade. You can’t buy a box of matches unless you own a match company in the USA. Sucks as $50 bought 10 cells and all they do is put shrink-wrap on cell, marks or no marks. 38+ years fixing 2,500 vehicles per year at dealer. Now on foot but fixing 67 C10 buy slow. I have impacts & drills but all air. Big compressor and 5 hoses. Everything a guy needs to fix stuff but can’t bend over at 6’3” tall, having S1-L5-L4 fused w/bone in 87 because of stupid boss pulling me out of shop to run gas jumping Jack earth compactor that turned into mud, pick up, drag to new spot, same. Shut kill sw left in hole (4’ deep X 20’ long X 100’ long. Locked tool box went home. Woke up and felt like sunburn. Dr. said 3 muscle groups cells tore, leaked, contracted and grew solid. Now live nerves in scar tissue. L4-L3 In 05, then L3-L2 in 2021. Now July 6th (Epidural # 13) then radio frequency nerve oblation at L2-L1. Finally they are listening to me, symptom not root cause. Nerves sending wrong pain signal. Oh, you fixed cars, I am the Dr. Yes, but I live in torture until you get it right. GM hired Hughes aircraft engineers, some from hydrogen fuel cell and others with battery background. They did not destroy all “EV-1’s because they are parked at “Alternative Technical Vehicle Center.” S10 with all electric, Parallel-Hybrid Tahoe, Suburban & Escalade all 36-42 volt. To 90HP motors in trans case running on three phase. Start, charge & reverse is electric only. Drove hydrogen fuel cell (5 types/only 1 good for mobile) but it is 86% efficiency, produces 180Vdc, inverter, converter, no driveshaft but toroidal motors behind wheel w/rotor inboard. They cool both electric boxes with de-ionized water & Dex-Cool so it has heat. A twin-screw 48 Vdc to push air into fuel cell. 3 stage pressure regulator provide 3 injectors on a graduated manifold. Only air and water (7% more that fuel engine) come out tailpipe. They have an Isuzu 3 cylinder diesel driving a generator to run another at constant speed unless idle or brake re-gen. It is all interesting. I was on Raytheon contract working for ACDelco. Have a great day! Omaha.

[@divingfalconfpv4602]

Was just trying to figure this out for a 6S3P. I just parallel each layer. Connect all positives and all negatives. Then each layer I connect positive to negative to positive. And under side negative to positive to negative?

[@DialedInDIY]

Very good question. I know this set up is very popular for applications like electric skateboards. I've not made a set up like that but I might suggest doing a search for 6S3P plus the purpose you want to use it for so that you can get an answer that is specific to your design purpose. [So sorry for the delay... life kinda got in the way for a bit]

[@the415giant]

I salvaged some lithium polymer batteries from a 2006 MacBook pro, they are labeled 3.7v 11.5wh, after i test them to make sure they are safe to use could i connect two of them in parallel and use Dual USB 5V 2.4A Mobile Power Bank Module with them? i actually used the dual board to charge one of them and it topped off at 4.17v. Thank you for these great videos and time.

[@chasethames2845]

Yup or do what I did and take 28 of those EXACT lipo flat packs and make 4 groups of 7 then connect those 4 seven packs in series for 16v full charge 12v nominal voltage and run a 750w 12v inverter for 8hr/day x 3 days be the voltage drop below 12v

[@bobking6119]

Hi. The parallel battery charger for 2 -18650 cells was very well done and interesting. You mentioned that you inserted a circuit that would prohibit their discharged after charging. Is is possible to let me know what that circuit is? Thank you. Bob King

[@teslapark3406]

It's amazing that I've only found one video that explained what passed through charging is and how to make it any size you want wondering if you have this answer and can you explain it in detail

[@DialedInDIY]

True, and it is probably due to the fact that most charging chips people use in their videos don't support pass through charging. It usually costs more and there is more risk associated. This is because it is simultaneously allowing the output of power to charge your device while simultaneously charging the the power pack. Personally, I try not to use pass through charging with many devices.

[@SaravanaKumar53]

Do i need to add bms for 2 cell Paralel connection?

[@driesschreurs6828]

Would it be possible to use 3 tp4056 modules in parallel to charge and use 3 cells in parallel?

