“Charging method is Constant Current-Constant Voltage (CC-CV) and discharging method is Constant Current (CC).”
If a battery safety guideline says so, what does that mean? Today’s battery terms are CC and CV. If you learn these terms, you can better understand safety guidelines. Let’s dive into it!
What is CC/CV Charging?
The CC/CV charging method is about regulating the current and voltage for charging. A Constant Current is to supply a constant electric current at a designated ampere. Likewise, a Constant Voltage is to charge at a set volt to maintain the voltage at a constant level.
Features of CC/CV Charging Method
The CC-CV charging is the dominant method when charging lithium-ion batteries. CC charging comes first and then CV charging takes place in time order. When the charger is connected to the battery, the CC mode kicks in to maintain electric current to flow at a constant level. In this stage, the voltage within the battery cell keeps rising. The voltage reaches a certain threshold with time, and then the charging condition is converted into the CV mode to prevent overvoltage and keep things safe. This time, the voltage is maintained at a stable level while the amount of the current is reduced. When the current reaches the cut-off level, charging is complete.
For discharging, CC method is employed. The current is maintained uniformly to prevent overcurrent and produce a stable output as in charging. If the voltage goes down to a set limit, discharging is complete. The CC-CV charging and discharging is so important for battery safety and performance that it is even stated in the battery safety guidelines.
Follow the charging/discharging current and voltage rules stated on the genuine batteries for a safer and smart use of batteries.