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280ah vs 302ah also CATL vs EVE

ShockinglyAverage

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Nov 10, 2020
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So I was contacting a few suppliers on Alibaba about LiFePo cells. I sent Basen a message and Sophia Zhu responded to my questions but at the end added "I would recommend sourcing EVE 280Ah for better consistency. Higher cost performance." What follows is the rest of our conversation:
Me: "Are the 302ah cells not grade A brand new cells that are matched? Are they used bulk cells or something?"
Her: "yes,Grade A,Brand New and QR Code"
Me: "So then why would the 280ah cells offer 'better consistency. Higher cost performance'?"
Her: "Because CATL is easy to bulge in high temperature during transportation.
But after discharging first and then charging, the battery will recover. You can also choose EVE 304Ah."

So I guess my question is, has anyone heard this? Is there any truth to it? I've never heard anything about CATL being more prone to swelling. I don't really understand why this would be the case but looking forward to any info you might have.
 
So I was contacting a few suppliers on Alibaba about LiFePo cells. I sent Basen a message and Sophia Zhu responded to my questions but at the end added "I would recommend sourcing EVE 280Ah for better consistency. Higher cost performance." What follows is the rest of our conversation:
Me: "Are the 302ah cells not grade A brand new cells that are matched? Are they used bulk cells or something?"
Her: "yes,Grade A,Brand New and QR Code"
Me: "So then why would the 280ah cells offer 'better consistency. Higher cost performance'?"
Her: "Because CATL is easy to bulge in high temperature during transportation.
But after discharging first and then charging, the battery will recover. You can also choose EVE 304Ah."

So I guess my question is, has anyone heard this? Is there any truth to it? I've never heard anything about CATL being more prone to swelling. I don't really understand why this would be the case but looking forward to any info you might have.

Actually I think the new CATL (?) cells @Will Prowse bought were a bit puffy too when arrived.
Here : https://diysolarforum.com/threads/a...heaper-than-lead-acid-video.27274/post-324611
 
Did you see his last video? Apparently he got a bunch of junk as they were swelled and didn't meet their capacity claims.

Thought the claim on batteries sold as 310 to 320a were actually 302 was interesting.
 
Batteries swell?
I was looking for CATL 302AH. After reading your information, I became more and more worried. I asked my person in charge. My person in charge, James, is from Dongguan Lightning and told me that this battery does expand. For CATL 302AH this is normal

1. The energy density is high, the specification is 302ah, but the capacity of the product can reach 315-320ah.
2. The process technology of the battery, the cycle life of the battery is 4000 times, and the discharge of the battery is high.
3. The battery is an aluminum shell, which has good extensibility and internal chemical reaction to generate energy. Cause swelling.
4. However, CATL 302AH is a product with high cycle life, high discharge rate, high energy density and good process technology.



The rhetoric of your person in charge is not very professional.


My person in charge told me: For the battery bulge, it is usually caused by overcharging. If you like this battery (CATL 302AH) and worry about the battery swelling during transportation, we can compress the battery for you when it is shipped. Winding cells.

sounds great! ! !
View attachment 64396
Considering you joined Monday right after I got an unsolicited message from another brand new account selling the same Dongguan Lightning cells, I’m just going to assume you’re the same company spamming all posts trying to push product.
 
No, I am not a spam, I am from Austria.
I let me know about the battery swelling issue through the post you sent. I was very worried, so I asked the supplier.

Anyway, thank you for letting me know, this battery will swell and some things I don't know.
Hi neighbour :)

Personally (based on the lot of posts about the matter) I think the CATL cells are being more prone to swelling.
Maybe has thinner alu housing than EVE cells ?
Also it is very different if the cells are transported on a ship (in large metal container under the sun), or by train.
Dongguan transports them to EU in train. Less heat shock. So it can happen that the same cell shipped to us is perfect but shipped to US becomes a bit puffy.
 
Hi all-

I am in the same situation as this thread which wasn't fully answered.

I purchased EVE 304ah from Docan Power and was just told they are out of stock. I have several alternative options (for USA inventory) and I am focusing on EVE280ah or CATL302ah. Amy Zheng from Docan also told me the CATL has some potential for swelling but also has lower internal resistance which many people like.

I Don't know what to make of this, it seems like Amy and Docan are reliable sellers with quality products but I am confused by the "caution, CATL might swell more". What does this mean to me?

I have a small newer Forest River 19' RV that charges at 20A or less on average with peaks up to 30A (its the stock GoPower controller from 2021) and my typical discharge has peaks around 3-5A with short-term discharge rates up to about 8-10A. I plan to install the pack inside the trailer rather than on the tongue where the stock Lead acid is now.

The extra 20Ah is worth about 8-10 hours of trailer power to me which could mean one more night with heat and lights but I also want to avoid potential issues.

What say you - experienced ones? Would you feel comfortable with "Grade A CATL 302ah" or "Grade A EVE 280ah" from Docan Power's USA warehouse? And are there any considerations to your reply such as "CATL should be good but more recommended to clamp them"?
 
I was in exactly your position. I built two batteries from the Eve 304 cells, and when it came time to build more they were out of stock. I ended up going with the 280k cells, as the difference in capacity is minimal and they seem to be of excellent quality and pretty much state of the art tech as they're the most recent generation available, rated for 6,000 cycles. Not saying it's right, but that's the way I jumped in that situation.
 
Hi all-

I am in the same situation as this thread which wasn't fully answered.

