Since 2014, Kreisel has been a leading innovator focused on the development of immersion-cooled electric battery modules and packs for high-performance and off-highway applications. The company has a differentiated battery technology and battery-buffered charging infrastructure offering and currently serves a global customer base across multiple end markets, including commercial vehicles, off-highway vehicles, marine, e-motorsports and other high-performance applications.

According to an email from Mig Dobre, senior research analyst at Baird, the goal of Kreisel’s founders is to provide superior battery technology to rival Tesla performance. Since 2014, the team has implemented over 150 successful projects, partnering with the likes of Porsche and Shell. The company’s origins are in designing retrofit packs for electric car conversions, but it has rapidly expanded into large-scale production of battery packs.

John Deere sees demand growing for batteries as a sole- or hybrid-propulsion system for off-highway vehicles. Products in Deere’s portfolio such as turf equipment, compact utility tractors, small tractors, compact construction, and some road-building equipment could rely solely on batteries as a primary power source. Deere intends to continue to invest in and develop technologies to innovate, deliver value to customers and work towards a future with zero emissions propulsion systems.

The majority investment in Kreisel Electric will allow Deere to optimally integrate vehicle and powertrain designs around high-density battery packs while leveraging Kreisel’s charging technology to build out the infrastructure required for customer adoption. Dobre says the investment pairs well with Deere’s acquisition of Bear Flag Technologies earlier this year, building out Deere’s capabilities while accelerating its path toward a fully electric, autonomous fleet.

“Kreisel’s battery technology can be applied across the broad portfolio of Deere products, and Kreisel’s in-market experience will benefit Deere as we ramp up our battery-electric vehicle portfolio. Deere will provide the expertise, global footprint, and funding to enable Kreisel to continue its fast growth in core markets. This is an opportunity to invest in a company with unique technology that’s designed for the demanding conditions where Deere customers work,”

said Pierre Guyot, senior vice president of John Deere Power Systems.

“Furthermore, building an electrified portfolio is key to John Deere’s sustainability goal of pursuing new technologies that reduce the environmental impact of new products and work toward zero emissions propulsion systems on equipment, while increasing our customers’ efficiency and productivity.”

Dobre says the pace of technology investment is accelerating, and next-gen offerings have the potential to extend the ag replacement cycle beyond 2025 with Deere’s consolidating its leadership position. Demand for batteries as a sole or hybrid propulsion system is growing among DE’s off-highway customers as sustainability goals coupled with rising fuel costs.

“The Kreisel acquisition adds a proven electrification technology that Deere can continue to build on, with the integration of high-density battery packs into Deere’s portfolio of vehicles a key step in moving toward zero emissions equipment,”

Dobre says.

Kreisel Electric will retain its employees, brand name and trademark, and continue to operate from its current location in Austria to serve its growing customer base. The company was founded by brothers Johann, Markus, and Philipp Kreisel, and has approximately 160 full-time employees.

In a joint statement, Johann, Markus, and Philipp Kreisel said the Kreisel team looks forward to expanding its base business, leveraging the Deere channel to accelerate the adoption of battery-electric vehicles and charging stations, and working with Deere’s vehicle design teams on product advancements.

The transaction requires final regulatory approval in Austria, with closing expected to take place in approximately 60 days. Financial details are not being disclosed.

The post Deere Signs Agreement to Acquire Majority Ownership in Kreisel Electric appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Varta and Allgau Batterie will in the future bring together their expertise for the rapidly growing market for application-specific configurable lithium-ion battery packs. In the future, the family-owned company from Bavaria will be able to include the Easyblade and Easyblock products from Varta’s Application-Specific Batteries product group in its portfolio and thus take care of all system integration issues, ranging from hardware, software and chargers to system communication and mechanical fit as well as battery design.

The Varta ASB product group are specially developed battery solutions for use in small and medium-sized vehicles such as driverless transport systems, AGVs, material handling systems, or forklift trucks. The lithium-ion batteries are rugged modular and expandable and can thus be perfectly adapted to applications such as logistics or agriculture.

