Battery knowledge · Charging and discharging
Multistage constant-current charging
A charge protocol with a sequence of constant-current stages, often reducing current as the cell fills. Stage transitions follow selected time, voltage, state-of-charge or other limits. Charging time and lithium-plating risk depend on the cell and control conditions; a staged profile alone does not establish an improvement. [1]
- Abbreviation
- MSCC
- Also called
- step charging, stepped CC
Example
Build a staged current profile
An illustrative sequence uses 3 A for 10 min, then 2 A for 10 min, then 1 A for 10 min. If every stage runs for its full duration, the charge transferred is 1 Ah. Voltage and temperature limits can terminate stages earlier.
Interpretation & limits
- A sequence of CC steps is distinct from an automatically combined multistage CC-CV charger.
Explore the graph
See which quantity is held constant, when the phase changes and how charging ends.
Current steps from 5 to 3.25 to 1.75 A. Stage boundaries here are chosen for explanation; no final CV phase is shown.
CC: I = I_set · CV: V = V_limit
Illustrative model. Positive current charges the cell. Time is normalized; selected thresholds are not cell-specific recommendations. The voltage trace ends at termination; post-stop relaxation is excluded.
Use in Lemonergy
Design protocol or analysis tool
Program current stages
Successive charge blocks produce stepped CC.
Equation or tool to use
- Charge at constant current
First stage
Inputs & settings
- mode: cc
- a / s
- Charge at constant current
Next stage
Inputs & settings
- mode: cc
- a / s
This overview identifies the components to use. Follow the example in Lemonergy for their connections and settings.
- Add decreasing CC blocks.
- Inspect voltage findings and durations.
Example. 10 A for 300 s then 5 A for 600 s supplies 1.67 Ah before efficiency adjustment.
Observe. Each stage has an explicit duration.
The bench refuses chaining plant blocks with standalone CC–CV; stepped CC is not multistage CC followed by final CV.
Open Design → Protocol bench →References & further reading
Technical references
- Lithium-ion battery fast charging: A review
Anna Tomaszewska et al. · eTransportation · 2019
Technical reference · CC-CV and alternative charging protocols, transport limitations, degradation and thermal implications; results depend on cell and test conditions. Software behavior is documented separately in Lemonergy block references.