The world has agreed to limit and completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels for a better living environment. Here renewable energy is the ultimate solution to mitigate the evil of pollution, which is a serious threat to the human race. Lithium Batteries are a crucial component in the race toward a sustainable approach to meet the ever-growing energy demands. Among all battery types, lithium battery packs are best known due to their modern features that are suitable for modern appliances.
Lithium Battery History
The first rechargeable battery dates back to 1859 when a French physicist Gaston Planté. The lithium battery dates back to the 1970s. M. Stanley Whittingham is credited with discovering the first lithium-ion battery based on titanium disulphide cathode and lithium aluminium anodes. In 1980, John Goodenough used the previous research to improve the technology by using lithium cobalt oxide as a cathode.
In 1985, Japanese scientist Akira Yoshino successfully made a prototype of a li-ion battery using the research work of earlier people. The earliest commercial success was announced in 1991 when a joint team by Sony and Asahi Kasai. Afterwards, lithium-ion batteries become the first choice for portable electronics, EVs, and RVs and to store backup power. This was the starting point that ended the era of lead-acid battery, which was heavier and less efficient. Soon, militaries and aerospace companies started using LFP battery packs due to their high efficiency and improved technology.
Characteristics of Lithium Battery Pack
A lithium-ion battery is also known as a Li-ion battery. This is a rechargeable battery type made up of lithium-ion cells that travel from the negative electrode toward the positive electrodes. The electrolyte act as a medium to transfer electrodes from negative to positive electrodes during discharge and back again during charging. Li-ion power packs employ an intercalated lithium compound as the positive electrode material and commonly graphite as the negative electrode material.
A lithium battery pack is regarded as the best due to its high energy density, low memory effect and low self-discharge rate. Cells can be designed to favour energy or power density.
Lithium Battery Pack Structure
To make a lithium battery pack, battery manufacturers joined lithium cells. Further, the modern battery packs include temperature sensors, voltage monitoring devices, Battery management Systems and various regulators. 12v lithium batteries Australia are available in a variety of storage capacities. Among all battery packs, 100ah lithium iron phosphate battery is the most in demand. These batteries can provide 100 amps of energy for one hour.
Following are the key features of LiFePo4 batteries;
Energy Density
The capacity of a battery to hold power in relation to its weight is referred to as its energy density. A battery with a high energy density is ideal since it is more efficient, lighter, and smaller in size. The energy density of batteries is measured in watt-hours per kilogramme, abbreviated as wh/kg. On the other hand, lead-acid batteries have energy capacities ranging from 30 to 50 wh/kg.
Nickel-cadmium batteries have an energy capacity of 80 watt-hours per kilogramme weight. Lithium iron phosphate batteries have the highest energy density of any battery type, at roughly 300 wh/kg. Li-ion batteries are lightweight and have 10X the longevity of a lead-acid or tubular battery because of their high energy thickness. With the highest ratio of energy density, solar lithium batteries are the best to store solar power to use for the time when sunlight isn’t available.
Memory Effect
Memory effect is a typical phenomenon among battery packs caused by sulfation, which causes a battery’s capacity to store energy to be reduced, i.e. if a Lithium Ion Solar Battery has a capacity of 100ah, it may be reduced to 90ah after some time. Lead-acid batteries have the largest memory effect ratio, which can reach a quarter of their rated capacity in some situations. The lithium iron phosphate battery is again efficient in this manner, with the least memory effect, less than 1%.
Maintenance of Lithium Ion Solar Batteries
Lead-acid batteries require regular checks and balance to ensure that their cells have an acceptable amount of the watery fluid used as an electrolyte to store energy. This fluid material is sulfuric acid, which evaporates from its vents over time, causing harm to the battery cell or causing the battery to die entirely. To avoid this problem, fill the battery cells to the desired level. Furthermore, because of chemical interactions, the battery terminals rust; therefore, you must maintain them as well.
Lithium ion solar batteries, on the other hand, are dry batteries with no such influence. There is no need for regular maintenance like in the case of acid battery packs; thus, you are good to go. Further, you can keep a close eye on LiFePo4 battery performance using your phone.
Efficient Charging and Discharging
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are tested robustly, while you will get IP65 certifications which means these batteries can withstand extreme weather conditions. Further, modern battery packs come with male and female plug-and-play chargers with LP-20 connections and IP65/67 certifications. The advantage of lithium solar batteries is that they produce the same amount of voltages a.s a fully charged LiFePo4 battery, and there is no difference in volts during discharge.
Battery Types
Battery types include the following:
Starter Battery
A starting battery is designed to help the engines of autos, boats, RVs, and generators start. A lithium starting battery uses a portion of its energy storage capacity to produce a strong burst of current. The plates of a starting battery are substantially thinner than those of a deep cycle battery since the main purpose of the battery is to produce much required Cold Cranking Amps or CCA. A starting battery cannot be used as a deep cycle battery since it has a limited lifespan. The alternator recharges the battery in autos.
Deep Cycle Battery
A deep cycle battery draws electricity over a lengthy period of time to provide backup power to electric equipment. A deep cycle battery has become an essential home item as a backup power source during power outages. You may use a deep cycle battery as a starter battery; however, due to the low value of cranking current, you must use an enormous battery capable of meeting the demands of connected appliances and starting the engine. A deep cycle battery may be drained from 50 per cent to full capacity, depending on its construction.
Dual Purpose Battery
Starter batteries are mostly used in automotive applications where ignition power is required to start the engine. The lithium starting battery is recognised for its dependable battery performance and has been tested against tough weather conditions. Because of its numerous high-quality qualities, lithium iron phosphate batteries have emerged as the ideal replacement for lead-acid batteries.
Cold Cranking Amps, or simply CCA and Reserve Capacity, also known as RC, are the two most important power parameters on an automobile starting battery. These power ratings are important factors to consider when selecting a replacement battery for your car or truck and should not be overlooked.
Cold Cranking Amps in Lithium Ion Car Battery
This is the amount of current (in amps) a lithium ion car battery, also known as starting battery, can deliver for 30 seconds. This CCA rating is deliverable at a freezing temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or -18 degrees Celsius. This rating is crucial since a battery must work harder to switch on your engine in cold weather. The greater the CCA rating, the more power the battery can deliver to the car, along with other helpful characteristics. In extremely cold weather, the capacity of an LFP starting battery might be reduced by up to 75%.
If you live in a cold area with frequent temperature drops, be sure you have the right battery with the greatest possible CCA. Battery manufacturers never suggest utilising a battery with a lower CCA rating than your vehicle’s! If everything else fails, consult the owner’s manual for your vehicle or a salesman at your local auto stockpile workshop.
RC: Reserve Capacity
A battery’s reserve capacity is the amount of time in minutes that a battery can provide 25 amps at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 26.7 degrees Celsius. The battery’s reserve capacity is critical for vehicle owners if the alternator fails, as the car’s electrical framework must be maintained. A low reserve capacity battery might land you in No Man’s Land since automotive equipment such as headlights, indicators, music systems, power windows, sunroofs, and so on can consume stored electricity in a rapid movement.
If you enjoy current entertainment systems and enjoy using them while your car is stationary, such as stereos, DVDs, reverse cameras, and other accessories, you should choose a lithium battery rather than an acid battery. A 12v LiFePo4 starting battery has a greater RC rating than any other type of battery.
Among all lithium battery manufacturers, Deep Cycle Systems is the leading Australian name that has emerged as the only choice. The reason is simply that they put forth efforts to make lithium ion car batteries with the best materials. Their LiFePor4 BMS is a specialised one that addresses all the problems to which ordinary Made in China BMS failed to respond.
