liFePO4 lithium as house batteries

[sparrowhawk1]

Hello and thanks for all the information. I read all the posts of the thread with similar title and even took notes! But it's so much. I think it might help those gracious enough to share their knowledge and especially those trying to soak it up if we start a new thread. Only people that own them and relative questions please. I think the main questions are

What size is your bank ahrs and amt of cells

How are you charging and at what settings

What monitors, V cutoffs, balancers, etc.

Details of equipment like where it was purchased and what did you pay for it

I currently have total 450ahr 6v wired to 12v

[sparrowhawk1]

Hit send before I meant too

Have a 40 amp mppt contoller with 14.2v option that I think will be 14v or lower at the batteries because there isn't separate battery monitoring wires. Its a tracer got good reviews on Amazon and utube paid 255 free shipping. Next page

[sparrowhawk1]

The batteries are LA haven't switched yet

[sparrowhawk1]

I have 4 solar panels installed. 4 more to install
Found the last 4 through Craig's list 80w monocristline $100 each

And an Ampair and Rutland wind generator that I bought used many years ago. They put out about 2amps each at 12knts


Many thanks Joe

[sparrowhawk1]

And almost forgot. A 52 hp yanmar with stock 60a alt. Almost never use it just for charging but nice to have backup. Hope starting such a similar thread to the one with well over 3000 posts is ok. Joe

[Caracal]

If you are within 15 minutes of posting, there is a box with "edit" on it one can put to good use if pressing it. First five posts in your own thread is really necessary?

[sparrowhawk1]

Caracal. Don't see that on my smart phone. That makes 6 heheh

[Salty Skipper]

Originally Posted by Caracal

If you are within 15 minutes of posting, there is a box with "edit" on it one can put to good use if pressing it. First five posts in your own thread is really necessary?

I agree....but...a relevant issue has been brought to the table. I for one has reservation with lithium batteries.

I have had unattractive issues using lithium batteries, and as such have formed my own opinion for their use well before use aboard. I'm wanting to hear here more.

[Caracal]

I was not saying posting the thread itself was unnecessary, Salty. It was the five posts in a row I was a bit miffed at. And the reason I noticed was that I too was interested, otherwise I wouldn't have clicked on the thread five times to read yet another of his posts, adding to the previous one(s).

Edit: What do you mean when you say "lithium"? Lithium Ion, LiFePo4, or something else? There is a vast variety out there. I wouldn't use Li-Ion in a boat, a car, or even a motorcycle. LiFePo4, on the other hand. I am just a bit perplexed by the needs for charging and monitoring, and how best to go about it. When my boat has sold, and I eventually buy another, I will most likely install LiFePo4 from the get go, if I can get a decent charging/monitoring system set up. To me, the benefits of less loss when charging (from alternator, solar, and perhaps even hydro generator) and much higher Ah per volume and weight compared to AGMS, LA, and Gel is simply not something I can ignore.

[SteveSails]

All,

Take a look at this thread in this forum;

lifepo4-batteries-discussion-thread-for-those-using-them-as-house-banks

Building and managing an LiFePO4 house bank is exactly what's being discussed. At 236 pages and growing it is becoming a book but you can skip to the last few pages. Just be sure to read from the beginning to get a good feel for the history and to give credit to those who have done the ground work (not me, I'm new to this also).

Steve

[deckofficer]

Caracal is right, there are many lithium choices. LiFePO4 prismatic cells are the workhorse for house banks, safer than lead with the only concern is to over charging/discharging.

I have LifePO4 cells for a couple of projects but they are way too heavy for my next project. Energy density for the cells we are using in house banks are only around 80 w-hr per kg. That is twice what the best lead acid battery is, and due to their conservative ratings and DOD, a bank of 1/2 the a-hr rating of the lead counterpart would provide the same usable a-hr. Thus when switching to LiFePO4, the weight would be 1/4 of the lead bank. I need a much higher energy density to be able to fly an ultralight aircraft on battery power. Also for take off and climb I need cells that have at least a 10 C capability. The best that I have found to date is Kokam cells at 207 w-hr per kg and 10 C cont., and 15 C pulse. A friend is flying his ultralight using a lot of high power R/C battery packs, to the tune of about $2000 worth of these packs.

e Gull 2000, Earthstar Aircraft's eGull 2000 battery powered ultralight aircraft. - YouTube

[sparrowhawk1]

All good info but did you even read my original post?