Buying Used LiFePo4 batteries

snowfiend said:

I am looking for resources around buying used LiFePo4 batteries and how to determine if they are in good shape or damaged prior to purchase. A local seller on Craigslist has 130AH Valence XP U27-12XP Series Batteries which they say were charged but never used as a part of a UPS electric prototype vehicle.

Seller is asking $650 per or a discount for multiples. Seems to be a decent deal for 130ah if they are functional.

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Below is a long post about my experience with these batteries. I'll sum it up in this one first paragraph for you in case you're in a hurry. even when heavily-used they are very strong batteries that will last decades. They are the smartest batteries and can do things you've never even knew about.


I Bought hundreds of those U27-12XP with the same history as the ones you're looking at. I hooked up the communication cable to my laptop and looked at the batteries history. This enabled me to pull out lots of useful data from the batteries on board computer. Being in the electric vehicle and also having no cooling system like a Tesla would have. it was a high demand situation and it showed. With only five hundred cycles they were already down to being able to hold 85% of original rated capacity. They had as much as 300 amps surge coming out of the batteries and the peak charge rate was 166 amps. the whole truck was consuming 125,000 Watts that's 160 horsepower.

Now they are in a solar installation and they'll be used very lightly with very shallow cycles. I expect the discharge curve from the manufacturer to hold accurate with my usage. In other words I'll be using them for over 10 years probably 20 years. I put them through lots of tests before I bought so many and I'm very impressed. They're very well matched to each other. There's aftermarket bms's designed for keeping them matched to each other as well. Each battery has its own internal mosfet and if the master BMS decides One battery should drop out it can basically turn off the cells and short is terminals to drop out. Even better than that if its capacity is running lower than the others for some reason the master BMS will command it to put out a lower percentage of power compared to the others so it will run out of power together at the same time as all the others. As long as your system is tolerant to the change it is the most versatile system you can get. Solar systems are very tolerant especially when you're dealing with the higher voltage systems.
valence has a couple different versions. One version does not require the master BMS , it has internal high and low voltage disconnects for safety and battery protection. and the batteries communicate directly to each other but it has severe limitations on what do you can do with a series parallel set up. It's good for small solar systems.
If you're going to use the model number you you showed it needs to have a master BMS or at least a module balancer one of those cheap $60 ones from Amazon. The larger battery Bank you have the more likely it's worth buying the $500 BMS. And make sure your charge controller knows when to stop and your inverter knows when to shut down or else you will also need a battery capacity meter with relay controls & You'll have to get a high current relay so that you can protect the batteries because they do not have any internal voltage protection.

I've got a friend that was using hundreds of these and he turned me on to them. He said he likes to buy the ones that the distributor deems as bad. Sometimes there dang near zero volts. He revives them gently and he's measured their capacity and it's still very good. he's managed to amass a gigantic battery bank with mismatched ages / capacities /voltages and it's actually working quite well for many years. You could never do that with lead acid batteries.

You asked how you can tell if they're good? Well with lithium iron phosphate pretty much if they haven't dropped into dangerously low voltages you're definitely going to do just fine. The voltage won't tell you anything about its capacity or abilities. The amount of capacity remaining is definitely related to their past abuse. if you can pump in tons of amps without the voltage spiking and suck them back out without the voltage sagging bad then you're good to go.

Below is a long post about my experience with these batteries. I'll sum it up in this one first paragraph for you in case you're in a hurry. even when heavily-used they are very strong batteries that will last decades. They are the smartest batteries and can do things you've never even knew about.I Bought hundreds of those U27-12XP with the same history as the ones you're looking at. I hooked up the communication cable to my laptop and looked at the batteries history. This enabled me to pull out lots of useful data from the batteries on board computer. Being in the electric vehicle and also having no cooling system like a Tesla would have. it was a high demand situation and it showed. With only five hundred cycles they were already down to being able to hold 85% of original rated capacity. They had as much as 300 amps surge coming out of the batteries and the peak charge rate was 166 amps. the whole truck was consuming 125,000 Watts that's 160 horsepower.Now they are in a solar installation and they'll be used very lightly with very shallow cycles. I expect the discharge curve from the manufacturer to hold accurate with my usage. In other words I'll be using them for over 10 years probably 20 years. I put them through lots of tests before I bought so many and I'm very impressed. They're very well matched to each other. There's aftermarket bms's designed for keeping them matched to each other as well. Each battery has its own internal mosfet and if the master BMS decides One battery should drop out it can basically turn off the cells and short is terminals to drop out. Even better than that if its capacity is running lower than the others for some reason the master BMS will command it to put out a lower percentage of power compared to the others so it will run out of power together at the same time as all the others. As long as your system is tolerant to the change it is the most versatile system you can get. Solar systems are very tolerant especially when you're dealing with the higher voltage systems.valence has a couple different versions. One version does not require the master BMS , it has internal high and low voltage disconnects for safety and battery protection. and the batteries communicate directly to each other but it has severe limitations on what do you can do with a series parallel set up. It's good for small solar systems.If you're going to use the model number you you showed it needs to have a master BMS or at least a module balancer one of those cheap $60 ones from Amazon. The larger battery Bank you have the more likely it's worth buying the $500 BMS. And make sure your charge controller knows when to stop and your inverter knows when to shut down or else you will also need a battery capacity meter with relay controls & You'll have to get a high current relay so that you can protect the batteries because they do not have any internal voltage protection.I've got a friend that was using hundreds of these and he turned me on to them. He said he likes to buy the ones that the distributor deems as bad. Sometimes there dang near zero volts. He revives them gently and he's measured their capacity and it's still very good. he's managed to amass a gigantic battery bank with mismatched ages / capacities /voltages and it's actually working quite well for many years. You could never do that with lead acid batteries.You asked how you can tell if they're good? Well with lithium iron phosphate pretty much if they haven't dropped into dangerously low voltages you're definitely going to do just fine. The voltage won't tell you anything about its capacity or abilities. The amount of capacity remaining is definitely related to their past abuse. if you can pump in tons of amps without the voltage spiking and suck them back out without the voltage sagging bad then you're good to go.

