Lithium batteries are one of the most common energy storage technologies today, widely used in a variety of applications, from electric and recreational cars (RVs), water vehicles, solar storage banks, medical and industrial applications. The basic principle of their operation is the mobility of lithium ions between the two electrodes: the anode (negative electrode) and the cathode (positive electrode), via an electrolyte.

1. Composition: Lithium batteries are typically made up of three main components: the anode, cathode, and electrolyte. The anode is usually composed of carbon, most often in the form of graphite. The cathode of LifePO4 batteries such as the ones we manufacture is made of lithium iron phosphate, iron phosphate promotes a strong molecular bond, which withstands extreme load conditions, extends service life, and maintains chemical integrity over many cycles. For other lithium batteries, the cathode is usually composed of a lithium metal compound, such as lithium cobalt, lithiated manganese, lithium nickel, or a mixture of these elements. The electrolyte is a chemical substance that allows lithium ions to pass between the anode and the cathode. At Volthium, we believe that LifePO4 batteries are the best alternative for different reasons.
2. During charging: When the battery is charged, i.e. when the current is applied, the lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode via the electrolyte. During this process, lithium ions are “inserted” into the anode structure, a process called intercalation.
3. During discharge: When the battery is used to power a device, i.e., when it is discharged, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode, a process that releases energy. The mobility of lithium ions from the anode to the cathode is what generates the energy needed to power the device.
4. Capacity and durability: The capacity of a lithium battery is determined by the amount of lithium it can store, which in turn determines how much energy it can provide. However, it is normal for the capacity of a battery to decrease over time, a phenomenon known as battery degradation. This is due to several factors, including temperature, overcharging and discharging, and general battery usage. However, thanks to the quality of our batteries and in particular our grade A+ cells, our batteries are guaranteed for 10 years and offer a lifespan of about 15 years.

LiFePO4 batteries, known for their lithium iron phosphate composition, are distinguished by their durability and superior energy capacity, especially in demanding applications such as recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, and cottages. In Canada, where the search for reliable and sustainable energy solutions is constant, lithium LiFePO4 batteries are increasingly preferred over traditional lead-acid batteries, thanks to their long lifespan that can reach up to 3000 cycles at 100% discharge without significantly damaging the remaining capacity of the battery.

Volthium offers a range of 12V and 200Ah LiFePO4 batteries, equipped with grade A cells guaranteeing optimal efficiency. These batteries offer a shorter charging time and greater energy capacity, making the installation of a solar panel for energy storage even more cost-effective. Their high charge rate and stable voltage allow any electrical equipment to be efficiently powered, without the risk of overheating, thanks to the intrinsically safe lithium iron phosphate technology.

There are several types of lithium batteries, which are usually differentiated by the material used for the cathode (the positive electrode). The most common types are lithium cobalt (LiCoO2), lithium manganese (LiMn2O4), lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA), and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) batteries. Volthium batteries are Iron Phosphate batteries known as LiFePO4 and LFP which are a kind of lithium-ion battery. They differ from other types of lithium batteries in their use of iron-phosphate for the cathode, rather than cobalt or nickel. They are said to have the following qualities:

• Safety and stability: LFP batteries are known for their safety and superior thermal stability. Compared to other types of lithium batteries, they are less likely to overheat or catch fire if malfunctioned or misused. This increased safety is due to the intrinsic stability of iron phosphate.
• Durability and life cycle: They also have a long service life and can maintain a high load capacity even after many charge and discharge cycles. They have a low self-discharge rate, which means they can hold their charge for long periods of time without use. Our products offer more than 6000 cycles and have a service life of about 15 years.
• Environmental performance: In comparison, LFP batteries have a potentially lower environmental impact. Iron is more abundant and less toxic than cobalt and nickel, and iron mining has a lower environmental impact. In addition, LFP batteries are easier to recycle than other types of lithium batteries.

Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, improving air quality, managing e-waste more responsibly ; Lithium batteries have had a significant positive impact on the environment, playing a critical role in the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable society. Their increasing adoption in various areas, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, has helped to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and power generation.

Lithium battery recycling has also become more efficient, allowing valuable materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel to be recovered and reused in new batteries or other applications.

When it comes time to winterize your installation, it is recommended to:

• Make sure the battery is about 80% charged
  • 100% if the battery is left at sub-zero temper
  • An environment at room temperature is preferred, but not required
• Disconnect the battery so that it does not drain due to a “phantom” discharge (smoke detector, radio, inverter or other).
  • If you leave it plugged in and use a kill switch, make sure it is 100% effective.
    It regularly happens that this type of circuit breaker is overridden by a device such as a smoke detector or other.

No maintenance will be required.
You won’t have to add water or trickle charge to apply to the battery.
The battery will naturally discharge by about 2% per month during the period it is not in use.

No need for a cap, the poles are screw-in so you can simply place a piece of tape on top.

If you have Bluetooth functionality, on the mobile app you will be able to see the % charge, voltage, internal temperature and consumption which will confirm that the battery is not discharging.

https://youtu.be/GtFtcCekWToature

The self-heating system built into the Aventura and Industria batteries will kick in automatically when needed.
To be triggered, two conditions must be met:

• The battery temperature should be below zero.
• A charging current must reach the battery.

