Reliable portable energy solutions like lithium batteries are essential for modern applications ranging from electric vehicles (EVs) and off-grid systems to camping and other outdoor activities. The world has moved-on from big and bulky lead-acid batteries to high energy density lithium-ion batteries. With advancement in battery technology, new types of battery chemistries are being developed and one such technology is LiFePO4.
LiFePO4 batteries, or lithium iron phosphate batteries, utilize lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material, offering several benefits over traditional lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries. LiFePO4 batteries are known for their superior safety, longer lifespan, and consistent performance.
One of the main advantage of LiFePO4 batteries is their relatively flat discharge curve, which means that the voltage remains relatively stable throughout most of the discharge cycle. This characteristic is beneficial because it provides a more consistent power output. As a result, LiFePO4 batteries are suitable for applications requiring stable and reliable power delivery, such as renewable energy storage, electric vehicles, and backup power systems.
We recently came across an interesting battery in the form of Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery. As the name suggests, it is a 12V LiFePO4 battery with a capacity of 100Ah. The standout features of this battery pack are the Grade A LiFePO4 cells from EVE Battery and BMS from JBD. The build quality is good (both on the outside as well as the internal construction).
This is the review of the Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery. Here we will discuss the features, charging and discharging capabilities, safety mechanisms, and many more. Continue reading the review to find out our thoughts and findings of the same.
The unboxing experience of the Siekon LiFePO4 Battery is pretty basic. The battery sits neatly in the box with decent protection while in transit. There is an elaborate user manual in the box with details on specifications, current and voltage limits, guides on connecting multiple battery packs in series or parallel, and other safety measures. Do take a glance at the manual before using the battery.
You get four of M8 bolts and color-coded insulating caps (red and black) for these bolts. There is not much in the box as this is just a battery. Let us take a closer look at the overall design of the battery unit.
Before looking at the design of the battery, a brief note about the manufacturer Siekon (pronounced Seek On). They are a well-established brand, started off as assembler of electric vehicles. With over 20 years of experience and a dedicated R&D team, now they are producing lithium-based batteries, especially the LiFePO4 variant for RVs, off-grid/solar, EVs, trolling, etc.
Not a surprise, but the outer design of the Siekon 12V LiFePO4 Battery is very standard. On the top of the battery unit, we have two M8 screw terminal for the positive and negative posts. These posts have clear red and black mark rings surrounding the terminals. So, you will get a clear idea of the positive and negative terminals. Very useful if you are beginner.
If you want to store the battery for a long time, then you can charge the battery (or drain it if it has full charge) to the recommended level and cover the terminals with caps that came with the battery.
One of the advantages of lithium-based batteries over lead-acid counterparts is their relatively lightweight. This doesn’t mean they are easy to carry around. Thankfully, the Siekon battery comes with a pretty sturdy and detachable nylon handle.
First of all, as this is a 12V LiFePO4 battery, we get 4 LiFePO4 cells that are connected in series, each with a voltage rating of 3.2V and capacity of 100Ah. As mentioned before, the Siekon battery pack uses Grade A LiFePO4 Cells from EVE Battery (who are a reputable supplier of lithium-based batteries). The “Grade A” part of the cell means, if it says “100Ah” capacity, we can expect to get 100Ah capacity, sometimes slightly more.
There is a QR Code on the cells, which you can scan using your smartphone and get details such as manufacturer, capacity, production date, data sheet, etc. In order to access this information, you have to open the top lid of the battery pack, which we do not recommend if you aren’t familiar with all the safety measures.
Lead-acid batteries have 200 to 300 charge cycles while regular lithium-ion batteries have 400 to 500 charge cycles. After this, the battery starts to drop its capacity to 75 to 80 percent. This is where the advantage of LiFePO4 chemistry comes into play. The cells used in the Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery has an impressive 5,000 charge cycles at 100% Depth of Discharge (DoD). Even after this they retain a decent 80% capacity. For instance, if you charge and discharge your battery daily, it will take more than 13 years to reach the 5000-cycle mark.
Exploring further, the next important thing in a lithium-based battery is the BMS. This particular battery pack uses a BMS from JBD (Jiabaida), who are a reliable supplier of lithium-ion battery BMS for both professional and semi-professional systems. The BMS has all sorts of protection features such as overcharge, over discharge, short circuit, high temperature while charging/discharging, and low temperature while charging/discharging. Additionally, there is a unique pulse equalization feature that takes care of balancing the cells so that all of them have identical (or very close) voltages.
source: Jasonoid - Solar Power, Batteries, and More!
While the BMS can handle maximum charge/discharge currents of 100A, the recommended charge/discharge current is only 20A, which translates to 0.2C. The weight of the unit is 10.2kg. But if you consider only the LiFePO4 cells, the energy density translates to roughly 161Wh/kg.
