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How Can LiFePO4 Batteries Be Used To Replace Lead-acid?

12v-lifepo4-battery

Most energy storage systems, like UPS and solar energy storage, use lead-acid batteries,  but more and more people are coming to use lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) instead.

How does LiFePO4 replace Lead-acid batteries?

LiFePO4 batteries are compatible with lead-acid-battery equipment all the while having a higher discharge platform, volumetric specific capacity, and cycle life.

12.8V-7Ah-Lead-acid-battery

12.8V 7Ah Lead-acid battery

The nominal voltage of each cell of a lead-acid battery is 2.1V while the LiFePO4 is 3.2V.

To connect cells in series to form a 12V battery pack, lithium iron phosphate only needs 4 cells (3.2V x 4 = 12.8V) compared to the 6 cells of a lead-acid battery (2.1V x 6 = 12.6V).  Already based on this knowledge, it is clear that lithium iron phosphate batteries are more advantageous than lead-acid batteries in terms of energy ratio, weight, and volume.

12V-7Ah Lithium Battery

12.8V 7Ah Himax LiFePO4 modular battery

Each LiFePO4 Modular 12.8V battery can be set up in parallel or series in order to meet the needs of your current set up. For example, for a 48V setup, 4 cells of 12V should be hooked up in series. Simply remove the Lead-Acid Batteries and replace them with the Lithium iron phosphate Batteries and attach cables and secure the holding bracket.

Limitation of Lead-acid batteries

The charging efficiency of Lead-acid batteries is relatively low at 70% whereas the charging efficiency of LiFePo4 batteries can exceed 80% or even 90%. A lead-acid battery needs more energy for recharging, so a lot of energy is lost during the charging process.

Some other features of lead-acid batteries are as follows:

  • Fast or partial charges ruin a lead-acid battery
  • Charging times are long from 6 to 8 hours
  • An incorrect charger or setting reduces battery life
  • Poor maintenance will also reduce battery life

Other benefits of Lead-acid replacement batteries

Consistent voltage for a longer time

No more flickering lights or spotty performance. Lead-acid batteries can be unreliable for powering accessories at 50% or lower whereas Himax 12.8V LiFePO4 Lead-acid replacement batteries provide a constant output of energy all the way down to as little as 5% of its power.

lead-acid-vs-LiFePO4-battery

Fast Charging

Lithium-ion batteries can be “fast” charged to 100% of their capacity. Normally, the LiFePo4 battery can be charged to 50% of its capacity in only 30 minutes. However, the Grepow lithium batteries with fast-charging technology can reach 100% of its capacity within 30 minutes; the maximum charging efficiency can go up to 3C for the charging rate.

Smart and Multi-connected battery

LiFePO4 batteries are equipped with a Battery Management System (BMS) board, and you can check on the State of Charge (SOC). More importantly, the 12.8V modular LiFePo4 battery allows for multiple connections, so you can connect batteries in series and parallel without an external BMS (max 4S10P; the maximum parameter is 51.2V and 70Ah). You can also assemble the battery into different structures and shapes to fit it into the available space of your device.

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How To Increases Battery Charging Rate?

According to the Physorg website, researchers at Northwestern University have developed an electrode for lithium-ion batteries that allows the battery to retain 10 times more power than the prior art, and the battery with the new electrode can be fast charging, increasing by 10 Double rates.

Battery capacity and fast charging are two major battery limitations. The capacity is limited by the charge density, which is how much lithium ions the two poles of the battery can hold. Fast charging is limited by the rate at which lithium ions reach the negative electrode from the electrolyte.

Fast-charging

The negative electrode of the existing lithium battery is formed by stacking a carbon-based graphene sheet layer, and one lithium atom needs to be adapted to 6 carbon atoms. In order to increase the amount of electricity stored, scientists have tried to use silicon instead of carbon so that silicon can be adapted to more lithium, reaching 4 lithium atoms corresponding to 1 silicon atom.

