That’s quite funny, it’s like boiling a frog slowly. Hopefully the low voltage cutoff is enough to save it from disaster.
Low temperature lithium battery
- Thread starter DEH
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- lithium battery
That’s quite funny, it’s like boiling a frog slowly. Hopefully the low voltage cutoff is enough to save it from disaster.
oops . . . i forgot to update the thread . .
so the battery was drained down a fair bit below 1A so the battery BMS didn't acknowledge it.
here is the recharge results.
battery BMS shows battery SOC @ 100%
Vic Shunt shows the REAL SOC @ 63% (100ah battery)
...
Vic 12/12/30 charger connected . . . delivering 30A to charge battery.
battery shows the 30A incoming . .
later that day . . .
charger shows battery full and STORAGE MODE . .
with 0A going into battery.
charger history shows 67.2ah went back into battery.
the breakdown was . . . .
56.2ah in BULK
11.-0ah in ABS
this is the BM2 voltage plot of the charge.
+++
conclusion :
The battery BMS does not account for any loads under 1.0A, but will ABOVE 1.0A (confirmed by Poweroad anyway)
The battery BMS SOC may not be 100% accurate due to to the above (@Mick take note)
The Vic SHUNT SOC IS 100% accurate (@Mick take note - this is what i was saying at Camperjam - Trust the Vic Shunt over the Battery BMS)
The Vic charger proves the above by putting the 68ah BACK into the battery that the electronic load had pulled out even though the battery BMS showed 100% SOC throughout.
+++
regardless of the above, these batterys are awesome,
you just need to adapt your expectations when you run them with advance monitoring.
Im still working on a small circuit device to KEEP the battery from SLEEPing. (that will solve all my issues)
+++
so the battery was drained down a fair bit below 1A so the battery BMS didn't acknowledge it.
here is the recharge results.
battery BMS shows battery SOC @ 100%
Vic Shunt shows the REAL SOC @ 63% (100ah battery)
...
Vic 12/12/30 charger connected . . . delivering 30A to charge battery.
battery shows the 30A incoming . .
later that day . . .
charger shows battery full and STORAGE MODE . .
with 0A going into battery.
charger history shows 67.2ah went back into battery.
the breakdown was . . . .
56.2ah in BULK
11.-0ah in ABS
this is the BM2 voltage plot of the charge.
+++
conclusion :
The battery BMS does not account for any loads under 1.0A, but will ABOVE 1.0A (confirmed by Poweroad anyway)
The battery BMS SOC may not be 100% accurate due to to the above (@Mick take note)
The Vic SHUNT SOC IS 100% accurate (@Mick take note - this is what i was saying at Camperjam - Trust the Vic Shunt over the Battery BMS)
The Vic charger proves the above by putting the 68ah BACK into the battery that the electronic load had pulled out even though the battery BMS showed 100% SOC throughout.
+++
regardless of the above, these batterys are awesome,
you just need to adapt your expectations when you run them with advance monitoring.
Im still working on a small circuit device to KEEP the battery from SLEEPing. (that will solve all my issues)
+++
I have just now a completed 3 hour drive to Wales. The BMV was showing 83% when I left.
The BMV now shows 100% as does the BMS. Yet was still taking 29.6a for the last 1h30m.
I’m parked up and at no point did the high cell voltage alert come on.
the cells are still taking a charge as a I arrive. So I agree @Dellmassive the BMS is flaky. When I get back on Thursday I’ll probably be at a true 100% so I’ll syncs the BMV then.
however that goes to pot when it goes to sleep
It was 41Ah down but then put 68Ah back in?? That’s way beyond any efficiency loss issue, surely the battery can’t have been at 100% at the start? I can understand that from the internal BMS because that seems horribly inaccurate, but did you manually sync the BMV to 100%?
Can't remember now .. possibly manual, possibly auto sync.
Though the battery is giving around 110ah new ATM... So will settle down to 100ah after some cycling.
I think the BMV is set to sync back to 100% when the current incoming is less than 1.0A for 4mins. Via the BMV settings.
We know from above the Battery BMS doesn't log any draw below 1.0A.
And will sleep after 24hrs of no activity below 1A.
But the second battery has lasted all week camping without going to sleep..... Mainly because the load , draw cycling each day....
So that's good ... But the SOC between the Vic Shunt and battery BMS were still out as the battery BMS didn't log the 600mA draw of the LED lights at night.
