Talk:18650 battery

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Article is in dire need of expansion and modernization.[edit]

This article should be greatly expanded, as 18650 cells are quickly becoming the "new AA batteries" nowadays. (They are found not just in EV cars and laptop battery packs but also in portable radios, cordless tools and flashlights, etc.)

First of all, the article should explain that 18 x 65mm refers just to the size of energy production enclosure. That's because 18650 cells come in two major varieties: unprotected and protected, which are of different lenght but have the same diameter. Unprotected cells must only be used in "smart" devices, because "dumb" (un-monitored and un-regulated) charging can literally set Lithium-ion chemistry on fire and metal fires are notoriously hard to extinguish. Yet, very small and cheap devices (like single cell powered pocket torchlights) cannot afford such circuitry, so they must use 18650 cells which incorporate self-protection in themselves. Those cells are app. 5mm longer, because the monitoring chip and emergency fuse are installed at the + end of the energy producing enclosure, held together and hidden from view by the colorful plastic sheet wrapping.

Beyond the issue of protection, 18650 cells are also differentiated by the steady and peak amperage / coloumb ratings, which they can supply to the device they power. Cells with high amperage (e.g for EV car or cordless power tool use) usually have less total mAh capacity than cells used in e.g. portable radiation detectors or pocket radios. Vendors usually wrap their cells in different colors of plastic sheet, to visibly differentiate high / mid / low amperage 18650 varieties. 78.131.76.159 (talk) 23:00, 4 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Fair enough! I'll add that aswell. 🇮🇱JayCubby🇮🇱 talk 17:41, 13 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]