Is there a discharge rate golden rule?
 

Hello,

I'm looking for a small NiMH battery pack that needs to source 1A in 3-5 seconds bursts followed by 50 ma for a minute or so. The cycle may be repeated 7-10 times between charges. I can figure out how much capacity I need ... but no idea what a safe discharge rate might be.

Is there a golden rule that states how much current relative to battery capacity a battery can discharge without being damaged?

I've looked at the PowerStream web page and see cells with discharge rates of 9C and higher, but I don't know if these are typical or are specialty cells.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Cheers!

Dave

RE: Is there a discharge rate golden rule?
 

Unfortunately, there is no hard-and-fast rule of thumb regarding capacity vs. discharge rate. Most of the accepted safe discharge rates are obtained by experimentation.

1A discharge, especially for such short bursts, will be well within the capability of any NiMH cell of any appreciable size.