If you are just looking for a simple, direct answer, please skip to the conclusion. If you want to learn more about LiFePO4 battery, or if you are a professional, please continue reading.
The Charge Voltage
The nominal voltage of one single LiFePO4 battery cell is 3.2V, and the charge voltage range is 3.50-3.65V. Note that the charge voltage cannot be higher than 3.65V, as lithium battery cells are sensitive to over voltage and over current. Please note, lithium battery has different types such as NMC, LiFePO4, and others. Here we only talk about LiFePO4 battery cells.
Over-voltage can easily cause degradation of the battery cells and performance, inflation, and even damage. So, a BMS with protection is always built-in lithium battery packs.
For the 12.8V MonoBlock Battery, the recommended charge voltage is 14.4V. If the charger’s output is not adjustable, or not that accurate, 14.0V-14.6V is acceptable.
For different voltages of LiFePO4 battery packs or systems, please refer to the following table.
| Best Charge Voltage | Charge Voltage Range | |
| 12V(12.8V) | 14.4V | 14.0V~14.6V |
| 24V(25.6V) | 28.8V | 28.0V~29.2V |
| 36V(38.4V) | 43.2V | 42.0V~43.8V |
| 48V(15S)(48V) | 54.0V | 52.5V~54.7V |
| 48V(16S)(51.2V) | 57.6V | 56.0V~58.4V |
Unlike lead-acid batteries, they need to be fully charged every day to keep the active material from sulfation. LiFePO4 battery does not need to be fully charged, so trickle charge and float charge are not necessary.
LiFePO4 batteries only require two stages of charge, including constant current charge and constant voltage charge, which is also called bulk charge and absorption charge.
The best discharge range for LiFePO4 is 10%-90% SOC, and since the current cycle life of LiFePO4 cells reaches 6000 cycles, 5% SOC-95% is actually good enough.
Can my existing charger charge LiFePO4 batteries?
Below are a few easy steps to check if your existing charger can charge LiFePO4 batteries.
First, check if there is a repair or desulfuration function. This function generally uses a high pulse surge current.
Extreme large instant surge current will cause the LiFePO4 battery BMS to damage, or even the internal cells to inflation and damage, do not use it. Please leave it alone.
Second, check if there is a battery voltage detection function.
The LiFePO4 battery’s voltage is detected as 0V after the discharge protection is triggered. So the charger will not charge this battery at all. Try to turn off this function, or change to another charger without battery voltage detection, but charge the battery directly.
Third, check the charger if it is in good condition, and insulated.
Check the manual or instructions to clarify the output voltage and max current. However, many chargers do not clearly indicate the exact output voltage, only a simple 12V or 48V, etc… In this case, we will need a voltmeter to measure it.
Charge in different scenarios
AC to DC Charger
This part is similar to the above existing chargers mentioned.
Besides of the direct battery charger, there are also chargers that connect to low-speed vehicles or machinery. Such as golf carts, sightseeing carts, patrol cars, cleaning machines, electric bikes, and other types of equipment.
There is not much difference, only the connector will be in a different standard.
Same steps, check if there is repair or desulfuration function, check if it has battery voltage detection function, check if it is in good conditions and insulated, and check the max output voltage and current.
Solar Systems, Charge Controller
The original charge controller is similar to a lead-acid battery charger, generally designed for a 3-step charge process, constant current, constant voltage, and float charge.
LiFePO4 battery requires only 2 steps, charge voltage is recommended to be set to 14.40V (3.60V per cell).
If you have to set float voltage, please set it to 13.60V (3.40V per cell). Please refer to the table below for recommended voltages and ranges:
| Best Charge Voltage | Float Charge Voltage | |
| 12V(12.8V) | 14.4V | 13.6V |
| 24V(25.6V) | 28.8V | 27.2V |
| 36V(38.4V) | 43.2V | 40.8V |
| 48V(15S)(48V) | 54.0V | 51.0V |
| 48V(16S)(51.2V) | 57.6V | 54.4V |
Now a lot of people are switching old lead acid battery systems to LiFePO4 batteries.
If you are using a 12/24V battery bank, MonoBlock LiFePO4 battery can be a good option.
But if for 48V or higher solar system, it is better to choose smart batteries, such as Residential Powerwall, which can communicate with the inverter via RS485 or CAN ports.
Then the battery conditions will be monitored and optimized for a longer lifespan.
And if you are looking to build a large battery bank over 50kWh, Rack Mounted LiFePO4 battery is recommended.
Alternator to Charge
The alternator is able to charge LiFePO4 battery. But unlike lead-acid batteries, LiFePO4 battery has a very small internal resistance, which can draw too high the charge current and make the alternator overheat, smoke, and even burn.
You would need to add a DC to DC converter to limit the current.
Additionally, when a LiFePO4 battery reaches charge protection voltage, the BMS will close the circuit and creates a high voltage spike. This is also harmful to the battery.
