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 continuously.
Bottom Line
This is a great true 30A continuous cell that meets its 1500mAh rating. It runs a bit cooler than the Sony VTC3 but at a slightly lower voltage. The VTC3 runs a bit longer too.
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.
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 continuously.
Bottom Line
This is a great true 30A continuous cell that meets its 1500mAh rating. It runs a bit cooler than the Sony VTC3 but at a slightly lower voltage. The VTC3 runs a bit longer too.
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.
Comments
- At 10A continuous it reached about 1375mAh. This is good performance for a 1500mAh-rated cell operating at 10A so I am rating this cell at 1500mAh.
- Its temperature at 15A continuous was 58°C, significantly below the average for a cell operating at its continuous discharge rating (CDR).
- At 20A continuous the temperature rose to 66°C, significantly below the average for a cell operating at its CDR.
- At 25A continuous the temperature rose to 70°C. This is a few degrees below the average temperature for a cell operating at its CDR.
- At 30A continuous the temperature rose to 79°C. This is the average temperature for a cell operating at its CDR, an indication that this discharge rate is the CDR for the cell.
- At 35A continuous the temperature rose to 85°C. This is too high a temperature for a cell operating at its CDR. The voltage is sagging noticably now, indicating that the cell is being operated at beyond its rating.
- At 40A continuous the temperature was only 2°C higher than it was at 35A. This has indicated before that a battery was being run too hard so I ran another two discharges at 40A. You can see the lower battery voltage near the start (caused by increased internal resistance), indicating that the battery is being damaged when run at 40A continuous.
- I am setting a CDR of 30A for this cell since at this current level the 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 30A continuous.
- 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
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