QuickSort™
QuickSort™ is a sorting tool that is used to identify good and bad lithium-ion batteries. It also recognizes suspect packs that need further testing. The pass/fail threshold is set to establish what is a usable battery for cell phones and similar applications. The categories are:
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Good, good pack; can be returned to customer without further service (30 second test time)
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Low, suspect pack; needs further testing (full service program takes a few hours)
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Poor, faulty pack; no improvement possible; remove from service (30 second test time typical)
What batteries does QuickSort™ test?
QuickSort™ accommodates single-cell lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 500-1,800mAh. Although no pass/fail indication is given for batteries outside the designated test range, QuickSort™ will provide the open terminal voltage, internal resistance and other battery indications referring to battery state-of-health. If testing batteries outside the designated test range, please contact our service department for assistance.
BatteryStore™ software optimizes your storefront battery testing system to realize the full potential for increased customer service and lower your operating costs.
How does QuickSort™ work?
QuickSort™ is based on the electrochemical dynamic response of a battery rather than resistance. To understand the process, we compare the battery with a mechanical arm. A good battery resembles a rigid linkage that follows the applied force closely and produces little lag. A weak battery, on the other hand, creates a large lag. In our example, the applied pulse produces a small lag on the 100% battery (green) but a large one on the 70% battery (red). |
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Advantages of QuickSort™ over resistance reading
The internal resistance of some battery systems changes little with usage and age. Evaluating the health of a battery based on internal resistance does not offer reliable results and alternate methods are needed. QuickSort™ excludes the internal resistance reading from the inference calculations and uses resistance as separate criteria when evaluating the battery. |
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Does the battery need to be fully charged before the test?
QuickSort™ accepts batteries with a state-of-charge of 10-100%; however, the optimum testing range is 40-100%. If a battery is judged ‘poor’ because of low charge, QS advises the user to charge and retest the battery. A brief 20-minute charge may do. Allow a 15-minute rest before retesting. To obtain optimal throughput, charge empty batteries before testing. |
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How accurate is QuickSort™?
QuickSort™ correctly predicts good and bad batteries 90% of the time. Because QS loads the battery momentarily; the excitation is similar to that of a cell phone. It must be noted, however, that QS is a classification tool and not a measuring device. |
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What setup does QuickSort™ need?
QuickSort™ uses a generic matrix that works for all designated batteries. Because the matrix has already been maximized, no further adjustments are necessary.