Making the Decision: Lithium-Ion Battery Supplier

The lithium-ion battery market is in a state of flux. Lithium-ion is a relatively new technology that has taken off in the last five to 10 years and demand for these batteries is high and growing. This has attracted many OEM&#;s and created something of a buyer-beware market for OEM.

Many critical factors must be considered when deciding on a forklift battery supplier. Choosing the wrong lithium-ion battery for a forklift can impact the entire operation of an OEM&#;s business, from procurement to production. An OEM&#;s day-to-day operations depend on forklift transportation, and a forklift's day-to-day operations rely heavily on the battery. Choosing a lithium-ion forklift battery supplier is the first step in determining the success of an OEM&#;s daily processes. OEMs need suppliers who can meet JIT shipping demands, lead technical innovation, and provide extended technical service. Without that, you may end up with a lithium-ion supplier instead of a lithium-ion partner who will be with you for the long run. That can lead to dissatisfied customers and lost time and money.

Ask the manufacturers these questions:

1. To get an idea of how established the company is ask how long they have been in business, how long they have been serving the material handling industry, and whether they have supplied batteries to major OEMs. You could also ask if they offer a full portfolio of batteries including flooded lead-acid, AGM, and lithium-ion. You may want to move on if the manufacturer is a start-up, has been serving the material handling industry for just a few years, or has not supplied batteries to OEMs.

Older, more seasoned companies that understand the material handling industry and manufacture and sell a full line of forklift lithium battery products generally know the issues that can damage batteries and shorten their lifespans. They often engineer solutions to these problems into their products.

2. How long have you been working with lithium-ion technology? Again, the company probably has a lot to learn if the answer is just a few years.

3. What kind of customer support do you provide? Make sure the company has a U.S-based and Europe customer support line staffed by real people who can answer questions and help your technicians troubleshoot issues. Ask if support is available 24/7 and if the staff includes representatives dedicated to lithium-ion products. Many newcomers to the market simply don&#;t have the infrastructure to provide that level of service.

Additional resources:
How Often to Change Your Motorcycle Battery: Yearly vs. Seasonally
What are the Advantages of Aluminum Lithium Battery Cells?
Forklift Battery Maintenance: Do's and Don'ts
SAMSUNG ICR18650-26C 2600mAh 5.2A Li-ion Battery ...
Are string inverters safe?
How to choose low voltage lithium battery?
The Benefits of Using String Inverter for Solar-Powered Water Treatment Plants

Contact us to discuss your requirements of lithium iron phosphate battery manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

4. How do you support the dealers who carry your products? You don&#;t want to work with a supplier who sells products and then forgets about you. To avoid tag and long hold times, look for a manufacturer with a systematic approach to communicating with dealers. Ask if the manufacturer has an authorized dealer network through which it trains dealers to sell its products and provides them with the information and materials they need.

5. How do you sell your batteries? Many battery manufacturers sell directly to dealerships and are unable to provide the follow-up services dealers may need. Look for a supplier who sells their batteries through a network of trained distributors. These distributors generally know and stand by their products, adding value to your purchase.

6. How is your battery different from others in terms of design and engineering? Look for products with UL certification and at least an IP67 rating. This helps protect the battery from damage from vibration, water and dust and can extend its life. Make sure the battery is embedded and modular expandable.

Ask how the battery is designed to move the damaging heat it generates away from the cells. Most manufacturers do this through inexpensive components called heat sinks because they are easy to make and add on.

But heat sinks should not be the only method of heat management. Well-made batteries reduce the heat generated and allow for natural cooling in the design. This requires more engineering expertise, but it boosts efficiency, improves safety, and prolongs battery life.

7. What range does your battery get? To help OEMs, BSLBATT has developed 43 standard modules for lithium batteries of different capacities, which can form parallel building blocks in forklift battery compartments. Up to 20 of these modules can be stacked in parallel, and the total capacity can be tailored to forklift OEM needs. It's also worth mentioning that OEMs must check usable capacity, not advertised capacity. The stated capacity may be based on the sum of the individual cells within the battery, which does not take into account internal losses like usable capacity. Real-world test data and customer testimonials are the best way to understand the usable range of a battery. This is especially important in the high-capacity, high-current and relatively low voltage batteries used in MHE.

8. What safety features are built into your battery? Look for a battery with lithium-iron-phosphate cells, one of the most stable lithium-ion battery chemistries. Make sure the BMS features several levels of safety redundancy. That way, if one level fails another will step in, catch the issue, and turn the battery off, protecting you and your property. Ask about UL certifications. Is the entire pack UL-certified or does the manufacturer rely solely on the cell provider&#;s UL listing? BSLBATT is the first forklift lithium battery in China to obtain UL certification for its complete product line.

Stocking batteries on pricing alone is a big mistake that can impact your bottom line. Be sure to compare the manufacturers&#; experience, support services, and products. Investing a little time in your decision can have big payoffs in your sales, service, and customer satisfaction.

For details, please click the link below: https://www.lithiumforkliftbattery.com/lithium-ion-battery-supplier.html

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