Temperature affects charging of rechargeable batteries. Even when they can be run in a broad range of temperatures, that does not mean we can charge them at extreme temperatures.
Charging at Low Temperature:
Fast charging of a battery occurs in the range of 5 to 45°C . For optimum results, choose the range from 10 to 30°C.
Old battery technologies such as Nickel-Cadmium have high tolerance to charge even below freezing point, while some newer battery technologies such as Lithium-ion does not permit charging below freezing point.
To enable fast charging in lower temperature conditions, some of the industrial batteries include thermal blankets. This thermal blanket heats the battery to an optimum temperature for charging. During charge, the internal cell resistance causes a slight temperature rise that compensates for some of the cold.
Charging at High Temperature:
In general, high temperature damages all kinds of batteries. A temperature compensation is generally added to lead acid batteries to increase its life-cycle by 15 percent.
Charging Nickel-Cadmium batteries at higher temperature results in reduced generation of oxygen, which stops charge acceptance. Lithium-ion batteries perform better at elevated temperature, but exposure for a long duration results in shortening the life-cycle of the batteries.
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