LiFePo4 Below Freezing Temps

T

Tom Katzenberger

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2019
795
287
63
Guys,

I was all in on LiFePo4 Batteries until I discovered they can not be charged below 32F. Those who have time with the Lithium batteries please let me
know your thought? Thanks.

Tom K.
--
Tom & Oki Katzenberger,
Kingsville, Maryland,
1977 23' Birchaven, 455 C.I.D.
 
I believe they can still be charged if you reduce the charging rate. How do they charge electric autos at low temps?
There are also new lithium batteries that automatically heat the batteries at low ambient temps.

Emery Stora

>
> Guys,
>
> I was all in on LiFePo4 Batteries until I discovered they can not be charged below 32F. Those who have time with the Lithium batteries please let me
> know your thought? Thanks.
>
> Tom K.
> --
> Tom & Oki Katzenberger,
> Kingsville, Maryland,
> 1977 23' Birchaven, 455 C.I.D.
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
 
Yes, there are LiFePo4 batteries with heaters.

I have been looking at them as well and I'm wondering why there are batteries with the same basic specs all over E-bay and Amazon that are half the
price of the brand name ones (Battle Born, Briter, etc.)?
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
 
I’d be more worried about charging during the hot weather we experience more often than cold. Remember all the 787 Dreamliner fires? That’s bad.

Cooling them would be harder than simply adding resistance heat in cold weather. No expert here, just looking at raising the obvious questions.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
One of the beauties of lithium is that they can be housed inside no off-gassing. Heated lithium batteries can also help maintain charge ability, but if you are living at 32 degrees then you might want to start the coach and run the heater for a bit!

Larry Davick
Who lives near San Francisco where 32 degrees is reserved for margarita machines.
 
The Battery Management System (BMS) within the LiFePO4 (LFP) battery should be designed to prevent charging below freezing. Some batteries have a
built-in heater that uses the available charging current to warm the battery before switching that current to charge the battery. LPF batteries don't
off-gas so you can install them inside. One 100Ahr LPF battery (smaller than a group 27 and weighing less than 30lbs) is roughly equivalent to two
golf-cart LA batteries and will outlast them by many years.

You can discharge the battery down to -20C. Some say they operate up to +60C, but most say avoid operation above +40C

There are a number of Lithium battery chemistries. The higher charge concentration chemistries as used in Tesla's are much more unstable and
susceptible to catching than LPF. LPF is a very stable battery chemistry. You can find videos on YouTube where they are dropped, shorted,
over-charged etc and not much happens compared to Lead-Acid (LA) and other lithium chemistries.

There seems to be a handful of companies in China that make virtually all of the LPF cells. There are a number of companies that assemble these cells
into batteries. They will custom build and private label the batteries for you. If you look at the various US lithium battery companies, they say
"designed in USA" or "Designed and assembled" not "Made in USA".

You can also buy the cells and the BMS and assemble your own battery to your own specs. There is lots of info on-line about how to do this and the
pit-falls. Google Will Prowse for some good info.

I just installed two 100Ahr batteries in my coach and so far I really like them. They charge much faster than LA batteries and have a very flat
voltage discharge curve. The Murray sleeps in a heated shop all winter so I'm not much worried about freezing temps.

--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
 
> The Battery Management System (BMS) within the LiFePO4 (LFP) battery should be designed to prevent charging below freezing. Some batteries have a
> built-in heater that uses the available charging current to warm the battery before switching that current to charge the battery. LPF batteries
> don't off-gas so you can install them inside. One 100Ahr LPF battery (smaller than a group 27 and weighing less than 30lbs) is roughly equivalent
> to two golf-cart LA batteries and will outlast them by many years.
>
> You can discharge the battery down to -20C. Some say they operate up to +60C, but most say avoid operation above +40C
>
> There are a number of Lithium battery chemistries. The higher charge concentration chemistries as used in Tesla's are much more unstable and
> susceptible to catching than LPF. LPF is a very stable battery chemistry. You can find videos on YouTube where they are dropped, shorted,
> over-charged etc and not much happens compared to Lead-Acid (LA) and other lithium chemistries.
>
> There seems to be a handful of companies in China that make virtually all of the LPF cells. There are a number of companies that assemble these
> cells into batteries. They will custom build and private label the batteries for you. If you look at the various US lithium battery companies,
> they say "designed in USA" or "Designed and assembled" not "Made in USA".
>
> You can also buy the cells and the BMS and assemble your own battery to your own specs. There is lots of info on-line about how to do this and
> the pit-falls. Google Will Prowse for some good info.
>
> I just installed two 100Ahr batteries in my coach and so far I really like them. They charge much faster than LA batteries and have a very flat
> voltage discharge curve. The Murray sleeps in a heated shop all winter so I'm not much worried about freezing temps.

I am intrigued by the concept of getting rid of LA house batteries. My GMC also spends the winter in its own heated/air conditioned garage. Can you
share with us approximate cost of your battery upgrade? I know my "new" converter/charger etc. would need to be replaced.

--
Richard
76 Palm Beach
SE Michigan
www.PalmBeachGMC.com


Roller Cam 455, TBI+EBL, 3.42 FD, 4 Bag, Macerator, Lenzi (brakes, vacuum system, front end stuff), Manny Tranny, vacuum step, Tankless + OEM water
heaters.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Applied GMC
Get your shine on at www.cruzingear.co

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back