Makes sense. If you really need a reliable SOC, use an external unit like the BMV I suppose.
- NEW BATTERY & TEST -
RENOGY 12V 100AH SMART LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERY W/ SELF-HEATING FUNCTION
++++
standard version - https://amzn.to/3jd7C1r
Heated version - https://amzn.to/3lOFmnK
10% OFF Renogy kit here --> Various Discounts Go Here:
++++
I've had this battery in stock for a while now. . . . just been too busy to start testing.
but now is the time.
plus as we are entering winter it will be good to start testing the SUB ZERO charging aspects of these batterys.
++++
The Rover charge controller are fully compatible with this battery. If you have any questions regarding this product, please submit a case..
NOTE:
● The normal operation of the self-heating function requires a stable charge current greater than 4A for each battery in the parallel battery bank. The self-heating function will not be able to operate normally if a PWM charge controller or a small current battery charger is used to charge the battery at low temperatures.
● Please secure all cable connections to the proper specification in order to ensure good contact between the cable lugs and the terminals. Over-tightening cable connections can cause terminal breakage and loose cable connections can cause terminal meltdown or fire.
● DO NOT string the battery in series. ONLY connect batteries of the same manufacturer and model in parallel.
● Please avoid too high a voltage difference between paralleled batteries, despite the auto-balancing function, to avoid triggering the over-current protection.
Auto-Balance
++++++++++++++++++++
This is our unit we also go an additional BT2 bluetooth unit so we can use the BT APP :
its the 100ah version WITH internal HEATER - that means it can charge at full rate in SUB ZERO conditions.
Renogy do a standard 100ah version without heater - this can still be used in SUB ZERO temps, its internal BMS will allow outgoing load power . . . . but will BLOCK incoming charge power (down to -20C) . . . . the BMS will then allow full charge power when the battery warms up a bit (over+5C)
..
this is what you get in the box . .
these can be run in parallel if you want more capacity, but cannot be run in series . . . ie 24v bank.
out of the box the battery is 66% SOC and in sleeping / storage state.
the terminals show a monitoring voltage of 5.5v
plugging in the sleep - wake button is voltage drops to 2.9v.
pressing the sleep button wakes up the battery and shows a good 13.36v
plugging in the BT2 dongle gives you access to the Renogy HOME BT APP..
..
with the APP you can read all the data stats from the battery.
ill get this fitted into a mobile battery box and start testing . . .
more to follow.
+++
related info:
.
.
.
.
.
.
RENOGY 12V 100AH SMART LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERY W/ SELF-HEATING FUNCTION
++++
standard version - https://amzn.to/3jd7C1r
Heated version - https://amzn.to/3lOFmnK
10% OFF Renogy kit here --> Various Discounts Go Here:
++++
I've had this battery in stock for a while now. . . . just been too busy to start testing.
but now is the time.
plus as we are entering winter it will be good to start testing the SUB ZERO charging aspects of these batterys.
++++
DESCRIPTION
The Renogy Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery enables the auto-balancing among parallel connections and provides more flexibility for the battery bank configuration. The integrated battery management system (BMS) not only protects the battery from various abnormal conditions but monitors and manages the charging and discharging process. The state-of-the-art battery cells ensures an extended cycle life and exceptional discharge performance. With built-in intelligent self-heating, the battery is rechargeable even in low-temperature conditions. If you’re searching for a deep cycle battery for caravan, cabin, or marine use, then this lightweight, auto-balanced, ultra-safe, long-cycle-life lithium battery is the perfect plug-and-play solution for you!The Rover charge controller are fully compatible with this battery. If you have any questions regarding this product, please submit a case..
NOTE:
● The normal operation of the self-heating function requires a stable charge current greater than 4A for each battery in the parallel battery bank. The self-heating function will not be able to operate normally if a PWM charge controller or a small current battery charger is used to charge the battery at low temperatures.
● Please secure all cable connections to the proper specification in order to ensure good contact between the cable lugs and the terminals. Over-tightening cable connections can cause terminal breakage and loose cable connections can cause terminal meltdown or fire.
● DO NOT string the battery in series. ONLY connect batteries of the same manufacturer and model in parallel.
● Please avoid too high a voltage difference between paralleled batteries, despite the auto-balancing function, to avoid triggering the over-current protection.
Auto-Balance
- Connects multiple batteries in parallel safely with the auto-balancing function to meet the power and energy requirements of different system setups.