However, silicon can significantly expand and shrink during charging, causing rapid breakdown and loss of charge capacity. The shape of the graphene sheet also limits the charging rate of the battery. Although they are only one carbon atom thick, they are very long. Since it takes a long time for lithium to move into the middle of the graphene sheet, the phenomenon of ion “traffic jam” occurs at the edge of the graphene sheet.

Now, the research team has solved the above problems by combining two technologies. First, in order to stabilize the silicon to maintain the maximum charge capacity, they added silicon clusters between the graphene sheets, and the elasticity of the graphene sheets was used to match the change in the number of silicon atoms in the battery, so that a large number of lithium atoms were stored in the electrodes. The addition of silicon clusters allows for higher energy densities and also reduces the loss of charge capacity due to silicon expansion and shrinkage, which is the best of both worlds.

The chemical oxidation process is used to fabricate micropores from 10 nm to 20 nm on graphene sheets, which are called “face defects”, so lithium ions will reach the negative electrode along with this shortcut and will be stored in the negative electrode by reacting with silicon. This will reduce the battery charging time by a factor of 10.

The new technology can extend the charging life of lithium-ion batteries by 10 times. Even after 150 cycles of charging and discharging, the battery energy efficiency is still five times that of lithium-ion batteries on the existing market. And the technology is expected to enter the market in the next three to five years.

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8 Advantages of LiFePo4 Battery

Himax LiFepo4-battery-pack

The positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries is lithium iron phosphate material, which has great advantages in safety performance and cycle life. These are one of the most important technical indicators of power battery. Lifepo4 battery with 1C charging and discharging cycle life can be achieved 2000 times, the puncture does not explode, it is not easy to burn and explode when overcharged. Lithium iron phosphate cathode materials make large-capacity lithium-ion batteries easier to use in series.

Lithium iron phosphate as cathode material

Lifepo4 battery refers to a lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate as a positive electrode material. The positive electrode materials of lithium-ion batteries mainly include lithium cobaltate, lithium manganate, lithium nickelate, ternary materials, lithium iron phosphate, and the like. Among them, lithium cobaltate is the positive electrode material used in most lithium-ion batteries. In principle, lithium iron phosphate is also an embedding and deintercalation process. This principle is identical to lithium cobaltate and lithium manganate.

 lifepo4 battery advantages

1. High charging and discharging efficiency

Lifepo4 battery is a lithium-ion secondary battery. One main purpose is for power batteries. It has great advantages over NI-MH and Ni-Cd batteries. Lifepo4 battery has high charge and discharges efficiency, and the charge and discharge efficiency can reach over 90% under the condition of discharge, while the lead-acid battery is about 80%.

2. lifepo4 battery high safety performance

The P-O bond in the lithium iron phosphate crystal is stable and difficult to decompose, and does not collapse or heat like a lithium cobaltate or form a strong oxidizing substance even at a high temperature or overcharge, and thus has good safety.

It has been reported that in the actual operation, a small part of the sample was found to have a burning phenomenon in the acupuncture or short-circuit test, but there was no explosion event. In the overcharge experiment, a high-voltage charge that was several times higher than the self-discharge voltage was used, and it was found that there was still an Explosion phenomenon. Nevertheless, its overcharge safety has been greatly improved compared to the ordinary liquid electrolyte lithium cobalt oxide battery.

3. Lifepo4 battery long cycle life

Lifepo4 battery refers to a lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate as a positive electrode material.

The long-life lead-acid battery has a cycle life of about 300 times, and the highest is 500 times. The lithium iron phosphate power battery has a cycle life of more than 2000 times, and the standard charge (5-hour rate) can be used up to 2000 times.

The same quality lead-acid battery is “new half-year, old half-year, maintenance and maintenance for half a year”, up to 1~1.5 years, and the lifepo4 battery is used under the same conditions, the theoretical life will reach 7~8 years.

Considering comprehensively, the performance price ratio is theoretically more than four times that of lead-acid batteries. High-current discharge can be quickly charged and discharged with high current 2C. Under the special charger, the battery can be fully charged within 1.5 minutes of 1.5C charging, and the starting current can reach 2C, but the lead-acid battery has no such performance.

