Lithium batteries
What's the newest skinny on lithium batteries?
Forum Discussion
Have been using LFP for two years (9.6 kW-hrs worth) and have had zero problems. Advantages are:
A lot of energy storage for much less weight (9.6 kW-hrs at 250 lbs, of which 8 kW-hrs are usable for several thousand cycles). We would need about 1000# of lead acid to get the same usable storage.
Really do charge up almost linearly without the Peukert disadvantaes of lead acid.
Do not have to use generator (we do have a 1 kW Honda which has only been turned on to make sure it still works) which makes for quietude in boondocking and the resultant non-disturbance of wildlife. We hooked up once last year when we were in Spokane, it was over 100 F,and we were parked in shade at a trailer park.
They do not self-detonate. LiCo systems have caught fire, the Boeing problem.I have been following every LFP fora I can find and no one has had a detonation or fire. Some of set things up incorrectly and ruined their battery suites. You can easily do the same with lead acid.
The down sides are:
They are more expensive but the costs are going down
There can be problems if charging is attempted below freezing with certain LFP configurations. We left our rig at son's place a year ago and it got down to -20 F and there was no loss in battery capacity. Of course it was doing very little charging since the inverter was not turned on.
We do use an expensive battery management system (BMS). The only arguments amongst LFP users are whether to use BMS or set system at 3.4 V (approximately) per cell. The Aussies and sailboaters seem to like this later methodology.
We do have four batteries (each of 4 Chinese Aviation cells) set in series for a 48 V nominal battery suite.
One has the choice of using or not using.
A lot of energy storage for much less weight (9.6 kW-hrs at 250 lbs, of which 8 kW-hrs are usable for several thousand cycles). We would need about 1000# of lead acid to get the same usable storage.
Really do charge up almost linearly without the Peukert disadvantaes of lead acid.
Do not have to use generator (we do have a 1 kW Honda which has only been turned on to make sure it still works) which makes for quietude in boondocking and the resultant non-disturbance of wildlife. We hooked up once last year when we were in Spokane, it was over 100 F,and we were parked in shade at a trailer park.
They do not self-detonate. LiCo systems have caught fire, the Boeing problem.I have been following every LFP fora I can find and no one has had a detonation or fire. Some of set things up incorrectly and ruined their battery suites. You can easily do the same with lead acid.
The down sides are:
They are more expensive but the costs are going down
There can be problems if charging is attempted below freezing with certain LFP configurations. We left our rig at son's place a year ago and it got down to -20 F and there was no loss in battery capacity. Of course it was doing very little charging since the inverter was not turned on.
We do use an expensive battery management system (BMS). The only arguments amongst LFP users are whether to use BMS or set system at 3.4 V (approximately) per cell. The Aussies and sailboaters seem to like this later methodology.
We do have four batteries (each of 4 Chinese Aviation cells) set in series for a 48 V nominal battery suite.
One has the choice of using or not using.
