Alibaba LiFePo4 batteries

[Xiryx]

Could you please post some pictures of the cell voltages as they discharge, around 3.15V ... 3.00 V ... 2.75V?
I'm very curious how far apart the voltages diverge at the low end in a top-balanced pack.

How low were the cell voltages / pack voltage after discharging 300AH?

Thanks!

I'll admit I'm a reluctant battery tweaker - the price of admission to the DIY LiFePO4 arena. Once I determined the cells met capacity specs I I was done testing. I will say, the cell voltages stayed remarkably close (within .05 V) all the way down to 290 AH out. This is where the one weaker cell began to diverge. I stopped discharging once I hit 300 AH. The weak cell was still above 3.6 (under load) and the remaining cells were closer to 3.7. Again, I'm quite happy as I am liberated from what was for me, a very constraining set of conditions with of lead batteries. Now it's all hands on deck for the RV retrofit.

 

[Solarfun4jim]

It’s a great question. I’ve charged traditional lithium 18650 packs at equally slow speeds with no issue. My reading suggests that LFP capacity improves at low currents, but usually that’s 0.3C vs 1C. Haven’t seen too many charts at 0.02C. I should be able to rig up a solution this weekend to test at 0.2C. My charger was set with cutoff current at 4A, meaning it held 3.650V until the current started dropping from 5A to 4A. I feel like this should eliminate any chance of a false full charge.

The reason I’m skeptical is because the supplier made a very telling statement or confession if you will. After I raised my concerns, they said these cells usually give 195Ah with some deviations. I have factory testing reports for other CALB SE200F cells which show dozens of new cells at 210-211Ah. Sure, 170-180Ah is terrible compared to 195Ah, but even 195Ah suggests an aged, degraded, or defective cell. Given a price of $200 CAD a cell, I certainly expected new.

I'd be very interested, if it could be established, exactly what the impact of charging at 1C, 0.1C & 0.01C on the capacity. Anyone know any studies done on this specifically? As you stated, it is most often in regard to a recommendation of 0.3 - 0.2C charging.

 

[mikesolar]

I'd be very interested, if it could be established, exactly what the impact of charging at 1C, 0.1C & 0.01C on the capacity. Anyone know any studies done on this specifically? As you stated, it is most often in regard to a recommendation of 0.3 - 0.2C charging.

I’ve ordered a tester that can do 40A (0.2C) so I’ll be able to post comparisons between 0.02C and 0.2C later this week. I’m excited.

I’ve also reached out to evlithium.com as a supplier for new A-grade CALB SE200 cells. They have a good reputation on some EV conversion forums. Fingers crossed. Will also update you all on my Trade Assurance dispute with the previous Alibaba seller.

 

[legacyturbo]

Based on the current information, I think BLS is still one of the most reliable and trustworthy Chinese suppliers.

Is it you, Jason? ?

 

[Jejochen]

tracking show mine come in tomorrow! cant wait

 

[Jejochen]

Mine are in!
So far no damage. Terminals look pristine clean.
I will start to test now. Point of critic is the busbars that seems quite thin.
For a friend i have ordered 12v batteries, they have a little display in it, looks really nice. So far so good.
Now the testing starts!

 

[Jejochen]

Mine are in!
So far no damage. Terminals look pristine clean.
I will start to test now. Point of critic is the busbars that seems quite thin.
For a friend i have ordered 12v batteries, they have a little display in it, looks really nice. So far so good.
Now the testing starts!

Oh, and the cellls all arrived with the exact same voltage

 

[Dhowman]

Just approved by Aliexpress to order the 16PCS 3.2V 150Ah Higee's from BLS.

1413.75US $ 13% OFF|Grade A 2021 New 16pcs 3.2v 120ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Cell Lifepo4 Battery Solar 24v 48v 176ah Not 150ah Eu Us Tax Free - Rechargeable Batteries - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Can anyone who's placed the same order confirm # of bus bars they came with?

Looks like I'm gonna need 27 to configure thusly:

Though I suppose I could get away with 4 fewer, removing the redundant parallel or series bars in the middle (?)

UPDATE: Confirmed 16 are included. Ordering only 8 more wasn't an option so went for 11 more for a total = 27. Must say that BLS responds pretty quickly.

 

[Jejochen]

First capacity test is fine

 

[Rui Ponte]

First capacity test is fine

Awesome news!!
Will you capacity test them all before final assembly?

 

[Jejochen]

Awesome news!!
Will you capacity test them all before final assembly?

Maybe not all, would take quite some time, but definitly a few. Lets say 12 or so

 

[ghostwriter66]

For what it's worth, this may already be Moot.