LiFepo4-battery-pack

4. Good temperature performance

The peak temperature of lithium iron phosphate can reach 350 ° C -500 ° C while lithium manganate and lithium cobaltate are only around 200 ° C. Wide operating temperature range (-20C–+75C), with high-temperature resistance, lithium iron phosphate electric heating peak can reach 350 °C-500 °C, while lithium manganate and lithium cobalt oxide only at 200 °C.

5. Lifepo4 battery High capacity

It has a larger capacity than ordinary batteries (lead-acid, etc.). The monomer capacity is 5AH-1000AH.

6. No memory effect

Rechargeable batteries work under conditions that are often not fully discharged, and the capacity will quickly fall below the rated capacity. This phenomenon is called the memory effect. Memory like nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium batteries, but the lifepo4 battery does not have this phenomenon, no matter what state the battery is in, it can be used with the charge, no need to discharge and recharge.

3.2v-100ah-lifepo4-battery

7. Lightweight of lifepo4 battery

The lifepo4 battery of the same specification capacity is 2/3 of the volume of the lead-acid battery, and the weight is 1/3 of the lead-acid battery.

8. Lifepo4 batteries are environmentally friendly

The battery is generally considered to be free of any heavy metals and rare metals (Ni-MH batteries require rare metals), non-toxic (SGS certified), non-polluting, in line with European RoHS regulations, is an absolute green battery certificate.

Therefore, the reason why lithium batteries are favored by the industry is mainly environmental considerations. Therefore, the battery has been included in the “863” national high-tech development plan during the “Tenth Five-Year Plan” period and has become national key support and encouragement development project.

With China’s accession to the WTO, the export volume of electric bicycles in China will increase rapidly, and electric bicycles entering Europe and the United States have been required to be equipped with non-polluting batteries.

The performance of the lithium-ion battery depends mainly on the positive and negative materials. Lithium iron phosphate is a lithium battery material that has only appeared in recent years. Its safety performance and cycle life are incomparable to other materials. The most important technical indicators of the battery.

Lifepo4 battery has the advantages of non-toxic, non-polluting, good safety performance, a wide range of raw materials, low prices, and long life. It is an ideal cathode material for a new generation of lithium-ion batteries.

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What is a High Rate Battery?

Himax-High-Rate-Battery

A high rate battery generally refers to a lithium battery, and a lithium-ion battery is a high-charge battery that relies on lithium ions to move between a positive electrode and a negative electrode to operate.

Himax-High-Rate-Battery

High rate battery

During charge and discharge, Li+ is embedded and deintercalated between the two electrodes: when charging the battery, Li+ is deintercalated from the positive electrode, embedded in the negative electrode via the electrolyte, and the negative electrode is in a lithium-rich state; A battery containing a lithium element as an electrode is generally used. It is the representative of modern high-performance batteries.

Lithium batteries are classified into high-rate batteries and lithium-ion batteries. At present, mobile phones and notebook computers use lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly referred to as high-rate batteries, and true high-rate batteries are rarely used in everyday electronic products because of their high risk.

Lithium-ion batteries have high energy density and high uniform output voltage. Self-discharge is a small, good battery, less than 2% per month (recoverable). There is no memory effect. The operating temperature range is -20 ° C ~ 60 ° C. The regenerative function is excellent, the battery can be charged and discharged quickly, the charging efficiency is up to 100%, and the output power is large. long-lasting. It does not contain toxic or hazardous substances and is called a green battery.

The battery charging

It is an important step in the repeated use of the battery. The charging process of the lithium-ion battery is divided into two stages: a constant current fast charging phase and a constant voltage current decreasing phase. During the constant current fast charging phase, the battery voltage is gradually increased to the standard voltage of the battery, and then the constant voltage is turned under the control chip, the voltage is no longer raised to ensure that the battery is not overcharged, and the current is gradually reduced to the rise of the battery power. Set the value and finish charging.

The power statistics chip can calculate the battery power by recording the discharge curve. After the lithium-ion battery is used for many times, the discharge curve will change. Although the lithium-ion battery does not have a memory effect, improper charging and discharging will seriously affect the battery function.

