CATL LFP cell model code "31"

[DAJ]

Hi there,

Does anyone know about CATL models whose QR code starts with "001CB31"?

I purchased a battery described as CATL Grade A 302Ah.
Unfortunately, I received one that was not Grade A and the QR code had been scraped off.

The string above the QR code can be read as "001CB310000".

I looked at the websites at the URLs below and found that "001CB240000" is the code for the CATL 302Ah, but I could not find any information on which model the model code 31 is, instead of the model code 24.

LiFePO4 Cells QR Codes Decoder : GobelPower.com

GobelPower.com : LiFePO4 Cells QR Codes Decoder - China Lithium Battery Distributor and manufacturer, Offers LiFePO4 Battery, 18650 Battery, 12V/24V/48V/72V Rechargable Lithium Battery for Home Solar Energy Storage, Electric Bikes, Scooters, Forklifts, Sweepers, Mowers and Boats.

www.gobelpower.com

How to Quickly Identify Fake LFP Battery Cells Part 3 – QR Code - Energie Panda

You may have noticed that almost every LiFePO4 battery cell has a QR code on it. What is the LiFePO4 QR code? The QR code is generated by a combination of characters that represent information about the LFP battery cell. This is shown in the picture below(Notice where it is on the battery). Using QR

energiepanda.com

If anyone knows which model code 31 indicates, I would be very grateful if you could let me know.

 

[lfpinside]

Here is the answer.

 

[DAJ]

View attachment 91053
Here is the answer.

Thank you very much!

 

[GetOut]

Hello! I picked up a used LIFEPO4 battery on FB marketplace and am trying to identify the cells. My phone grabbed one of the codes: 001CBNBA82616H82W2E00132RC (I had to drop the last RC). I tried the site above, but it couldn't identify the nominal capacity for some reason, which is the main thing I'm curious about.

Code Check...
Code: 001-CB-NBA82-620H8-34250-0224
Code seems right.
Code length is right.
Manufacturer:CATL
Product Type:Battery Cell
Battery Type:LiFePO4
Nominal Capacity:Don't Know Yet
Nominal Voltage:3.2V
Production Date:04/Mar/2018
Manufacturer Website:https://www.catl.com

Is there another way to identify the cells?

Thanks!!
G

 

[zcskywire2]

Hello! I picked up a used LIFEPO4 battery on FB Is there another way to identify the cells?
Thanks!!
G

Those are very likely Lishen LP54173207-202Ah cells that have been relasered as a random CATL cell. The qr cutout and format is done in the style of Lishen and not CATL. Furthermore CATL tends not to use solid blue vent covers, they tend to be oval split rings.

From Gobel's qr website. This is the standard qr layout and vent style for CATL from a 302ah


This is a Lishen LP54173207-202Ah listed from baan lithium

 

[zcskywire2]

Those are very likely Lishen LP54173207-202Ah cells that have been relasered as a random CATL cell. The qr cutout and format is done in the style of Lishen and not CATL. Furthermore CATL tends not to use solid blue vent covers, they tend to be oval split rings.

From Gobel's qr website. This is the standard qr layout and vent style for CATL from a 302ah
View attachment 151591View attachment 151592

This is a Lishen LP54173207-202Ah listed from baan lithium
View attachment 151593

Edit: from my experience so far also, only Narada adds the extra RC to the end of the Chinese QR code system. Id bet one of the less experienced QR fakers got ahold of the cell. They copied the Lishen Datamatrix code format. But didn't fully understand how to fake the rest of the QR successfully

Narada cell with qr for reference

 

[solardanman]

Do I need to create a new post for this? Seems like the title is related.

I need some help with 8 cells I just purchases from EEL that the original qr code under the sticker has no product capacity. The batteries are bloated and do not reach full charge since some of them reach over protection.

How do you verify if these batteries are legit CATL320Ah Grade A LFP battery cells and that they do in fact have the correct date.

I only measured one battery that was the worst in bloating: see attached pic.

I have the scan results below. He will not supply any cert or data sheets.

