Batteries from laptop, will they work?

clifton4th

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
27
Hi,
I got 4 working batteries out of a 1st generation MacBook Pro battery pack that didn't do it any more. The writing on them is
Sony Fukushima SEW
US604496 K3
OEC910E24A
IMG%5D
30sv7gz.jpg

Now I want to give some old light a new life with those batts, put in 2 or three P7s. But are they safe to use and how can I charge them, will my UltraFire WF-139 work?
4r43t4.jpg

IMG%5D
 
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Argh, is that in the first picture a lithium cell peeled and with pockets of gas forming beneath the surface? :eek:
You do know that they are known for violently catching fire when you treat them like that, yes?

If the battery was dead, no way those (the intact ones, anyway) can power three P7. They'd probably have trouble powering ONE.

Order a few 18650s and power your light with those.
 
Eek! Please be careful with those. Laptop batteries require a specialized charging, temp monitoring and balancing circuit to keep all of the individual cells from overcharging or overheating. I would not use a charging circuit from anything other than the laptop itself for them. As FallingWater said, lithium batteries have a nasty tendency to explode with firery and toxic results.
 
Yes, in the first picture there is a peeled battery. And I knew before that it was dangerous. After the bubbles started quickly getting bigger I threw it into our garden.
The thing is, this battery pack has only had around 40 cycles until it was completely dead. So I checked and 2 out of the 6 cells didn't light up a Q5 at all, while the others did very well. So I thought they should still be pretty good. Now the battery is rated at 60Wh with six cells = 40Wh with 4 cells. Only being used a little they should still have 30Wh which I hoped would be good for powering 3 P7s at 10W for an hour.
Anyways, thanks for your help, I'm going to order some more 18650s.
:thanks:
 
Yes, in the first picture there is a peeled battery. And I knew before that it was dangerous. After the bubbles started quickly getting bigger I threw it into our garden.
You don't always get this warning...

The thing is, this battery pack has only had around 40 cycles until it was completely dead. So I checked and 2 out of the 6 cells didn't light up a Q5 at all, while the others did very well. So I thought they should still be pretty good. Now the battery is rated at 60Wh with six cells = 40Wh with 4 cells. Only being used a little they should still have 30Wh which I hoped would be good for powering 3 P7s at 10W for an hour.
I assumed the battery had died due to age and/or overuse. If that's not the case then the remaining cells might just do it, but as was said you'd need charging hardware (you could get around this by charging the battery cell-by-cell). Also, it's very unusual for two cells in a new pack to drop dead after 40 cycles; it's possible it's a defect of the pack, which doesn't make me optimistic about the life expectancy of the remaining cells.
 
Well, I'm a beginner with electronics so I don't want to take any more risks - if I can't charge it with the charger which I have it doesn't make any sense using them.
By the way, I checked the opened battery in the garden - the bubbles have gotten a little bigger but still haven't popped. However it's freezing winter in Germany now with around -6°C.
 
FYI the early MacBook Pro batteries had a problem with swelling, which prompted a recall. Our laptop was damaged by the swelling and had to be repaired.
 
Thanks for your help, I bought some 18650s. Also not considering the old lamp for a host any more, because heattransfer wouldn't be too easy.
 
That is VERY unhealthy!!! But the remaining ones that don't have bubbles are ok, if and only if you use a charger that charges one cell at 4.2V.
IMPORTANT !!!
Never connect Li-Ion cells in series for charging if they don't have the electronic to balance and monitor the charge, they WILL blow.
I have and am using over 30 of laptop cells and in 3 years i had one that got hot to the point of getting burns on my hand in 2 seconds ( the time it took to attach the charging wires for a split second until i threw it out the window) but it never burst ed, and 2 that were discharged badly and got hot when i charged them but not burning hot, the energy stored in them was low.
Anyway, Li-Ion cells are dangerous and should be handled with utmost care.
 
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