For more details, please check out the following video from Victron:
Charge in Parallel
Take care of the charge current.
For example, if 2 units of 12.8V100Ah batteries are connected in parallel, the max charge current of one single battery is 50A.
If charging at 50A, then both the two batteries will be fully charged.
If charging at 100A, one of the batteries will be fully charged first. Then this battery will close the circuit because it reaches the charge voltage protection.
In this case, the 100A charge current will be put directly on the other circuit, which will cause the other battery to be disconnected due to charge over current. And the second battery is possibly not fully charged.
The recommended charge current should be lower than the charge limit for one single battery, i.e. 50A. In this case, even if one battery is disconnected, the other battery can continue to charge.
The same advice applies to discharge.
The BAD and BEST connections
Since the internal resistance of the LiFePO4 battery is extremely small, less than 20 mΩ, the resistance of the cables will affect the total resistance of each circuit. The higher the resistance, the lower the current.
Therefore, we need to ensure that the resistance of each individual circuit connected in parallel is similar.
- Make sure that all cables and connectors are of the same length and size to ensure the internal connections are of the same resistance.
- As shown in the figure, the connection shown in BAD, the positive and negative terminals of the charge side are on the same battery. This connection results in the biggest difference in circuit resistance and therefore the biggest difference in current, not recommended.
In the “Good” connection, the circuits are similar in resistance, either charge or discharge. It chooses positive and negative terminals from the different sides of the battery.
This way, each circuit goes through 3 cables with similar resistance values. The current is similar. It is recommended to use this connection for parallel connection of up to 4 batteries, more batteries in parallel will increase the current difference.
The “BETTER” connection, more complicated, basically ensures that all currents are equal. But only works for an even number of batteries connected in parallel.
The “BEST” connection, using the BUSBAR. The resistance of the BUSBAR is very small, but again, the two terminals of the CHARGE are selected with two different ends of the Busbar.
Here for the smart batteries with inter-battery communication. Even they can communicate to balance the currents, it is still better to connect with BUSBARS if several battery units are in parallel.
Charge in Series
Before connecting each battery in series, make sure the voltage difference is within 50mV, i.e. 0.05V.
One of the batteries in a series circuit will cut off the entire circuit when it reaches the protection voltage, so it is important to equalize the batteries.
Regular balancing between batteries is important. Just like lead-acid batteries, balancing enables the batteries to work at better performance and longer lifetime. It is recommended to do the balance once in a few months.
Battery Meter
Battery meters can directly display the battery voltage, current, SOC, and other status. So that you can know the battery working conditions directly.
External Battery Meter and internal Battery Meter
Some batteries are built with internal current detection devices and the figures can be output to an external LCD.
For those batteries without an internal current sampler, an external battery meter is also an option.
The difference between current meter and voltage meter
The voltage-based battery meter does not really work for LiFePO4 batteries, because its discharge curve is too flat, at 3.2V/Cell most of the time.
Current and time-based battery meters can accurately calculate the amount of energy discharged and charged. As long as the benchmark is set, the SOC display will be accurate.
Charge below 0℃
Self-heating battery is heating up the cell pack with the internal heating film, making it reach above 5℃. Then it will be good for charging.
Generally, the energy source required to heat the battery is set to be from the charge current. For some special applications, it can also be set to be from the battery.
LiFePO4 Battery Storage
It is best to store LiFePO4 battery at around 50% SOC. If there is a battery switch, it is recommended to turn off the charge/discharge switch to avoid accidental short circuit.
Conclusion
- * For 12V(12.8V) LiFePO4 battery, the recommended charge voltage is 14.4V, 14.0~14.6V charger is also accepted. 24V, 36V, 48V batteries or systems are multiplied by 2,3,4 times. That is 28.8V(28.0V~29.2V), 43.2V(42.0V~43.8V), 57.6V(56.0V~58.4V).
- * For existing chargers, check whether there is a repair (desulfuration) function, check whether there is a battery voltage detection function, if either is available, it can NOT be used.
- Check if the existing charger is in good condition and insulated, check the max output voltage and current, and if they are within the recommended and allowed range of the battery, it is OK to use.
- * If connected in parallel, ensure that all internal cables and connectors are the same and avoid “BAD” connection.
- * If connected in series, it is quite important to keep the batteries balanced.
75 Responses
Hello Andy!
An advice please!
If I have a LFP of ~12V 6Ah, can I charge it with 0.3A without problems?
The same battery bellow zero degrees, has to be heated, but I think 0.3A will not be enough, right?
Hi Vio,
0.3A to 6Ah is only 0.05C, it is totally fine to charge the battery.
If below 0 ℃, the current may be enough to heat it up, depending on how much low the temperature is.
