LG HB2 30A 1500mAh 18650 Bench Test Results...a true 30A battery, along with the HB6

[Mooch]

Tested at 10A-35A constant current. This cell was purchased from RTDVapor and donated for testing. 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 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 batteries 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. My safety precautions are the ones I have selected to take and you should not assume they will protect you if you attempt to do any testing. Do the research and create your own testing methods and safety precautions.




Bottom Line
A true 30A continuous discharge current (CDR) cell that runs a few degrees hotter than the LG HB6, the only other true 30A cell. The HB6 beats it for voltage but the HB2 lasts slightly longer.


Test Results



Shootout at 20A-35A with the HB6



Comments

• At 10A it reached about 1350mAh. This is decent performance for a 1500mAh-rated cell.
• At 20A the maximum temperature reached 66°C. This is low and indicates that the cell is not yet operating at its CDR.
• At 25A the temperature rose to 74°. This is just below the average temperature for a cell operating at its CDR.
• At 30A the temperature rose to 81°C. This is similar to other LG cells at their CDR.
• At 35A the temperature rose to 88°C, too high to operate a cell at. But indicates that the cell could go to 40A before hitting my 100°C safety limit. In my opinion, this would damage the cell though.
• Five additional cycles at 30A showed essentially no loss in capacity but there was some voltage sag for most of the discharge. However, this sag was present in the second 30A discharge and did not get worse as 30A cycles #3-#6 were done. I think the damage that caused the voltage sag was done during the 35A discharge.
• I am setting a CDR of 30A for this cell. Its temperature at 30A was moderate and there were no signs of additional damage after the additional five cycles at 30A. While operating any cell near its rated maximum current causes damage to the cell, I would expect decent cycle life from this cell at 30A. I would not recommend operating this cell above 30A due to the damage it causes.
• The HB2 has a slightly greater capacity and higher voltage at the start than the HB6. But as the shootout graph shows, the HB2 voltage sags below the HB6 for most of the discharge. The HB2 also operates about 5°C hotter than the HB6. This could accelerate aging of the HB2 compared to the HB6.
• Both the HB2 and HB6 are true 30A cells though.
• To see how other cells have tested and how hard you can safely push them, check out the links in my signature.

 

[WharfRat1976]

VDROP at 35 amps is scary to look at, graphically speaking of course. Nice work.

 

[Roccov]

Thanks for sharing sir. Just curious, do you do any long term testing? Thinking about charge cycles and how well they would preform as the cells hit various plateaus(100,250,500). Seems like the break in period might not be conclusive. But I do see that as long as the protocol is consistent the initial numbers help in establishing safety parameters. Enjoy the day!

 

[Mooch]

Thanks for sharing sir. Just curious, do you do any long term testing? Thinking about charge cycles and how well they would preform as the cells hit various plateaus(100,250,500). Seems like the break in period might not be conclusive. But I do see that as long as the protocol is consistent the initial numbers help in establishing safety parameters. Enjoy the day!

I've only done long term testing, "cycle life" testing, for clients. As you can imagine, it takes a huge amount of time, tying up equipment for weeks or months. I don't think I'll be doing it for any of these cells. The five cycles I do at the cell's CDR (alleged or actual) can give a good hint at how long they will last though. If there's no evidence of damage when run at the CDR continuously five times there should definitely be no damage from being pulsed at the CDR. The cell should be capable of meeting the cycle life spec (e,g., 250 cycles to drop to 70% of rated capacity) that the manufacturer set.

If there were no other factors affecting the cell's health, that is.

With the casual charging and, for mechs, discharging that's done with cells when vaping I'm wondering if cycle life testing under controlled conditions would even give us useable numbers? They undergo so much abuse mechanically, thermally, and electrochemically (over- and under-voltage, left fully charged most of the time, discharged immediately after charge) that the aging from cycle to cycle might only be a small part in what cause's the cell's loss in capacity, voltage sag, etc.

If I remember correctly, I have only seen hints of what might be called a break-in period with just the VTC5 and/or VTC4 (I've forgotten). There might be some validity to the recommendation to cycle the cell(s) a few times to achieve maximum performance before using them but I just don't see that for any cell I've tested except those two. It's certainly not mentioned in any trade journal, technical article, or research paper I've read.

<deep sigh> Always so many more things to test than I have time for.

 

[WharfRat1976]

Hey Mooch, any suggestions for testing batts as to their current drop. I sharpie a born date on my batts then Calc number of cycles average and go from there or I use them and think, this battery is not holding a charge anymore and recycle it. Any suggestions?

 

[Mooch]

Hey Mooch, any suggestions for testing batts as to their current drop. I sharpie a born date on my batts then Calc number of cycles average and go from there or I use them and think, this battery is not holding a charge anymore and recycle it. Any suggestions?

You got it...when it gets too frustrating to use, recycle it.
That's how I do it. In my opinion, if you track usage you'll either toss it too early or think it should be lasting longer and stick with a battery that just isn't performing well anymore.

[edit] One other consideration though...the internal resistance of the battery rises as the battery ages. If you feel it getting appreciably warmer during charge or discharge, it's time to toss it. Especially if you're operating it at close to its max current rating.

 

[Roccov]

I've only done long term testing, "cycle life" testing, for clients. As you can imagine, it takes a huge amount of time, tying up equipment for weeks or months. I don't think I'll be doing it for any of these cells. The five cycles I do at the cell's CDR (alleged or actual) can give a good hint at how long they will last though. If there's no evidence of damage when run at the CDR continuously five times there should definitely be no damage from being pulsed at the CDR. The cell should be capable of meeting the cycle life spec (e,g., 250 cycles to drop to 70% of rated capacity) that the manufacturer set.

I hear that sir! I was just curious. Totally agree about the CDR. Appreciate your efforts in vetting those numbers out for us. It's better to understand up front where they truly come out especially when it comes to safety. Enjoy the day!

 

[EddieAdams]

Think what you do is great and thank you. Always reading the results.