5-10-2024 is my LiFePo4 packs 15th Birthday!!
Rather than type everything with 1 finger I have decided to try Video.
About this Bank:
I purchased these cells in September of 2009 from Balquon Corp, a subsidiary of Winston/Thundersky Battery that was based in CA.
I top balanced the cells then built a cell compression case out of aluminum, per Winston/Thundersky guidelines. I then used these on our 36 foot cruising sailboat until Sept of 2021, when I suffered a major stroke.
Unfortunately the brain hemorrhage left me hemiplegic (left side paralyzed). This required us to sell the boat, close my alternator business, my marine electrical business and sell the Bed-It Tape formulation.
This 400Ah battery was used from April to Early November on the boat. During theWinter months the battery became the “load bank” for our alternator testing machine. In short, the bank was used a lot and it has held up far better than I ever expected it would.
The bank being test fit on our boat 2009
The cell manufacturing date code:
Just The Facts:
*This bank was never floated until Dec of 2021 When it became the emergency power bank for our house
*Absorption voltage from Day 1 was 13.8V or 3.45V per cell.
*When we left the boat on her mooring the bank was always somewhere between 20% SoC and 60% Soc it was never stored full.
*Solar was turned off when we were not aboard
*Therimary Charging source for the bank was a custom built eternally rectified AMP-IT alternator that charged at .4C/160A.
*Because I built this bank to learn from, and put through the paces, I made sure we discharged all the way to 20% SoC before even considering recharging it
*Because I could charge at 160A, just motoring out of the mooring field would put an entire days worth of energy back into the bank.
Below was the first discharge test after floating at 13.5V / 3.375V per cell, from Dec 2021 to about two weeks ago:
As usual, the pack was charged to 13.8V and current was allowed to go to 0A. I was shocked they had not lost more capacity but 3.375V is a pretty low float and these cells, at 2500 cycles are fully broken in at 2500 cycles..
I then repeated the capacity test a few days later, this time the pack delivered 413Ah! not too shabby for 15 year old cells!
LiFePo4 is Amazing! Lead is dead…….
Like What You Saw Or Read?
Would you like to see more articles like this? Is so feel free to donate, support the site and keep it growing.
Please DO NOT feel obligated at all. If you like it and want to make a small donation than that’s all I ask.
Your donations help keep the content coming and also help keep it free.
Click the DONATE button below if you would like to make a donation via PayPal.
