A lead-acid battery is usually able to be recharged about 300 to 400 times. Lithium Batteries for Sailboats | RELiON Take the jumper from the add-on kit and connect it to the second battery. Youll increase the life on the batteries so that you arent recycling the productsshortly after their purchase. All Rights Reserved. Boat owners who plan to install their own lithium batteries onboard are being advised to seek professional help or risk, Duncan Kent investigates the technology used in lithium batteries and explains what to consider in matching them with a management, Boost the life and performance of your lithium battery by installing the correct charging setup, says Duncan Kent, Duncan Kent explains why you should opt for quality when installing a lithium-ion battery, plus our pick of the best. A battery monitor tracks power use more accurately; installing one is a good investment even for lead-acid battery systems. https://www.patreon.com/ryanandsophie | Where you become a member of our virtual crew! Why Did You Switch From Propane to Induction Cooking- The first and most obvious reason is we are now cooking with a new energy source, and not dependent on propane gas bottle refills where ever we go. Discover the details surrounding the lithium ion boat battery and installation tips. Knowing that your potential installer is considering these issues is a good sign that theyre well-informed and experienced. Our collection of boat batteries can solve most of your sailboat-power dilemmas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** JOIN OUR VIRTUAL CREW **Join our crew of Patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/ryanandsophie------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** GEAR **Our boat: Polar Seal, 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 40, owners version (2 cabins layout). Dragonfly Energy collects personal information for its internal use. Many owners simply assume that those offering to install lithium batteries have all the parts and components on-hand. Your vessel will have enough power to activate multiple items at once over a long period of time. This lack of available data resulted in setting up a test lab at Compass Marine Inc. (parent company of MarineHowTo.com). Of course, $1,250 is a bit of a slap in the wallet, but Smart Battery claims their lithium batteries last from 3,000 to 5,000 recharge cycles, many times more than the typical lifespan of a lead-acid battery. Not sure about cooking with induction power? Everything made possible by The Delos Tribe. 1. From what to think about before you install your batteries, to mapping the electric system, changing the settings of our charging devices and wiring the system, Ryan takes you through it all step by step. With ever-increasing power demands on todays cruising yachts, Duncan Kent looks at lithium boat batteries and explains whats needed to guarantee a safe and trouble-free system, Those who do lots of sailing, such as blue water cruisers, will benefit from the additional capacity of lithium boat batteries, powered by a number of sources. Longer lifespan and better lifetime value. After installing lithium batteries, you may wonder about the discharge rate youll now experience. Advertisement. Contact us for a free engineering consultation. What do Lithium Batteries Cost? How to Install Lithium Batteries on a Sailboat HOW TO: Upgrade Your Boat to a Lithium Battery You can check the state of charge of these batteries with the Discover Bluetooth app on a mobile device. 5. We would only trust LFP batteries on a boat. It also means the battery is light enough for you to carry on your own. Install lithium technology with a high amount of usable amp hours. No breaking your back installing heavy lead acid batteries. Are they an option for your boat? The Fathom-e system also provides a convenient blueprint for boat owners who might want to invest in lithium-based house batteries for their own vessels. We also have an external BMS from Victron to monitor our system as well. Most bass boats and bay boats have a crossover battery switch, which will tap one trolling-motor battery for assistance in a low-voltage starting-battery situation. If you need to step down voltages check out, check out the Ablemail line of products. The professionals at Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Maine, have installed many lithium battery systems. Remove the flooded-cell trolling-motor or house-bank batteries. Ah yes, lithiumthe battery of the future, available today. You can also seek out customer reviews on your own online. Youll never turn back to lead-acid batteries again. Dakota Lithium batteries are 60% lighter then a lead acid battery. 4. Once your switch is installed, the circle on the switch means that the circuit is open, when the circuit is open, the heat functions are disabled. This video we install our new Lithium batteries into our vessel. Lithium Batteries Dominate Liveaboard Sailboats | Dragonfly Energy All you need to do is find the terminal that is at the highest voltage. This makes recharging more efficient. They are rock solid and work great! By Steve D'Antonio July 22, 2021 LFP batteriesalong with their associated management systempresent the safest lithium-ion option. One of the most confusing areas of an LFP upgrade is how to set up alternator charging to suit your installation and any existing equipment you wish to retain. Installing lithium batteries can start an on-board generator in an RV and have superior power availability over lead-acid batteries. With all batteries strapped down and wired up, inspect the repurposed cables. We have had three distinct failures on Delos that left us unable to cook (a failed