"James Sweet" writes:

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a battery pack scrounged from a Dell computer. It is their pn
66WHR rated 14.8V 4460MAH. It is comprised of 8 cells, that is four
sets of two in parallel. Each set measures 3.9V, so therefore each
cell seems to be 3.9V. The cells are Sony Fukushima STG, bearing the
following numbers: US18650GR and STG 6KEO7R. They are all also marked
G5.There were multiple terminals on the connnector on this pack and
also a small circuit board with many smd circuits on it. Perhaps the
charger or regulator? These would make a really nice standby battery
pack for a project, but how would I charge them? I understand that
there is a specific charging protocol for these type of batteries. Is
there a generic charger available to address this? Or can anyone
suggest an alternate method? Thanks, Lenny Stein, Barlen Electronics.


You really have to be careful with these things. Have a look at
Dallas/Maxim, TI, and other companies that make power electronics. They'll
have parts to do just this along with detailed application notes. The caveat
is that most of them are tiny surface mount packages, which you may or may
not be up to working with.

I would REALLY recommend NOT trying to deal with Li Ion charging unless
you are willing to do all the research and design to use parts like those
referenced above and build a smart charger. Some types of Li Ion batteries
may catch fire and explode if not treated properly. I don't know if what
you have falls into that category but you can't just stick them on a constant
voltage or constant current supply safely or expect to get reasonable life
that way.

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