Thanks to its broad experience in the field of lithium-ion batteries and its strong network in various major industries, Allgau Batterie is the perfect partner for Varta’s Application Specific Batteries Easyblock and Easyblade. Gordon Clemens, General Manager, Varta Power Pack Solutions:

“The cooperation with Allgau Batterie shows that we can offer battery solutions for a wide range of applications – and without long design-in times thanks to our modular systems. For us, this marks the start of several such partnerships in Europe and the USA, because we show that VARTA is the perfect partner for a quick implementation of projects where application-specific configurable batteries are required.”

Manuel Diepolder, CEO of Allgau Batterie and ALLithium, is also excited about the cooperation:

“With Varta, we gain a renowned partner that will help us to achieve our ambitious goals. Our companies complement each other perfectly: VARTA produces excellent cells and modules which we then configure and integrate as intelligent complete systems.”

The post Varta and Allgau Batterie Enter into Partnership for Lithium-Ion Battery Packs appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

In the first quarter of 2021, Varta was able to increase group revenue by 2.9% to € 204.3 million compared to the same period of the previous year. The adjusted EBITDA rose by almost 16% to € 59.9 million.

“Varta has further increased its profitability. We are optimistic about the second half of the year. All segments continue to contribute to the growth of our company and were able to further increase the good results. The properties of our new lithium-ion round cells are met with great interest from customers. We are thus opening new and larger areas of business. In the meantime, we have also been able to win our first customer for our V4Drive in the automotive sector. Varta remains successful with its innovation strategy,”

says Herbert Schein, CEO of Varta AG.

In the second half of the year, in particular, Varta expects an increase in revenue and business results thanks to new customer orders in the area of True Wireless Stereo Headsets (TWS).

“In order to emphasize our focus on the successful business with our lithium-ion batteries, we have decided to rename our Microbatteries & Solutions segment to Lithium-Ion Solutions & Micro batteries,”

says Schein.

Armin Hessenberger, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Varta AG, adds:

“Varta is a thoroughly healthy company. Thanks to our further increased profitability and our low level of debt, we have the opportunity to continue investing heavily in the lithium-ion business and at the same time to pay our shareholders a dividend for the first time. The decision will be made at the general meeting next month.”

Lithium-Ion Solutions & Microbatteries segment grows by 2.7%

Revenue in the Lithium-Ion Solutions & Microbatteries segment rose from € 118.7 million to € 121.9 million in the 2021 financial year. This corresponds to revenue growth of 2.7% compared to the previous year. The development of the rechargeable lithium-ion cells for high-tech consumer products, especially for true wireless premium headphones (TWS), was as expected. The USD / EUR exchange rate development and the adjustment of prices in the non-strategic area of assembly, i.e. the tailoring of the battery arresters for the customer, had a negative effect. New customer projects will have an impact on sales and earnings in the second half of the year.

The Microbatteries and Power Pack Solutions product groups have developed very positively. When it comes to hearing aid batteries, Varta is benefiting from the increased demand for rechargeable lithium-ion cells. The high growth rate continues in the Power Pack Solutions business. The adjusted EBITDA rose from € 40.8 million to € 45.9 million (+12.5%), which corresponds to a disproportionate increase compared to the sales development. The increase in earnings is the result of further increases in productivity and efficiency. This results in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 37.6% in relation to sales, which corresponds to an improvement in the adjusted EBITDA margin of 3.3 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Household Batteries segment continues to develop positively, high demand for energy storage systems

The Household Batteries segment comprises the consumer batteries business and energy storage systems. Sales increased from € 79.7 million to € 82.4 million in the 2021 financial year. This corresponds to a sales growth of 3.4% compared to the previous year. Adjusted EBITDA rose from € 10.9 million to € 13.9 million (+27.5%), which corresponds to a disproportionate increase compared to the sales development.

By focusing on the branded business, the consumer batteries business has significantly improved its profitability compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The business with energy storage systems grew very dynamically in the financial year and doubled compared to the same quarter of the previous year and was thus able to gain additional market shares. The adjusted EBITDA margin is 16.9% in relation to sales, which corresponds to an improvement of 3.2 percentage points compared to the previous year and thus builds on the successful fourth quarter of 2020.