- The battery management system (BMS) provides comprehensive protection to the battery and manages the charging and discharging process.
- The state-of-the-art battery cells ensure an exceptional lifespan of more than 4000 cycles (80% DOD), up to 100A continuous discharge current, and a wide range of operating temperatures.
- The communication ports enable the communication between connected batteries, external devices, and host computers.
- The intelligent self-heating feature keeps the battery charged in cold environments.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Rated Capacity: 100Ah | Insulation Resistance: 500V DC, ≥ 10 MΩ |
| Operating Charge Temperature: 32~131°F/ 0~55°C | Maximum Continuous Charging Current: 50 A |
| Operating Discharge Temperature: -4~140°F/ -20~60°C | Maximum Continuous Discharging Current: 100 A |
| Voltage Range: 10~14.8 V | Communication Port: RJ45 (RS485 Protocol) |
| Nominal Voltage: 12.8V | Storage Temperature: -13~149°F/ -25~65°C |
| Connection Method: Parallel | Cycle Life (0.2C, 25℃): ≥4000 Cycles @ 80% DoD |
| Dimensions:11.4 x 6.8 x 7.4 inch / 289 x 172 x 187.5 mm | Weight: 26.2 lbs. / 11.9 kg |
| Certifications: UN38.3, MSDS, UL1642,UKCA，PSE，FCC (Lithium Cell) | |
| Protection Rate: IP54 |
WARRANTY INFORMATION
| Accessories | 5-year prorated warranty |
++++++++++++++++++++
This is our unit we also go an additional BT2 bluetooth unit so we can use the BT APP :
its the 100ah version WITH internal HEATER - that means it can charge at full rate in SUB ZERO conditions.
Renogy do a standard 100ah version without heater - this can still be used in SUB ZERO temps, its internal BMS will allow outgoing load power . . . . but will BLOCK incoming charge power (down to -20C) . . . . the BMS will then allow full charge power when the battery warms up a bit (over+5C)
..
this is what you get in the box . .
these can be run in parallel if you want more capacity, but cannot be run in series . . . ie 24v bank.
out of the box the battery is 66% SOC and in sleeping / storage state.
the terminals show a monitoring voltage of 5.5v
plugging in the sleep - wake button is voltage drops to 2.9v.
pressing the sleep button wakes up the battery and shows a good 13.36v
plugging in the BT2 dongle gives you access to the Renogy HOME BT APP..
..
with the APP you can read all the data stats from the battery.
ill get this fitted into a mobile battery box and start testing . . .
more to follow.
+++
related info:
.
.
.
.
.
.
Last edited:
- NEW BATTERY & TEST -
RENOGY 12V 100AH SMART LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERY W/ SELF-HEATING FUNCTION
Pt2
+++
battery install into battery box and charge up.
size wize its a bit smaller than the Valence.
a bit shorter in height . .
but same width . . .
...
taking the opportunity i added some 10mm dense foam to the base of the box.
the battey drops in perfectly . . .
then terminals covered for safety..
temp monitor velcroed in . .
and BT2 unit connected and velcroed in . . .
we are ready for a test.
connecting the 30A Victron charger we are getting under 20A being pulled at 66% SOC which i wasnt expecting?
i was expecting the full 30A? (like the Poweroad and Valance would draw)
checking the charger settings i see that the default Lifepo4 setting is for 14.2v.
so i created a new Profile called Renogy and set the charge voltage to 14.4v
this raised the current draw from the charger to just under 20A . . . .
im still not sure why the battery is only drawing 20A from a 30A charger?
.
this may have something to do with it . . . .
During the standard charging process, the battery is first charged at a constant current of 20A until the battery voltage reaches 14.4V. Then, the battery is charged at a constant voltage of 14.4V while tapering the charge current
but page 18 in the spec states 50A max cont` charge rate . . . . . so im still not 100% sure yet.
+++++
well monitor the battery as it charges . .
....
Edit:
battery fully charged now.
the charger shows about 34Ah going into the battery.
the charge curve from the Smart shunt looks good.
.
the Renogy APP shows 100% SOC.
.
the Shunt has reset to 100% SOC also.
.
.
looks like we are good and ready for a discharge test.
.
RENOGY 12V 100AH SMART LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERY W/ SELF-HEATING FUNCTION
Pt2
+++
battery install into battery box and charge up.
size wize its a bit smaller than the Valence.
a bit shorter in height . .
but same width . . .
