In popular parlance, the memory effect is the phenomenon in which the capacity of the battery decreases. However, this name does not suffice with the phenomenon it tries to describe. The 'real' memory effect is a phenomenon that occurs in Ni-CD batteries as a result of discharging the battery many times to exactly the same level and then fully charging the battery again.
The phenomenon that is popularly called memory effect is actually a lazy battery, but the cause is different. The lazy battery is caused by overcharging the battery, or the battery is on the charger for too long. Long charging leads to a lower voltage in the cells than it should be at a certain capacity. In practice, this means that the connected device switches off or stops working because the voltage level (V) is too low instead of the lack of current (Ah).
Can I 'fix' a lazy battery?
Yes and no. By discharging the individual cells to 1 volt, the effect can be undone. A deeper discharge than 1 volt only has a negative effect on the life of the battery and is therefore strongly discouraged. If individual cells are connected in parallel or series, damage to the cells can occur even sooner. The decrease in voltage in the cells is never the same, which means that individual cells can fall far below 1 volt. The battery can then still last a few charging cycles and will quickly lose its function.
Too low a voltage can lead to problems with charging and functioning of the battery. This phenomenon is known to many users of power tools. Especially with Li-ion batteries there is a great risk that the cells will get a deep discharge. To prevent this, the voltage of individual cells is kept by means of a printed circuit board. Unfortunately, this printed circuit board forms an extra weak point for the battery to become defective sooner.
What causes a lazy battery?
- During the charging cycle
- Charging for too long
- High temperature during charging
- Charging the battery too quickly
- During use
- Battery over discharged
- Low temperatures during use
- Too much load on the battery
- Increasing battery age
With normal use of the battery based on the above tips, the memory effect or lazy battery will not occur.
