Charging Current for Lifepo4 Batteries

freddieoliveras

Hi:
what’s better for Charging Lifepo4 Batteries, high current or low? Example 80A vs 120A
🤔

Wheelman55

Just stay within the specs for the battery. 

The LifePo4 batteries don’t really care, high or low, within the spec for the battery. 

Higher amp charging will be quicker. Stay within the specs. 

Dave Angelini

Diito on the specs !   Keep in mind that Lead acid batts are very forgiving of being "over currented"  Lithium can be easily damaged by it!

The same with discharge on lithium. I have seen directly both of these conditions do permanent damage very, very quickly! The number of people who have done this are not on a short list.

Horsefly

Dave Angelini said:

Diito on the specs !   Keep in mind that Lead acid batts are very forgiving of being "over currented"  Lithium can be easily damaged by it!

The same with discharge on lithium. I have seen directly both of these conditions do permanent damage very, very quickly! The number of people who have done this are not on a short list.

That's pretty interesting. I wonder if those were some early Lithium batteries. To my knowledge, the only way you could exceed the current ratings of any commercially available LiFePO4 battery now (or any reasonably well done DIY battery) is for the BMS to fail. Over current, cell over voltage, and cell under voltage are the three main things the BMS is supposed to trigger on. If it doesn't, that is a bad BMS.

Dave Angelini

Pretty recent and from people using large systems that the BMS is open loop and does not respond to the conditions. Some pretty big names also. A smaller cabin inverter and reasonable set charge / discharge loads and you will be fine. The same as just reading the manuals and due diligence with large systems.