Charging considerations

Excessive charging and discharging of lithium-ion batteries can cause permanent damage to the positive and negative electrodes. The excessive discharge causes the negative carbon sheet structure to collapse, and the collapse causes lithium ions to be inserted during charging; excessive charging causes excessive lithium ions to be embedded in the negative carbon structure, which causes the lithium ions in the sector to be released again.

The charging amount is the charging current multiplied by the charging time. When the charging control voltage is constant, the charging current is larger (the charging speed is faster), and the charging amount is smaller.

The battery charging speed is too fast and the termination voltage control point is improper, which also causes the battery capacity to be insufficient. Actually, the battery electrode active material does not fully react and stops charging. This phenomenon of insufficient charging is aggravated by the increase in the number of cycles.

The battery discharge

For the first charge and discharge, if the time is long (usually 3 – 4 hours is sufficient), then the electrode can reach the highest oxidation state (sufficient power) as much as possible, and the discharge (or use) is forced to The set voltage, or until the automatic shutdown, such as the ability to activate the battery capacity. However, in the ordinary use of the lithium-ion battery, it is not necessary to operate like this, and it can be charged as needed at any time, and it is not necessary to be fully charged when charging, and it is not necessary to discharge first. For the first time charging and discharging, it is only necessary to perform 1 to 2 consecutive times every 3 to 4 months.

High rate battery application

For electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, the core technology lies in high-rate batteries. Compared with other types of batteries, powerful lithium-ion batteries have the advantages of high cost and poor safety performance, but they have higher specific energy and long cycle life. Such important advantages, and therefore have a broader development prospect.

High rate battery

The technical development of power lithium-ion batteries is also changing with each passing day. Both the capacity and structure have been improved. Experts say that no matter which technical route the battery manufacturer adopts, it should meet the requirements of high safety, wide temperature difference, and charge and discharge functionality. Strong, high rate discharge and other conditions.

Battery capacity involves technology and costs Lithium-ion batteries can be divided into small batteries and large batteries according to their size. Small batteries are usually used in 3C electronic products. The related technologies and industries have developed very maturely, and the overall profit is decreasing. More than 85% of current lithium-ion battery products are small batteries.

Large batteries are also commonly known as power batteries. There are also two types of small power batteries and large power batteries. The former is mainly used for electric tools and electric bicycles. The latter is used in electric vehicles and energy storage fields, all of which use high rate battery.

At present, three types of electric vehicles, namely, pure electric (EV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV), are in a period of rapid development, which has attracted much attention from the industry. As the core of the future automotive industry, the development of the powerful lithium-ion battery industry has received unprecedented attention and has been raised to a strategic height by major countries.

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Why are LifePO4 Batteries Expensive?

12V-24AH-LiFePO4

12V-24AH-LiFePO4

We know why lithium gets all the credit: the chemistry that makes these batteries so amazing wouldn’t work half without this particular metal.

Considerably other rechargeable battery-powered battery plans are constrained in manners lithium batteries aren’t!

What many people don’t understand, however, is that lithium remarkably makes up a little of the battery itself. Lithium-based batteries speak to one of the quickest expanding parts of the vitality business today. These batteries are long-lasting. Their life span is up to 5-7 years.

Why LifePO4 batteries are expensive because of what features they entail and these features even make better choice for you:

Safety And Stability

LiFePO4 batteries are most famous for their Strong security profile, the consequence of amazingly stable chemistry. Phosphate-based batteries offer unrivaled thermal and chemical dependability, which increases the well-being of lithium-Ion batteries made with other cathode materials.

When exposed to unsafe circumstances, for example, collision or shortcircuiting, they won’t detonate or burst into flames, altogether reducing any opportunity of mischief. However, you’re choosing a lithium battery and envision use in dangerous or sensitive situations. LiFePO4 is likely your best decision.

12v-lifepo4-battery-pack

Environmental Impact

LiFePO4 batteries are non-harmful, non-polluting, and contain no rare earth metals, settling on them a naturally conscious decision. Lead-acid and nickel oxide lithium batteries convey noteworthy natural hazards (particularly lead corrosive, as inside synthetic compounds debase structure over the team and inevitably cause spillage).