Andy
Hi Andy
How do i set a charge level of max 90% in reality? E.g. victron 75/15 or similar dont support this as far as i understand. Lowering the charge voltage seems not to be the right way as mentioned here:
https://community.victronenergy.com/idea/149175/configurable-maximum-soc-in-dvccess-controled-syst.html
https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/151813/max-soc-limit-setting-in-ess-is-very-necessary.html
I honestly dont find any useful information on this after hours of searching. I mean so many battery providers mention higher cycles at DoD 80%, as well as in many articles, but so far no hint on how this will be setup in practice. Can you help me here pleaseplease?!
Hi Kevin,
If the inverter or charge controller doesn’t have this SOC limit function, then charge voltage can help.
Charge voltage at around 3.50 per cell, for example, 56.0V for 51.2V battery pack. It will be charged to around 90%, but not that accurate.
The recommended charge voltage is 3.60V per cell and 57.6V for 51.2V battery packs.
The key point is, it is not necessary to charge the battery to 100% full.
In theory, 10% to 90% is the best range of LiFePO4 battery.
But in my mind, 5% to 95% is already good enough.
Anyway, if you really want to set a 90% SOC limit, I think you can find a proper charge voltage.
Wish it answers your question.
Andy
Hello Andy!
If I have a LFP of ~12V 10Ah, can I charge it with 5A without problems?
I want to know how many volt and currents would be perfect for this.
Hello Opi,
5A will be fine for most conditions, it is 0.5C for your 12V10Ah battery.
But you will also need to check your BMS settings about the max current.
If your nominal voltage is 12.8V, with 4 cells in series, the recommended charge voltage is 14.4V.
Andy
Hi Andy …
I do having battery pack which is 24V/400Ah LIFEPO4 8 cell system. But each cell voltages bit difference and as below. Cell 1 = 3.362 ,Cell 2 = 3.385 ,Cell 3 = 3.402 ,Cell 4 = 3.357 ,Cell 5= 3.404 ,Cell 6= 3.354 ,Cell 7 = 3.402 , & Cell 8 = 3.404.
Charging parameters left at inverter as 01. Bulk Charging voltage = 28.4V 02. Floating Charge voltage = 27.2V, Maximum Total Charge current = 40A, Maximum Utility charge current = 10A. (Battery gets charge va inverter only utility and no PV connected)
Please help me how to get equalize my cells.
Battery Pack Details
Voltage & Capacity
01. Nominal Voltage = 25.6V
02. Nominal Capacity = 400Ah
03. Nominal Energy = 10240Wh
Discharge & Charge
01. Max. Cont. Discharge Current = 100A
02. End of Discharge Voltage = 20V
03. Maximum charge Voltage = 29.2V
04. Maximum charge current = 50A
05. Charge method = CC/CV
PRODUCT NAME = TAICO
Shenzhen Taico Technology Co., Ltd.
Contact name:
Melody Zhu
Registered company address:
CN,Guangdong,Shenzhen,1035, 1036, 1038 Dongming Building, Minkang Road, Zhangkeng Community, Minzhi Street
Company tel:
85-0755-29822748
Company email:
taico1036@aliyun.com
THEY NOT HELPING ME TO RECTYFY ISSUE. STILL BATTERY UNDER WARRENTY.
Hi Rohitha,
To balance the cells in a pack, the first way is to charge the battery cell one by one. Charge the 1st cell separately to 3.60 or even 3.65V, then the next one.
The second way is, charge the whole pack at voltage of 28.0V, making sure there is no cell reaching the over-voltage protection.
Hold at this charge state with very little current such as 100mA, the BMS balance function will make it balance at 3.5V.
If there one cell reaches the voltage limit, lower the charge voltage.
After that, if you want the cells to balance at 3.60V, raise the voltage to 28.8V with very little current.
Both methods require tools, if it does not affect much on your use, the balancing is not quite necessary.
The BMS balance function will make the cells rebalanced again after a few weeks.
Andy
Hi Any many thanks to your valued reply .It was really helpful.
Hi Andy …
Many thanks to reply above.
I’m charging my above LFEPO4 (24V/400Ah) battery pack using inverter. the battery charging settings of inverter left as follow…
1 Maximum Utility charge current – 10A
2 Battery equalization voltage – kept Disable
3 Bulk Charging voltage – 28.8V
4 Battery equalization interval – kept Disable
5 Battery equalized time-out – kept Disable
6 Floating Charge Voltage – 27.2V
Can you please confirm above setting will ok or not.
Hi Rohitha,
The setting is good for use.
If you want to make the cells balanced, lower the charge voltage to 28.0V, and current 100mA.
You are reading the cell voltages, is the pack with Bluetooth?
Andy
Hello, Andy. I have pattery pack 51.2v * 100Ah (2P16S). In the manual i see charging current 57,6v. I didnt see floating voltage. Is the floating voltage 55,2v or 56,0v better? And battery have 43,2v turn off.
Hi Greg,
57.6V as charge voltage is good, if you do have to set the float voltage, it can be 51.2V ~ 53.6V.
Protection of low end voltage 43.2V is good.
