Safety question - MKR GSM 1400 and LiPo battery

[ressources]

Hello!

I'm working on a project using a MKR GSM 1400 and a MKR ENV Shield to log environment values in a remote location.

Everything is working fine, the documentation is great

However, I have a concern about the battery. I'm using a 10000 mAh LiPo battery, and I read that it should not be discharged under 3.2V.

I am planning on leaving the setup somewhere, and it might fully discharge before I come back to get it back. Is there a saftey concern here? Meaning that the Arduino could be continuously discharging the battery below its recommended value? Or is there a function already implemented in the MKR GSM 1400 to prevent that behaviour?

The same interrogation goes for overcharging, but that can be easily handled since I can be around the device when that happens.

Thank you,

[J-M-L]

there are circuits you can attach to your LiPo battery that will handle charging and discharging and they include the necessary protections

[ressources]

Hi @J-M-L,
Thank you for your answer,
Can you provide a link to the kind of circuit you are talking about?

[ressources]

After a quick research, it seems that my battery integrates a protection circuit:

Thank you,

[J-M-L]

yes many LiPo do have that protection built in.

[srnet]

A lot of those built in battery protection circuits have a low cut off voltage, maybe 2.4V.

[ressources]

Are you suggesting that it should be modified to be more secure? Or is 2.4V ok?

[srnet]

In general its recommended not to let lithium batteries disscharge below 3.3V to 3.0V. If you have a phone\camera the circuit in that will cut off the battery around that point.

My view is that the discharge circuits in the batteries are not really intended to be used routinely, much better for the device using the battery to cut of at an appropriate point. Perhaps the circuits are there as a last ditch safety measure.

Whether its safe to re-use a lithium battery thats been discharged down to 2.4V, I dont know.