Re:Pull the plug. Your battery will thank you
by jacobolus on Saturday February 27, 2010 @03:42AM
(#1155104)
I’m not an expert, but I heard in the past that the main reason for this was keeping the battery meter calibrated – so that it could accurately tell you how much battery remained, and how long it would take to drain – more than really for prolonging life.
> There is no memory and no scheduled cycling is required to prolong the battery's life.
> The typical life span of a Li-ion battery is two to three years, whether it is used or not.
> The internal resistance of the Li-ion batteries cannot be improved with cycling. The cell oxidation, which causes high resistance, is non-reversible. The electrolyte slowly eats up the positive plate and the electrolyte decays. This chemical change causes the internal resistance to increase. In time, the cell resistance raises to a point where the battery can no longer deliver the energy.
As far as I know, the information here is still relevant: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=200303140818432...
In short:
> There is no memory and no scheduled cycling is required to prolong the battery's life.
> The typical life span of a Li-ion battery is two to three years, whether it is used or not.
> The internal resistance of the Li-ion batteries cannot be improved with cycling. The cell oxidation, which causes high resistance, is non-reversible. The electrolyte slowly eats up the positive plate and the electrolyte decays. This chemical change causes the internal resistance to increase. In time, the cell resistance raises to a point where the battery can no longer deliver the energy.