Andy
Best way to balance lithium battery packs is to do a low discharge rate balancing. Run some led lights for a while. Once cells are balanced. Charge
If battery doesn’t charge in a balanced fashion switch brands. Poor on board BMS you will never have balanced batteries and problems will only get worse. Once cells get too out of balance they won’t charge. Assuming you are using a battery that doesn’t give you the option to charge cells individually
Battery cell balance only happens when the voltage difference is over 20mV.
Open charge balance, with minor current, charge to 3.50 per cell slowly.
Higher voltage will lead to one battery cell hitting the cell voltage limit first.
This is called the “Top Balance”, but it is not necessary for most of the battery packs now.
The battery cells are balanced before assembling.
But if you assemble the battery cells by yourself, of course, it is necessary.
Andy
Hai, i have 12v 50Ah battery, can i charge with 25Amp charger or should i just use 10Amp charger .
Hi Faiez,
In most conditions, 25A (0.5C) charging is fine.
But still, it is better to check with your supplier about the max charge current.
Andy
Hi Andy. Thank you for sharing your experience. I have 8 (Epcom Power Line RLB100-48) 48V 100Ah server rack batteries, split into 2 racks of 4. They are going into a Sol-Ark 15K which has 2 Battery inputs.
I got everything hooked up except for the Solar Panels – which will happen soon. I am grid tied.
Of my 2 banks of batteries, 1 battery in each rack is discharging pretty rapidly, while the other 3 are charging.
What could be causing this?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Ed,
That is quite an unexpected condition…
How much SOC do you set to discharge from the grid but not from the battery?
And how do you connect the batteries in parallel?
Andy
Thanks for the response. I have 4 batteries connected to a single + bus bar and a single – bus bar connected to the Battery 1 input on the Sola-Ark 15k. I replicate this exactly for the 2nd input on the Sol-Ark.
I’m using the default settings for the SOC. I will see if there is an anomaly with those when I get a chance.
Thanks again
Hi Ed,
Since you are using a busbar, the balance between the paralleled batteries should be good.
It is really weird that the batteries are not in the same charge/discharge condition.
Can you take a photo or screenshot when this condition appears?
Andy
Good day Andy – i am a newbie – just want to ask what could be wrong with my system if my SOC is 100% and i put a kettle on (when its on battery mode) no solar or grid – the SOC drops to under 10 % –
can you help me – my battery is a Cyclone C5 5kv 16 cells
Hi Quinton,
It is possible the SOC is not right.
How much power is your kettle? For high power discharge, the battery voltage can drop instantly.
Like LiFePO4 battery, full SOC, it can drop from 3.50V to 3.30V per cell.
But the SOC of course will not be under 10%…
How do you set the battery in your inverter? You may contact your battery supplier to see what is the problem.
Andy
Good day to you Andy , I have lifepo4 battery 12v and its charger rating is SAKO LiFePO4 Battery Charger MODEL CHG-1405 INPUT AC100V-240V-2.0A MAX 47-63Hz
OUTPUT:14.6V 5.0A
The Charger got spoit and I could not get the type of charger that came with it .
What other charger can you recommend for me to be able to charge the battery back to normal?
Hello Francis,
You may get a charger online, ensure the output voltage is within 14.0V-14.6V, and the current is under your battery’s max current.
Andy
Hello Andy – I have four 12 volt LifePO4e batteries connected in series for a 48 volt electric outboard motor that is required to operate on our electric only lake. I have a 48 volt LifePO4e charger that is ADJUSTABLE and can charge up to 15 amps.
I have noticed that if I charge each 12 volt battery to the maximum cutoff voltage of 14.6 volts that the internal BMS of each battery will allow, the electric outboard over voltage circuitry will alarm and the motor will not run BUT if I adjust the 48 volt charger to charge EACH 12 volt to about 14.1 volts, the electric outboard motor will run.
My question is: Can I leave the charger on all the time to keep the 12 volt batteries at 14.1 volts as I am not sure when I just want to take a ride in the boat BUT I have heard and read over the internet that I will SHORTEN the life of the batteries because there are only so many “cycles” – not sure how many – or 10 years that the batteries are warrantied for and if the charger is basically keeping the batteries at a “float” level of my adjusted 14.1 volts, it is “cycling” the batteries constantly and the “cycle count” of the the batteries will be “used up” a long time before 10 years?
If I use the boat and then charge the batteries to 14.1 volts and then don’t use the boat for days, they discharge to about 13 volts. It then seems to take a few hours for that 15 amp charger to charge the four batteries to 14.1. I noticed today that my batteries were at 13.2 volts after being charged to 14.1 volts four days ago and it took only 15 minutes to charge them back to 14,1 volts. I can live with a 15 minute charge if we decide we want to ride the boat but I am not pleased with a few hours BUT if I have to do that to make the batteries last the warranty period MANY cycles or 10 years, I will do that.
