It is very important to understand this characteristic of lead-acid batteries when sizing your battery bank to your application. a 110Ah rated battery would have a usable capacity of around 55Ah. As a rule of thumb, a lead-acid battery should not be discharged below 50% DoD or it risks becoming damaged, so the usable capacity in a lead-acid battery is only around half of its Ah rating, i.e. However, use caution when determining how much capacity you need because batteries based on lead-acid technology do not like being discharged too deeply. It could also theoretically deliver 2 Amps but only for ½ an hour before it became fully discharged. For example, if you had a battery rated at 1Ah then it could theoretically deliver 1 Amp for 1 hour before it became fully discharged. Most expensive battery chemistry on the marketĪmp-hour (or Ah) ratings are often found printed on deep-cycle batteries and are a measurement of the battery’s energy storage capacity based on a continuous current delivered over a length of time before the battery is completely discharged.Will not suffer damage if left in a discharged state.Can provide up to twice the usable storage capacity.Much lower weight than lead-acid based batteries.Do not suffer damage as quickly when left in an over- discharged state.Can be installed on their side (no risk of electrolyte spillage).No better performance than 'wet' lead-acid.More expensive than wet-lead acid batteries.Sensitive to over-charging and must be charged as per the manufacturer's instructions.Extended life cycles over 'wet' lead-acid batteries.Can be permanently damaged if left deeply discharged for extended periods.Can suffer damage if discharged to below 50%.Some versions may need venting due to gassing if not topped up with electrolyte.Needs to be stored upright due to liquid acid inside the battery.Lithium - These batteries use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) technology and, whilst still relatively expensive, offer a number of advantages over lead-acid technology.Gel - These lead-acid technology batteries have a gel electrolyte which offers greater safety should the battery suffer damage. This provides greater protection against vibrations and offers a greater DoD. AGM - These batteries use lead-acid technology and the liquid electrolyte is contained in Absorbent Glass Matts (AGM), which is how they derive their name.'Wet' Lead-Acid - These batteries use lead-acid technology and contain lead plates housed in a liquid electrolyte which contains sulphuric acid.Below is a brief summary of each with the key advantages and disadvantages to be aware of. There are 4 main types of chemistry used for deep cycle batteries. The number of cycles a leisure battery can accept will often be stated by the battery manufacturer in the documentation or on the battery itself. They are much more tolerant of higher DoD (generally to around 50-60% for lead-acid technologies) and can be deeply discharged and recharged over multiple recharge cycles (this is where the term 'deep-cycle' originates because their charge/discharge cycles involve quite a deep DoD). This makes these types of battery perfect for use in motorhomes, campervans and boats where you are likely to be running multiple, low power items for longer periods and have recharging facilities available (typically alternator, mains or solar). Leisure batteries have a different lead plate design and favour delivering lower power over longer periods. Starter batteries are typically subject to very low DoD as modern engines take little power to start. Quite simply, a 20% DoD means that 20% of the charge has been drawn from the battery. A common term you will hear is Depth of Discharge (DoD) which is a reference to how much of the charge is depleted from the battery before recharging occurs. The lead plates of starter batteries are designed in a way to favour high cranking capacity rather than recharge durability and, as a result, they aren't designed to withstand being deeply discharged then recharged, and doing so can significantly shorten their lifespan. Starter batteries are designed to offer a large burst of power for a small period to start your engine, with power lost during this process being replenished by the alternator. When looking at batteries for powering domestic circuits in a motorhome, caravan or boat, it is often easy to think a cheap starter battery would be suitable, however, this is not the case as the two types of battery are designed for different jobs. Starter Batteries vs Deep Cycle (Leisure) Batteries
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |