Sealed Deep Cycle Battery type

　　Modern deep-cycle batteries can be divided into four categories:

　　Lead-acid leaching

　　Gel

　　Absorbent glass mat (AGM)

　　lithium-ion

　　Let us introduce the structure of each battery in more detail.

　　Lead-acid (soaked in water)

　　Liquid-filled lead-acid batteries are composed of lead "plates" or "grids" in a container called "liquid filling" because these plates are immersed in liquid electrolytes. After being fully charged, the negative plate is lead-antimony, the positive plate is lead dioxide, and the electrolyte is concentrated sulfuric acid. As the battery discharges, both types of plates become lead sulfate (a process called "sulfation"), and the electrolyte loses most of the sulfuric acid and turns into water.

　　Overcharge/normal charge/undercharge will have the following effects:

　　Overcharging the battery will produce electrolysis, which will decompose water into the main components of hydrogen and oxygen (this is called "outgassing". Overcharging by equalizing charging can sometimes be used to recover from under-charged flooded lead-acid batteries). Normal operating state.

　　Periodic charging of lead-acid batteries ideally involves multiple charging stages, usually high-capacity charging, absorption or "topping" charging, followed by float charging to maintain a fully charged battery. Even during the regular charging process, outgassing occurs, which is why lead-acid batteries need to be refilled with distilled water regularly. If this maintenance is not performed, the electrolyte level may drop enough to expose the plates, causing irreversible damage.

　　On the other side of the charging spectrum, insufficient charging will temporarily cause the battery to be unable to be fully charged. Long-term insufficient charging will also cause acid stratification, which will form a dense electrolyte, a very dilute electrolyte layer.

　　Lead-acid batteries have been around for a long time because they have many advantages: they have the lowest upfront cost, can be used anywhere, are suitable for a wide range of uses, and are a well-known type that everyone is familiar with. But they are not ideal for use in RV battery packs, you need to follow the rules you need to install them in an accessible battery box so that they can be watered regularly, but the battery box must be sealed due to possible production Toxic gases are emitted inside and outside of the RV.

　　Gel (sealed lead acid)

　　Gel batteries were created to try and avoid certain flooded battery problems. Because the electrolyte is gel-like, these batteries are not easy to overflow, can be installed in any direction, and sealed, so they will not outgas, so they can be used in poorly ventilated places. Small gel cells are commonly used in electric wheelchairs and electric scooters. However, the energy density (energy stored in a given volume) of AGM batteries is much better than gel batteries, and the charging speed of gel batteries is much slower than AGM batteries, which are two important disadvantages. For these reasons, we do not sell such batteries.

　　Sealed AGM Battery (sealed lead acid)

　　Absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries are another type of sealed lead-acid batteries, invented in the 1970s and very popular in RV applications. Unlike the lead-acid battery that is full of liquid, all the liquid electrolyte in this battery has been absorbed into the glass fiber mat, thus forming a leak-free battery. Perhaps its best feature is that its charging capacity is much faster than a fully charged battery (charging rate is up to 5 times), and a battery with a deep cycle capability (down to a depth of discharge (DOD)) of 80% can provide a similar life cycle. Usually, the fully charged battery is reduced to 50%), very low self-discharge and will not suffer from sulfate erosion, and will not outgas under normal conditions. Except for Lifeline AGM batteries, most AGM batteries do not require or cannot withstand equalization charging. The AGM battery can be safely placed in the RV, although we still recommend placing it in the battery box.

　　lithium-ion

　　Lithium-ion batteries are a completely different type from lead-acid batteries, whether they are sealed or overflowing. Lithium batteries still have a cathode and an anode, but lithium ions usually move between the anode and the cathode in a lithium salt solution. Lithium batteries can be large or small cylinders (such as common 18650, 26650, and 32650 batteries), soft plastic bag batteries, or plastic rectangular prismatic batteries. Lithium batteries can be used in many chemical fields. For RV applications, lithium iron phosphate batteries are one of the safest, most stable, and longest life types. Compared with other commonly used lithium battery types (such as lithium cobalt oxide batteries used in mobile phones and notebook computers), the energy density of lithium iron phosphate is slightly lower, but the possibility of thermal runaway is much less, the discharge curve is very flat, and if Maintain good charging habits and moderate temperature conditions, it is usually the longest life of all lithium chemistries. There is no outgassing, and these batteries can be discharged almost completely without causing long-term damage. Moreover, they weigh only half of the full lead-acid, but less than half the volume, and can accept incredibly high charging rates (for example, 100A for a 100Ah battery).