...
taking the opportunity i added some 10mm dense foam to the base of the box.
the battey drops in perfectly . . .
then terminals covered for safety..
temp monitor velcroed in . .
and BT2 unit connected and velcroed in . . .
we are ready for a test.
connecting the 30A Victron charger we are getting under 20A being pulled at 66% SOC which i wasnt expecting?
i was expecting the full 30A? (like the Poweroad and Valance would draw)
checking the charger settings i see that the default Lifepo4 setting is for 14.2v.
so i created a new Profile called Renogy and set the charge voltage to 14.4v
this raised the current draw from the charger to just under 20A . . . .
im still not sure why the battery is only drawing 20A from a 30A charger?
.
this may have something to do with it . . . .
During the standard charging process, the battery is first charged at a constant current of 20A until the battery voltage reaches 14.4V. Then, the battery is charged at a constant voltage of 14.4V while tapering the charge current
but page 18 in the spec states 50A max cont` charge rate . . . . . so im still not 100% sure yet.
+++++
well monitor the battery as it charges . .
....
Edit:
battery fully charged now.
the charger shows about 34Ah going into the battery.
the charge curve from the Smart shunt looks good.
.
the Renogy APP shows 100% SOC.
.
the Shunt has reset to 100% SOC also.
.
.
looks like we are good and ready for a discharge test.
.
Last edited:
Gotta say im feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve . . .
its Winter 2021/2022 and we have finally had some cold weather ( in SE UK / London )
Now its not the six inches of snow i wanted . . . . but its good enough.
The plan is to finally test these Sub-Zero Lithium's and to test what they do when its cold and to prove the manufactures claims.
the forecast is -3DegC over night and a good 0C for the whole morning.
the test begins the previous night,
both battery boxes are left outside . . . but after 3hrs they were still showing warm above 10deg C.
So i decided that the Tool box was insulating them from the cold.
so i opened the boxes . .
jumping out of bed the following day like a kid on Christmas morning i looked out the window to a frosty winters morning . .
just what id been waiting for . . . . for almost a whole year (sure i could empty out the kitchen freezer to do the test . . . but think id have to deal with the world war 3 aftermath).
This what i saw the following day . . .
the battery's were showing a solid 0degc - perfect.
the temp sensors i added to the boxes we having a metldown . . . they were showing -5 degc .
but the button battery cells were showing only 2% charge . . . . those little batteries dont like being cold - thats for sure.
The spec on these and most lithium batterys its that they can be used ie - discharged down to -20 degC,
but
not charged below 5degc. below this point you need to maualy switch off the incoming charge to protect the batterys.
or
the newer Lithium batterys have a feature built into the BMS that will BLOCK incoming charge current, and keep blocking it unit the battery temp rises . . . to say 10degc - at which point the BMS will let the charge into the battery.
So the feature is not a hard switch on/off - its more of a one way street affair, allowing power out of the battery but blocking any incoming power.
++++
these Sub-Zero batteries are slightly different in the fact that they have internal heaters which will warm the battery at temps below 5degc to enable them to charge even at extemely cold temps.
lets see how they perform.
we have the Poweroad LINC INFI 100Ah - 12V 100AH POWEROAD INFINITY SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY WITH BLUETOOTH MONITORING - Alpha Batteries
.
and the Renogy 100Ah w/self heat - 12V 100Ah Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery w/ Self-Heating Function
.
its Winter 2021/2022 and we have finally had some cold weather ( in SE UK / London )
Now its not the six inches of snow i wanted . . . . but its good enough.
The plan is to finally test these Sub-Zero Lithium's and to test what they do when its cold and to prove the manufactures claims.
the forecast is -3DegC over night and a good 0C for the whole morning.
the test begins the previous night,
both battery boxes are left outside . . . but after 3hrs they were still showing warm above 10deg C.
So i decided that the Tool box was insulating them from the cold.
so i opened the boxes . .
jumping out of bed the following day like a kid on Christmas morning i looked out the window to a frosty winters morning . .
just what id been waiting for . . . . for almost a whole year (sure i could empty out the kitchen freezer to do the test . . . but think id have to deal with the world war 3 aftermath).
This what i saw the following day . . .
the battery's were showing a solid 0degc - perfect.
the temp sensors i added to the boxes we having a metldown . . . they were showing -5 degc .
but the button battery cells were showing only 2% charge . . . . those little batteries dont like being cold - thats for sure.
