Battery and Cell Question

[TexasTeacher]

OK, I am trying to wrap my head around this.

Let's say I have 2 batteries:
1 3000mah 2S
1 3000mah 6S

The 2S battery should provide power over a longer time and the 6S should provide a higher output over a shorter time. At least I think

Sorry if this is not correct

 

[Alexander Carter]

Yup, the cells are wired in parallel so the only reason you'd want more cells is to multiply the available voltage. Resulting in what you have observed.

 

[Hai-Lee]

OK, I am trying to wrap my head around this.

Let's say I have 2 batteries:
1 3000mah 2S
1 3000mah 6S

The 2S battery should provide power over a longer time and the 6S should provide a higher output over a shorter time. At least I think

Sorry if this is not correct

The 3000mA is the current capacity and regardless of the cell count both are rated to be capable of providing 3000mA continuously for one hour.

The terminal voltage is determined by the cell count.

For a set current drain say 3000mA the 2S battery will be supplying around 22.2Watts continuously whereas the 6S battery would supply 3 times as much power for the same current draw or 66.6 watts. (Both wattages are calculated using 3.7 volts per cell whereas the actual cell voltage range will vary from 4.2 volts to 3.0volts during the discharge).

Have fun!

 

[DamoRC]

Yup, the cells are wired in parallel so the only reason you'd want more cells is to multiply the available voltage. Resulting in what you have observed.

It's not quite that simple. The S stands for cells in series. Each lipo cell is nominally 3.7 volts. So 2S is 7.4V and 6S is 22.2V. There are no cells in parallel unless specified in the battery description.

Both are 3000mAh and therorteicall can deliver 3000mA or 3A for 1 hour.

If you draw 3A from the 2s you will consume 3 x 7.4 = 22 watts of power. If you do the same with the 6s you will draw 67 watts of power. Both will deliver that for the same amount of time because it's based on capacity. You can come up with scenarios where the 2S will draw more power for a shorter period of time than the 6S, it really depends on what you are powering.

That being said, higher S is typically used for higher power applications.

DamoRC

Edit. Oops - typing at the same time as Hai-Lee

 

[Merv]

The 2S battery should provide power over a longer time and the 6S should provide a higher output over a shorter time.

The 6S will produce more output (watts) than the 2S. It will have 3X more watts because it has 3X the voltage. watts = volts x amps. But the cell count has nothing to do with time. The cell count is voltage only. For time you need to look at the C rating. The C rating has to do with time, how fast can the battery discharge it's power. The higher the C rating the faster it will deliver it's power, and the shorter it will last.

Take 2 batteries, both 3S & 2,200 mah, one 25C & the other 50C. Both will deliver 2.2 amp hours. The 25C can safely deliver 55 amps (2.2 x 25). The 50C will deliver 110 amps (2.2 x 50) but only for half the time. If you exceed the amp draw, you risk damaging the battery.

 

[Alexander Carter]

Darn, I thought I had that one lol. Thank you for the more in depth analysis guys!

 

[d8veh]

That's right, the 3000 mAh 6s battery is three times the size of the 2S one. It's literally three 2S ones sitting on top of each other. Naturally, it has three times the amount of charge in it and it can give three times the amount of power.