I have been reading all the posts and also messaging RJ supplier. I asked RJ what the difference between his 200AH cells were and the DELIGREEN 200AH cells in discussion here.
The reply I got was:

Hi Kim

CATL is the biggest lithium manufacturer in China, check this out: https://www.catlbattery.com/en/
CATL is not selling cells alone, only supply battery products.
One thing you need to know that for those claim that they are selling CATL cells, they must sell downgraded
cells, and to sell downgrade cells abroad is forbidden by CATL, because that would ruin their reputation.

Our RJ Cells are in fact imitate CATL, we have focused on lithium batteries for more than 13years, we are as
serious as CATL. That is why we promise 6000cycles with 5 years warranty.

Thanks.

For what it's woth, it also looks like the responder is using a translating program as the reply is a bit confusing.

So, I'm not sure what supplier is an actual manufacturer or a reseller. On cannot tell on Alibaba. I have a friend that is fluent in the language, and I might give them a voice call soon to try and weed through this confusion.

If you are talking to Carl Wu at RJ Lithium then I can attest that this an excellent company ... I don't think you are since Carl's english is actually better then mine and he is an actual engineer. RJ Lithium use to be our GO-TO company for cells (and would still be if any of us in the field had a voice) but corporate is using DELIGREEN now (another company we have never had issues with) simply because they can save a few bucks (I guess the bucks add up quickly) .. But when I am buying personal batteries Carl Wu at RJ-Lithium is my go to guy ... followed by Amy at Deligreen...

 

[ghostwriter66]

Received my CATL 200a cells from Deligreen today, very fast turnaround and all had matching voltage at 3.27. Unfortunately 2 cells show damage (no evidence of damage to packaging) so I started a refund application.

Question for the group, would you still use these cells if I can't make any progress with the refund?

Sure - Charge them fully and see if they hold a charge ... Then try to discharge them at 1C and charge again at 1C and see if you feel any "hotspots" where the damage is -- you will probably start feeling a hot spot (if its bad) almost immediately up discharging ... but i drop batteries at work all the time - so far only a few have blown up and hurt ppl ....

 

[ghostwriter66]

Quick update on my 32 CALB SE200F 200Ah cells from Dongguan Huanhuan Energy Co on Alibaba. These cells are showing 170-180Ah at a 5A charge/20A discharge cycle from 3.65V to 2.5V. Ridiculous. These should be 211Ah new according to factory testing reports. I’m going to try a Trade Assurance refund. There’s corrosion on the cell terminals too. No way these are new.

Please let me know if you think my testing is wrong. I really would rather blame myself than the supplier but I’m increasingly convinced I’ve been duped here. I have been charging them CV only at 3.65V, my tester doesn’t do CC+CV. This shouldn’t be a problem though since my charger’s max current is 0.025C, way below the 0.3C optimal rate.

I know this thread is a little old but would be interesting if you could send us the link of where you ordered ... i would like to read the fine print so to speak ... ALSO - its very important that anytime you order batteries you ask them DIRECTLY -- IS THIS A GRADE A??? Make them answer.

 

[mikesolar]

I know this thread is a little old but would be interesting if you could send us the link of where you ordered ... i would like to read the fine print so to speak ... ALSO - its very important that anytime you order batteries you ask them DIRECTLY -- IS THIS A GRADE A??? Make them answer.

I've certainly learned my lesson. This is the listing in question. Avoid at all costs. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Prismatic-Lithium-LiFePO4-Battery-Cell-3_60799617162.html

I'm working the Alibaba Trade Assurance process right now but I'm increasingly confident that it's completely rigged in favor of the supplier and I'm out the full cost of the cells. My biggest mistake was doing the full order at once. Should have done 8 or 16 instead of 32. Sample orders of 1-2 cells make no sense either, they can send you a grade-A sample and cheat you later.

 

[ghostwriter66]

I've certainly learned my lesson. This is the listing in question. Avoid at all costs. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Prismatic-Lithium-LiFePO4-Battery-Cell-3_60799617162.html

I'm working the Alibaba Trade Assurance process right now but I'm increasingly confident that it's completely rigged in favor of the supplier and I'm out the full cost of the cells. My biggest mistake was doing the full order at once. Should have done 8 or 16 instead of 32. Sample orders of 1-2 cells make no sense either, they can send you a grade-A sample and cheat you later.

I am going to disagree and say that this will work out for you favourably ...

1. They mentioned 200aH 7 times in the listing - nowhere does it remotely infer GRADE B or used ..
2. Dongguan Huanhuan Energy (where you purchased from) is a GOLD STAR SUPPLIER with Alibaba meaning that they have agreed to certain rules and conditions for listing and selling on Alibaba...
3. Its a major company

SOOO I am thinking what they may do is offer you some deal --instead of sending back the batteries which will cost them a fortune -- they may offer to send you 16 brand new ones to offset the lower amperage or offer to give some money back ... I may be wrong and they may take the entire battery set back - but dealing with Alibaba all the time I have found that they try to find a win-win for everyone ... If they offer to send you 16 new ones ask for 24 .. if they offer to send back X amount of dollars ask for X + 50% ... The Chinese companies always leave a buffer for bargaining and to save face with Alibaba ...