For these reasons, this is why I am reaching out to you for your expert opinion – Thank you Ron
Hi Ron,
Since your charger is 48V, does 14.1V mean 56.4V for 4 batteries in series?
14.1V to charge a single 12.8V battery is OK.
After the battery is charged to 14.1V, without the charge current, the battery voltage will drop slowly to 13.2V ~ 13.4V.
If the charger is on, it may start to charge the battery again.
That is the key point, if the recharge happens frequently, I don’t think it will be good to the battery or the internal BMS.
But if it is not often, it can be acceptable.
Floating charge voltage under 13.6V is recommended.
Meanwhile, a few days without charge will not lead to much energy loss.
I am not sure why your battery needs to be charged for a long time just after a few days?
Andy
I have change 48 li ion battery to 12 what can i connect the bms of 3s
Hi Rangervac Technology,
I don’t quite understand.
Do you mean to connect 3 units of 12V Lithium batteries in series?
Andy
Hi, Ihave a 24V alternator 55A , and I want to charge my Lifepo4 24v battery using a Victron Orion isolated converter DC/DC 24V, 17 A . Is this ok? thanks in advance for your ansver, best regards
Hi Aljosa,
What is your battery capacity?
As I am not familiar with the alternator or the Victron converter, please make sure the charge voltage and charge current are within the safe range of the battery.
Andy
Hi Andy,
I have a SMA system (Sunny Island 8 with Sunny Boy 5000-TL21) connected to a Volta 280 ah (51,2V) with BMS. The charge vol set to 56V. There is no grid connected only PV supply. When battery is fully charged (100%) the system switches off likely due to over voltage. What settings can be done to solve the problem ?
Hello Ben,
Do you mean the battery is off because of over-voltage protection?
But even if the battery is shut down, it only shuts down the charge circuit, it can still be discharged to support your inverter.
If the battery cells are not balanced, you may try to balance the cells by low current and lower charge voltage.
Andy
Hi Andy,
Thank you for your article!
I have an Ecco 5.5KWH Inverter with a 106AH 51.2V LifePo4 Battery.
I have used your recommended charging settings and float settings. My issue comes in with reading the SOC of the bettery. I assume that the inverter only has a volatge meter, so it can never tell what the SOC of the battery actually is. Does this now cause a problem when the battery reaches say 20% and is then supposed to draw power from the grid, but the inverter does not pick that up?
Or the other way round. The battery is actually at 30% but the inverter thinks it’s at 20% and cults off?
Hi Ryan,
If the communication is not established, the SOC will not be accurate.
And the inverter will do the right thing according to the wrong SOC.
It is recommended to consult the inverter and battery suppliers to make the communication established.
Andy
Hi Andy,
Thanks very much for this your article. Its one of the very best I have read on cells and battery charge.
I have one question please. I have a battery of 4 cells 12V 6Ah, i want to charge it with 12V, 100 Watts PV. at peak charge rate, the current can reach 6A. But from what I have read on this blog it seems it will be too high for the battery. I would like you to advice me on the maximum PV wattage at 12 volt that I can Use.
Thanks to all those who commented as well I also gained from the solutions proffered to your questions
Hi Robinson,
Is your battery 12.8V6Ah?
The charge current 6A can be fine, which is 1C, but please read your instruction from the manufacturer.
The charge voltage should be over 14.0V to charge to full state.
But for your 100W PV panel, the current can be over 7A, is it?
Andy
Hi Andy,
I have 2 fairly new Lifepo4 10kw batteries and was initially advised by the reseller to use the 80-20% model and keep the batteries within this range.
Recently I’ve been having issues with balancing between the batteries and was told to fully charge the batteries to 100% (which fixed the issue).
The batteries have a BMS, and voltages are managed by the inverter.
Should I charge up to 90% max and occasionally 100% for cell balancing?
Thanks
Hi Nash,
By the issues with balancing, how much is the cell voltage difference?
To balance the cells inside a fixed battery pack, the only way is to use the balance function in the BMS.
It is recommended to charge the battery by voltage 56.0V (3.50V per cell) with very little current such as 100mA.
But most people are not able to set the voltage or the current.
The balance function will work slowly every time charged, maybe after a few weeks, the cells can be balanced.
By the way, it is not necessary to keep the battery working at SOC 20% to 80%…
10%-90% is the best range, and you can also charge it to full, no problem.
If you can set the voltage, 56.0V (3.50V per cell) to full is wonderful.
Andy
Amazing info shared.
Thanks
You are welcome.
I have a LiFePO4 25.6 V battery pack being charged by a 29.0 V, 5.0 Amp charger. When the battery hits full charge, the charger stops charging, then starts this sequence of charging cycles for 5 seconds. The fist 10 minutes there are about 7 of these cycles. They get progressively wider periods of non-charge until after about 2 hours the 5 second charge pulses stay at about 25 minute intervals. The cells are limited to 3.65 V by the BMS. Is this cycling of a 5-second charge OK for this battery?