Under the sticker:

CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","UNKNOWN","0.0","0.0","22/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1304823","001CB7C000000BCAN1304823"

8pcs CATL320Ah Grade A LFP battery cells:4*86=344 USD

3.2V 320Ah CATL Grade A Lifepo4 Battery Cell For Solar Solution Energy Storage

Discover exceptional power and reliability with our Grade A 306Ah LiFePO4 Battery Cell. Crafted for high performance and longevity, this cell represents the pinnacle of lithium iron phosphate technology. Choose confidence in your energy storage solutions with Grade A quality, ensuring efficient...

eelbattery.myshopify.com

Here is his reply:

"If the cells have 322Ah capacity,
do you think the QR code website data is correct?

We sell the battery cells, the capacity means cost.
there are not any cells that rated capacity shows 280Ah,
but the real capacity is 322ah.

As I said before, all QR code websites or Apps are third parties,
they can not get the first-hand database from the cell manufacturers.
that is why I suspect the production date is also not real.

if the bolated is under 5mm, it is in the normal range.

Hope you can understand."

Here are the qr codes from the sticker and 1 from under

"manufacturers","product_types","cell_types","model_codes","capacity_ah","energy_wh","production_date","production_city","factory_product_line","factory_task_order","number_of_cell_produced_that_day","original_qr_content"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","22/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1304823","001CB31000000BCAN1304823"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","UNKNOWN","0.0","0.0","22/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1304823","001CB7C000000BCAN1304823"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","UNKNOWN","0.0","0.0","22/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1304823","001CB7C00000OBCAN1304823"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","7/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1305131","001CB31000000BCA71305131"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","27/9/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1300921","001CB31000000BC9V1300921"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","4/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1301829","001CB31000000BCA41301829"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","6/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1300463","001CB31000000BCA61300463"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","9/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1301365","001CB31000000BCA91301365"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","28/9/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1303661","001CB31000000BC9W1303661"
"CATL","Cell","LiFePO4","280","280.0","896.0","5/10/2022","Zhuhai","00","00","1304011","001CB31000000BCA51304011"

I really appreciate any help since now I have to dispute this purchase with the help of PayPal since he will not grant a refund.

Pictures below of my "new" blue balloons!

 

[zcskywire2]

It's interesting to note that they have given you a mix of different cells there, the ones that read as 280ah cells are definitely produced as 280ah cells (CB310 in the QR code) Attached you'll find the datasheet for them. The CB7C0 cells are new to me, if I had to take a stab they are are CATL's new 306ah cells. I've includeded a picture from CATL's new ESS product brochure on their website. I do not have a datasheet for them yet.

It also seems that EEL lists them as such secretly on their page, image attached, it's in the picture and not the listing title


I have bought with EEL before and found that they weren't the best of grey market vendors. Though this was years ago now. Shipping wasn't great and the cells were clearly re-qr coded poorly. General advice is if you ever see a sticker over the QR codes they are hiding something (poorly) and shouldnt be trusted.

 

[solardanman]

It's interesting to note that they have given you a mix of different cells there, the ones that read as 280ah cells are definitely produced as 280ah cells (CB310 in the QR code) Attached you'll find the datasheet for them. The CB7C0 cells are new to me, if I had to take a stab they are are CATL's new 306ah cells. I've includeded a picture from CATL's new ESS product brochure on their website. I do not have a datasheet for them yet.
View attachment 205785
It also seems that EEL lists them as such secretly on their page, image attached, it's in the picture and not the listing title
View attachment 205787

I have bought with EEL before and found that they weren't the best of grey market vendors. Though this was years ago now. Shipping wasn't great and the cells were clearly re-qr coded poorly. General advice is if you ever see a sticker over the QR codes they are hiding something (poorly) and shouldnt be trusted.

I am such a noob at this and really appreciate your wisdom!
Small correction in my post, I was unclear that the cb310 was on the sticker and the cb7c0 is under on only one of them. so as of now they are all the same battery until I peal off the rest of the stickers.

It seems they created the stickers with the wrong battery model, so maybe that is good thing.

I am still not over the date issue and the bloating though, what do you think? Several companies post more current dates of their batteries that are a lot newer like this one:

EVE LF304 Grade A Cells - 3.2V LiFePO4 304Ah Battery

Buy high-quality EVE LF304 Grade A Cells, a 3.2V LiFePO4 304Ah Battery with flexible bus-bar, nuts and bolts included. Designed for longevity with 10+ years design life, 4,000 cycles, and a rechargeable feature. Get the full excel report by request.

www.18650batterystore.com

and Jenny Wu from Docan emailed me current dates and intact qr codes.

