On 10/01/2013 01:54 PM, Christoph Both wrote:
> Lots of extra weight in the footwell, though. 29lb more than with a
> lithium having the same cranking capacity
This lithium iron battery may be a good battery indeed. (I just visited
the website) However, the pitfall here is that the manufacturer
specifies cranking power. In the FAQ of their website they explain that
the actual amp/hr rating is only one third. So, while a 18A/hr
lithium-iron battery may have more cranking power than an 18A/hr lead
acid battery, it has only 1/3 of the slow discharge capability. This
means that if your alternator dies, and you need 6 Amps to keep your
ship flying, you can't do this for three hours (as you would with a lead
acid battery of 18A/hr) but only for one hour.
It isn't bad, but certainly something you will want to know before the
unthinkable happens. If you want to have the same real amp/hours as with
your lead acid battery, I wonder how much the saving in weight would be.
Futhermore, I get the impression that they are not really that
enthousiastic about using standard alternators in parallel with the
battery. I see a lot of talking about recharging afterwards rather than
while driving. This may be because they market towards racers of course.
And Lithium batteries are not self balancing like lead acid batteries.
You will have to use balancing equipment to keep the battery in good shape.
Frans
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