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Forum Index : Electronics : Lifepo 4

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mason

Regular Member

Joined: 07/11/2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 86
Posted: 10:26am 28 Jul 2022
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How to use lifepo 4 battery bank in a off grid situation, everything I read says they can't be used while being charged, so do I need two banks and keep switching from one that is fully charged, while the other one is being charged.
Can any one explain, thanks
 
Solar Mike
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Joined: 08/02/2015
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1119
Posted: 11:27am 28 Jul 2022
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  mason said  How to use lifepo 4 battery bank in a off grid situation, everything I read says they can't be used while being charged, so do I need two banks and keep switching from one that is fully charged, while the other one is being charged.
Can any one explain, thanks


Think you have been seriously misinformed there, of course you can use the Lifepo4 bank off grid whilst being charged, whether from Solar PV array, wind, DC generator etc.

The charge controller has to be able to control the bank voltage and have suitable selected set points for the Lifepo4 charging profile phases whilst under load.

A BMS if fitted should manage any TOP balancing requirement and possibly talk to the controller when doing so.


Please outline why you think this isn't possible?


Cheers
Mike
 
mason

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Joined: 07/11/2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 86
Posted: 01:58pm 28 Jul 2022
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Thanks for the info Mike,
I wasn't sure to believe what I was reading regarding the batteries so I thought I would ask one of you guys.
I take it poida/Nick's mppt charger wouldn't work for lifepo batteries?
 
Murphy's friend

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Joined: 04/10/2019
Location: Australia
Posts: 575
Posted: 04:44am 29 Jul 2022
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  mason said  
I take it poida/Nick's mppt charger wouldn't work for lifepo batteries?


Why not?
I have been using it to charge a 400Ah lithium bank, 1500KWh so far, no problem.
You just have to set the correct charging voltages in the program.
 
mason

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Joined: 07/11/2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 86
Posted: 09:36am 29 Jul 2022
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Oh ok, thanks Murphy friend.
How long have you had your lifepos for? What brand would you recommend. The 400ah you have must of set you back 7 or 8k eh?
 
Solar Mike
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Joined: 08/02/2015
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1119
Posted: 12:09pm 29 Jul 2022
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Suggest you look on the DIY Solar Power Forum for answers as to a good brand to purchase; closer to your location.

Cheers
Mike
 
nickskethisniks
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Joined: 17/10/2017
Location: Belgium
Posts: 405
Posted: 10:17pm 01 Aug 2022
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I have a +25kWh lifepo4 battery (Valence saphion u24-12xp) on my controller, works just fine. They are from 2006, But going strong. Floating around 3.5V/cell.
Edited 2022-08-02 14:17 by nickskethisniks
 
mason

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Joined: 07/11/2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 86
Posted: 11:41am 02 Aug 2022
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16 years that great, so I guess you don't use a full cycle per day maybe 1/2 cycle or less, I currently use FLD and want to switch, so just trying to get my self up to speed on lifepo, learning a lot about this type of battery.


How's the whether in Belgium?
 
tinyt
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Joined: 12/11/2017
Location: United States
Posts: 430
Posted: 01:24pm 02 Aug 2022
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Here is what I am working on, 2 racks, each rack has 16S S168 (55Ah) LifePo4. I am still struggling how to make the Daly smart BMS work. Bluetooth always disconnects after about 3 seconds, when it is connected, it shows eep error or something. Will be replacing Daly with JK, I hope it is more stable and user friendly. I also have replaced the ANL fuse with type T which is what the experts recommend.


Edited 2022-08-02 23:27 by tinyt
 
mason

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Joined: 07/11/2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 86
Posted: 02:27pm 02 Aug 2022
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this might help tinyt..

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjPy6znq6j5AhV7IjQIHXM2A_8QwqsBegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwsY3ZWVEzUc&usg=AOvVaw160rU57bNwcqUc6bWJDnkZ
 
tinyt
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Joined: 12/11/2017
Location: United States
Posts: 430
Posted: 05:09pm 02 Aug 2022
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  mason said  this might help tinyt..

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjPy6znq6j5AhV7IjQIHXM2A_8QwqsBegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwsY3ZWVEzUc&usg=AOvVaw160rU57bNwcqUc6bWJDnkZ


Thanks mason, I have seen that before, my problem is not a dead blue tooth connection. Bluetooth connects to the phone ap when the bluetooth module button is pressed. It is just that after about 3 seconds, the ap freezes waiting for an OK response to a disconnect request. Maybe it is in my cellphone or something. Also, when the ap is active, it shows an eep error message sometimes. And this happens to the two Daly smart BMS.
Edited 2022-08-03 03:13 by tinyt
 
Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 960
Posted: 03:57am 03 Aug 2022
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Hi tinyt,

Nice, Quite a bit of work there, I see you have a active balancer on each rack as well, no problem.
I have 3 Daly BMS units, one is 175AMP in the shed and has run well, no problem, the other 2 are 200Amp and work a little different, perhaps the firmware is different.
There all have the Bluetooth dongle (no switch on it) and the phone app is ver: 1.91 on an old unused phone (no sim or network for years) the the Blue tooth app run perfectly for 18 months, always on and could check the BMS anytime, until one time it started to jam up, turns out it was the phone that crashed, restart the phone and its been going ever since.

I tried the app on my own phone and it was ok until the auto update brought the BMS APP up to version 1.92 and it then wanted to have location information turned on or I Couldn't use the app .....bugger that, stuck with the old app on the old phone.
the Daly BMS has a sleep timer default is 3600s, but I have no idea about you error message.      

Might find some resources here https://diysolarforum.com/resources/categories/bms.6/ there is some JK info as well.
Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid
 
tinyt
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Joined: 12/11/2017
Location: United States
Posts: 430
Posted: 03:14pm 04 Aug 2022
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Hi Aaron,

Thanks for your info and link. I am also a member of that site and have downloaded some of the resources. The sleep timer on my 16S Daly is set to 65535. I did some more Daly testing ang just found out that when I turn it on by momentarily applying 58V charging voltage, it turns on but also turns off after about 3 seconds. Must be some incorrect parameters that I have set or that eep error or could be wrong BMS, the marking is LI-ion not LifePo4. Will keep testing, will also try the PC resident PCmaster software, maybe I will post my problem at that site later.
Edited 2022-08-05 01:18 by tinyt
 
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