Properly Charging Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

To ensure optimal performance over their lifetime, you need to charge LiFePO4 batteries properly. The most common causes of premature failure of LiFePO4 batteries are overcharging and overdischarging. Even one occurrence can cause permanent damage to the battery, and such misuse can void the warranty. A battery protection system is required to ensure that no cell in your battery pack is likely to exceed its nominal operating voltage range.
For LiFePO4 chemistry, the absolute maximum is 4.2V per cell, but it is recommended that you charge to 3.2-3.6V per cell, which will ensure a lower temperature when charging and prevent serious damage to your batteries over time.

Proper Terminal Mounting

Choosing the right terminal mount for your LiFePO4 battery is critical. However, if you are not sure which terminal mount is best for your battery, you can consult your battery supplier for more information.
In addition, after ten days of installation, it is important to check that the terminal bolts are still tight and secure. If the terminals are loose, a high resistance area will form and draw heat from the electricity.

Careful Storage of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

If you want to properly store lithium iron phosphate batteries, it is also important to store them properly. You need to store your batteries properly in the winter when the power demand is low.
The longer you plan to store your batteries, the less flexible you will be with temperature. For example, if you only want to store your batteries for a month, you can store them anywhere from -20 °C to about 60 °C. But if you want to store them for more than three months, you can store them at any temperature. However, if you want to store the battery for more than three months, the storage temperature needs to be between -10 °C and 35 °C. For long term storage, a storage temperature of 15 °C to 30 °C is recommended.

Cleaning the Terminals Before Installation

The terminals on top of the battery are made of aluminum and copper, which over time will form an oxide layer when exposed to air. Before installing the battery interconnect and BMS module, thoroughly clean the battery terminals with a wire brush to remove oxidation. If bare copper battery interconnects are used, these should also be cleaned. Removing the oxide layer will greatly improve conduction and reduce heat buildup at the terminals. (In extreme cases, heat buildup on the terminals due to poor conduction has been known to melt the plastic around the terminals and damage the BMS module!)