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Week 10 (Oct. 31, 2018): Battery Selection

UPDATE: Calculations for the induction charging and battery are found in the Week 14 and Week 15 blog posts.


We finished the last of the Presentation #2’s today, and we still had time to continue working on our projects. The first subject we wanted to address was to finalize the selection of our battery. So, we listed the pros and cons of the three main battery types: LiPo (Lithium-Polymer), NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride), and Li-ion (Lithium-ion). We eventually decided to use a LiPo battery, like last year’s team, mainly because they are more efficient and have a high energy density, along with their other characteristics listed below. Also, the fact that mini-LiPo chargers exist, such as the one below from Adafruit, will make charging more robust due to its compact design.



Sources: Roger’s Hobby Center | A Guide to Understanding LiPo Batteries and NiMH Vs LiPo Batteries - Which is better? and All About Batteries

We eventually decided that we will be using LiPo batteries, like last year’s team, since they are more efficient and have a high energy density, along with their other benefits that outweigh their disadvantages and dominate the other battery types. Also, the fact that mini-LiPo chargers exist, such as the one below from Adafruit, will make charging more robust due to its compact design.

7.4, 2600mAh LiPo battery used last year:
 


Mini-LiPo battery charger (Product Details and Proper Charging Connections):

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