The spec on these and most lithium batterys its that they can be used ie - discharged down to -20 degC,
but
not charged below 5degc. below this point you need to maualy switch off the incoming charge to protect the batterys.
or
the newer Lithium batterys have a feature built into the BMS that will BLOCK incoming charge current, and keep blocking it unit the battery temp rises . . . to say 10degc - at which point the BMS will let the charge into the battery.
So the feature is not a hard switch on/off - its more of a one way street affair, allowing power out of the battery but blocking any incoming power.
++++
these Sub-Zero batteries are slightly different in the fact that they have internal heaters which will warm the battery at temps below 5degc to enable them to charge even at extemely cold temps.
lets see how they perform.
we have the Poweroad LINC INFI 100Ah - 12V 100AH POWEROAD INFINITY SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY WITH BLUETOOTH MONITORING - Alpha Batteries
.
and the Renogy 100Ah w/self heat - 12V 100Ah Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery w/ Self-Heating Function
.
first up is the
Poweroad LINC INFI 100Ah - 12V 100AH POWEROAD INFINITY SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY WITH BLUETOOTH MONITORING - Alpha Batteries
.
how does it work?
How does the hi-tech heating function work on the Infinity PRLC-100-LT ‘Sub Zero’?
The process of heating and charging is automatically controlled by the BMS and the heating element embedded within the battery and takes roughly 40 minutes to change the temperature from -20°C to +5°C. Once the battery temperature reaches +5°C the charging starts immediately and once the temperature rises to +10°C the heating element stops and continues with the charging.
See other benefits below **
.
The spec sheet shows:
discharge allowed down to -20degc - recovery at -15degc.
and charge allowed down to 0degc, then blocked - recovery at +5degc.
further down we can see the heater mentioned . . .
BMS heater on <0degc and off >10degc (off above 10degc)
++++++++++++
we start the test with the BMS readout.
it shows 80% SOC and a temp of 0degc,
the RED alert warning LED is lit warning that the battery is very cold . . .
but no alarm on the BMS panel . . .
the battery was allowing outgoing power and showed a good healthy 13.3v at the terminals . . . even at 0degC !!! (try getting that from an AGM!)
next up was to choose a charger . . .
i went for the Victron IP22 BSC12/30/1 a 30A charger with bluetooth built in - Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 Charger 12/30(1) 230V - BPC123042022 : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive
switching the charger on we get some interesting info . . . .
using the Victron smart shunt inside the battery box - https://amzn.to/3f3TUeO
we can see that the charger is delivering 8A thats going into the battery . . . BUT the battery BMS is showing 0A going in.
this is confirmed by the charger app. . .
we can see that the battery is taking 8.0A from the charger and usinng it to power the internal heater - at this point it is NOT charging the battery.
15mins later thing change . . .
you can see that the battery internal temp has risen from 0degc to 5degc,
at this point the battery has started to draw 13A from the charger . . .
its still taking 8A for the heater.
and the rest . . 6A is now going into charging the battery . .
again confirmed from the charger showing 13A being drawn but the battery.
you can also see the RED warning LED has changed to GREEN showing temps are now in range.
.
This process continues until the battery's internal temp reaches 10degC . . .
at which point the heater is switched off. . . you can see the change in current drawn by the smart-shunt.
its stop drawing the 8A for the heater . . . plus the 6A charge for the battery . . .
it moves over to allow the battery full charge current . .
here you can see it settles to around 10A - this is due to the battery being 80% SOC do has diminishing current draw as the battery voltage increases proportionately.
again confirmed on the charger . . .
.
here we can see the thermals for the process . .
the battery shows a marked temp increase.
the box and surrounding area is still cold . .
the charger done a great job . . .
.
The final result:
battery nice and healthy and above 10degC . . and charging at full rate.
the full heater and charge curve can be seen here . .
conclusion:
The battery does exactly what it says on the tin.
it discharges well in the cold.
it blocks incoming charge power when its to cold.
it will use 8A of incoming charge current to warm itself up - it wont use its own internal power to do this.
with the 8A it took about 30mins to warm.
when warmed up the heater is switched off.
+++
what i don't test was what happens when we have less that 8A available to run the heater . . . . say just 2A - 4A from a MPPT solar system?
id assume that it still work the same, just take much longer to warm up.