Outlook: new lithium-ion round cells open up new markets, start of the pilot line on schedule

The structural growth of the core markets, strong market position in these core markets as well as the continued high investments in the expansion of production capacities will lead to positive business development in 2021. This outlook is based on the assumption of constant exchange rates.

The company is still very well positioned in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and fluctuating infection rates. Production at the company’s own locations has been running without interruptions since the beginning of the pandemic, and there have been no effects on the supply chains.

The positive business development will accelerate in the second half of the year thanks to new customer projects and orders in the CoinPower area. In addition, the development of new lithium-ion round cells will open up further business areas. The construction of the pilot line for the new lithium-ion round cells in the 21700 format at the Ellwangen location is proceeding according to plan. Pilot production will start at the end of the year.

The post Varta Increases Profitability and Confirms Cooperation on V4Drive with Automotive Manufacturer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Addressing various global markets, SBG Systems masters the whole manufacturing chain from the strict selection of sensors to the rigorous calibration process of assembled units.

SBG Systems announced last June the third generation of its popular line of miniature inertial sensors called the Ellipse Series, a perfect match for autonomous navigation in precision agriculture.

SBG Systems is pleased to announce its participation in FIRA virtual event, the leading event for professionals in the agricultural robotics sector. As this year FIRA is turning virtual, the event will enable us to showcase the solutions simultaneously to the entire autonomous agriculture community worldwide.

SBG Systems introduce the new Ellipse-D during FIRA, the most advanced miniature inertial sensors for navigation and motion sensing, and the world smallest Inertial Navigation System integrating a Dual-antenna, multi-band GNSS receiver and odometry. Thus, being capable of delivering accurate heading as well as precise centimeter-level positioning in the most challenging GNSS conditions.

The cost-effective sensor provides attitude, heading as well as navigation outputs via a variety of interfaces including a CAN BUS, and will seamlessly integrate into all vehicles thanks to its full-featured ROS driver. The unit comes with a choice of dynamic motion profiles well-suited to “off-road” applications.

All these features make the Ellipse-D the perfect match to provide robust navigation for your ag robot

The post SBG Systems to Exhibit at FIRA Virtual Event appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Geosun is integrating Aceinna’s OpenIMU330BI and IMU383 IMU’s into their various LiDAR Scanning Systems that are used to help navigate and guide airborne drone systems, especially those used in a variety of construction planning and mapping operations.

“We are excited to partner with Geosun, China’s leading developer of guidance systems for their LiDAR scanning systems. We are working with them to integrate our high-performance inertial navigation hardware & algorithms into their various lines of LiDAR scanning solutions,”

said Dr. Yang Zhao, Chairman, and CEO of Aceinna.

Aceinna’s OpenIMU330BI and IMU383 IMUs are ultra-reliable and provide accuracy of up to 1.3 degrees/hour. These triple-redundant IMUs solutions (both hardware and software) are easy to integrate and provide cost-effective guidance and navigation solutions for a wide range of autonomous vehicles including mapping drones, robot delivery, self-driving cars, and taxis, ADAS systems, electronic stability control, lane-keeping applications, etc.

“The reliable, accurate performance of Aceinna brand IMUs have helped our LiDAR Scanning systems to sell very well. They are extremely popular with our customers. And, in the future, based on our mutual understanding and benefits, we plan on further strengthening our cooperation with Aceinna,”

said Dr. Hongxing Sun, CEO of Geosun.

The post Aceinna’s IMUs Help Guide UAV LiDAR Used for Mapping and Construction Applications appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

This new partnership, in combination with the company’s existing electrification supply chain partners, will continue to strengthen and advance the development of industry-leading electrified solutions across the JLG product line, including boom lifts, scissor lifts, low-level access lifts, vertical access lifts, stock and order picker lifts, towable lifts and telehandlers.

