SECTION 3 |
discharged up to 80% capacity and to repeatedly accept recharging. They are
marketed for use in recreation vehicles (RV), boats and electric golf carts – so they may
be referred to as RV batteries, marine batteries or golf cart batteries.
Lithium Battery
Lithium batteries designed for lead acid drop-in replacement are supported by this
charge controller in a 12V nominal or 24V nominal configuration. Ensure that the
manufacturers recommended charge voltages are configured accordingly on the
Charge Controller Dip Switch. Temperature compensation and Equalization should
not be used with Lithium batteries.
Units of Battery Capacity – Ampere Hours (Ah) and Reserve Minutes (RC)
Battery capacity is the measure of electrical energy the battery can store and deliver
to a load. It is determined by the amount of current any given battery can deliver
over a stipulated period of time. The energy rating is expressed in Ampere Hours (Ah).
Normally, Ah capacity is rated at 20 Hour discharge rate i.e., the number of Amperes of
current the battery can deliver for 20 Hours at 80ºF (26.7ºC) till the voltage drops to 10.5V
for 12V battery and 21V for 24V battery. For example, a 100 Ah battery will deliver 5
Amperes for 20 Hours
Battery capacity is also expressed as Reserve Capacity (RC) in minutes. Reserve
capacity is the time in minutes for which the battery can deliver 25 Amperes
at 80ºF (26.7ºC) till the voltage drops to 10.5V for 12V battery and 21V for 24V
battery. Approximate relationship between the two units is as follows:
Capacity in Ah = Reserve Capacity in RC minutes x 0.6
Typical Battery Sizes
The Table below shows details of some popular battery sizes:
BCI* GROUP
27 / 31
4 D
8D
GC2**
* Battery Council International
General Information: Batteries
BATTERY VOLTAGE, V
** Golf Cart
Table 3.1. Popular Battery Sizes
12
12
12
6
BATTERY CAPACITY, Ah
105
160
225
220
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