[@coolnegative]

I can't remember. Have you done a video where you convert a standard landline to USB power converter? I was thinking ahead a few months to our stormy season when we loose power. I'm good on the landline end, but I haven't done any snip-n-splice with usb cables. Most of the rooms where I live have landline plugs, but we are all strictly mobile. Thought it might be a good back up for phones if the power's out an extended time.

[@grayeaglej]

Interesting idea, however some older landlines still receive up to 90v DC "Ringer Signals" above the general 9v DC "Tone". You could easily have your port and anything connected to it fried if a call signal (say from a test, telemarketer, or National Emergency Service) came over your line. :/

[@coolnegative]

@@grayeaglej didn't quite think it through i guess. Thanx for the input. It is greatly appreciated.

[@grayeaglej]

@@coolnegative Its an interesting idea it just requires more engineering and equipment than one might think. If you have ever looked inside an old telephone that used actual ringing bells you can see the high voltage parts. Its all relatively low amperage but still required some pretty heavy duty components. More modern telephones and equipment have electronic rather than mechanical means of dealing with the high voltage so any power supply you built would have to incorporate something like that and be robust enough to block all surges instantly so as not to fry your delicate digital equipment being charged. O.o Good Luck.

[@DialedInDIY]

It is actually a neat idea that has some merit. Although I have tinkered with using landline for different purposes (but not done a video) there are several issues to consider including those mentioned by MGE. One issue is that, to the best of my knowledge, it is not legal in most locales (it is considered to be a form of stealing). While I am not an expert on it there are multiple power variances to consider; voltage rise with incoming bell signal (as AC current), unloaded DC voltage (around 48) and voltage drop under load conditions (3 - 9 v DC). That said, I've seen people suggest it can be done but it typically seems that one or more of these variables were left out of their plan... so back to MGE's comment... incoming signal spike would trash most of the easiest methods of trying to capture this as power.

[@DialedInDIY]

Exactly! I too love the idea and have tinkered with the concept but alas I also did not want to deal with the issues that I could face where I live including legal ramifications. Thanks for watching a posting replies!!

[@psycholocke4090]

This was really helpful for a cosplay where I plan to use white and LED and 3.7v as a power source in Form of 18650s. Thank you very much.

[@DialedInDIY]

Sorry for the delay in reply... I really do appreciate that you took the time to watch and post a comment! I am so glad that it was helpful for the cosplay design!

[@allinalladityan318]

Am using 2nos 3.7v18650 lipo, parallel charging them with Tp4056 module, but I need output of 7v? Can I do parallel charging and series output? Using a DpDt switch? Pls guide

[@DialedInDIY]

Great question and definitely one that I have pondered. Since the batteries are seated in a parallel connection I could not figure an easy way to get the result I wanted. My solution was to boost the output to attain the volts I needed. I did it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqHCZZiOjKplr6c

[@jenntek.101]

I have 10400 batteries. Each are 600mAH. I would like to charge 4 at one time (Parallel). Do you think this little TP4056 can do this? (Balanced charger).

[@cebubikebootcamp]

Thanks!

[@DialedInDIY]

You are very welcome!

[@muhammadnasirudin8175]

isbit save to charge 2 batteries with 1 module?

[@DialedInDIY]

Sorry for the delay... I ran into some unanticipated challenges this year that took me away from the DID work for a while. The answer is that it depends on the specific charging board you bought for the most part the answer is yes (and for the version I bought... the spec sheets say it is safe).

[@FknNefFy]

I tried commenting THREE times on your Britta filter video 😒and so I was just testing before I type some thing completely over again and having it disappear again! 🤨. It looks like it goes through but then it doesn’t show up in your comments and it still says “1comment” (not mine) I don’t know what’s going on but I just wanted to say thanks.., you weirdo 😜thank you for posting that totally random video because I was actually curious about that ... im a weirdo too (and maybe you’ll see my other comments so I didn’t wanna make us one exactly the same) and now I’m curious about this!

[@DialedInDIY]

LOL... this is awesome. I have had the EXACT same problem posting comments before. Thanks for your persistence and taking time to watch and comment.

[@robs1584]

My research tells me this configuration is incorrect, dangerous. Apparently the tp4056 should only be used to charge single cell. Apparently, say, a 5P pack requires five tp4056 chips. Im confused.