According to Frank Nerenhausen, Oshkosh Executive Vice President and President of JLG Industries, this relationship enhances the Company’s product development and technology roadmap.

“JLG is focused on electrification and the delivery of sustainable technologies that are environmentally friendly without a compromise to performance. We believe advancing battery technology is crucial to striking this balance.”

JLG has been at the forefront of the industry’s movement toward electrification, having offered electric products since the mid-1990s when the Company launched its first electric boom lift. Recent electric product introductions include the industry’s first all-electric scissor — the AE 1932 DaVinci.

“Our new DaVinci all-electric lift represents the future of electrification — every component is optimized to deliver premium performance and value to the customer,”

says Nerenhausen.

“Our strategic investment in Microvast is an excellent addition to Oshkosh’s electrification focus and established partnerships. These partnerships, combined with Oshkosh’s highly-capable product development team, support our expanding leadership with technology-enabled products across the markets we serve.”

said John C. Pfeifer, Oshkosh Corporation President, and Chief Operating Officer.

Source: JLG

The post JLG Announces New Partnership for Battery Technologies appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

However, I’ve done the research for you and picked out 10 of the best battery powered lawn mowers available on the current market. You can take a look and read the reviews before using them to compare the products to help narrow down the field. When you finish here, the short buyer’s guide I attached will highlight everything you need to know about picking out one of these types of mowers, and you can buy one with confidence knowing that it’s a great fit for your wants and needs.

The best battery powered lawn mower will help you tackle all of your projects around your yard while leaving you with a neat and clean look you can’t wait to show off all spring and summer long.

Yard Force Lawn Mower – Top Pick 

Pros

• Built-in sensors
• Can mulch or side discharge
• Runs for 100 minutes per charge
• 22-inch steel cutting deck
• Self-propelled
• 95% efficiency rate
• Vortex tunnel design

Cons

• The mulching bag is flimsy

EGO Power+ LM2021 Lawn Mower – Step-Up Pick 

Pros

• Universal battery design
• Weather-resistant build
• Charges in 40 minutes
• Steel mower deck
• Mulches, bags, and side discharges
• Folds for easy storage
• Easy to change settings

Cons

The post About the Best Battery Powered Lawn Mower for Yard Work appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely considering switching your fleet of forklifts and hand jacks to Lithium-Ion batteries. Or you might be in the market for new batteries and are looking for guidance on which Li-Ion technology to purchase.

If switching from older lead-acid technology, you’re making a sound business decision on several levels. It doesn’t matter if you have a single forklift working a single shift, or a large fleet working multiple shifts, upgrading to Li-Ion batteries offers you many benefits over lead-acid.

Here are just a few highlights to consider before we go myth-busting on needed Li-Ion charging times. In no particular order:

• Li-Ion batteries give you more consistent, stable power when in use. Unlike lead-acid types, the voltage level and power availability remain at a higher, more even level. Lead-acid technology loses both voltage level and power in a downward curve, from the time you plug in the battery to the final job. This can be particularly important in cold storage or freezer applications. Cold is the sworn enemy of lead-acid batteries. You will lose between 30-50% of available capacity in cold or freezing applications with lead-acid.
• Li-Ion batteries are virtually maintenance-free. Lead-acid batteries need to be cleaned, watered and equalized on a regular basis. Li-Ion batteries don’t need these operations. And there’s no crusty caustic build-up to remove.
• Li-Ion batteries are designed for opportunity charging. In other words, you can plug them into a charger anytime the forklift isn’t in use. This saves time by eliminating the need for labor-intensive battery swaps.
• Of course, because they can be opportunity charged, you eliminate the need for and expense for additional batteries, normally at least one per forklift. In some cases, this may even allow you to cut down on the number of lifts needed for your operation. Not to mention the related battery handling equipment required for lead-acid.
• Along with opportunity charging capability, Li-Ion batteries have much faster charging times than their older, lead-acid batteries counterparts.

It’s that last item—faster charging times—that will be addressed in the remainder of this article. There are two main Li-Ion battery technologies used in forklifts, each with its own unique characteristics, advantages, and limitations.