Hi Matt,
I am not sure about the 5 seconds charge cycles…
It might be a float charge setting, once the battery pack voltage drops to a value, the charger will try to charge it again.
It seems this voltage value is a little bit high, it is better to cancel it or make it lower.
Andy
Hi Andy,
Thank you. This thread is very helpful.
I am changing AGM batteries to LiFePO4 batteries in my solar off-grid system. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind:
1. Since I will be connecting two batteries 12V/200Ah in series, is it ok/necessary to fully charge both batteries (with a charger) before installing them in the solar off-grid system.
2. The batteries have a rated max charge/discharge current of 200A. My current setting on my solar charger is 30A (max. charge current) and 60A (Device current limit). This setting applied for 4 AGM batteries 12V 120Ah (two in series and then both pairs in parallel for 24V 240Ah). Can I increase the amperage so that the batteries charge faster from the PV system (1200W)?
3. Since my system will be a 24V system, does it mean that if I set my float charge on the solar charger at 27.2V, the batteries start charging only once they discharge to this value (which would hopefully be around 30% SOC)?
4. I also have a boost charge starting threshold at 25.4V. I guess this becomes irrelevant right? Or should I also set this at 27.2V?
5. The batteries have a BMS but they do not have a bluetooth connection or a screen. How will I know the SOC of the batteries from my solar charger which only shows battery voltage level?
Sorry for many questions. I hope they are not overwhelming. Any advice and guidance is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Rob
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your concerns!
1. Charging every LiFePO4 battery pack separately is a must-do before connecting in series. Good.
2. Max current 200A is allowed, it is recommended to charge/discharge under 100A(0.5C). But 100A to 200A is also allowed.
3. Float charge voltage at 27.2V is ok. In most conditions, it is over 50% SOC.
4. It is better to turn this boost charge off.
5. If necessary, you can get a SOC meter. It will measure the current and time, and display the SOC directly.
Andy
I just want to know what type of charger I need to buy for a ECO-WORTHY 12V 100AH Mini Size Group 24 LiFePO4 Lithium Battery with BMS, . I don’t need to to know all this other stuff. I don’t want to know. I kinda wish I never bought this one if I knew it was going to be this hard.
Hello Jr,
A charger with 14.0V to 14.4V output voltage, and under 50A output current will be good.
Andy
Hello Andy, i am using 32700 12v 6000mah LifePo4 battery. I am charging this battery pack ( with BMS ) using 12v /4A power supply to make 14.6v i use buck boost converter (XL6009E1) in series with powe r supply. when i charging it voltage across charging port of BMS goes to 14.6v and vpoltage across battery is 13.77v further battery is not not charged above 13.77v. why?
when i connect battery with 14.6v , voltage of buck boost converter compenstae to 12.8-13v and gradually increases and goes up to 14.6v. why ?
Hi Panjiar,
While you are charging with BMS, it stopped at 13.77V. One possible reason is, one of the 4 cells reached 3.65V, the single cell voltage limit.
So, it stopped charging.
And while you are charging without the BMS, it is possible the cell is over 3.65V, it will damage the battery cell if it is over 3.80V.
It is recommended to balance the cells, instead of charging without BMS.
Andy
when i charged with 14.8v (using 12v power supply to make 14.4v i connect buck boost converter) 12v 32700 6000mah lifepo4 battery is not charged to 14.4v, but voltage across battery shows 13.83v after removing from charging its voltage start self discharging after 24hr it remain at 13.53volt. Link of bms are : https://makerbazar.in/products/3s-4s-5s-12v-16-8v-21v-100a-bms-for-lithium-battery-with-balance-charging
1.please tell me why voltage of battery self discharging so significant and why not it charging to 14.4v?
2. to charge 12v 32700 6000mah lifepo4 battery what should be the voltage of power supply ?
3. i noticed when voltage of battery reached 13.83v then current flow in bms that charge battery becomes zero. it means bms cut off overcharging @13.83v?
Hi Panjiar,
Great to hear from you again!
Here to reply to your questions first.
1. The battery voltage drop is not self discharging. Battery voltage is different at different states, such as charge state, static state, and discharge state.
And the voltage will be different based on different charge/discharge currents.
For a charged battery, you may read a voltage of over 14.0V on a 12V(12.8V)LiFePO4 battery.
After charging, the battery is changed to static state from charge state.
For one LiFePO4 cell, static 3.35 – 3.50V is reasonable, which means 13.4V – 14.0V for a 12V battery pack.
2. For a 12.8V LiFePO4 battery pack, which is made of 4 cells of 3.2V, charge voltage can be 14.0V – 14.4V. 14.6V is acceptable.
3. Yes, if there is no charge current, it means the BMS shut down the charging.
One of the limits has been triggered, such as cell over voltage, cell over current, etc.
The BMS seems to be with a very large current limit of 100A. Most of the LiFePO4 battery should be limited to 1C, which means 6A for your 12V6000mAh.