solenoid, a bad regulator, and a broken hose to the stove) . You can even discharge LFP completely without doing them any harm, although most built-in Battery Management System (BMS) will shut them down at around 12V, which is equivalent to around 10% SoC. Although some experts suggest limiting recharge amps to maximize the lifespan of a lithium battery, he says its fine to pump in amps equal to the batterys capacity, e.g., recharge a 100 Ah battery at 100 amps. Boating Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Here is a link on Amazon of the unit we use. Do They Carry All Products Needed for an RV or Boat Install? Read more: 12V vs. 24V: Whats the Difference In Battery Systems? Lead Acid vs. Lithium: Depth of Discharge. Here are some of the most important things to consider. So how can you find someone you trust for help installing lithium batteries in an RV or installing lithium batteries in a boat? You need a battery monitor, not just a voltmeter, to oversee a lithium battery. The benefits of lithium batteries arent lost on boatbuilders, and installing lithiums versus lead-acid batteries in a new boat is free (well, almost free) compared to the cost of the boat. In your add on kit, there is a 14 jumper wire, a 5mm long screw, ring terminals, and heat shrink in case you want to make your own harness. TEL:1-855-743-3279 Connect the disconnects, it does not matter which one you plug onto which terminal, then thread the plastic nut onto the body and tighten it down. We took them to West Marine, which had a cutter and crimper on a bench. Next remove from the heater enable, keeping your 5mm screw, take the 25 wire with the smaller ring terminal, place your screw through and install onto the enable post. How to Find a Lithium Battery Installer You Can Trust Once again using your wrench and socket to torque down the connection. The main advantage of this method is that a DC-DC charger will limit the current being drawn from the start battery, and thereby the alternator, whilst also ensuring the output charge parameters are fully compatible with the LFP house bank. The reason for this question should be apparent. If one or more of your lithium trolling-motor batteries are connected via a switch to the starting bank, separate them. This process can be accelerated by using a multi-bank charger to make sure that on every charge cycle each one is on the same state of charge. The genset can usually be left aloneits feeding the charger which is feeding the lithiumsas long as the charger isnt dramatically changed in output. Our Reno, Nevada-based sales and customer service team is standing by at (855) 292-2831 to take your questions! Now that the positive connection is torqued down *PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WIRE IS LIVE AT 12V SO AVOID ANY CONTACT WITH OTHER LIVE WIRES OR GROUNDS* the enable post is not live itself, so this connection should not spark when you make contact. Detailed description of how Delos uses anonymized data to manage and improve the Delos Project. Lithium batteries arent for every onboard application. Use of automotive lithium-ion blends with such elements as nickel, cobalt and manganese are strongly discouraged for use on a boat as they are far more prone to thermal runaway should they fail. But for folks building or buying a new boat, the extra bucks are negligible, especially if they spend lots of time at anchor and are tired of listening to the genset hum. For example, they should ask questions regarding the number of batteries youd like or need, the size of your inverter, and any solar, wind, or other power generation systems. For this example, we consider the definition of a large inverter one that is above 3500 W. In a large inverter such as that, there is a large capacitor, when those capacitors are empty it is almost like a dead short on the battery. A ground bar between is unnecessary and a source of problems. Hauling these heavy batteries around was your only choice. It also means that the BMS can simply switch out the PV panels without damage when the batteries have achieved their prerequisite SoC. Here at Dakota Lithium we have helped boat owners across the globe install custom energy storage solutions. And, in September 2019, a dive boat anchored off Santa Cruz Island in California caught fire, killing 34 sleeping passengers and crew trapped on board. They look like exact swaps for your lithium upgrade. This must be disabled as it will destroy the LFP cells if activated. Check with your marine electrician before buying lithium batteries.). A Bonnier LLC Company. The batteries we use are distributed by BattleBorn Batteries, located in Nevada USA, and have a built in Battery Management System that is top of the line. Before you install lithium boat batteries, understanding their benefits is a must. Ensure your installer is confident in the parts needed to build a top-tier lithium system. So, with all this bad press, why swap out the safe and reliable lead-acid batteries in your boat (whether flooded, AGM or sealed gel) for lithium? How to Install a Second Boat Battery - Dual Setup Installing Lithium Batteries on a Sailboat - SV Delos Do They Provide a Complete Walkthrough at Delivery? You wont be flying blind when you search RV lithium battery installers near me, thanks to these easy tips. They are looking to cut weight off their boat. Copyright 2023 Dragonfly Energy. Are Lithium Batteries Super Expensive? First and foremost, the only type of lithium-ion cell chemistry currently recommended as safe for use on board a boat is Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4), usually abbreviated to LFP. Following up with former customers is also a critical step. What Is a Shunt Used for in Electrical Systems? They might be as high as 240 A-h, for example. Jun 162016 Last Updated on 22 February 2020 by Eric Bretscher This article is part of a series dealing with building best-in-class lithium battery systems from bare cells, primarily for marine use, but a lot of this material finds relevance for low-voltage off-grid systems as well. A decent MPPT solar charge controller will help make the most of your solar power. So, if your battery box regularly drops to such temperatures, youll need to place them onto heat pads to keep them at 5C or more. For example, we have a 24 V system with a terminal at 24 V where the main jumper for the heater enable will occur. How to get your motorcycle battery to last longer. First, your installer will disconnect your rig from any power and remove the old batteries. Hope you find this useful! Cover the joint between the cable insulation and the connector body with a three-inch section of adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing. In lithium-ion batteries assembled with LiFePO 4 as the cathode material, after 50 cycles at 0.2 C rate, the discharge specific capacity of the PU/PAN lithium-ion battery diaphragm could still be maintained at 147.1 mAh/g, with a capacity retention rate of 95.8%. They may also remove any hardware that wont work with your new batteries or is worth replacing or upgrading. The schematic is based on the lithium battery installation of Dakota Lithium batteries on the Polar Seal, Beneteau Oceanis 40 Sailboat from 2007 by Ryan and Sophie sailing. This is in imortant subject as many people believe if you change to Lithium you need to change everything! Join us as we take you through everything youll need to know during the installation process. They might be as high as 240 A-h, for example. Its time for installing your lithium batteries! The Latest On Lithium Batteries. To re-balance them, we recommend charging them up to 14.4 V at least once a month, if not once a week. Finally, youll need to dispose of your old batteries properly. Get access to exclusive deals, hear about new products before anyone else, and enjoy tips, tricks, and DIY hacks from our community of experts. Ideally, the cells will have been capacity tested and arrive at a very similar voltage level, but you will still need to initially balance them to be sure. . If you are floating at 13.6 V, there is no balancing occurring and you are not going to be charging the cells until it is around 14.2-14.4 V. If you are in the habit of charging to 14.4 V, you are using a solar charge controller programmed to 14.4 V, you are charging from shore, or you have a DC battery to battery charging alternator, do not worry as they all go up to 14.4 V. If you dont typically charge to 14.4 V your cells may get out of balance either due to temperature extremes or large loads. If they have a specialty that fits your rig or boat, even better. You can do this by removing the positive terminal wire and taping up the connection so that it does not rattle around or contact other live wires or grounds, then put your screw back in the enabled post as not to lose it. To disable, simply remove the connections. Why pay the premium for starting batteries? Let's look at where we are, and whether it's ready for prime time. Whether or not this makes sense depends on how long you will have your boat, and how you use it. Using a heat gun is the best way to apply heat shrink, although you can use a propane torch with a flame spreader if you are very careful. This will result in some consumption of power but at least they will then accept a charge. You dont need to become an expert on installing lithium batteries in an RV or boat, but understanding the basics and principles can go a long way toward avoiding scammers and ensuring you get what you expect. Our RB200 is a 12V, 200Ah lithium deep cycle battery. We plan on installing a small, electric convection oven. I spoke with the yards president, J.B. Turner, and systems manager, Ben Feeney, about what to consider when thinking of making the switch. Finally, its worth noting that LFP batteries wont accept any charge at 0C or less. This is more redundancy than we had with the old propane system, where there were multiple points of failure on the system with no backup. In the kit, you have a threaded body single pole single throw switch. This can occur when your charger is trying to equalize the battery which is common for a lead-acid battery system, or if you have an alternator putting out a high voltage if it is very cold out. How to Use and Install a 36 Volt Lithium Battery | BSLBATT - wsd What is a Battery Management System (BMS)? Even if you dont live on a boat Purchase one of these, put it on a gimbaled platform, or your current propane stove, and youre good to go! Get to know your lithium ion boat battery options with a call to Northeast Battery. However, lithium-ion installations can be complex and problematic, and if not done correctly can be a serious fire risk. Starting with your wire with the heater enabled post (the smaller ring terminal) remove your jumper, take the 5/16 25 wire and install it, remembering to torque down to 10-foot pounds. The only connection between the starter batteries and the house or trolling-motor batteries will be the charger. To see the product on Amazon CLICK HERE. Finally, you dont always have to change all the batteries. Consider an installation that involves three or four banks of batteries. However, there is one key additional difference hooking up and enabling the heat function! Also, join us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to learn more about how lithium battery systems can power your lifestyle, see how others have