LFP, or Lithium Iron Phosphate, has been around for quite some time. Because of that, it has a better track record for reliability and other factors than its Li-Ion battery counterpart, NMC. NMC, or Nickel Magnesium Cobalt Oxide batteries, are a newer technology.

When first developed, NMC Li-Ion batteries were much more expensive than LFP Li-Ion batteries. That’s often the case when a new technology is developed. However, the cost between them is leveling out, so the price may or may not be your main consideration.

There are other, more important differences.

The Myth of a Necessary 1C Charging Rate Revealed

What is an important consideration is charging times during normal forklift operations? The charging rate is designated by C, which stands for charge current, not charge voltage. A battery that can be charged at 1C will go from 0% charge to fully charged in one hour. NMC batteries achieve this charging rate easily, as many manufacturers and sales reps will inform you.

In fact, that’s one of the main selling points they’ll tout during their pitch.

An LFP Li-Ion battery, on the other hand, normally has a charging rate of between .5 to .8 C. What this means is that the battery will charge from 0% to 100% in about two hours at .5C and perhaps closer to 1-1/2 hours at .8C. That seems significantly slower, a potential downside to LFP batteries.

So obviously, the sales rep’s biggest draw is that the NMC will charge completely in half the time of the LFP Li-Ion battery. The cost to do that may be slightly higher, both for the battery and the accompanying heavy-duty hardware required.

But the time saved for the entire charge cycle makes up for it, right?

Not necessarily.

The need for a zero to 100% charge in 60 minutes sidesteps one of the main benefits of Li-Ion batteries as a whole: opportunity charging.

Think about it for a minute. When will you ever completely drain your battery? If you’re seeing that happen, you’ve likely got a personnel problem not a battery issue. One of your drivers is not taking advantage of opportunity charging.

The fact is that if opportunity charging is used, you’ll rarely get more than a 20-30% power drain, even in freezers and cold storage operations. Therefore, the higher charging rate of 1C for an NMC Li-Ion battery is really a non-issue. It’s just an exaggerated selling point with no real tangible benefit.

You’re being sold a tractor/trailer rig … when a box truck or van will do the job.

But there’s one final and important nail to hammer in the coffin of the 1C myth.

Safety.

You Really Don’t Want the Heat of 1C NMC Charging Rates

Any form of flowing electrical current generates heat. That’s a fact. It’s an immutable law of electricity that must be accounted for and dealt with. The higher the amperage or current, the higher the heat.

How do you get a faster charge rate?

You raise the current flow, producing more heat. That heat must be dissipated by either using larger diameter cables, more robust insulation, or a combination of both. And the connectors that join battery to cable must also be heavier made or they’ll melt.

Even the battery charger must be constructed more robustly, adding to the overall cost of the installation.

Look at the cabling of an NMC high charge rate battery compare it with an LFP cable set. The size difference is quite noticeable. And remember, the heavier hardware is NOT for using the battery, but for charging it. More heat from higher charging rates mean more potential for fire and other heat-related accidents during charging.

High amperage burns hot. Need a practical example? Turn on a 100-watt incandescent light bulb and let it sit for a minute. Then, unscrew it while it’s still powered.

Any questions?

One Final Myth to Debunk

You might be told—during the course of an NMC sales spiel—that an LFP Li-Ion battery cannot be charged at a 1C rate. It’s just NOT true! LFP cells can now readily accept the higher 1.0 to 1.5C charging rates. If you still think you’ll benefit from that higher rate, it can be accomplished easily and more safely than possible with NMC technology.

LFP battery cells can be charged with dual output cables from the charger. Two cables at half the charging rate. Because the current draw is also split, the associated heat is lowered, allowing the smaller cable sets to be used.

When it comes to charging time capability, run the numbers. With opportunity charging for Li-Ion batteries, you likely don’t need what you’re being sold.

The post OneCharge explains 1C Charging Speed of Lithium Batteries appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

A typical paper roll may be loaded, transported, and unloaded 4-16 times on the way from the paper mill to the printing machine. All stages of this transport chain require dedicated, powerful handling equipment working with minimum downtime and operating costs.

