Based on a Presentation by Ken Myers to the Midwest RC Society in Feb. 2018
The Label:
The G5, at the top left of the label, indicates that it is a 5th Generation Hyperion brand LiPo battery. The SV, at the upper left and right indicate that it is a Standard Voltage type.
There are High Voltage (HV) LiPo batteries, with a charge termination voltage of 4.35V/cell.
The 4.20V/Cell Max Charge, under the SV on the right side of the label, indicates that it is to be charged to a termination voltage of 4.20V per cell. Again, this indicates that this is a SV LiPo and not a HV LiPo.
The 3S/11.1V indicates that the battery is 3 cells connected in series (S) and that it has a nominal voltage of 11.1V. The 11.1 is not a cardinal number, it is a nominal number, a number that names something. It has no useful numeric value. Each SV LiPo cell is said to have a nominal (naming) value of 3.7V per cell, therefore, three cells in series is the sum of three nominal 3.7V cells.
All that the notation of 3S/11.1V is doing is confirming that this is a 3 cell in series SV LiPo battery.
It should be noted that some chargers also display a similar notation on a ‘confirmation’ screen before the charger can be started by the user when balance charging.
50C Maximum states the manufacturer’s maximum recommended discharge rate.
2100mAh is the manufacturer’s stated capacity.
A Comment Before A Closer Look at the Specifications
For almost all of our electrically powered flight systems, we measure the current in amps (A), not milliamps (mA). That becomes relevant when discussing capacity, charge rates and discharge rates.
Breaking Down the Specification Numbers
The following specifications were cut and pasted directly from the supplier’s Web site for this battery. https://www.rcdude.com/product-p/hp50c2100s3.htm
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Hyperion G5 50C Max – 2100mah 3S Lipo
Specifications:
Capacity: 2100mah
Voltage: 3S, 11.1v nominal
Discharge Rate: 50Cmax (50C burst, 25~30C continuous)
Charge Rate: 6C maximum, 5C recommended
Weight: 163 grams
Dimensions: 105 x 34.1 x 21.7mm
Power Connector: XT-60
Balance Connector: JST-XH
CMax = Continuous C-Rate for 100% rated capacity delivery is 1/2 C-Max rate.
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Hyperion G5 50C Max – 2100mah 3S Lipo
Specifications:
Capacity: 2100mah (should be mAh)
The manufacturer’s stated battery capacity is based on a constant current load that they say is required to take a cell/battery from ‘full volts (V)’ to ’empty volts (V)’ in one hour.
What is the ‘Full’ and ‘Empty’ voltage?
Full voltage for a Standard Voltage LiPo cell is usually stated as 4.20V per cell, as noted on the label. Therefore, a pack with 3 cells in series (3S) has a stated voltage 3 times 4.20V. That is 12.60V for the 3S example pack.
Empty voltage for a Standard Voltage LiPo cell is usually given as 3.00V per cell. A pack with 3 cells in series (3S) has a voltage 3 times 3.00V or 9.00V for the 3S example pack.
Even though the pack’s actual ‘capacity’, stated as a constant load current per hour, to go from ‘full V’ to ’empty V’, varies with the constant load current, the value is treated as a constant.
The manufacturer is saying that when a constant load of 2100 milliamps (mA) is placed on this pack for 1 hour the voltage drops from ‘full V’ to ’empty V’.
It is somewhat difficult for us to ‘think’ in milliamps.
A milliamp (mA) is one thousandth of an amp.
To ‘think’ in amps, divide milliamps (mA) by 1000.
2100milliamps (mA) / 1000 = 2.1 amps (A)
When amps (A) are used as the unit, the previous statement is easier to comprehend.
The manufacturer is saying that when a constant load of 2.1 amps (A) is placed on this pack for 1 hour the voltage drops from ‘full V’ to ’empty V’.
Capacity is measured by the manufacturer to a certain standard.
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