In lithium-ion batteries, the “C” rating is a crucial indicator of a battery’s charging and discharging capabilities. It represents the rate at which a battery can deliver current relative to its capacity. For instance, a C rating of 10 implies that the battery can discharge ten times its nominal capacity without encountering overheating or damage.
Occasionally lithium battery cells are marketed with just a C rating and not a maximum current rating. This can make it easier to compare the power level of battery cells of different capacities. As long as you know the capacity of the cell, you can use the C rate to quickly calculate the maximum current rating of the cell.
Capacity ratings only tell you how much energy the cell can store and provide. They don’t give you any information about the power of the cell or its longevity. The highest capacity batteries usually have only moderate power levels. There is often a tradeoff between power rating and capacity.
Lithium batteries are rated in ampere-hours (Ah), which indicates their capacity to store energy over time. Understanding these ratings is crucial for optimizing battery performance and longevity, especially in applications requiring long-term energy storage.
The capacity of a cell is probably the most critical factor, as it determines how much energy is available in the cell. The capacity of lithium battery cells is measured in amp-hours (Ah) or sometimes milliamp-hours (mAh) where 1 Ah = 1,000 mAh. Lithium battery cells can have anywhere from a few mAh to 100 Ah.
Here we will look at the most important lithium ion battery specifications. The capacity of a cell is probably the most critical factor, as it determines how much energy is available in the cell. The capacity of lithium battery cells is measured in amp-hours (Ah) or sometimes milliamp-hours (mAh) where 1 Ah = 1,000 mAh.