I purchased EVE 304ah from Docan Power and was just told they are out of stock. I have several alternative options (for USA inventory) and I am focusing on EVE280ah or CATL302ah. Amy Zheng from Docan also told me the CATL has some potential for swelling but also has lower internal resistance which many people like.

I Don't know what to make of this, it seems like Amy and Docan are reliable sellers with quality products but I am confused by the "caution, CATL might swell more". What does this mean to me?

I have a small newer Forest River 19' RV that charges at 20A or less on average with peaks up to 30A (its the stock GoPower controller from 2021) and my typical discharge has peaks around 3-5A with short-term discharge rates up to about 8-10A. I plan to install the pack inside the trailer rather than on the tongue where the stock Lead acid is now.

The extra 20Ah is worth about 8-10 hours of trailer power to me which could mean one more night with heat and lights but I also want to avoid potential issues.

What say you - experienced ones? Would you feel comfortable with "Grade A CATL 302ah" or "Grade A EVE 280ah" from Docan Power's USA warehouse? And are there any considerations to your reply such as "CATL should be good but more recommended to clamp them"?

UPDATE: I just heard back from Amy Zheng from Docan and she informed me she was mistaken and my order of EVE 304ah was placed and shipped before they sold out.

Now I am searching the black hole of LiFEp04 101 for 4s installation in RV. I have a daly 200A BMS and I've read enough threads on "to compress or not to compress" to melt my mind with indecision. My trailer is small and only draws about 3-5A, it maybe has short term peak draws s of 5-10A. I have a Forest River with the GoPower GP-PWM-30-UL Solar charge controller; I think PEAK charge rate is 37A but typical is under 30A. I have a 100w (edited wattage) panel that came with and another matched 100w (edited wattage) panel yet to install.

I'm thinking I will install this set of EVE 304ah in the cubby "inside" rather than outside in battery bucket on the trailer tongue (for better temp regulation and theft prevention) and build a wood containment. I'm going to have to keep reading to decide on whether to try some form of compression although I've already read about as much as I care to and its getting repetitive of "EVE 304 don't need compression, they are already constrained in their chassis, to "ok, I'll compress them at 660psi but how do I do that and know I'm over 11 and under 16?.... uhg,. I'm only going to cycle these a few time a year, so I"m considering building a box that fits them snug when they are at 50% SOC.

I did find the thread on top balancing 101 https://diysolarforum.com/resources...ls-using-a-low-cost-benchtop-power-supply.65/ I haven't finished it yet but it doesn't look like it covers compression.

If anyone has a good thread bookmarked that aligns with my 101 woes, please share.
 
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In a mobile application compression and constraint accomplish the same result. You do not want the cells shifting as the vehicle starts and stops or hits bumps. That would put pressure on the bus bars which would be the only thing connecting them together if they were not constrained. Similarly these thin aluminum cased cells will expand and likewise put pressure on the bus bars. Uncompressed cells will fan out as they expand with increasing pressure on the terminal caps which are not designed for that kind of load. I am in a fixed location and my compression is best described as moderate. I just applied enough compression to keep them from expanding.
 
UPDATE: I just heard back from Amy Zheng from Docan and she informed me she was mistaken and my order of EVE 304ah was placed and shipped before they sold out.

Now I am searching the black hole of LiFEp04 101 for 4s installation in RV. I have a daly 200A BMS and I've read enough threads on "to compress or not to compress" to melt my mind with indecision. My trailer is small and only draws about 3-5A, it maybe has short term peak draws s of 5-10A. I have a Forest River with the GoPower GP-PWM-30-UL Solar charge controller; I think PEAK charge rate is 37A but typical is under 30A. I have a 250watt panel that came with and another matched 250 panel yet to install.

I'm thinking I will install this set of EVE 304ah in the cubby "inside" rather than outside in battery bucket on the trailer tongue (for better temp regulation and theft prevention) and build a wood containment. I'm going to have to keep reading to decide on whether to try some form of compression although I've already read about as much as I care to and its getting repetitive of "EVE 304 don't need compression, they are already constrained in their chassis, to "ok, I'll compress them at 660psi but how do I do that and know I'm over 11 and under 16?.... uhg,. I'm only going to cycle these a few time a year, so I"m considering building a box that fits them snug when they are at 50% SOC.

I did find the thread on top balancing 101 https://diysolarforum.com/resources...ls-using-a-low-cost-benchtop-power-supply.65/ I haven't finished it yet but it doesn't look like it covers compression.

If anyone has a good thread bookmarked that aligns with my 101 woes, please share.
I used some zip ties for mild restraint/compression in a custom wood box. Attached an active balancer, BMS, charged with solar and went camping. Actually part of the finish was done while camping. All working great, no issues. No need to get all high tech about it unless it is a labor of love. JMHO.
 
I used some zip ties for mild restraint/compression in a custom wood box. Attached an active balancer, BMS, charged with solar and went camping. Actually part of the finish was done while camping. All working great, no issues. No need to get all high tech about it unless it is a labor of love. JMHO.
Thanks for your input.

Question: why an active balancer? was that because your BMS did not balance? Or in place of a manual top balance process to provide a more substantial balance than your BMS provides? Can an active balancer be used with a BMS that balances?
 
In place of the top balance, just charge and go. And not premium cells at the time. I have Overkill BMS that is also set to balance. Not a huge deal IMO.
I am probably a bit of a heretic among the purists.
 
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