In electronic cigarettes are used lithium-ion batteries with a nominal voltage of 3.7 volts. Fully charged, such battery at the beginning show – 4.2 volts, in the process they discharge to 3 volts, then it needs to be recharged again. So, during the working process the output voltage is changed for more than a quarter – this is very noticeable point.
Many models of electronic cigarettes have a voltage regulator. During working process the output voltage of the battery is always stable, but too low. Typically, these batteries are stabilized to 3.3 – 3.5 volts. This, of course, gives a general decreasement of the output power, but also gives stability. On a stabilized accumulator the “quality” of each puff will be the same – regardless of whether is charged or almost discharged battery, it will show stable 3.3 volts.
If the battery is not equipped with stabilizer, the performance characteristics of the vapor are changing during the battery discharge. In the beginning, when the battery is fully charged – the vapor is is thick and dense and with good taste and TH. During battery discharging it becomes less dense, just before the discharge it becomes transparent and weak, almost without taste. On the one hand – it’s bad. On the other – 80% of such battery working time, the voltage is below 3.5-3.7 volts instead of 3.3 – 3.5 volts, so, the output power in not stabilized battery is on average – above.
The power, as we remember from the formula P = U2 / R not only depends from battery voltage, but also from atomizer resistance. The output power is greater, if the voltage is greater and the resistance is lower.
Atomizers by coil resistance are divided into three types.
1. Low Resistance – atomizers with resistance from 1.4 to 1.8 ohms, denoted as LR (low resistance).
2. Regular Atomizer – with a resistance 2.2 to 2.6 ohms. May be denoted as RA (Regular Atomizer).
3. “High voltage” – atomizers with increased resistance, greater than 3.5 ohm, approx. 4.5 ohms- used for example with two series-connected batteries.
Denoted as HV (High Volt, used on voltage of 6 volts) or VHF (Very High Volt – greater than 5 ohms, is used for voltage of 7,4 volts).
As “default” electronic cigarettes are equipped with regular resistance atomizers from about 2.3 ohms.
It is easy to calculate, if a cigarette battery is stabilized at 3.5 volts, the power generated by the formula P = U2 / R is equal to 3.5 * 3.5 / 2.3 = 5.3 watts, which is below the “comfort zone” of 8-10 watts.
That is why vape beginners often are dissatisfied with electronic cigarette beginner kits, because all it’s OK, but the sense that you smoked doesn’t appear!
How to achieve a comfortable capacity?
According to the formula written above, we need to increase voltage, or lower the resistance.
The standard battery for electronic cigarettes do not allow you to adjust the voltage, then we can only lower the atomizer resistance, so, not to use usual Regular Atomizer RA, but Low Resistance (LR) one.
What output power will give us the use of low-resistance atomizer?
The resistance of LR atomizer – 1.4 ohm. Stabilized at 3.5 volts will get the power of: 3.5 * 3.5 / 1.4 = 8.75 watts. This power is in the “comfort zone.”
So we can to get “comfort” power on standard electronic cigarettes if you use low resistance atomizers instead of regular atomizer.