Why Lithium-iron-phosphate Batteries?
Lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4 or LFP) offer lots of benefits compared to lead-acid batteries and other lithium batteries. Longer life span, no maintenance, extremely safe, lightweight, improved discharge and charge efficiency, just to name a few. LiFePO4 batteries are not the cheapest in the market, but due to a long life span and zero maintenance, it’s the best investment you can make over time.
Rugged
A lead-acid battery will fail prematurely due to sulfation:
- If it operates in deficit mode during long periods of time (i.e. if the battery is rarely, or never at all, fully charged).
- If it is left partially charged or worse, fully discharged (yacht or mobile home during wintertime).
An LFP battery does not need to be fully charged. Service life even slightly improves in case of partial charge instead of a full charge. This is a major advantage of lithium batteries compared to lead-acid. Other advantages are the wide operating temperature range, excellent cycling performance, low internal resistance, and high efficiency.
Lithium-iron-phosphate Battery Efficiency Vs others
In several applications (especially off-grid solar and/or wind), energy efficiency can be of crucial importance.
The round-trip energy efficiency (discharge from 100% to 0% and back to 100% charged) of the average lead-acid battery is 85%. The round-trip energy efficiency of an LFP battery is over 95%. The charge process of lead-acid batteries becomes particularly inefficient when the 80% state of charge has been reached, resulting in efficiencies of 50% or even less in solar systems where several days of reserve energy is required (battery operating in 70% to 100% charged state). In contrast, an LFP battery will still achieve 90% efficiency under shallow discharge conditions.
Size and Weight of LiFePO4 Batteries
- Saves up to 70% in space
- Saves up to 70% in weight
Are Lithium-iron-phosphate Batteries Expensive?
Lithium-ion batteries are expensive when compared to the lead-acid batteries. But in demanding applications, the high initial cost will be more than compensated by longer service life, superior reliability and excellent efficiency.
Coulee LFP batteries have integrated cell balancing and cell monitoring. Up to five batteries can be paralleled and up to four 12V batteries or two 24V batteries can be series-connected. Coulee lithium batteries are at the height of lithium-ion technology, they outperform and outlast all other batteries in their class and below their class.
Battery Management System
A Battery Management System (BMS) is an intelligent component of a battery pack responsible for advanced monitoring and management. It is the brain behind the battery and plays a critical role in its levels of safety, performance, charge rates, and longevity. Our BMS is designed to be a long-term solution for our customers with the highest level of safety in mind. Advanced algorithms and electronics ensure high precision measurements.
The BMS will:
- Generate a pre-alarm whenever the voltage of a battery cell decreases to less than 3,1V (adjustable 2,85-3,15V).
- Disconnect or shut down the load whenever the voltage of a battery cell decreases to less than 2,8V (adjustable 2,6V-2,8V).
- Stop the charging process whenever the voltage of a battery cell increases to more than 4,2V.
- Shut down the system whenever the temperature of a cell exceeds 50°C.
