I have 3 Lithium Polymer batteries. I would like to hook them up in series. The voltage would equate to 11.1V. If I have a LiPo charger does it require 11.1V input to charge them?
Electrical – LiPo Charging Voltage and Operating Voltage problem
batteriesbattery-charging
Best Answer
Not necessarily. If the battery is a standard Lipo type then it will require 4.2V*3 = 12.6V to get a full charge. However some chargers have a booster circuit which enables them to run from a lower voltage (typically 12V).
More sophisticated chargers have programmable current and voltage to handle different batteries. Many also have a balancer circuit to equalize the voltages on each cell, which is essential when cells are charged in series because even a tiny over-voltage can damage a cell. A serous imbalance can even cause the battery to blow up and set fire to anything nearby! (this is not theoretical - I know several people that this has happened to).
Adding a balancer cable is highly recommended, both for balancing and checking the cell voltages. Even if you don't use a balancing charger, you must ensure that all the cells have equal voltage when fully charged. With a balance cable installed you can charge each cell individually if required.