Master the Specifications of Drone Batteries

Whether we talk about the drones that are used as toys or consider drones with cameras used for cinematography, they both are powered by batteries. It is because these devices cannot get wired power and they need a portable power supply that can reliably power them for considerable durations.

What's interesting about different drones is that they have different battery types, so their specifications vary as well. In this article, we will discuss all the important specifications of drone batteries that everyone with a drone must know.

Battery Capacity

Battery capacity is the first specification we will be discussing here, and it is also one of the most important specifications for all battery types. This specification is displayed in mAh and this section explains how it is an important aspect of the batteries of drones.

Understanding the Milliampere-hours in Drone Batteries

Milliampere-hours or mAh in a battery means the capacity to hold a charge for that battery. This unit can tell you how much energy a battery hold can. For example, if a drone battery has 100 mAh and another one has 150 mAh then the second one will hold more power. However, it is not the only important characteristic to determine the performance offered by a drone battery.

One thing that this mAh value on batteries can tell you is the duration of flights. If we create a standard system where voltage, cell rate, and all other factors will be the same, then a 150 mAh battery will power the drone for a longer time than a 100 mAh drone battery.

3.2V 20A Low Temp LiFePO4 Battery Cell -40℃ 3C discharge capacity≥70% Charging temperature：-20~45℃ Discharging temperature: -40~+55℃ pass acupuncture test -40℃ maximum discharge rate：3C

READ MORE

Relationship Between Battery Capacity and Energy Density

If you focus on battery performance, then understanding this relationship is vital. Energy density means how much energy your battery can store as compared to its weight. So, if you increase battery energy density then its capacity may also increase. This may result in more weight but in most cases, there will be a significant improvement in the performance or duration of drone flights. However, for it to work it is important to design the battery and drone with a balance of performance and practicality.

Voltage

The next important specification of drone batteries is their voltage. It is an important consideration since there are drones of multiple sizes and those models require different amounts of power. That's why we have batteries for drones with varying voltage specifications. Here is everything you need to know about the importance and impact of voltage on drone batteries.

Understanding Voltage Basics and the Importance of Selecting the Right Voltage

The simplest explanation voltage from a battery means how many electrons it can push through the circuit. Drone batteries with higher voltage push more electrons and it means that the drone gets more power. Similarly, lower-voltage batteries push less power through the circuit of the drone.

Hence, it becomes very important to select the right voltage specification drone battery for your drone. It is because the whole electronic system of a drone is designed around a specific voltage range and the battery specified for that drone provides the ideal operational voltage.

Low Temperature High Energy Density Rugged Laptop Polymer Battery Battery specification: 11.1V 7800mAh -40℃ 0.2C discharge capacity ≥80% Dustproof, resistance to dropping, anti - corrosion, anti - electromagnetic interference

READ MORE

How does voltage variation impact the performance of a drone battery?

Voltage is among those battery specifications that do not stay consistent with usage and time. When the battery is charged completely it will have a higher voltage but with usage the voltage drops. This drop in the voltage hinders the performance of your battery as well as the drone since the electronics are not getting the best amount of power.

So, if your drone is used for payload lifting and the voltage drops, it may not be able to lift a specific weight to a specific height for a specific distance. That is why higher voltage drone batteries are used for power-hungry applications and vice versa

Cell Rate

While most people know about the technical specifications like voltage and capacity of drone batteries, cell rate is among the most ignored specifications for a drone battery. So, this section covers the basic understanding along with the importance of cell rate and comparison between different cell rate types.

Understanding the Cell Rate in Drone Batteries and Its Importance

Cell rate, which is often called the C-rate, is a measure of the rate at which your drone battery will be charged or discharged. In simple terms, it is the measure of how fast your battery can be charged and how fast can it supply energy to the drone which is known as discharging.

If your drone battery has a higher cell rate, then it means that it will provide more power in a short time and it supports fast charging as well. Similarly, the exact opposite means for the batteries that have a lower cell rate. Hence, cell rate is an important factor for drones that are focused on power and performance.

Comparison Between High and Low Cell Rate Drone Batteries

Now that you have a basic idea about the cell rate in drone batteries, if we compare high and low cell rates for drone batteries then we will have the following conclusions.

The high cell rate battery will provide power rapidly and it is a perfect choice for drones that need to perform well. These are good for high-speed flying or heavy weightlifting. However, the downside of this specification is that the battery may not last very long.

The low call rate drone battery may not be as powerful for flying with high speeds or lifting heavy payloads but the good thing about it is that it can power the drone for a long. That's what makes these batteries good for recreational flying or cinematography for prolonged times since powerful bursts of energy are not needed.

Conclusion

A drone is made from 3 main components and one of them is its battery. The battery powers the controller as well as the motors that are used for fans to create the thrust. Since most drones have different sizes and types of motors and controller circuits, they use different battery options. These options vary according to their voltage, capacity, cell rate, and several other things.

Were you working on a project drone, or looking for a new battery for your drone? If yes, then we hope that this guide has been helpful for you to understand what all these specifications mean and their importance.