Electronic – Options to protect Mobile Phone from over charging which is causing battery failure

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We have a number of Android mobile phones permanently on charge. After approximately 3 months some of the device batteries expand considerable, splitting the phone & failing. The phones are in a regulated 23 °C environment, so I believe temperature is not the main problem. I believe overcharging is the problem, possibly due to the phones being low cost entry models and the internal regulator circuit not being great. Note that the screens are on permanently at full brightness. My guess is that they are using about 300 mW. The charger which comes with the phone is rated to 500 mA.

I've considered powering the phones directly without a battery however Android has gotten smarter and appears to require signals from the battery circuit board. My current thinking is to balance the charge capacity of the charger itself to the power the phone is using, e.g. a 300 mW charger.

My questions:

Would this strategy of trying to balance the charging current of the USB charger with the power use of the phone be effective at preventing over charging?

If so, could I simply limit the charge current by sticking a resistor on the positive. Would a single resistor do the job? and if so what value range? An online calculator gives me:

  • Resistance 16.667 Ω
  • Voltage 5V
  • Current 300 mA
  • Actual Power Rating 1.5 W
  • Recommended Resistor Wattage 2 Watt Resistor

Best Answer

We have a number of Android mobile phones permanently on charge.
Note that the screens are on permanently at full brightness.

Phones are not intended for such high duty cycle operation. They will overheat. This will cause the battery to be damaged.

Would this strategy of trying to balance the charging current of the USB charger with the power use of the phone be effective at preventing over charging?

No. In fact it would make it refuse external power at all. Working from battery alone due to the voltage drop.

Options:

  1. Buy the correct devices. Search for HMI panels with Android.

  2. Remove the battery and connect to the battery terminals directly. If the phone is picky, pull the management board from the battery and use those BMS battery pins to connect approximately a 4V source, simulating the battery. Success not guaranteed. Warranty most definitely void.
    Do this on a discharged battery and don't puncture or short the pouch.