END.
next up is the Renogy
Poweroad LINC INFI 100Ah - 12V 100AH POWEROAD INFINITY SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY WITH BLUETOOTH MONITORING - Alpha Batteries
.
how does it work?
How does the hi-tech heating function work on the Infinity PRLC-100-LT ‘Sub Zero’?
The process of heating and charging is automatically controlled by the BMS and the heating element embedded within the battery and takes roughly 40 minutes to change the temperature from -20°C to +5°C. Once the battery temperature reaches +5°C the charging starts immediately and once the temperature rises to +10°C the heating element stops and continues with the charging.
See other benefits below **
.
The spec sheet shows:
discharge allowed down to -20degc - recovery at -15degc.
and charge allowed down to 0degc, then blocked - recovery at +5degc.
further down we can see the heater mentioned . . .
BMS heater on <0degc and off >10degc (off above 10degc)
++++++++++++
we start the test with the BMS readout.
it shows 80% SOC and a temp of 0degc,
the RED alert warning LED is lit warning that the battery is very cold . . .
but no alarm on the BMS panel . . .
the battery was allowing outgoing power and showed a good healthy 13.3v at the terminals . . . even at 0degC !!! (try getting that from an AGM!)
next up was to choose a charger . . .
i went for the Victron IP22 BSC12/30/1 a 30A charger with bluetooth built in - Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 Charger 12/30(1) 230V - BPC123042022 : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive
switching the charger on we get some interesting info . . . .
using the Victron smart shunt inside the battery box - https://amzn.to/3f3TUeO
we can see that the charger is delivering 8A thats going into the battery . . . BUT the battery BMS is showing 0A going in.
this is confirmed by the charger app. . .
we can see that the battery is taking 8.0A from the charger and usinng it to power the internal heater - at this point it is NOT charging the battery.
15mins later thing change . . .
you can see that the battery internal temp has risen from 0degc to 5degc,
at this point the battery has started to draw 13A from the charger . . .
its still taking 8A for the heater.
and the rest . . 6A is now going into charging the battery . .
again confirmed from the charger showing 13A being drawn but the battery.
you can also see the RED warning LED has changed to GREEN showing temps are now in range.
.
This process continues until the battery's internal temp reaches 10degC . . .
at which point the heater is switched off. . . you can see the change in current drawn by the smart-shunt.
its stop drawing the 8A for the heater . . . plus the 6A charge for the battery . . .
it moves over to allow the battery full charge current . .
here you can see it settles to around 10A - this is due to the battery being 80% SOC do has diminishing current draw as the battery voltage increases proportionately.
again confirmed on the charger . . .
.
here we can see the thermals for the process . .
the battery shows a marked temp increase.
the box and surrounding area is still cold . .
the charger done a great job . . .
.
The final result:
battery nice and healthy and above 10degC . . and charging at full rate.
the full heater and charge curve can be seen here . .
conclusion:
The battery does exactly what it says on the tin.
it discharges well in the cold.
it blocks incoming charge power when its to cold.
it will use 8A of incoming charge current to warm itself up - it wont use its own internal power to do this.
with the 8A it took about 30mins to warm.
when warmed up the heater is switched off.
+++
what i don't test was what happens when we have less that 8A available to run the heater . . . . say just 2A - 4A from a MPPT solar system?
id assume that it still work the same, just take much longer to warm up.
END.
next up is the Renogy
G8gs
T5.1
nice work !first up is the
Poweroad LINC INFI 100Ah - 12V 100AH POWEROAD INFINITY SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY WITH BLUETOOTH MONITORING - Alpha Batteries
.
how does it work?
How does the hi-tech heating function work on the Infinity PRLC-100-LT ‘Sub Zero’?
The process of heating and charging is automatically controlled by the BMS and the heating element embedded within the battery and takes roughly 40 minutes to change the temperature from -20°C to +5°C. Once the battery temperature reaches +5°C the charging starts immediately and once the temperature rises to +10°C the heating element stops and continues with the charging.
See other benefits below **
.
The spec sheet shows:
discharge allowed down to -20degc - recovery at -15degc.
and charge allowed down to 0degc, then blocked - recovery at +5degc.
View attachment 140945
further down we can see the heater mentioned . . .
BMS heater on <0degc and off >10degc (off above 10degc)
View attachment 140946
++++++++++++
we start the test with the BMS readout.
it shows 80% SOC and a temp of 0degc,
View attachment 140947View attachment 140948
the RED alert warning LED is lit warning that the battery is very cold . . .
but no alarm on the BMS panel . . .
