Lithium iron phosphate is a lithium-ion battery with lithium phosphate iron as the positive electrode material. The cycle life of long-life lead-acid batteries is about 300 times, the highest is 500 times, while the cycle life of lithium batteries can reach at least 2000 times, some even 5000 times.
The theoretical lifetime of a lead-acid battery of the same quality is a maximum of 1 to 1.5 years, while a lithium battery has an academic life of 7 to 8 years under the same conditions.
1. Aging and Decay of LiFePO4 Battery Materials
The internal materials of LiFePO4 batteries mainly include positive and negative active materials, binders, conductive agents, current collectors, separators, and electrolytes. When using lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, these materials undergo a certain degree of aging and decline.
2. Loading And Unloading
After research, it has shown that constant-current charging in the late stages of charging due to excessive current, causing the internal precipitation of lithium iron phosphate gas, damage to lithium phosphate, and constant voltage in the early stages of charging current is too great, directly damaging lithium phosphate. But the constant-current-constant-voltage charging method overcomes the shortcomings of constant-current charging and constant-voltage charging the least harm to lithium batteries. Due to this, the most common charging method is the constant-current-constant-voltage charging method.
In addition, when selecting a charger, it is best to use a charger with appropriate termination devices to avoid shortening the life of LiFePO4 batteries due to overcharging. Slow charging is generally better than fast charging in extending battery life.
If the battery is not charged for long, its service life will get reduced. Lithium iron batteries must be in a condition where the electrons flow for a long time to achieve their ideal lifespan.
3. Depth of Discharge
The depth of discharge is the main factor affecting the lifespan of the LiFePO4 battery. The higher the depth of release, the shorter the battery’s life. In other words, as long as the depth of discharge is reduced, the battery life can get significantly extended. Therefore, we should avoid over-discharging lithium to a very low voltage.
Suppose you mix LiFePO4 batteries with different capacities, chemical structures, or different states of charge, old and new batteries. In that case, the lithium battery will over-discharge and even cause a reverse polarity charge, causing the phosphate to shorten the life of iron -Lithium batteries will be dampened.
4. Work Environment
Different types of lithium batteries have additional ambient temperature requirements. Temperatures that are too high or too low directly or indirectly affect the service life of the batteries.
If the battery is used at a high temperature/low temperature for a long time, its electrode activity will weaken, and its life will get shortened. Therefore, keeping it at a suitable operating temperature as much as possible is an excellent way to extend the life of the lithium-ion battery.
Also, the process of the idle battery should prevent the accumulation of dust inside the case and regular maintenance of the battery inside the power supply. Battery maintenance is also an essential point in extending battery life. The accumulation of dust is caused by the static electricity generated by the battery work to attract dust, and the collection of dust hinders the operation of the components. Therefore, it is also essential to regularly clean the dust to ensure the battery has a Good working environment.
5. Monomer Consistency
Lithium battery modules usually connect several individual batteries in series or parallel. According to research, the lifespan of a lithium battery is always shorter than that of the most momentary single battery. Before the lithium battery is used in groups, it goes through a screening and matching process to eliminate the individual cells with significant performance parameters and the impact of the differences in the manufacturing procedure to minimize battery performance.
Conclusion:
When we use batteries, we are very concerned about their lifespan. To measure how long the battery can last, the definition of the number of cycles got established. We can call the life of academic battery life and its label. Still, the actual life generally has a particular gap with the intellectual life, and good usage habits ensure our energy makes the battery longer.
Charging LiFePO4 Batteries
How is a battery charged? It is among the most frequent queries we get from our consumers. Using a LiFePO4 charger is a straightforward solution. Please make sure not to use a converter for lithium-ion chemistries, usually rated at a higher voltage than LiFePO4 batteries need when charging them. If a charger adapter can fill lithium phosphate, this question frequently arises. Yes, in a nutshell, if the voltage levels are within what LiFePO4 batteries will tolerate. Our 12v lithium battery should get charged between 14.3V and 14.6V.
Charger Examination
Ensure your charger’s cables are insulated and unbroken before utilizing a LiFePO4 charger. The charger connection ports should be neat and matched with the battery posts to guarantee a solid connection and ideal conductivity.
Loading Instructions
These batteries do not require charging after each usage if they are not completely discharged. If such batteries are kept in a partial state, harm won’t occur (PSOC). If the BMS disengages the power supply due to less voltage, you can set your LiFePO4 battery cells to release down to 80% DOD after every use or at that point. Then, you can delete the load and charge the battery immediately with a LiFePO4 charger.
The temperature of the charge
From 0°C to 55°C, these batteries may get charged without risk. They do not need temperature correction for voltage while filling in hot or cold climates. An inbuilt BMS on every Creabest LiFePO4 pack safeguards the battery against extreme cold and heat. It must warm up before the BMS can reconnect and get the battery voltage if the BMS disengages due to low temperature. The battery must cool down before the BMS begins charging it if the BMS disengages due to a high temperature.
How To Use A Lead-Acid Charger To Charge These Batteries?
As long as they comply with the necessary voltage requirements, LiFePO4 batteries can be recharged using lead-acid chargers. (Our LiFePO4 batteries should get charged at a voltage between 14.3V and 14.6V.) The LiFePO4 power needs typically apply to AGM and Gel methods. The BMS is unplugged when the voltage for flooding fast charging algorithms is greater than the voltage required to charge LiFePO4 batteries. In this situation, switching out your trickle charger for a LiFePO4 charge profile is typically advised. Lead-acid battery charger use typically does not result in battery degradation because the BMS safeguards the battery.
Be aware that even if a lead-acid battery charger has suitable charging settings for charging LiFePO4, the BMS may not be able to be reconnected if the BMS is unplugged because of low voltage. The lithium battery detects 0V on a meter when the BMS is disengaged, whereas lead acid chargers require the battery to have a voltage to begin charging. The lead-acid chargers should start charging if the cell displays 0V because it cannot detect that a storm is attached. It also holds for a few subpar lithium chargers. It is always advised to use the best charger to ensure durability and excellent result. Please don’t hesitate to contact Creabest if you have any concerns.
LiFePO4 Is Charged Using An Alternator And DC To DC Chargers.
Based on the alternator’s performance, it may function well to recharge LiFePO4 cells without any adjustments. The BMS may, however, remove the LiFePO4 batteries if the inverter is of poor quality or has insufficient system voltage. The alternator may get harmed if the BMS disengages the batteries. Please add a voltage regulator or use a suitable, high-quality inverter to safeguard your battery and alternator. To securely charge the batteries, especially home batteries, you can utilize a DC-to-DC charger. It is advised to install a DC-DC charger if you want to use your alternator to store lithium.
Lithium Battery Fuel Gauge
A voltage-based gauge for these batteries cannot precisely measure liFePO4 packs’ state of charge (SOC). To accurately estimate the cost of a lithium-iron-phosphate battery, please swap your fuel level with one that monitors the current.
