Tue. Nov 12th, 2024

Introduction

Lithium cells with LiFePO4 chemistry have grown in popularity in recent years for a variety of uses due to the chemistry’s high reliability and extended lifespan. If properly taken care of, they can endure up to ten years. Taking the time to read these guidelines will help you get the most out of your battery purchase.

Avoid overcharging and undercharging your battery!

Overcharging and over-discharging are the most common reasons for the premature failure of LiFePO4 battery. Damage to the cell can occur even if it is done once, and the guarantee is voided if the cell is misused. Battery protection systems ensure that no cell in your pack exceeds its nominal operating voltage range.

If the overcharging continues for a significant amount of time without being stopped, it could start a fire. Damages resulting from a battery fire are not the responsibility of EV Works.

Before installation, clean your terminals.

An oxide layer forms on the aluminum and copper battery terminals over time due to exposure to air. Before you attach your cell interconnectors and BMS modules, you should use a wire brush to remove any oxidation that may have built up on the battery connections. These should be cleaned as well if using bare copper cell interconnectors. Conduction and terminal heat buildup will be considerably improved and reduced, respectively, by removing the oxide layer. When heat builds up on terminals because of inadequate conduction, the plastic around the terminals melts, resulting in BMS modules being damaged.

Use proper terminal mounting hardware

20mm long bolts are recommended for Winston cells with M8 terminals (90Ah and higher). 15mm bolts should be used with cells with M6 terminals (less than 60Ah). Make sure that the bolts will not contact the bottom of the hole by measuring the thread depth in your cells. An interconnector and a flat washer should be placed in that order, with the spring washer being at the very top.

After the installation has been complete for about a week, check to see that each of the terminal bolts is still securely fastened. If your terminal nuts are too loose, your electric vehicle will lose power and overheat because of high resistance connections.

Make regular, short-cycle charges.

Avoiding very deep discharges extends the life of lithium batteries. We recommend a maximum DoD (Depth of Discharge) of 70% to 80%, except in the case of an emergency.

Swelling of the Cells

Over-discharged cells are the only ones that will cause swelling. Cells that swell are not necessarily useless, but their capability will be reduced as a result of the swelling.