View attachment 140949
the battery was allowing outgoing power and showed a good healthy 13.3v at the terminals . . . even at 0degC !!! (try getting that from an AGM!)
next up was to choose a charger . . .
i went for the Victron IP22 BSC12/30/1 a 30A charger with bluetooth built in - Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 Charger 12/30(1) 230V - BPC123042022 : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive
View attachment 140950
switching the charger on we get some interesting info . . . .
using the Victron smart shunt inside the battery box - https://amzn.to/3f3TUeO
we can see that the charger is delivering 8A thats going into the battery . . . BUT the battery BMS is showing 0A going in.
View attachment 140951
this is confirmed by the charger app. . .
View attachment 140952
we can see that the battery is taking 8.0A from the charger and usinng it to power the internal heater - at this point it is NOT charging the battery.
15mins later thing change . . .
you can see that the battery internal temp has risen from 0degc to 5degc,
at this point the battery has started to draw 13A from the charger . . .
its still taking 8A for the heater.
and the rest . . 6A is now going into charging the battery . .
View attachment 140953
again confirmed from the charger showing 13A being drawn but the battery.
View attachment 140954
you can also see the RED warning LED has changed to GREEN showing temps are now in range.
View attachment 140955
.
This process continues until the battery's internal temp reaches 10degC . . .
at which point the heater is switched off. . . you can see the change in current drawn by the smart-shunt.
its stop drawing the 8A for the heater . . . plus the 6A charge for the battery . . .
it moves over to allow the battery full charge current . .
here you can see it settles to around 10A - this is due to the battery being 80% SOC do has diminishing current draw as the battery voltage increases proportionately.
View attachment 140956
again confirmed on the charger . . .
View attachment 140957
.
here we can see the thermals for the process . .
the battery shows a marked temp increase.
View attachment 140958
the box and surrounding area is still cold . .
View attachment 140959
the charger done a great job . . .
View attachment 140960
.
The final result:
battery nice and healthy and above 10degC . . and charging at full rate.
View attachment 140961
the full heater and charge curve can be seen here . .
View attachment 140962
View attachment 140963
conclusion:
The battery does exactly what it says on the tin.
it discharges well in the cold.
it blocks incoming charge power when its to cold.
it will use 8A of incoming charge current to warm itself up - it wont use its own internal power to do this.
with the 8A it took about 30mins to warm.
when warmed up the heater is switched off.
+++
what i don't test was what happens when we have less that 8A available to run the heater . . . . say just 2A - 4A from a MPPT solar system?
id assume that it still work the same, just take much longer to warm up.
END.
next up is the Renogy
i got email from Poweroad confirming views things regarding this if you want a look… i can’t post pics
Next up is the Renogy 100Ah W/Heater version
uk.renogy.com
.
here's the battery before connecting to the charger . .
.
The APP on the phone shows the BMS data.
to connect the APP to the battery you need the BT-2 Bluetooth dongle. - BT-2 Bluetooth Module for Renogy Products w/ RS485 Port
or you can get a separate stand alone screen. i have the BT-2
you can see the APP has flagged a warning for low battery temp. PROTECTION.
the BMS shows the battery at 0degc. - 78% SOC, 13.0v
start test @ 1000hrs . .
its nice and frosty . . .
connecting the 30A Victron charger we get a steady 3.4A being draw by the battery.
again this is not being shown in the BMS as charging the battery . . . . so the 3.4A is being used by the internal heater . .
The BMS has blocked any incoming charge current to protect the battery, due to it being too cold internally.
15mins later we still have the same situation. . . . 3.4A being drawn by the battery for the heater.
then at about 30mins things changed. . . .
the charger showed 9.1A being drawn by the battery.
the battery BMS was showing 6.0A being used for charging, - so it had now remove the charging block and was allowing charging at a reduced rate.
but the Victron shunt was showing 9.2A meaning that the heater was still drawing abound 3A or so. . . .
the battery temp had risen to around 4/5degc. and the BMS was letting the battery take a charge.
the warning had also changed from low temp PROTECTION (charge blocked) to low temp WARNING (charge allowed) .
the reading was confirmed by looking at the charger output . . .