So, how did the Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery perform? Lithium batteries must have 50-60% charge while in transit or storage. When we unboxed the battery, the first thing we did was check the voltage at which the battery unit came. It was around 13.1V, which is very good. Then using a 20A Lithium battery charger (that could also handle LiFePO4 batteries), we first charged the battery to full in order to perform some tests.
After a little while, the battery became fully-charged and open circuit voltage was 13.8V. Next, we connected the battery to a 3000W (peak) pure sine wave inverter and to the inverter, we connected two heaters as load and set a current draw close to 55A as this is equal to 0.55C. We hooked up a battery tester with a shunt to monitor the battery parameters. Upon switching the load on, the battery voltage was around 13.4V and with a load drawing 55A, the total power draw (combination of heater and the inverter) was roughly 738W.
With almost 75% battery capacity left, the voltage fell to 12.9V and the current was still as 55A. After a while, at 50% capacity, the battery voltage was 12.8V and still pumping 55.6A. With 25% battery remaining, the battery voltage was around 12.6V while the current was 56A. After almost 1 hour and 50 minutes, the battery fell to just 0% with a voltage of 12V and still delivering 59.2A current. The battery continued to run but the inverter was beeping before it shut-off (the voltage at the inverter was 10.5V).
So, after running the battery for more than 1 hour and 53 minutes, the capacity came out to be 103.5Ah while the energy was 1318Wh. This is very much expected considering the battery pack uses Grade A LiFePO4 cells from EVE.
source: Jasonoid - Solar Power, Batteries, and More!
Now, we charged the battery using the 20A lithium battery charger. It took almost 5-1/2 hours to fully charge the battery. The open circuit voltage of the fully-charged battery was 14.3V.
The charge temperature range of the Siekon battery is 0°C to 50°C while the discharge temperature range is -20°C to 65°C. Coming to the storage temperature range, it is -20°C to 35°C. While exploring the guts of this battery, we noticed a temperature sensor for overheat protection as well as low temperature protection.
To test this, we connected the charger and while the battery is charging, we sprayed some freeze spray on the tip of the temperature sensor to instantly reduce the temperature of the sensor. As expected, the BMS shutoff the charging instantly.
source: Jasonoid - Solar Power, Batteries, and More!
While we are inside, we would like to mention that the internal wiring of the Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery is very good. For the positive connection, it has a single 4 AWG red wire and for negative connection, the unit uses two 7 AWG black wires. There is a lot of foam inside the battery protecting the cells from vibrations. The unit is also rated for IP65 so that you can use it outdoor without any worry.
Like all LiFePO4 batteries, even the Siekon battery is not is not a SLI Battery or Starter Battery. So, if you want to use this with your ICE car, then you have to look for appropriate alternatives.
LiFePO4 batteries serve a wide array of applications, from electric vehicles to solar energy storage and many other areas. Their superior safety, longevity, and efficiency make them a valuable asset across different industries. The Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery is no different.
Boats, yachts, and trailing motors can benefit from the high capacity and energy density of the Siekon Battery. You will end up with fewer replacements and lower maintenance costs. This battery has decent resistance to high temperatures and harsh conditions, which makes it particularly suitable for marine use.
The Siekon LiFePO4 battery can enhance the experience of RVs and trailer enthusiasts. It can provide reliable power for various applications, from running lights and appliances to charging electronic devices. The lightweight nature combined with the carry handle, makes it easy to transport in and out of RV, if necessary. Furthermore, this battery can provide continuous high-power without a significant drop in its voltage level. This is crucial for high power applications that need stable power.
If you feel 12V isn’t your style, then you have the option to connect up to 4 Siekon 12V LiFePO4 batteries in series for a 24V, 36V, or 48V system. Alternatively, you can connect up to four batteries in parallel to increase the capacity up to 400Ah.
The listing price of the Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery is $229.99. But at the time of reviewing this product, there is a discount code (Siekon99) using which you can get a discount of $26, which brings the price to $203.99.In terms of cost per watthour, it translates to only $0.16/Wh, which is cost effective. Siekon backs this product with a decent 5-year warranty and customer support.
Overall, we liked the Siekon 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery. It delivers the full 100Ah capacity perfectly without any issues. The advantage of LiFePO4 cells is they have a very flat discharge curve. This means you can get constant power from the battery for applications that require very stable power.
It uses an impressive set of internals in the form of LiFePO4 cells from EVE Battery and BMS from JBD. Speaking of BMS, it has a plethora of safety features, which we expect from a top-tier BMS supplier.
If you are looking for a decent LiFePO4 battery for your energy storage (off-grid, solar, etc.), marine (trailing motor, boats, or yachts), RVs, or trailer needs, the Siekon battery is a pretty choice. You can use it as a single unit for 12V system, connect multiple of them in series or parallel for increased voltage or capacity.
Get great content that you love. No ads or spams, we promise.
How To Guides
Product Reviews
For Students
Copyright © 2024 Electronicshub.org
