These cells were purchased for the purposes of testing with donations made for that purpose. Thank you! To prevent any confusion with the eGo-type "batteries", I use the term "cell" here to refer to a single 18650, 26650, etc.
Disclaimer
The statements, conclusions, and recommendations I make based on these tests are only my personal opinion. Carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.
Testing cells at their limits is dangerous and should never, ever, be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved and how to minimize them.
A note regarding current ratings and my testing
If the cell has only one current rating number on it, or if it says "max discharging current" then I have to assume that the company is stating that the cell can be discharged at that current level in any way, including continuous.
Bottom Line
This is a hard hitting 23A continuous battery that exceeds its 2000mAh rating. They were purchased from www.illumn.com and are are identical in appearance and performance to genuine VTC4's. They run much too hot to be rated at 30A continuous but their temperature at 23A is the same as the VTC3 and VTC5 at their ratings. The VTC4 hits harder than the LG HB series of batteries but it runs hotter.
Continuous-Current Test Results
Pulsed-Current Test Results
These tests are done to show the performance of the cell at higher pulsed current levels. If you are running your mod at these levels be aware that you risk overheating, and possibly venting, the battery if there is a malfunction or accidental pressing of your mechanical mod's button.
Sony datasheet ratings and graphs
See the next post as I'm over the limit for the number of graphics in a single post.
Comments
To see how other cells have tested and how hard you can safely push them, check out these links:
List of Battery Tests | E-Cigarette Forum
18350 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum
18650 Battery Ratings -- Picking a Safe Battery to Vape With | E-Cigarette Forum
26650 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum
Disclaimer
The statements, conclusions, and recommendations I make based on these tests are only my personal opinion. Carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.
Testing cells at their limits is dangerous and should never, ever, be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved and how to minimize them.
A note regarding current ratings and my testing
If the cell has only one current rating number on it, or if it says "max discharging current" then I have to assume that the company is stating that the cell can be discharged at that current level in any way, including continuous.
Bottom Line
This is a hard hitting 23A continuous battery that exceeds its 2000mAh rating. They were purchased from www.illumn.com and are are identical in appearance and performance to genuine VTC4's. They run much too hot to be rated at 30A continuous but their temperature at 23A is the same as the VTC3 and VTC5 at their ratings. The VTC4 hits harder than the LG HB series of batteries but it runs hotter.
Continuous-Current Test Results
Pulsed-Current Test Results
These tests are done to show the performance of the cell at higher pulsed current levels. If you are running your mod at these levels be aware that you risk overheating, and possibly venting, the battery if there is a malfunction or accidental pressing of your mechanical mod's button.
Sony datasheet ratings and graphs
See the next post as I'm over the limit for the number of graphics in a single post.
Comments
- At 10A continuous it reached about 1975mAh. This is fantastic performance for a 2000mAh-rated cell operating at 10A so I am rating this cell at 2100mAh. This is the nominal capacity rating for the VTC4 so my results are typically what you will get.
- Its temperature at 15A continuous was 64°C, significantly below the average for a cell operating at its CDR.
- At 20A continuous the temperature rose to 77°C. This is about the average for a cell operating at its CDR.
- At 25A continuous the temperature rose to 88°C. This is significantly above the average for a cell operating at its CDR.
- At 30A continuous the temperature rose to 97°C. This is much, much too high a temperature to set this current level as the CDR. It is clearly not a 30A cell.
- At the 35A continuous the temperature rose to 104°C, exceeding my safety limit of 100°C.
- I am setting a CDR of 23A for this cell since at this current level its operating temperature is at the average for a cell operating at its CDR. While operating any cell near its rated maximum current level causes damage to the cell, I would expect decent cycle life from this cell at 23A.
- I have included pulsed discharges but I haven't set pass/fail standards for pulse testing yet. The discharges were done at 5sec on/30sec off, down to 2.5V. One chart shows the entire discharge at each level. The other chart is zoomed in to show the first 5 minutes to make it easier to see the voltage sag at different current levels.
To see how other cells have tested and how hard you can safely push them, check out these links:
List of Battery Tests | E-Cigarette Forum
18350 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum
18650 Battery Ratings -- Picking a Safe Battery to Vape With | E-Cigarette Forum
26650 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum
Last edited by a moderator:
