Lithium ion house bank?

Discussion in 'OnBoard Electronics & Controls' started by Deering, Jul 14, 2019.

  1. Deering
    Joined: Feb 2005
    Posts: 481
    Likes: 25, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 44
    Location: Juneau, Alaska

    Deering Senior Member

    Looks like it’s getting close to time to replace my 700 Ah house battery bank. Current technology is AGM. I’d like a similar usable capacity. Reduced weight would be a real plus. Is it time to jump to Lithium yet?

    I’m not sure of prices or sources. Recommendations?
    I understand that there are considerations for charging and regulation. Advice?
    Any other information resources out there to explore?
     
  2. BlueBell
    Joined: May 2017
    Posts: 2,684
    Likes: 959, Points: 113
    Location: Victoria BC Canada

    BlueBell . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

    That's a tough one.
    I'd say if you've got the $$$ then do it.
    It works out close to the same price in the long run if starting from nothing.
    In your case, the weight savings would have to justify the cost.
    If your boat is already heavy and your battery wells are already made
    then just replacing the AGM's is more cost effective.
    However, if it all needs a redo, including the charger/controller
    then it's worth doing lithium... if you've got the $$$.

    Fire suppression would be an added cost.
    CO2 being the way to go.
     
  3. KeithO
    Joined: Jul 2019
    Posts: 329
    Likes: 66, Points: 28
    Location: Michigan

    KeithO Senior Member

    Lithium Deep Cycle Battery | Lithium Solar Batteries | altE https://www.altestore.com/store/deep-cycle-batteries/lithium-batteries-c4441/

    You could try the altestore I have bought all of my solar array and charge controller / inverter etc from them. At that time they did not have lithium batteries, now they have quite a few options. Something to consider, most applications, unless packaged that way by the supplier, one does not get 6V lithiums and connect them in series like one does with Lead acid. I think balancing lithium batteries is a very critical exercise. You may need a new charge controller to protect your new investment.....

    So I think you need to pick your voltage carefully then go with a system designed for that. I do know the batteries themselves are much lighter than lead acid. They can also be discharged very deep for a lot more cycles, so the way you size a Lipo battery is different to lead acid. If you had the same number of AH in Lipo in reality you would be able to draw them down much further than lead acid, almost as if you had a much bigger battery, with no detrimental effect.
     
    Joseph Banta likes this.
  4. BertKu
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 2,521
    Likes: 47, Points: 58, Legacy Rep: 223
    Location: South Africa Little Brak River

    BertKu Senior Member

    I fully agree with you. If he watch the 1C rating of the lithium battery, then he could go for a smaller battery, charging more often. My Lithium LiPo4 battery bank, which I prefer, because you can hit a nail into the battery without it is exploding, and that is still a problem with the other chemistry. My battery is now nearly 9 years old and still going strong, very strong. Although it is only 40 x 5 Ampere connected in series and parallel (5 Ampere is 1C in my case, 10 paralleled, thus I can go to 500 Ampere without any problem) , I have charged them with a normal simple charger I have build for 9 years. I just watched the voltage per group, that they are all 4 the same. Bert
     
    Joseph Banta likes this.

  5. BertKu
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 2,521
    Likes: 47, Points: 58, Legacy Rep: 223
    Location: South Africa Little Brak River

    BertKu Senior Member

    Look Deering, I don't know your capabilities. If I were you, I would consider to buy 200 lifeP04 batteries from EWT , Everwin Tech Industries in China direct and make your own battery pack. 4 x 3.2 to 3.35 Volt batteries make 12.8 to 13.2Volt battery , 3.25 Kwh pack. You place 50 parallel and 4 rows in serial and you have a fantastic battery pack of true 250 Ah 12.8 - 13,2 Volt battery with 1250 Ampere max drawing current at an affordable cost. Yes you have to put it all together. and use thick copper bars to connect 50 batteries parallel. Do not make the same mistake I made and ordered the ones without soldering connections. I have so once per year now to clean a little bit of oxidation from the Aluminium bar I used. I could not get Copper bar, the next error. But one can only learn from errors never from the good thing you do in life. The weight is slightly more than standard Lithium battery packs of equivalent size, but it is up to you to use the correct materials.
    The 50 are soldered to the copper bar then the next 50 to the next copper bar etc until you have a flat battery of 5 cm x 250 cm x 70 cm + a few cm for the copper bar.
    If you consider 100 parallel, then I would consider that you make 2 packs of each containing 50 batteries parallel x 4 in serial.
    For cabling I used normal inexpensive welding copper insulated cable at 110 mm2 i.e. max 700 Ampere. You clean the ends from the plastic and solder the ends with tin. Then I used liquid plastic from Star Brite to seal it from oxidation. Cost? approx 2 dollar per meter, welding cable is not expensive. Bert
    Everwin Tech Co. Limited
    Homepage:www.ewtbattery.com
    E-mail:sales08@ewtbattery.com
    MSN:blackvip100@msn.cn
    Skype:blackvip1000
    Mobile:86+13480187585
    Add:Meilan Industrial Area, No.1 Lianwei Street, Dalang South Road, Longhua Town, Shenzhen China
     
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