How badly is the galvanic cell or battery discharged? Without devices, although the simplest, this question cannot be answered. Regardless of the type of device, one or two measurements will have to be taken.
Instructions
Step 1
Connect a voltmeter to the cell or battery. Do not connect the load yet. You will determine the electromotive force of the source. If it consists of several elements, divide the measurement result by their number. For a fresh zinc-manganese cell, the EMF should be approximately 1.8 V, for a nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride battery - 1.4 V, for a lead battery - from 2.3 to 2.4 V, and for a lithium cell or Li-ion battery - 3.7 V. Do not keep the load connected for too long.
Step 2
Connect a load to the cell or battery that draws the current for which the cell is designed. Connect the voltmeter at the same time. The measurement result, if there are several cells in the battery, also divide by their number. Voltage under load should drop to 1.5V for zinc-manganese cell, 1.2V for nickel-cadmium or metal hydride battery, 2V for lead-acid battery, 3V for lithium cell, 3.7V for lithium-ion battery.
Step 3
To determine the state of charge of individual cans of a lead-acid battery, use a special tool - a load plug. It consists of a voltmeter, a wirewound resistor and probes. Select the correct plug according to the battery capacity. Never connect or disconnect anything to a battery while it is charging, or other batteries are charging nearby, and there is hydrogen in the air.
Step 4
If the battery is dead, charge it. Never charge conventional cells, especially those containing metallic lithium. Use only commercially available devices to charge batteries containing any form of lithium.
Step 5
Attachments similar to load plugs are available for conventional cells and batteries. Select the type of cell or battery on such a device, after which the load resistance and measurement limit will be set automatically. Connect the source, then read the result on the scale.
Step 6
If the battery is dead, charge it. Never charge conventional cells, especially those containing lithium. Use only commercially available devices to charge batteries containing any form of lithium.
