3 ms·
LiFePO4 can be had in the "portable solar generator" space, and some of them have enough input/output capacity to function as a usable UPS. All that they lack
by ssl-3 3y ago
LiFePO4 can be had in the "portable solar generator" space, and some of them have enough input/output capacity to function as a usable UPS. All that they lack is comms for status and automatic shutdown.
It seems like a fairly recent shift -- heck, the whole solar generator concept is a fairly recent shift -- but maybe it's an indication that LiFePO4 devices are becoming more common in the consumer space.
- simpaticoder 3y agoHey, thanks very much for the tip! I did some (random) searches and found, for example, this 7 pound device[1] that offers 300W output, 256Wh capacity, and 30ms failover at $180. Seems like a great little device that could serve a dual purpose as both a UPS and also a camping/project power supply if you can't have/don't want a gas generator. They claim a 10-year lifetime of the battery and 80% capacity after ~3000 cycles, which seems hard to believe, but maybe LiFePO4 is really some sort of miracle material. https://www.ebay.com/itm/166440776366 https://www.ebay.com/itm/166440776366
- ssl-3 3y agoNo, LiFePO4 is actually pretty excellent in that way: It's long lasting, and not harmed nearly as much by charge/discharge cycles as many other types. 3,000 cycles is not an unreasonable claim, and it's a lovely chemistry in that way. (It also tends not to self-combust.) It has other tradeoffs, though, like being physically large compared to a lead-acid battery of similar capacity (or, say, a bunch of 18650s). And like other Lithium-based cells, longevity is maximized by never charging it to 100% and leaving it there long-term -- which, unfortunately, is probably not what Ecoflow is doing. (Ideal long-term state-of-charge is closer to somewhere between 50 and 80%.)