Maintaining battery health involves a lot of factors and among the most important of them is the charging process. The way you top off your power pack whether it's a lithium battery (LiFePO4), a lead-acid battery, or a lithium-ion battery largely impacts its service life, as well as overall performance.
In fact, even the batteries fitted inside your devices are highly affected by charging. It's perhaps the most common cause of battery decline, which is why the idea of optimised battery charging was first brought to life. You have probably seen this on your phones and laptops, as it is currently being incorporated as an essential feature in modern devices to help extend their lifespan.
What Does Optimised Battery Charging Mean?
Optimised battery charging is a feature that helps maintain and check your battery's overall health. It's usually embedded in smartphones to prevent battery aging which will eventually lead to reduced life and a decline in the performance of your phone.
Improper charging of batteries could mean a faulty charging pattern, over or under-charging, and unfavourable surrounding temperatures. Because of this, the majority of manufacturers have developed an optimised charging feature for gadgets that ensures your battery charge lasts long and depletes in a safe manner.
This innovation is focused on smartphones, especially the famous iPhone products. Basically, the iPhone optimised battery charging feature uses machine learning to determine how you habitually use your smartphoneyour active and idle times, charging intervals, and so on.
When it obtains data on when your phone usually charges for a long period of time, it delays the charging process past 80%. The charging is then activated just before your disconnect your phone from the charger, so you still get a full battery afterwards.
How To Charge LiFePO4 Batteries Optimally?
While the optimised charging feature is not present in outdoor portable batteries like lithium batteries, there are tons of ways to make sure your charging process keeps them in optimal form. Check out some of the best charging methods for those who own the famous LiFePO4 or lithium iron phosphate battery.
Smart charger
The most recommended way of recharging a lithium power pack is to use a lithium battery charger that matches its battery chemistry. Using a smart charger as your LiFePO4 battery charger will allow you to adjust it according to your power pack's charging profile, which results in maximised performance and lifespan in the long run.
Solar charging
The use of solar power when charging lithium batteries is increasingly getting popular due to its convenience and cost-effectiveness. Whether you pair batteries and solar panels at home, in a boat, or in an RV, the requirements are pretty much the same. Aside from your battery bank and panels, you also need a solar charge controller.
A solar charge controller works to regulate the power generated by your solar panels according to your battery's charging requirements. This prevents overcharging and ensures an efficient charging process as well. You would also need an inverter in this kind of setup to convert direct current (DC) from the solar panels into alternating current (AC), which is the type of current suitable for running appliances.
Alternator and a DC-DC Charger
Ideal for RVs and boats, charging your LiFePO4 battery via the alternator is possible since it works to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. However, because LiFePO4 batteries have low internal resistance when partially charged, they might draw any amount of current from the alternator which can cause overheating and damage the power pack as a result.
This is where the function of a DC-DC charger comes in. It acts by limiting the amount of current drawn from the alternator and regulates the output voltage according to a LiFePO4's needs to prevent overcharging issues.
When it comes to battery packs, the easiest to maintain even during the charging process are definitely LiFePO4 batteries. For one, they have a built-in battery management system (BMS) that automatically protects against common issues including overheating, overcharging, undercharging, and short circuits. That's one less thing for you to worry about.
No one can deny how reliable these batteries are either. They're even considered lithium deep cycle batteries for their increased capacity and impressive lifespan!
If you're after a good LiFePO4 battery, make sure to check out our range at Outbax. We have a huge selection of 100Ah lithium batteries, 200Ah lithium batteries, 24V batteries, and more here! The best part? We have tons of amazing deals as well, so don't miss out.