Newsprint, coated stock, craft, or linerboard – the high-volume, uninterrupted handling of paper rolls, pulp, and scrap bales require powerful equipment. The power source often needs to be so tough and reliable, you can run it non-stop.

Until recently Class I and II lift trucks and AGVs that employ tilting and rotating attachments were powered mainly by LPG internal combustion engines or lead-acid electric. Both have their own set of problems but the three major problems were common: runtime, high energy costs, and pollution.

Solution

Lithium-ion batteries are better suited to meet the needs of the paper industry three-shift-a-day operations in the stevedoring, mill, warehousing, shipboard, transporting operations, or harsh recycling applications. Clean and safe Lithium batteries are powerful enough to support the most demanding applications, increase runtime, and reduce energy costs.

OneCharge Lithium Batteries are designed and built for tough applications and offer a high level of expertise in paper handling. We helped our customers to switch from LPG to electric or from lead-acid to Lithium-ion batteries to successfully move paper rolls and bales through the supply chain. OneCharge batteries support the handling of large size rolls in paper mills, printing, and converting houses.

Our customers get rid of the acrid smell, acid spills, exhaust gases, and noise pollution created by LPG engines or lead-acid powered electric trucks.

Where sanitary handling is a mandate, like in paper converting and packaging, including food packaging, the safety and zero daily maintenance of OneCharge Li-ion batteries are important.

How OneCharge Lithium Batteries Helped

Application 1.

A US paper mill has switched its end of the line lift trucks to Lithium. The 12.000 lbs. electric powered cushion tire trucks are all 80V, powered by 540Ah OneCharge Li-ion batteries.

Four trucks are traveling with the paper rolls to the loading docks, where the rolls are stacked both in cargo trucks and railcars for distribution. There are also two trucks for making shorter trips with rolls that require rewinding.

All 6 trucks are operating on a single battery each, which will last through the full day with quick opportunity charging events during breaks and lunch.

Application 2.

A large paper mill is using special AGVs to feed the production line. The end of the line is served by 15 smaller lift trucks, that have all been recently switched from the LPG powered IC engine to Electric Lithium. There are 12,000lb capacity trucks equipped with 4,000lb paper roll clamps, and 5,000lb capacity trucks with push / pull attachments. The smaller trucks are engaged in a very heavy application – 3 shifts a day averaging 4,800 hours of operation per year! This is way beyond any industry-standard lease (roughly 1500-2000 hours per year).

Powerful, durable OneCharge Lithium batteries are the best when you need to maximize uptime and safety handling paper and pulp products.

Return on Investment

OneCharge is known for producing some of the most durable, trouble-free Li-ion batteries for applications, where durability, speed, and energy efficiency directly affect the bottom line.

OneCharge Li-ion Batteries help decrease downtime by using breaks for opportunity charging whenever it is most convenient for the operations. Zero maintenance and efficient energy add up the savings quickly.

Typical Savings from switching to Li-ion technology.

The article was written by Maxim Khabur, Marketing Director of OneCharge Inc. 

The post OneCharge Lithium Batteries increase runtime appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Are you interested in learning about the test results from an expert battery user? Nigel Calder has written an expert overview to provide you with a closer look into the difference between a TPPL battery and a Lithium-ion battery. This is an abridged version of his article.

Keep reading to learn more!

What Are TPPL Batteries?

TPPL is an abbreviation for Thin Plate Pure Lead batteries. These types of batteries are a new type of Absorbed Glass Mat batteries or AGM, which have been on the market for some time now.

TPPL Batteries and AGM Batteries Are Both Lead-acid. The way that TPPL batteries work is very similar to the AGM battery. The total time it takes for a TPPL battery to reach its full charge is reduced, however, TPPL batteries need to be brought to full charge to limit sulfation.

The largest difference between AGM batteries and TPPL batteries is the rate of charge. TPPL batteries can absorb more charge than the standard AGM battery faster. This results in an increased but declining acceptance rate. This means a TPPL battery can charge quickly up to 70-80%, but it takes a long time to get it to the fully charged state.