built their systems, and gain the confidence to get out there and stay out there. I think well be seeing systems like Sea Rays on a lot more boats before too long, especially cruising boats for folks who like to anchor out but dont want to deal with a genset. Making the switch is costly, but there are major benefits. Thermal runaway and fire is the risk of badly installed lithium boat batteries. He added that the Fathom-e system requires no special user inputits as easy to use as a hybrid car. How to install lithium boat batteries For blue water cruising yachts, the modern solution to increasing electrical demand is to install a lithium-ion battery bank, particularly if one plans to eliminate the use of LPG for cooking. A standard vee-belt is only sufficient for alternators rated up to 75A. The obvious downside if you cruise all year round is the shortage of sun in the winter. The broken stove actually led to a gas leak inside the boat and a flare up in the galley, so I am quite happy not to have this worry anymore. Remove those bridge cables from the battery and switch, and set them aside. Do not overtighten it, but make sure to tighten it just enough to engage the lock washer capabilities. At a minimum, your technician should run the system for you before it leaves the shop. It even links up with your phone over Blue tooth to give you up to date battery charge status! 2023 The Delos Project. Installing lithium batteries on a sailboat unfortunately isn't cheap. Each manufacturer has different requirements, Turner and Feeney told me, so it is important to check., 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Compared to a lead-acid battery, a lithium marine battery usually lasts 2-4x longer (and up to 10x longer). In some cases, you may be able to use lithium batteries that are drop-in ready to replace your lead-acid ones, but most of the time, you'll need to switch out some other components as well. SALES@DAKOTALITHIUM.COM, 225 S. Lucile St. As LFPs hate to be continuously charged, even in float mode, using an LFP-compatible charger allows them to be safely left unattended. For more answers, please check out our FAQ page, email us at [emailprotected], or give our team a call at (855) 292-2831. We decided to go with Lithium Phosphate batteries, which are a much more forgiving and stable battery chemistry. To enable your internal heat battery, remove the screw, place the other end of your jumper wire down onto the post, and tighten the screw only enough to where you engage the lock washer feature on the ring terminal so that the vibration does not rattle it loose. Our electric convection oven was purchased at the hardware store in Grenada on a whim. Remove the flooded-cell trolling-motor or house-bank batteries. Additionally, a high discharge specific capacity was maintained under different . In fact, they are happier to sit between 20%-80% SoC most of the time. Only thing is, cobalt is unstable, so if charged improperly, this type of lithium-ion battery can get hot and catch firenot the kind of thing you want on board. Installing lithium batteries in your boat is similar in many ways to installing them in an RV. The Charge Mates ensure the starting batteries are recharged first, then the current is fed to the lithiums; they also regulate the flow of amps to offset the surges of power that are common from alternators, Maryanov says. Their voltage and current can exceed the rating for your sailboat. That means you loose less energy when in storage, and if you take a break from sailing you wont return to dead batteries. Its also worth noting that, with many brands of so-called drop-in LFP batteries (ones with an integral BMS), it might not always be possible to join more than two together in series or parallel to form a larger bank. All rights reserved. You get access to the Patron only treasure chest on our website with weekly feature videos, photos, extra info and the captains detailed sailing log.http://www.patreon.com/NandjiCheck out our other social media and follow along:https://www.instagram.com/sailing_nandjihttps://www.facebook.com/sailingnandjihttps://twitter.com/sailingnandjiMarley's on Instagram! Usually, the devices installed to manage the charging of your lithium batteries will take care of this for you, but there are circumstances where you might need to assist the process. The battery may break down, or the system receives the brunt of the damages. Utilizing a LiFePo4 battery at discharge and recharge rates that are typically below suggested safe maximum discharge and recharge rates, as one will often do with the house bank battery on a boat. Overall, buying and installing a lithium battery power system can cost $5,000-$15,000, and in some cases, more. The CSL is mounted between the battery and inverter on the negative side connected in series. Many owners are understandably wary of plunking down a big chunk of change for sensitive work using expensive parts if they dont fully trust the person doing it. The main benefits of LFP batteries are that they will accept a very rapid, high-current recharge, and they can be discharged to almost empty without the need to be regularly recharged to 100% State of Charge (SoC) as you have to with Lead-Acid (LA) batteries. This can be a great starting point, but without further investigation, you may not know about potential trouble until its too late. Attach the positive (red) terminal of the first battery to the positive (red) lead on the motor. The Sea Ray SLX-R 400e carries triple Mercury Racing 450R outboards, each with a 115-amp alternator, so the boats batteries will recharge quickly once the engines are running. Maryanov said the lithiums should be good for 3500 recharge cycles.