Besides, you are talking about your “12V 32700 6000mAh”, is it made of 4 cells of 32700 6000mAh?
Andy
Hii, sir can i use 4s li ion BMS to charge 12v 4s LiFePo4 battery ? what is the difference between Li ion BMS vs LiFePo4 BMS ?
Hello Panijiar，
The voltages are different for different kinds of lithium batteries.
Andy
when i charged with 14.8v (using 12v power supply to make 14.4v i connect buck boost converter) 12v 32700 6000mah lifepo4 battery is not charged to 14.4v, but voltage across battery shows 13.83v after removing from charging its voltage start self discharging after 24hr it remain at 13.53volt. Link of bms are : https://makerbazar.in/products/3s-4s-5s-12v-16-8v-21v-100a-bms-for-lithium-battery-with-balance-charging. voltage across cell around 3.53v not 3.65v.
1.please tell me why voltage of battery self discharging so significant and why not it charging to 14.4v?
2. to charge 12v 32700 6000mah lifepo4 battery what should be the voltage of power supply ?
3. i noticed when voltage of battery reached 13.83v then current flow in bms that charge battery becomes zero. it means bms cut off overcharging @13.83v?
Hi Andy
I’m running a 2p16s 51.2v lithium. I put them together myself using 2 Daly 16s bms.
My float is at 54.2v and bulk at 54.8v. I have the amperage limited to 30amp but i normally get between 40-60 on good sun days.
My question is I can never get the cells past 3.39v without one of the cells shooting up to 3.65v and cutting out my bms. My cells always start out top balanced (>0.05v per cell) and I have noticed that my bms never gets warm which I assume is when the cells are being balanced. I read up that the charge should be 3.5v at low amperage for the bms to balance, is that when the cells are at 3.5v or when the charge voltage is 3.5v
I am using a dated inverter axpert 5kw which was originally made for AGM or lead acid batteries but I can set all of the parameters if needed and it works great. I have 4.6kw solar panel array going through the mppt at around 67v-80v depending on the day.
Any advise as to what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Clive,
It seems your cells are quite different, one cell reaches the top 3.65V and one other is at only 3.39V.
When we choose cells for packs, we choose the ones with nearly the same parameters, not only the capacity but also the internal resistance, voltage drop, etc.
It is recommended to do the balance, the current is better to be at lower than 100mA (0.1A), charge voltage at 3.50V at the 1st step.
For your condition, you can even make it lower to 3.40V to avoid the other cell reaching 3.65V.
While charging at 3.40V per cell, no cell reaches the cell over voltage, all the cells will reach 3.40V at the end with the self-balancing function in the BMS.
Remember to open the charge balance function in the BMS.
Then you can try to charge at 3.50V per cell.
Andy
hello Andy , i faces a problem i use 5.68v (meanwell) dc power supply to charge a supercapacitor( 120F/2.7V, 2supercap in series to make 5v) through diode (MBR20100E) and i use upsquare( as a load) in parallel with supercap. During charging of supercap my dc power supply voltage fluctuate (1v-2v-4.5v-3v-1.6v) like that.
NOTE: i use dc to dc buck converter( XL4015) between dc power supply and diode, to resolve fluctuation in dc power supply.
1. why my regulated dc power supply voltage fluctuate?
2. how to overcome this problem?
Hi Panijiar,
I think it is kinda out of my knowledge.
When a power supply charges a battery or a super capacitor, the voltage will drop, but with a high current.
For a LiFePO4 battery, if charge one cell with 3.60V, it will drop at first stage, but with a high current / constant current.
Until it reaches 3.60V, the current will become smaller and smaller.
Hope it can help, and I am not sure why your power supply voltage changes like (1V-2V-4.5V-3V…).
Andy
Hi , I have 16s lifepo4 battery with daly 100A bms what would be best low/high cutoff voltage and I’m facing one issue at 49V my battery automatic disconnect from inverter and shutdown how to fix it
Hello Hamad,
For residential use, the top voltage can be 56V, and low voltage can be 48V.
It is important to find the reason why it disconnected at 49V?
Maybe one of the cells reaches the low protection voltage.
Andy
Hi Andy .
I have a 10.2kw (51.2v 200ah) lifepO4 battery. The sticker on the battery says equalize voltage to be 57.6vdc, float voltage to be 56vdc and low dc cutoff to be 44.8. And they did not state the bulk charging voltage . Please which voltages should I use for the bulk charging , float voltage , low dc cutoff and battery equalization voltage in order for my battery to last longer. Thank you.
Hi Ibrahim,
The recommended bulk charge voltage is recommended to be 56V to 57.6V.
Float voltage can be 53.6V to 54.4V.
Low cut-off voltage can be 44.8V or even 48V if you want to keep energy left in the battery.
