Understanding Your Battery: Terms To Know
To make sure you have enough energy to satisfy your energy objectives, choose the appropriate kind and quantity of batteries for your application. The deep cycle batteries that will be the subject of this article are designed for situations where endurance is essential. Providing electricity for boats, campers, electric cars, and pleasure vehicles are examples of common deep cycle uses. We'll utilise our RB100 lithium deep cycle battery as an example in the following. One of our most well-liked batteries, it may be used in a variety of deep-cycle applications.
Chemistry
Numerous electrochemical cells make up batteries. There are a number of prevalent chemistries, including lead-acid and lithium. The wet flooded type, sealed Gel type, and AGM type of lead-acid batteries have all been present since the late 1800s. Lead-acid batteries are bulky, less powerful than lithium batteries, have a shorter lifespan, and are vulnerable to damage from poor maintenance. Lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4), in contrast, weigh roughly half as much as lead-acid batteries but have a longer lifespan and don't need to be maintained.
Voltage
A volt is a measurement of electromotive force or electric potential. The working range of BENWEI lithium iron phosphate batteries is between 2.5 and 3.65 volts per cell. Voltage decreases as they discharge, going from 3.65 volts when full to 2.5 volts when empty. Because it is the mid-point or typical operating voltage, the nominal voltage for lithium iron phosphate batteries is 3.2 volts per cell. The RB100 has a total nominal voltage of 12.8V and is made up of four banks of 3.2V cells linked in series. Because operating voltages for various battery chemistries range significantly from one another, voltage is often stated as 12 volts rather than 12.8 volts in general.
Amp
Electric current, or the number of electrons passing across a circuit, is measured in amps.
Watt hour
Amp-hours, which represent the amount of current a battery can supply for a certain period of time, are one approach to assess capacity. One amp hour is equivalent to drawing one amp of current for one hour. Due to the RB100's 100-amp hour capacity, you may calculate its anticipated runtime to 100% depth of discharge by dividing it by the amp load of the DC devices you want to power. For instance, the 100Ah capacity will last around 20 hours while powering a 5-amp load, 10 amps when powering a load, etc. No matter how fast or slowly you remove it, BENWEI lithium batteries provide their stated capacity. As opposed to a lead-acid battery, which, depending on how rapidly it is depleted, might have its entire capacity decreased by up to 30–40%.
Watts
Power is measured in watts, which may be created or consumed. Volts x Amps equal Watts.
Power Hour
Energy storage is measured in watt-hours. Watt Hours = Volts x Amp Hours. Another unit of measurement for the energy a battery can store is the watt-hour. The nominal voltage times the capacity equals watt-hours. The RB100 battery has a 1280 watt-hour capacity (12.8 volts multiplied by 100 amp-hours equals 1280 watt-hours). The majority of electronic devices are rated in watt-hours, therefore to determine how long a battery may last, divide the battery's energy in watt-hours by the total of the watt-hour ratings of all the devices you want to power. This method is similar to measuring amp-hour capacity.
Visit our Lithium Battery Selector Tool to find out more about determining your energy requirements and selecting the best battery for your needs.
BMS, or battery management system
All of BENWEI's batteries come with an inbuilt BMS that guards against situations that might be harmful. Over-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, over-temperature, short circuit, and cell imbalance are among the problems the BMS keeps an eye on. In the case of any of these occurrences, the BMS will cut the battery off from the circuit.
It will be easier for you to size your battery bank and choose the best battery for your purposes if you are familiar with this language. Please don't hesitate to contact, write, or message us on social media if you have any questions.
