Electrical – Can 12v destroy a laptop instead of 11.1v

cell-batterylaptop

I am making some experiment on the 18650 battery, I learnt that their charging voltage is 4.2v while nominal voltage is 3.7v. I made a 2ways parallel connect of 3 serial connection just like the laptop battery pack, on the laptop 11.1v is written which is 3 x 3.7v but I charge the battery with a 12.5v charger which is still with the charging range of the cell 4.20v * 3=12.6 and the battery is now charge to 12.3v and started getting warm so I disconnected it even despite that its not yet up charge to my charger range. But the problem is that I dont know if 12.3v would damage the laptop if I connect to the battery port with the circuit since they wrote 11.1v, and i would like to know what that nominal voltage mean and I would to know maybe if I increase the battery cells from 6 to maybe 9 or 12 in other to increase the amp/h would it damage my battery. If would be very greatly for your help

Best Answer

The voltage on the battery pack, really any rechargeable pack of any chemistry, is a nominal voltage. With Lipo cells this is typically the 90% charged voltage. The fully charged voltage will quickly drop over time or under high load due to its internal ESR and voltage curve (check the datasheet). A Lipo will then stay at its nominal voltage for most of the charge before quickly dropping when discharged. A 1.5V alkaline battery in comparison has a fully charged voltage of 1.6x V to nominally discharged at 1.1V, and fully discharged are 0.6V. 1.0 to 0.6 volts will be super dead and need something like a Joule thief to get out. A fully charged Lipo is much higher than its stated 3.6, 3.7 or 3.8 volt markings.

That said, there is no way to know how tolerant your random laptop is to the slightly higher voltage. When the laptop fully charges the battery, it is using a dedicated Lipo charging system, a battery monitor or gas gauge, and knows when to cut it off. You do not seem to have done the same.

That said again though, 12v isn't much higher than 11.1V. 9% higher. It will likely be fine. The laptop would use a higher voltage to initiate charging anyway. But use it at your own risk.

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