Compared with lead-acid and other lithium batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries offer critical features of interest, including improved release and charge effectiveness, longer life expectancy, and the capacity to deep cycle while looking after execution. LiFePO4 batteries frequently accompany a more significant expense price tag. Still, a much better cost over the life of the product, minimal maintenance, and rare replacement makes them a valuable investment and an intelligent long-term solution.

Space Efficiency

Also worth mentioning is LiFePO4’s space-efficient features. At one-third, the mass of most lead-acid batteries and almost half the importance of the prevalent manganese oxide, LiFePO4, provide an effective method to make use of space and weight. You are creating your product more efficiently overall.

Performance

Performance is a significant fact in figuring out which kind of battery to use in a given application. Long life, slow self-release rates, and less weight make lithium iron batteries an engaging choice. They are relied upon to have a more extended shelf life of realistic usability than lithium-ion. Administration life typically times in at five to ten years or more, and runtime substantially surpasses lead-acid batteries and other lithium formulation. Battery charging time is likewise extensively diminished, another effective presentation perk. However, If you’re searching for a battery to stand the trial of time and charge rapidly, LiFePO4 is the proper answer.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP) is a rechargeable battery ideal for high power applications. They are the immediate substitution for lead-acid batteries. If you’re interested in buying or custom LiFePO4 batteries, then you have come to the right place. Continue reading to find who makes and where to buy or custom LiFePO4 batteries. Email us: sales@himaxelectronics.com

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Why Are Photovoltaic Off-grid Systems Equipped with Energy Storage Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries?

Solar-battery

Solar-battery

Lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) used for energy storage account for a large proportion in photovoltaic off-grid systems. Compared to solar modules, they are similar in cost although LiFePO4 have shorter lives. Lithium iron phosphate batteries store energy to ensure stable system power at night. The load power is guaranteed on rainy days.

Generation and consumption time

The photovoltaic power generation time and the load power consumption time are not necessarily the same. In photovoltaic off-grid systems, the input is a component used for power generation and the output is connected to the battery. Photovoltaic power is generated during the daytime, and sunlight can generate electricity. The power generation is usually the highest at noon, but at noon, the electricity demand is not high.

For instance, many households use off-grid power stations to use electricity at night. These households should store the energy first and wait until peak electricity consumption (generally at seven or eight o’clock in the evening) to release the electricity.

Power generation and load power

The power of photovoltaic power generation and load power are also not necessarily the same. Photovoltaic power generation is not very stable due to the degree of radiation, and the load is not stable. Like air conditioners and refrigerators, the starting power is very large, and the operating power is usually small. The load will cause the system to become unstable, and the voltage will suddenly rise and fall.

The energy storage battery is a power balance device. When the photovoltaic power is greater than the load power, the controller sends the excess energy to the battery pack for storage. When the photovoltaic power cannot meet the load needs, the controller sends the battery power to the load.

Cost

The cost of off-grid systems is high. The off-grid system consists of a photovoltaic square array, solar controller, inverter, battery pack, load, and many other components. Compared with the grid-connected system, the extra battery accounts for 30-40% of the cost of the power generation system, which is almost the same as the component. The service life of the battery is not long either. Lead-acid batteries last generally 3-5 years while the lithium batteries generally last 8-10 years.

New energy-storage LiFePO4 batteries

The new energy-storage lithium iron phosphate battery can increase the energy storage efficiency to 95%, which can greatly reduce the cost of solar power generation. Lithium batteries have an energy efficiency of 95%, while the currently used lead-acid batteries are only about 80%. Lithium batteries are also lighter in weight and have a longer service life than lead-acid batteries. The number of charges and discharge cycles can reach 1600, which means that they do not need to be replaced frequently.

Right now, more and more photovoltaic energy storage have adopted lithium batteries, especially the LiFePO4 batteries,  with technological breakthroughs. The market share of ternary lithium (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide batteries, or NMC) or lithium iron phosphate batteries have also gradually increased in photovoltaic off-grid systems.