[@DialedInDIY]

Fair question... the data sheet for my device says it is designed to handle it. Was there something specific besides use of 2 batteries that seemed concerning about my setup? The good news is that I have been using this design to charge double sets of cells for a couple of years, every single week with no issues. Thank you for taking time to watch my video and post a comment. I really appreciate it!

[@kennnnnethchua]

I followed your design. However when charging, it get quite hot. Is this normal?

[@generalawareness101]

I have a question that I can't seem to get any help with, but how would I go about not charging an 18650 battery until it needs it (drops below a certain voltage that I set) when it is always connected to a TP4056 board? Using solar power so when the sun is up it will want to charge the battery even if it doesn't really need a charge which shortens the life of the battery. For instance my load is 300mah and on for 5 hours while my battery is 3400mah. As you can see it would only need to be charged once every two days (especially since the charge will be 1a so done in 3.4h). Saves the life of the battery etc... Not sure how to do this, and apparently no one on Reddit, or anywhere else I have asked, knows (or worse cares to know).

[@shurimanslegacy8729]

Probably you can put a device that would cut off the charging process when it reaches the certain volts.

[@generalawareness101]

@@shurimanslegacy8729 I need the opposite of that.

[@DialedInDIY]

I completely get what you are talking about. The type of device that I understand accomplishes this called a battery charge controller. I do not have experience with anything of the type that would be needed for this specific effect. I have been told that these can be set to desired charge and discharge limits but I am guessing it may be at a cost that is not offset by the savings of long term battery life and replacement savings in this type of application. Another point to consider is the depth of issue with the battery being charged more frequently. This is a common question that comes up with cell phones and research has shown that charging too soon or too often is not always a big issue in the long run (I too have been very interested in this topic). I found the following helpful: “According to research we have seen, battery lifetime actually increases by 4x when the depth of discharge - or amount that the battery is drained - is limited to 50 percent, rather than 100 percent,” he said. “In other words, by continually topping up the phone battery during the day, as you might do with wireless charging, and not letting your phone battery dip below 50 percent, you will actually increase the life span of your battery.” www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/smarter-living/phone-charging-advice.html

[@DialedInDIY]

Thanks so much for stepping up to help out with the question. You are right... many of these chargers, including the ones I use, have over and under charge protection.

[@khokandebnathtitan4011]

Laptop 4/6 cell 3000 mah or 4000 mah batteries are fully charged in one and a half / two hours. If there is any system for fast charging using any such BMS / module / circuit, please give the video. I have not found any such video on KZbin!

[@DialedInDIY]

I have not done any projects to try making a fast charging module mainly because I have so many of the extra cells that I cycle them through uses (I keep charged cells ready for devices I use more often). It is a great idea and if you hear of anything I'd love to know more about it.

[@cooter3690]

How close should the cell voltage be to safely connect them in parallel?

[@DialedInDIY]

Sorry again for the delay... let me know if you were still looking for more feedback than what I put in the other reply.

[@Moltenlava]

Replying for anyone who may read this in the future, im a newbie but i read on a forum post that differences in the range of +- 0.2V are permissible

[@billyjoemonster2972]

I think you need a over change maybe get you problems if you don't know what your doing I think you should just buy them then try to make it yourself it maybe you will not do it right or the battery maybe blow up

[@DialedInDIY]

If you are talking about overcharge protection, then yes it is needed. Fortunately the part I use in the video, Charging board - TP4056 has protection circuit built in. This protects both overcharging as well as over-discharging. Thank you for watching and taking time to post a comment; I appreciate it!

[@FknNefFy]

Hi

[@DialedInDIY]

Hi

[@teslapark3406]

Thank you for commenting on my subject about pass through charging I just wanted to state that this technology is so virtually connected to over unity it's not even funny and Chinese products offer it cheaply and inexpensively I bought mini of them also States that this technology is being suppressed in United States I guess by your statement you are one of them didn't give a reason why just stated your facts I'm cool with that but I'm also letting people know that this technology could change everything in the electrical car industry see if you have passed through charging and you want to use less energy run your 12 volt 60 watt outlet through a 3000 watt inverter and if you keep it in range you'll be able to charge car batteries or something bigger at the same time putting that into a tie grid which could run your house depending on the size of the tigrid I have done this and yet people are mad that I'm doing this why are they supporting the electrical companies over themselves so many questions but no one is giving answers this is why I made the statement.