..........
at around 10degc internal battery temp the red warning bar disappeared from the APP screen.
but you can see the heater is still drawing power. . . . @ 1045hrs
.
by 1050hrs we had finally reached above 10degc internal battery temp and the BMS had turned off the heater.
you can see the response on the shunt readout,
the BMS APP is now showing the full 7.6A being drawn is going into charging the battery, with now power going to the heater.
these are the thermals . . .
at this point we can see the current start to drop as the battery reaches a higher SOC . .
Test End:
Conclusion.
The battery worked in a similar way to the Poweroad,
using the charger to run the heater to warm the battery, and not using its own power to warm itself.
The Renogy APP was more detailed in regards to letting us know what was going on, with the warning and protection details.
The Renogy heater was drawing around 4A (3.4A) and took a lot longer to warm itself - compared to the Poweroad,
The BMS allowed a small charge when the temp rose to 5degc then allowed full rate charge above 10degc.
This is a great Lifepo4 battery, and if you find yourself camping out in the Alps and find yourself in some -15degc temps then these are the batteries for you.
The next question is how will you charge them whilst out camping?
a DC_DC charger and Solar seems the obvious choice . . . .
....
End.
.
12V 100Ah Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery w/ Self-Heating Function
The Renogy Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery enables auto-balancing between parallel connections and provides more flexibility for the battery bank configuration. The integrated battery management system (BMS) not only protects the battery from various abnormal conditions but monitors and...
uk.renogy.com
.
here's the battery before connecting to the charger . .
.
The APP on the phone shows the BMS data.
to connect the APP to the battery you need the BT-2 Bluetooth dongle. - BT-2 Bluetooth Module for Renogy Products w/ RS485 Port
or you can get a separate stand alone screen. i have the BT-2
you can see the APP has flagged a warning for low battery temp. PROTECTION.
the BMS shows the battery at 0degc. - 78% SOC, 13.0v
start test @ 1000hrs . .
its nice and frosty . . .
connecting the 30A Victron charger we get a steady 3.4A being draw by the battery.
again this is not being shown in the BMS as charging the battery . . . . so the 3.4A is being used by the internal heater . .
The BMS has blocked any incoming charge current to protect the battery, due to it being too cold internally.
15mins later we still have the same situation. . . . 3.4A being drawn by the battery for the heater.
then at about 30mins things changed. . . .
the charger showed 9.1A being drawn by the battery.
the battery BMS was showing 6.0A being used for charging, - so it had now remove the charging block and was allowing charging at a reduced rate.
but the Victron shunt was showing 9.2A meaning that the heater was still drawing abound 3A or so. . . .
the battery temp had risen to around 4/5degc. and the BMS was letting the battery take a charge.
the warning had also changed from low temp PROTECTION (charge blocked) to low temp WARNING (charge allowed) .
the reading was confirmed by looking at the charger output . . .
..........
at around 10degc internal battery temp the red warning bar disappeared from the APP screen.
but you can see the heater is still drawing power. . . . @ 1045hrs
.
by 1050hrs we had finally reached above 10degc internal battery temp and the BMS had turned off the heater.
you can see the response on the shunt readout,
the BMS APP is now showing the full 7.6A being drawn is going into charging the battery, with now power going to the heater.
these are the thermals . . .
at this point we can see the current start to drop as the battery reaches a higher SOC . .
Test End:
Conclusion.
The battery worked in a similar way to the Poweroad,
using the charger to run the heater to warm the battery, and not using its own power to warm itself.
The Renogy APP was more detailed in regards to letting us know what was going on, with the warning and protection details.
The Renogy heater was drawing around 4A (3.4A) and took a lot longer to warm itself - compared to the Poweroad,
The BMS allowed a small charge when the temp rose to 5degc then allowed full rate charge above 10degc.
This is a great Lifepo4 battery, and if you find yourself camping out in the Alps and find yourself in some -15degc temps then these are the batteries for you.
The next question is how will you charge them whilst out camping?
a DC_DC charger and Solar seems the obvious choice . . . .
....
End.
.
superb . . .
did you get the W/Heater (low temp) version? - RBT100LFP12SH-UK
or
standard non-heater version? - RBT100LFP12S
Last edited:
standard version then . . - 12V 100Ah Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery
This battery still has Low Temp protection - it will block incoming charge until the temperature warms.
it can still be discharged down to -20degc.
so if it gets really cold when your out camping you just need to turn on the vans heater for a while to warm things up a bit. . .
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