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Can We Over-charge The LiFePO4 Battery?

LiFepo4-Battery-12V

LiFepo4-Battery-12V

Lithium iron phosphate battery is one of the safest batteries we using, and its durability and safety are definitely superior to other lithium ion batteries. So, can we overcharge lithium iron phosphate batteries? What range of voltage can be allowed it be overcharged? Under normal circumstances, the answer is NO!

What are lithium iron phosphate batteries?

The lithium iron phosphate battery is a lithium-ion battery that uses lithium iron phosphate as its positive electrode material. It is also called a LiFePO4 battery for short.

What is overcharging?

Overcharging a battery means that the battery charger is charging the battery too far past its fully-charged voltage. For example, the full-charge voltage of a monolithic lithium iron phosphate cell is 3.65V. When the charge exceeds 3.65V, it is overcharged.

What will happen when a lithium-ion polymer (LiPo)  battery is overcharged?

Overcharging a battery cell will cause permanent damage to the cell. In terms of testing for safety, we internally test the different overcharge levels of the battery cells. The following are our test standards:

LiPo battery cell: No fire when the charging voltage reaches 4.8V (one of the necessary conditions)

LiFePO4 battery cell: Charging voltage reaches 10V and does not catch fire (one of the necessary conditions)

Charging with a damaged or non-corresponding charger may also cause overcharging. When the voltage is too high, a large amount of lithium ions overflow from the positive electrode, and lithium ions that cannot be absorbed by the negative electrodes can form dendrites on the surface of the battery, which can cause a short circuit inside the battery. The short-circuit current will generate a lot of heat, and the rapid temperature increase may cause the electrolyte as an organic solvent to burn (organic solvents are extremely flammable). In severe cases, it will cause a decomposition reaction of the positive electrode or the reaction of the negative electrode and the electrolyte. This can generate a large amount of gas; this can result in an explosion especially since the cells are enclosed.

If a battery doesn’t have the Battery Management System (BMS), continuously charging the battery will raise the voltage. In this situation, the lithium ions remaining in the cathode are removed and more lithium ions are inserted into the anode than under standard charging conditions.

It has been observed through ARC studies that the thermal stability of a cell is highly dependent on its state of charge. An overcharged Li-ion cell was found to have much lower thermal stability with an onset runaway temperature as low as 40ºC

Source: Science Direct

Since LiFePo4 is safer, can we over-charge it?

Our suggestion is to never over-charge/discharge a cell!

The most common causes for premature failure of LiFePO4 cells are overcharging and over-discharging. Even a single occurrence can cause permanent damage to the cell, and such misuse voids warranties. A Battery Management System (BMS) is required to ensure it is not possible for any cell in your pack to go outside its nominal operating voltage range.

What is a BMS?

The Battery Management System is a piece of hardware with an electronic system on board that manages a rechargeable battery (cell or pack) and is the link between the battery and it’s user. It can more intelligently manage and maintain each cell, improve battery utilization, prevent battery overcharge and discharge, prolong battery life, and monitor battery status.

BMS

If you need a customizable BMS to prevent overcharging or other potential issues, please contact us to get more information.

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What’s Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Battery

Deep-Cycle-LiFePO4-Battery

What is the deep cycle battery?

A deep-cycle battery is a battery that is designed to be able to store a large quantity of energy while having the ability to discharge from 100% down to 0% without hurting the battery. A deep-cycle battery also ensures that a steady amount of power is being delivered to applications over a long period of time without interruption or failure. It is constructed with thicker plates and a denser active material ratio. Due to these features, a deep-cycle battery achieves greater cycling capacities.

Deep-Cycle-LiFePO4-Battery

What is DOD (Depth of Discharge)?

The Depth of Discharge (DOD) of a battery represents the percentage of the battery that has been discharged relative to the overall capacity of the battery. For example, if a battery has a nominal capacity of 100kWh and discharges 30kW, the Depth of Discharge comes out to be 30%.

Its DOD is (30x 1) / 100 = 30%.