Andy
Hi Andy,
Unless I somehow missed the explination, the gold or yellow lines in your “bad,good,better,best” diagrams might benefit from some labeling.
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for advise.
The post format may not be able to support that.
Thank you again.
Andy
Bonjour Andy,
Je suis nouveau dans le domaine batterie LifePo.
Il y a quelques mois, j’ai acquis 8 batteries LifePo 3.2V 280Ah.
Comment puis-je les recharger ?
1- Une par une:
– Tension de 3.35V ?
– Intensité de —A ?
2- Ensemble pour faire une batterie de 24V ?
– Tension de 28.8V ?
– Intensité de —-A ?
3- Quel chargeur dois-je utiliser pour cela ?
4- Quel BMS dois-je acheter ?
– exemple Daily a 250 A ?
– avec un equilibreur ? si oui comment le choisir?
5- De quoi ai-je besoin pour mesurer tout ca?
Merci pour votre soutiens et pour les reponses que vous donnez à tous.
J’avoue qu’au niveau ampérage, je suis pas au top, manque d’explication pour que je comprenne comment cela se calcule…
Hi Richard,
If you are going to make a 24V battery bank, 8 cells in series, 24V280Ah, 25.6V for actual rated voltage.
BMS is 24V for 8 cells of LiFePO4.
The default charge/discharge current limit is 100A, it should be enough for most of your use.
Or you may choose a max 280A for higher output power.
Max power is voltage multiple max current, for example, 250A*25.6V=6400W.
Charge voltage is 28.8V.
You may see other default settings in your BMS instructions.
Andy
Hello, I am running (4) 100AH LifePO4 batteries in parallel using a Busbar. What is the recommended charge current? I’m using a Victron 50amp dc/dc charger connected to the middle terminal of a 5 bolt busbar but wanted to add another 50amp charger.
I’ve heard it’s best to stay around .5C of your capacity…but would I use the 400AH total capacity number and be able to charge 200amps or is it just .5C of 100AH number because that’s capacity of each battery?
Thanks for your time.
Hi Jaron,
Your battery bank is 12V400Ah.
The recommended charge current is under 0.25C of your total capacity, which is 100A.
Andy
Hi Andy, First, thanks for sharing your knowledge. My question pertains to max charge voltage. I have several 12.8V 100Ah LifePo4 batteries from various (Chinese) brands and a Lithium capable 14.6V 5A charger (verified at 14.59V output when not connected). However, on any of my batteries I can’t reach a charge voltage higher than 13.46V when charging (13.35 after 12 hours rest) and the light on the charger never turns from red to green to confirm charging complete, even after 12+ hours being connected/powered. I presume the BMS is preventing complete charging, which thus limits my usage to about 90% of advertised capacity. How do I get past the (internal) BMS settings (if necessary) to reach a full charge of 14.4V-14.6V (13.6V at rest)? Thanks!
Hi Alan,
The battery voltage is different under static state (no charge), and charge state.
The LiFePO4 cell will quickly get back to 3.35V per cell, which is nearly full charged.
That is 13.4V for your battery.
To get past the BMS is a bad idea, it will cause damage to your battery and even fire.
If you really want 100% energy of your battery, you shall use a charge with very little current such as 10mA, and make sure your BMS has the cell balance function.
Set the charge voltage at 14.0V or even lower, then the cells will be balanced under this little current.
Andy
Hi Andy,
I have three 206Ah LiFePO4 batteries in parallel, I’m unable to charge them to more than an average of 13.86 volts when the LiFePO4 charger shuts off and says “FULL”. The people who sold me the batteries say that the batteries will have to go through several hundred “cycles” before the batteries will charge to 14.6 volts. (The batteries have already been drawn down to the point where no 12V appliances will work three or four times.) Please give me your opinion on this. Thank you.
Hi Bruce,
I think your three 206Ah batteries are 12.8V.
Well, actually 13.86 volts is quite reasonable as LiFePO4 will drop quickly to 3.35 volts per cell at static state (no charge), which is 13.4V for your 4 cells condition.
It will require all the cells perfectly balanced if charge perfectly to 14.6V (3.65V per cell).
The voltage is fine.
But if the 12V appliances only work for 3 or 4times like you said, seems to be very few energy used. It is not fine.
To make it clear, you may need to check how much energy/power your 12V applianced used.
For 3 units of 12.8V206Ah battery, there shall be over 7.5kWh energy stored.
Andy
Hi Andy, I am just wondering if what will happen to my 120ah lifepo4 with 120a daly bms ( not smart) in the long run time if I only charge to 13.8 all the way ( 13.8 float also) since i can only set the voltage in my elejoy step down 400w mppt controller ( somewhat like buck converter)? Or any suggestion parameters? thank you!
Hi Brian,
If it is a standard LiFePO4 battery, on most occasions, a 120A charge to a 120Ah battery is okay.
But it is still recommended to check with your battery supplier.
13.8V seems to be fine, not totally full, but it is ok.
Andy