The battery will not draw its own energy to heat itself.

An external current source must provide a minimum of current (3A for the 100AH, 6A for the 200AH, 9A for the 300AH) in order for the self-heating system to trip.

In order to estimate the percentage of charge of your battery, you can refer to its voltage and base yourself on the following chart:

Please note that it is preferable that the battery is idle for 5 minutes so that the information is more accurate.

This can happen when the battery is completely discharged and enters protection mode.
Indeed, a Lithium battery at 10V or less will no longer have any resistance at all.
It’s a bit like if the polarities were cut off in order to protect the battery.

So, due to the lack of resistance, a smart charger for lead-acid battery might not be able to detect the battery connection. ​

• This problem can be solved by connecting a regular (non-smart) charger for 1-3 minutes or simply by connecting the battery in parallel with another regular acid battery, as if you wanted to boost it.
  This will “wake it up” and take the battery out of its protection mode.
  This is because the battery will receive a small amount of energy transfer that is sufficient to remove the protection activated by the BMS.

No, it is absolutely not recommended to parallel a LiFePO4 technology with another battery of another brand or technology for a long time.

• For an extended period, choose a charging relay (isolator), or even better, a DC-DC.

• For a short period of time (60 min or less); It is possible to connect an acid battery and a lithium battery in parallel for the sole purpose of briefly reinvigorating it.

Yes, you can put your Volthium batteries in parallel under certain conditions:

• The batteries must be batteries manufactured by Volthium and come from the same revision.

• It is mandatory that all batteries are fully charged and at equal charges during the initial parallel connection (check the voltage before plugging in).

Yes, you can connect up to 4 of our 12V batteries in series to add up the voltage.
Please follow these guidelines:

• Obligatory; Please make the initial connection when all batteries are fully charged (check voltage before connection)

• NEVER MAKE A SERIES + PARALLEL connection with our lithium batteries.
  Although it will work at first glance, when charging or discharging, you could damage the BMS

• The series connection must be made exclusively between our batteries in order to maintain their perfect integrity.
  The model number must be identical on each battery.

With Lithium LFP technology, the calculation is simple to do.
If you are charged at a current of 10 amps, and your battery is a 12V100AH, then you will need 10 hours if the battery is completely dead.
If you charge at 30A, then 3.3 hours will be needed.
It’s as simple as that.

All our batteries include protection against cold charging.
Since the damage caused by charging below zero Celsius is irreversible in some cases, the battery will not charge under these conditions.
This is because all our batteries are equipped with a cold charge protection system, which prevents the battery from being able to be charged below freezing.

• The solution is to warm the battery so that the internal temperature reaches 5 degrees Celsius.
  From that moment on, it can be loaded.

• Another solution is to opt for our self-heating batteries that will be able to charge regardless of the temperature.

Probably not. The lithium battery has the characteristic of giving the full potential until the end, thus causing surprise when it is empty.
As a result, you won’t feel any slowdowns when the battery runs out.

• Remember to look at the charge indicator (LCD) from time to time so as not to be caught short.

• Avoid exposing the battery to the sun for prolonged periods of time.
  The use of transport boxes helps to prevent overheating caused by prolonged exposure to the sun.

• If you own a trailer (or RV) with solar panels, this is not necessary.
  Your charger converter will do 80% of the work, and the missing 20% will be done on the road (alternator / connection to the vehicle) or with your panels.

• If you have a trailer without solar panels, and you do not intend to add one, then please plan for a modification within your converter/charger.

• If your use is for fishing, or boating, please bring a new charger if you want to take full advantage of your lithium batteries.

If the charging voltage is below 14.2V, then the answer is yes.
However, keep in mind that your current charger will be able to charge your battery, but the battery will likely reach a charge level of 80%.

Yes, but you will need to have a circuit splitter.
As explained above, an acid battery should never be in parallel or series with lithium batteries.
Since your alternator is connected to your acid starter battery, you will need to connect a DC-TO-DC circuit isolator.
These devices will also avoid stressing your alternator, wiring and batteries, as they will limit the amount of energy that will pass from your alternator to the lithium batteries.

This happens when the distance between your device and the battery is too great.
The signal is therefore too weak to send the data correctly.

The % SOC data displayed on the app will adjust and become more accurate once the battery is fully charged.
The % SOC will be accurate once 4 full cycles have been completed with the battery.

The app will give the right information.
The voltage on the screen could be different, as it rounds to the nearest tenth, while the app rounds to the nearest hundredth.

Yes, you will be able to read the information of several pieces of information at once on your mobile.

Except for older generation Volthium batteries with built-in Bluetooth (2021 model).

Yes, we do quality testing for each battery before shipping.

No, in fact the app will give you the voltage of the internal cell pack, while the battery terminals will give you the voltage at the output of the BMS.

As soon as an energy demand is in progress, the energy will pass through the BMS and the terminals will give you the same voltage as the application.
There can be a difference of up to 0.7 volts when the battery is in standby mode depending on the battery model you have.

A Volthium self-heating battery can go from -20°C to 10°C in just 2 hours.