The more often a battery is charged and discharged, the shorter the battery life will become. It is generally not recommended to completely discharge a battery as it will greatly reduce the battery life. Many battery manufacturers specify the recommended maximum DOD in order to maximize the battery performance.

 

If a manufacturer of a 10 kWh battery recommends a maximum DOD of 80%, the battery should not use more than 8 kWh without charging. The DOD is an important factor to consider because a higher DOD means that more of the energy in a battery can be used. The DOD of many modern lithium-ion batteries is 100%.

 

A battery’s “cycle life,” the number of charge/discharge cycles in its life, depends on how much battery capacity is typically use. Rather than completely draining a battery to its maximum DOD, a user will be able to attain more cycles in their battery regularly discharging it with a lower percentage of charge.

 

For example, a battery may have 15,000 cycles at a DoD of 10%, but only have 3,000 cycles at a DoD of 80%.

What applications need deep-cycle batteries?

  • Floor Machines
  • Electric vehicles
  • Materials handling
  • Renewable energy
  • Aerial work platforms
  • Commercial transit
  • RV and Marine
  • HME Mobility Telecom UPS
  • Security Electronics

All of these applications require high energy retention, deep-cycle discharge, a large number of cycle lives, and a stable discharge performance.

Why choose LiFePO4 deep cycle batteries?

Another way to think of the DOD is the extent to which discharge begins to stop during use. 100% DOD refers to discharge at full capacity. The life of a lead-acid battery is greatly affected by the DOD. A lead-acid battery is likely to fail quickly on a user as it normally only allows 50 to 80% DOD.

In contrast, A LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery, which is newer technology, has a deep-cycle discharge, so it can reach 2000 cycles with 100% DOD. Lithium batteries can also be discharged at a specific C-rating. With a working temperature of 25° C and a discharge rate of 0.5C, a LiFePO4 battery can reach 4000 to 6000 cycles.

 

Compared to lead-acid batteries, the advantages of deep-cycle lifepo4 batteries are the following:

  • Eco-friendly
  • Good high-temperature resistance
  • Good safety characteristics
  • No memory effect
  • Higher-capacity compare with same size lead-acid battery
  • Longer cycle life than other lithium-ion batteries
  • Ideal drop-in replacement for lead-acid batteries
  • Lower total cost of average use

 

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What Are the Dangers of Using the Wrong Wattage

Most smartphones on the market use LiPo (Lithium-ion Polymer) batteries. They are 3.8V per cell (4.35V when fully charged) and generally about 3 Ampere hour (Ah), or 3000 milliampere hour (mAh), in capacity. The charging voltage must be higher than the battery voltage. Because the battery is polarized when the battery is charged, the voltage must reach or exceed the sum of the battery voltage and the polarizing voltage in order to effectively inject current. Therefore, the standard output voltage of portable power banks on the market is 5V / 2.1A.

Here to mention, the fast charging technology we see is the next level of 3 Amps charging technology.

In this situation, the watts of phone batteries needed is around 18.5W (3.7 Volts times 5 Amps Hour capacity), and the portable power bank is around 37W, the battery has higher wattage than the device and it is sufficient to power the phone. What if it is lower than the device needed?

Battery (Watts) < Device (Watts)

Light bulbs are marked as 10W, 20W, 30W, etc. Suppose we use a 10W battery to power a 40W bulb, the result would be a lightbulb that is less bright and feels dim. If the power differs too much, the bulb may not even light up.

 

The secondary issue with this is that, the battery now needs to displace more power to meet the demand of the bulb, thus lowering overall battery capacity.

Battery (Watts) > Device (Watts)

A lightbulb has a sticker that clearly specifies the maximum wattage acceptable, if the power of battery is higher, it could cause a hazardous situation. There are two watts on a light bulb, equivalent watts and actual watts. For example, an LED light bulb may produce 95W equivalent lighting, but only requires 25W to power.

You must not exceed the required watt.

