How should I protect or safeguard my Ni Mh batteries ?

[kirby]

Recently I made a large purchase of various AA and AAA Ni Mh batteries. Because of the high freight cost, I have to buy much more then I currently need to make it worthwhile. Basically I am buying for the next few years.

Most of the AA and AAA are of the LSD type from Powerex and Sanyo. A few are the non LSD type from the same company.

After my bad experience with the CTA AA Ni Mh batteries as ducumented here http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=203786 :mecry:, I think I need to act proactively to prevent premature demise of those new batteries (which might not be used until a year or two later).

Do I just take them out of the pack and run a "break in" cycle and then run a refresh cycle every nine month or so? Nine months too long and may be six months?

I have a Maha C9000.

What about the LSD AAA and AA? Some of them might not be used until 1 or two years later as well. Should I do the same as above?

Thanks.

 

[Meterman]

Here you can find SANYO's hints. Look at 2-3-4 Important Points When Storing Batteries.

Wulf

 

[TorchBoy]

Re: How should I protect or safeguard my NiMH batteries?

SilverFox has some recommendations for storing NiMH cells. I'm sure he'll be along shortly.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Kirby, I would strongly recommend that you spend time reading the applicable parts at Battery University. It was the single best piece of advice that Silverfox ever gave me.

No matter what specifics anyone gives you, it is no substitute for a more complete foundation from a site like this. Just start out using the index & reading the parts that apply to your situation (NiMH). Then read other topics if you have the interest and time.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Kirby,

Low Self Discharge cells are still a little bit of a mystery. They haven't been out long enough to fully develop long term storage strategies.

With normal NiMh cells, it is best to store them discharged, and run a charge/discharge cycle on them every 30 days. This will keep them vibrant and ready to go right after charging.

My initial thought is to treat the LSD cells like you would Li-Ion cells and store them at about 50% charged. A charge/discharge cycle every 6 months, or once a year may be enough to keep them vibrant, but I am not aware of any testing that has explored this.

Since you have extra cells, and plan to keep them for an extended period of time, perhaps you could try a few different methods of storage and take notes. We could all learn from your efforts...

Tom