Performance of TPPL Batteries Compared To Li-ion

When you compare TPPL batteries to lithium-ion batteries, you will find that TPPL batteries need roughly double the nominal capacity to do the same job. They typically can not be discharged below 40% SOC without damaging the battery and/or voiding the warranty.  (It’s still lead-acid). With a Li-ion battery you do not have this limitation.

TPPL batteries have a high rate of charge and discharge. This increased rate translates to an increased level of internal heat inside of the battery. This can cause a reduction in the life expectancy of TPPL batteries.

Even if you take proper care of TPPL batteries, TPPL batteries won’t have as long a life expectancy as the majority of the Lithium-ion batteries that you’ll find on the market. Life expectancy is routinely measured in cycles.

When you compare Lithium batteries to lead-acid batteries, you’ll find that lead-acid batteries will lose their capacity when being used at a permanent partial state of charge, or “opportunity charged“. This isn’t the case with lithium-ion batteries! NO Memory effect!

TPPL Battery Claims

There have been many performance claims made about TPPL batteries, based on their beneficial characteristics. Let’s take a closer look at some of the claims made about TPPL batteries.

Increased Charging Rate. According to some manufacturers TPPL batteries can be charged at a rate up to six times the rated capacity that they have. One of the leading manufacturers of TPPL batteries on the market claims that TPPL batteries can go from completely dead to a full charge in under 30 minutes.

However, based on testing performed by Nigel Calder, even as TPPL batteries absorb 2 times their rated capacity, this rate only lasts for a limited amount of time. When a TPPL battery reaches around 70% charge, the acceptance rate dramatically slows down (about 300%).

While many manufacturers will claim that TPPL batteries charge faster than other types of batteries on the market, testing has shown that TPPL batteries follow the same charging curve as lead acid-based batteries. (It’s still lead-acid).

Charge Capacity. When TPPL batteries are being used in a partially charged state, they work in the same way that AGM batteries do. This means that when a battery is partially charged, there’s an increased risk of a loss of charge capacity. (Memory effect).

While a TPPL battery charge capacity can be adjusted, there’s special equipment that’s needed to modify the charge capacity. The charge capacity can be adjusted by controlling how much the battery can be overcharged, but this only occurs when the voltage of the battery is driven to high levels.

During the process of recovering the capacity of the battery’s charge, it’s to be expected that the venting of electrolytes will take place. In simpler terms – expect acid fumes or “gassing”.

Usable Capacity. Another common claim about TPPL batteries is the usable capacity. Manufacturers will claim that up to 80% of the capacity will be usable for up to 1200 cycles. Compare to Li-ion batteries that offer above 80% of usable capacity at 3000 plus cycles, depending on charging habits and application. That’s more than double the cycles!

Whenever there isn’t a complete full recharge, the entire capacity to which a TPPL battery can be charged is reduced. This results in an additional drop in the battery’s charging capacity. As an end result, this can cause a reduction in the capacity to around 50%, i.e. “memory effect”.  Li-ion batteries can be charged at any given moment and for any amount of time with no loss of capacity. NO Memory effect!

Storage. One claim that has been proven to be true about TPPL batteries is the shelf-life of their charge. When a TPPL battery is brought to a full charge, the battery can be stored for several months without losing any charge. This is because of the low self-discharge rates that are found with TPPL batteries.

Some Li-ion batteries have an “on-off” button to switch off the battery when not in use for as long as 6-12 months.

The Differences Between a Lithium-Ion Battery Vs the TPPL Battery – Not a Fair Comparison

Now that you have a basic knowledge of the differences between Li-ion and TPPL batteries, we hope you understand that this is not really a fair comparison. They are often included in the same conversation because two technologies can be said to have the “no-maintenance” feature. Aside from that, they are completely different technologies. It’s like comparing “apples” to “Lions”!

The article was written by Maxim Khabur, Marketing Director of OneCharge Inc. 

The post OneCharge makes comparison between TTPL and Li-on batteries appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.