 

If you exceed actual watts, e.g. an incandescent 75W bulb that uses a real 75W in a socket that says max 60W then you may risk overheating and fire, and may have the following consequences:

  • The fixture might overheat
  • The fixture could be discolored and/or destroyed
  • The lamp could burn-out prematurely
  • The house could be burnt down
  • The wiring could be damaged
  • If there were enough of them in a circuit, it could overload the circuit
  • Other bad consequences

Why not overload when using high power batteries/wall socket?

The input voltage and power of our home appliances are different, but whether it is converting 110V civil AC (220V in China) to about 5V DC to mobile phone batteries, or 370V DC to Electric vehicles, only require two steps: “rectification” and “voltage transformation”.

 

In order to supply power to our different household appliances, the electrical plug is used to transform the voltage, and its power is adjusted to deliver electricity to the device.

Imagine that our electricity is like water, which is transmitted to all the devices in your home through pipes (grid network). The wall socket is the gate, and the plug is the water pipe connected to this gate. The water pressure is adjusted to prevent too much water pressure to damage the devices.

The AC voltage in different countries and regions is also different, so there are various plugs for us. If you want to use Chinese appliances in the United States, you need to buy a conversion plug.

Related information:

Complete list: Plug, socket & voltage by country

Plug, socket & voltage by country

Plug & socket types

Plug & socket types

That mobile power is the same reason, the voltage is transformed through the plug. However, the battery like the portable power station does not have the high voltage and power of the wall socket.

 

At present, the maximum power of most portable power solutions only offer about 150W ~ 200W. So utilizing a standard portable power solution to power a 1200W kettle is pretty unrealistic. Therefore, before purchasing equipment and batteries, pay attention to the power requirements of the device and if the battery is able to support it.

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What is The Best Battery For Kayaking?

Kayaking-Battery

According to Yakgear, kayak fishing has advantages over the traditional method by boat.  Just to name a couple, anglers can fish more economically and in smaller bodies of water.

What the general public might not know is that batteries are needed for motorized kayaks.

Kayaking-Battery

What do I need to know before choosing a battery?

Users should be aware of the basic terms outlined below:

  • Voltage (V):Like water pressure, it is the pressure from an electrical circuit’s power source that pushes charged electrons (current) through a conducting loop.
  • Ampere hours (Amps, A): This is the measurement of the current of electricity. It is also used to represent the battery capacity (Ah).
  • Life cycles: This is the measurement of battery life or the number of complete charge/discharge cycles that the battery is able to support before its capacity falls below 80% its original.
  • Depth of discharge (DOD): The DOD is often paired with life cycles, representing the percentage of the battery that has been discharged relative to the overall capacity of the battery.
  • Operation temperature (℃):This is the battery’s operating range of temperature. The battery should not be used outside this temperature rang as it will be damaged and become a safety hazard.
  • Watts:Watts represent how much energy is stored in the battery. If you want your electronics to work properly, you must confirm that the watts of the battery are sufficient (higher than the devices you used).

 

Where is the battery used on a kayak?

There are only three instances where we will need batteries on a kayak: When you need to charge your phone and power your light source and fish finder. The batteries must provide sufficient voltage and capacity to these devices while you are fishing so that you have enough power.

 

What is the best battery for kayaking?

A 12V and 10Ah battery is sufficient for most fish finders while providing extra power for other devices.  Most people choose between either Lithium-ion Polymer or Lead-Acid batteries.

 

Lead-Acid batteries

Lead Acid batteries have the advantage of lower cost and little to no maintenance fee, but they can be heavyweight.

For safety reasons, users should choose a brand new Lead-Acid battery and ensure it is made of strong materials that prevent leakage of hazardous chemicals.

 

Lithium-ion Polymer (LiPo) batteries

Users have also used LiPo batteries by connecting them in series or parallel.  They have they advantage of weighing less than other traditional power sources although they range from having 200 to 500 cycles.

 

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries

LiFePO4 batteries have a cycle life of more than 2,000, and they do not require frequent as much maintenance and replacements as compared to their Lead-Acid counterparts.  These batteries are also more environmentally friendly.

Why Himax?

Himax is a cell and battery pack manufacturer that specializes in Lithium batteries.  As we have various designs for numerous applications, we can custom-make Lithium batteries for your marine uses.