Deep cycle lithium batteries are invaluable power sources for RV, marine, golf cart, and solar storage applications because they have no memory effect and can be programmed to drain to zero power and then charge back up to 100% capacity. Charging a battery involves a lot of science, so understanding how to do it securely is critical. Understanding some of the greatest expert recommendations will help you extend the life of your batteries. Here is a summary of numerous suggestions for properly charging a deep cycle lithium battery.
More Uniform Charging
The widely believed belief is that the greatest approach to increase battery life is to charge your battery slowly as possible. While A California-based team’s new study, published on Sunday in the journal Nature Materials, called this judgment into question. The team needs to do additional experiments. They will put battery electrodes through thousands of charge-discharge cycles, simulating normal usage and assessing performance. The researchers discovered that charging batteries more equally might increase the average life of a lithium-ion battery from a few years to around ten years. More consistent charging, whether quick or slow, results in less localized heating, which might damage the battery.
This finding might assist, among other things, electric vehicles, which often need a multi-hour charge. If that time could be decreased, drivers would not have to make prolonged pit breaks when traveling vast distances. Storage batteries that can handle abrupt spikes in demand are also in the works for the electrical system.Deep cycle lithium batteries have a constant voltage of 4.20V/cell; thus, we recommend that during charging, no trickle charge occurs; the battery may remain in the charger.
Fast charge = 1 hour.
Rapid charge = 3 hours.
Choosing the Right Charge
It may seem that your choices are unlimited, but selecting the correct charger might be complicated. Consider the charger’s battery type, capacity, and output.
First, determine if your battery is lead acid or lithium (NCM or Lifepo4). So, before you purchase a battery charger, be sure to inspect it. It should be appropriate for the kind of battery you own. Alternatively, it will deplete your batteries and render them incapable of charging.
You need to know your battery’s Amp-hour (Ah) rating. (MAH for smaller batteries) These facts are normally accessible on your battery’s label, which is often located on the side or top of the battery. If you can’t locate the information, contact the battery manufacturer or visit their website.
As a matter of thumb, your charger should be at least 10% of your battery’s Ah rating. This implies that a 100Ah battery requires a charger with a minimum of 10 amps. You may raise the battery charge amp if you need the battery to charge more quickly.
- Checking the state of charge and discharge.
- Checking the State of Charge.
Batteries in renewable energy applications are typically charged on a daily basis, with a current and voltage regulated charge delivered into the battery. As sun exposure varies or solar panels and batteries age, situations may arise that prohibit the batteries from obtaining a complete charge. As a result, it is constantly necessary to monitor the status of charge and assess the health of each battery cell.
Because the battery SOC is an important parameter that reflects battery performance, accurate estimation of SOC not only protects the battery, prevents overcharge or discharge, and extends battery life, but also allows the application to implement rational control strategies to achieve the goal of saving energy.
The professionals determine a battery’s level of charge as a percentage. For example, a battery that has been under stress for the most of the day may be 25 or 30 percent charged. To determine the actual voltage, use a voltmeter with the battery disconnected from the system. This setting determines how long you should charge deep-cycle battery components.
Being informed of the condition of charge is less critical with a smart charger than when using standard charging equipment. The “smart” part of the gadget will identify the current charge and the best time to top it up.
Monitor the Discharge Depth.
While lithium-ion batteries do not have “battery memory” like their predecessors, their longevity is affected by the amount of discharge. According to one research, charging a standard Lithium-ion battery at 50% discharge would increase its lifetime by 50% compared to completely draining. Charging after just 25% discharge resulted in a 67% higher lifetime than complete discharge.
Set a timer
When the battery is charging, you should set a timer for the whole process. Overcharging batteries has a negative impact on their performance. It will reduce their capability.
Some battery types need, or may use, a timer to turn off charging electricity at a specific time, often after charging is completed. Other battery types cannot tolerate overcharging, damage (decreased capacity, shorter lifespan), overheating, or even explosion. The charger may include temperature or voltage sensor circuits, as well as a microprocessor controller, to safely regulate the charging current and voltage, identify the status of charge, and shut down at the conclusion of the charge cycle.
Online charts offered by the manufacturer of your battery and charger may help you compute this timed session quickly and easily.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
The charging process is more sensitive than discharging, and particular precautions must be followed. Although batteries may work in a broad variety of temperatures, charging them under these circumstances is not permitted. Extreme cold and excessive heat are not optimal for charging; instead, the battery should be brought to a normal temperature during charging. Keep the battery and charger out of severe heat or cold; room temperature is ideal. When the temperature is too high or too low, charging times may change. The battery is also irreversibly impacted by a shorter charge time than before.
Avoid extreme cold
Li-ion batteries may be charged quickly from 5°C to 45°C (41°F to 113°F). The charge current will be lowered below 5°C, and charging is not possible at freezing temperatures due to reduced diffusion rates on the anode. During charging, the internal cell resistance creates a tiny temperature increase that offsets part of the cold. When batteries are cold, their internal resistance increases, significantly increasing charging times. Many battery users are unaware that consumer-grade lithium-ion batteries cannot be recharged below 0°C (32°F). Although the pack seems to be charging correctly, metallic lithium plating on the anode may develop during a subfreezing charge. This is permanent and cannot be removed by cycling. Batteries containing lithium plating are more likely to fail when subjected to vibration or other harsh situations. Advanced chargers (Cadex) avoid charging Li-ion batteries below freezing. Advances are being made to charge Li-ion batteries below freezing temperatures. Charging is feasible with most lithium-ion batteries, but only at very low current levels. According to research studies, at -30°C (-22°F), the allowed charge rate is 0.02C. At this low current, the charge time would exceed 50 hours, which is considered impracticable. However, there are specialist Li-ions that can charge at a slower rate at -10°C (14°F).
Avoid extreme hot
It seems that lithium-ion functions well at high temperatures, but prolonged exposure to heat diminishes lifetime. Charging and discharging at high temperatures may produce gas, which may cause a cylindrical cell to vent and a pouch cell to inflate. Many chargers don’t allow charging over 50°C (122°F). Some particular batteries, such as those used in surgical equipment, are autoclaved at 137°C (280°F) for up to 20 minutes to ensure sterilization. Capacity loss at high temperatures is directly proportional to state of charge (SoC).
Yibai Energy is ready to help you with all of your lithium-ion battery purchases and charging requirements. Batteries are the most crucial components of any RV, watercraft, golf cart, or solar storage system. If you have any queries regarding the batteries, please contact us; our battery specialist will respond and update your power choices, providing the steady power that it requires.