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So I was wondering how I could increase the mAH of my laptop's battery, which is quite lacking at 36Wh. One idea I had was to fill up the 2.5 hdd bay with lithium flat batteries and solder them in parallel onto the cables connecting the original non-removable battery. Another would be to step-up an external power-bank made by 18650's up to 19.5V.
Any ideas, thoughts or resources you could contribute with?
R Kon
Posted 2018-12-15T14:38:21.483
Reputation: 11
4
TL;DR version:
Do not DIY with lithium-ion batteries. You are risking a battery fire. Li-ion battery fires are very bad news.
Furthermore, if a higher-Wh battery is not available for your laptop, then your laptop's power and charge controller is not necessarily able to handle the larger currents that a higher-capacity pack would require. Possibly those circuits would burn out, and unless you're very lucky, that would mean replacing your laptop's motherboard.
You can get a battery pack, something like a USB "power bank" but with higher-voltage outputs, up to 20 volts. You connect its output to your laptop's standard DC power input jack. I believe the generic product name is "laptop power bank". Try looking for one of those.
Jamie Hanrahan
Posted 2018-12-15T14:38:21.483
Reputation: 19 777
Why is it a terrible idea? These are commercial products designed for the exact job. Not DIY. Do you think a laptop's DC input cares whether the DC comes from a battery vs a power brick? – Jamie Hanrahan – 2018-12-17T00:11:01.110
My apologies - I thought you were encouraging connecting USB Power Banks in series(!)... I've just had a rummage and see what you're referring to - I didn't know they existed! Could you perhaps re-word, expand on their function or include an image to avoid misunderstanding?
– Attie – 2018-12-17T00:29:13.7531We're not supposed to recommend specific products. I have to do something else right now but I will clarify the answer. Thank you for the suggestion. (If one person misunderstood, then others might as well!) – Jamie Hanrahan – 2018-12-17T00:30:32.390
I know, but "an image says a thousand words"... I didn't mention the product by name / brand, which I think is okay. Thanks! – Attie – 2018-12-17T00:33:09.430
2This is off topic. Also, if you are asking this question, you are not familiar with charge control circuits and the danger of lithium based batteries. Improper handling, charging, or discharging of lithium batteries is extremely hazardous. Fire, explosions, toxic smoke, and chemical burns are real possibilities. – Keltari – 2018-12-16T07:06:23.267
2A how-to question of this nature is more suited to an electronics site. However, the answer anywhere should be the same as the answer you got here. There is serious danger involved and if you are asking this question, you can't do it safely. It requires training and tools you don't have, and it can't be adequately covered in an answer on a Q&A site (or a YouTube video). – fixer1234 – 2018-12-16T07:22:32.403