RC-Monster Forums - View Single Post - Can you damage a battery from a demanding setup?

BrianG · 06.17.2009, 03:23 PM

A battery pushed too far (sometimes not even close to its rated rating) can certainly be damaged. However, just specifying the motor doesn't help answer the question. Specifying the weight does help, but what speed do you plan to attain? The load on the motor (and ultimately the batteries) is determined by vehicle weight and speed when you boil it down. Low weight and high speed can be just as hard on the system as a heavy weight, but slow speed.

Power rating of the ESC or motor doesn't really help either. The average power draw from a larger vehicle like 1/8 buggy, truggy, and MT is between 200w and 400w from the setups I've seen. That's not a whole lot when you think about it. But, the burst power is quite a bit higher, and high current is what kills batteries. An ESC will funnel whatever power it can get to the motor. The only losses are from FETs switching speed and rdson value, and some wire/trace losses. A good motor is quite efficient so most of the power is going to the ground. As long as the max current and voltage spikes are at or below the ESC and motor ratings, and there is adequate cooling for the heat that is generated, you're good to go.

	(#8)
BrianG RC-Monster Admin Offline Posts: 14,609 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Des Moines, IA	06.17.2009, 03:23 PM A battery pushed too far (sometimes not even close to its rated rating) can certainly be damaged. However, just specifying the motor doesn't help answer the question. Specifying the weight does help, but what speed do you plan to attain? The load on the motor (and ultimately the batteries) is determined by vehicle weight and speed when you boil it down. Low weight and high speed can be just as hard on the system as a heavy weight, but slow speed. Power rating of the ESC or motor doesn't really help either. The average power draw from a larger vehicle like 1/8 buggy, truggy, and MT is between 200w and 400w from the setups I've seen. That's not a whole lot when you think about it. But, the burst power is quite a bit higher, and high current is what kills batteries. An ESC will funnel whatever power it can get to the motor. The only losses are from FETs switching speed and rdson value, and some wire/trace losses. A good motor is quite efficient so most of the power is going to the ground. As long as the max current and voltage spikes are at or below the ESC and motor ratings, and there is adequate cooling for the heat that is generated, you're good to go.