One thing that was interesting was that on the webpage their IEC 62619 Test Reports were NOT clear nor were they expandable .. normally they are ... so don't know if they were hiding something or not .. Lets face it -- the company may be a good company but the shipping manager was trying to offload some returns .. honestly --beside the 20K of us on this forum - most ppl do NOT check their aHs. ...

BUT with all of that said - do not be discouraged .. it will work out for you ... just in the back of your mind have what you want to be a negotiable amount (either dollars or goods) that will make it right .. Honestly I would say that I wanted all Brand New cells or all my money back and not mention anything about sending back the old ones .. they may counter with they will send you 16 NEW and you keep the old ones ... or heck - honestly these batteries are so cheap for them to make and ship that they may just send you 32 new ones ... STAY FIRM but be flexible -- the Chinese will do everything to make it a WIN-WIN for both companies ..

The other thing is if you paid by credit card - you can get them involved and most probably (99.9%) get a full refund from the Credit Card ppl -- been there done that... several times ...

please keep me posted ...

 

[Steve_S]

I am going to disagree and say that this will work out for you favourably ...

1. They mentioned 200aH 7 times in the listing - nowhere does it remotely infer GRADE B or used ..
2. Dongguan Huanhuan Energy (where you purchased from) is a GOLD STAR SUPPLIER with Alibaba meaning that they have agreed to certain rules and conditions for listing and selling on Alibaba...
3. Its a major company

SOOO I am thinking what they may do is offer you some deal --instead of sending back the batteries which will cost them a fortune -- they may offer to send you 16 brand new ones to offset the lower amperage or offer to give some money back ... I may be wrong and they may take the entire battery set back - but dealing with Alibaba all the time I have found that they try to find a win-win for everyone ... If they offer to send you 16 new ones ask for 24 .. if they offer to send back X amount of dollars ask for X + 50% ... The Chinese companies always leave a buffer for bargaining and to save face with Alibaba ...

One thing that was interesting was that on the webpage their IEC 62619 Test Reports were NOT clear nor were they expandable .. normally they are ... so don't know if they were hiding something or not .. Lets face it -- the company may be a good company but the shipping manager was trying to offload some returns .. honestly --beside the 20K of us on this forum - most ppl do NOT check their aHs. ...

BUT with all of that said - do not be discouraged .. it will work out for you ... just in the back of your mind have what you want to be a negotiable amount (either dollars or goods) that will make it right .. Honestly I would say that I wanted all Brand New cells or all my money back and not mention anything about sending back the old ones .. they may counter with they will send you 16 NEW and you keep the old ones ... or heck - honestly these batteries are so cheap for them to make and ship that they may just send you 32 new ones ... STAY FIRM but be flexible -- the Chinese will do everything to make it a WIN-WIN for both companies ..

The other thing is if you paid by credit card - you can get them involved and most probably (99.9%) get a full refund from the Credit Card ppl -- been there done that... several times ...

please keep me posted ...

One small but important note to add to what Ghostwriter posted already, PATIENCE ! , it takes time back & forth + the danged time differential is a PITA to be sure. I got phookered by a shifty vendor via Amazon.... their first refund offer was nothing less than a farce but eventually they had to cough up $400 CDN (The shunbin mess). Claims through amazon are .. well.... I won't say anymore other than not very consumer / buyer oriented and exceedingly tedious. BTW: If you put in a dispute right away via the Credit Card if that is how you purchased your battery cells, that will accelerate the attention you get.

 

[ghostwriter66]

One small but important note to add to what Ghostwriter posted already, PATIENCE ! , it takes time back & forth + the danged time differential is a PITA to be sure. I got phookered by a shifty vendor via Amazon.... their first refund offer was nothing less than a farce but eventually they had to cough up $400 CDN (The shunbin mess). Claims through amazon are .. well.... I won't say anymore other than not very consumer / buyer oriented and exceedingly tedious. BTW: If you put in a dispute right away via the Credit Card if that is how you purchased your battery cells, that will accelerate the attention you get.

And as Steve said ... Its the middle of the Chinese New Year so ppl that CAN make the decison to refund money (trust me in Chinese compnaies its only a small handful) probably won't be back to work fully until the 15th .. so YES .. PATIENCE ... and again ... if you just want your money back -- and you paid by Credit Card --then contact Visa or whoever and file a claim -- THEY will reach out to the merchant and trust me -- that will get their attention ASAP ...

 

[Jejochen]

This is how the 12v batteries made by deligreen look like. I will not open them up though, they are for a friend

 

[Stupid Monkey]

tracking show mine come in tomorrow! cant wait

Mine are tracking as in Germany, with me Tuesday, so that will be about 5 weeks from order (30th December) to delivery (4th Feb).