What is maxium rated operating temperature for Victron AGM/GEL batteries?
asked
Gel and AGM batteries maximum ambient temperature
Hi @Marek. See the screenshot from the data sheet, anything above 30 degrees C and service life is greatly reduced. If you have a temperature issue it’s best you either try keep them cool or go for a different chemistry, lifepo4 for instance.
Hi, I'm aware of datasheet information - I have looked many of those but for Victron Batteries I can not find any temperature range. Datasheet is stating service life.
We plan to install many batteries on a vessels and ambinet temperature will be 45-60C degrees. There will be also main engine starting batteries and LifePo4 is not good for that.
Question still remains for maximum ambient temperature.
Hi @Marek
Please don't use -any- battery in those temperatures, unless the manufacturer specifically states that they are ok with it. 40 degrees C is really the normal maximum.
your Gel / AGM battery will be dead within a year.
Hi, yes I'm aware of the situation and lifetime of the battery but I can not change the climate of the country. What is Victron Energy statment for maximum operation temperature for their products?
There are some companies making lead batteries specifically for hot regions such as https://www.tab.si/index.php/starter/starter_tab/95
Even victron blog had a story about one such battery system in Fiji https://www.victronenergy.com/blog/2019/04/16/power-in-paradise/
Specs for that one here: https://narada-ap.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/12HTB100.pdf
The service life data (w/ temp ranges) imo is better than "just" a maximum operating temp, because one can technically define a maximum operating temp with a service life of 1 hour or less (which is not useful in most circumstances).
Seems to me it may be a wider engineering exercise than searching for a battery whose datasheet has a maximum temp that is higher than your ambient.
Separate the starting loads from auxiliary loads (i.e. starter battery and aux bank), providing subambient cooling for auxiliary bank, using higher temperature rated batteries, allowing for frequent replacement of starter battery, etc can all be looked at. As Daniel suggested 40C is a (soft) upper limit of lead acid that comes from the chemistry and current technology. Your higher ambient suggests that more engineering may be needed, there's no point in specifying performance that the open market may not be able to meet.
Hi, we have used Victron products in many of our vessels over 5 years now. New order is for hot climate and we design and build whole vessel. So for this case, Victron products are not suitable as conclusion?
Hello, to comment on this. Any lead /acid battery works on the base of a chemical proces. This proces is the same in flooded/AGM/GEL any many other spin-off designs. It doesnt really matter which brand they are as it determined by physics laws that when the temperature goes up, the deterioration gets faster. Of course there are some manufacturers which enhanced usage in high temperatures, but as it always goes when doing these things. If you improve something on the one side you loose out on the other side (which is often less charge speed/efficiency). In general its with the majority of lead acid batteries, that at every 10 C deg average temperature higher then the "normal" 20C deg, you loose about 50% of the lifespan. If there is no way in reducing the ambient temperature you need to realize these are the consequences. Its not all bad news by the way, the battery wil have a high peak current ability, but then again also a lower gassing voltage level which makes charging slower ;-). The cooler you keep the batteries, the longer you will enjoy them !
