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:
  • Good, good pack; can be returned to customer without further service (30 second test time)
  • Low, suspect pack; needs further testing (full service program takes a few hours)
  • 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). QuickSort Technology

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. Capacity versus Resistance

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. QuickSort Technology

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. QuickSort Accuracy

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.