I will take your advice steered away from any company that hides the qr codes. Thank goodness it is just a sticker and not scratched off underneath.

I did not want to take all the stickers off but not I will now. And if that is true then the sticker is wrong for the battery.

Now that you mentioned that code CB7C0 and that is does match the 306ah I can do some further inquiries about the dates of production. I reached out to
https://www.evlithium.com/catl-battery-cell/catl-306ah-lifepo4-battery-cell.html
To see if I can get more details of the battery and production dates.

Daniel

 

[solardanman]

Here is the response to my dispute with them what do you think? I have been testing the battery bank and there is one cell that either over charges and under charges compared to the other 7. I have let them know this too. I am using a JK BMS 8s 16s model.

Shenzhen EEL Battery Co.,Ltd
April 1, 2024 at 3:07:23 AM PDT
Dear buyer, there is no evidence showing that the cells are not brand new, and these batteries are not defective, the bloat is in an acceptable range(<5mm). Please test the cells and check if they have 310-320Ah capacity, then we will define if the cells are defective. Thanks for your understanding.

 

[power.esrl3]

Here is the response to my dispute with them what do you think? I have been testing the battery bank and there is one cell that either over charges and under charges compared to the other 7. I have let them know this too. I am using a JK BMS 8s 16s model.

Shenzhen EEL Battery Co.,Ltd
April 1, 2024 at 3:07:23 AM PDT
Dear buyer, there is no evidence showing that the cells are not brand new, and these batteries are not defective, the bloat is in an acceptable range(<5mm). Please test the cells and check if they have 310-320Ah capacity, then we will define if the cells are defective. Thanks for your understanding.

Keep us posted.

This is a disgusting tactics. They always knew when the cells are delivered, its always game over. Its only a matter of luck if the payment gateway sides with buyer.

 

[solardanman]

Keep us posted.

This is a disgusting tactics. They always knew when the cells are delivered, its always game over. Its only a matter of luck if the payment gateway sides with buyer.

I agree, I think the responder, Howard thinks we are a bunch of d*** a**.
Here is the latest reply from me:

April 1, 2024 at 6:14:05 AM PDT
As for the bloating this is not normal for a new battery but instead a sign of being overcharged or older than a new battery! Your reply “ there is no evidence showing that the cells are not brand new” as it pertains to a battery date codes is a lie. It is industry standard to laser etch a QR code on every battery showing the following manufacturers, product_types, cell_types, model_codes, capacity_ah, energy_wh, production_date, production_city, factory_product_line, "factory_task_order, number_of_cell_produced_that_day, original_qr_content"manufactured date, place of origin, type of battery, capacity, and serial number. See attached. I agreed on brand new batteries and as you can see from all the QR codes from the 8 batteries show the following production dates: 27/9/2022 28/9/2022 4/10/2022 5/10/2022 6/10/2022 7/10/2022 9/10/2022 22/10/2022 I have a response from another battery company that reviewed the batteries you sold me and mentioned this. See attached letter. “I think they didn't provide qualified battery cells to you. the battery cells which were produced in 2022 was too old. we provide only brand new cells which are fresher produced.” Even your website states Brand new” here https://eelbattery.myshopify.com/products/3-2v-320ah-grade-a-lifepo4-battery-cells-china-shipping Batteries are defective, see screenshots attached cell number 8 reached over charge and shutdown the charging. This cell reached over the product specification allowed limit seen in the following data sheet attached of the value 3.65 volts thus making the battery defective compared to the other 7 cells. The JK bms can not keep up with the active balancing during the charge and discharge at 2 amps to help prevent over and under charging so instead it shutdown the charge and discharging as a precaution. I am not accepting your response as a resolution

Here are the attached pictures of the batteries you sold me so that you can see for yourself in the pictures that they do in fact have qr codes that do display the date. let me know if you need anything else if not I demand a full refund with full shipping paid for return post back to you. I hope you understand!

Shenzhen EEL Battery Co.,Ltd
April 2, 2024 at 12:23:51 AM PDT
Hi, Please check the QR code under the stickers! The CATL306 is a new version, some QR code websites or Apps do not have these cell's data. You said you have tested one of the cells and got 322AH capacity! If these are you said 280ah cells, they will not have so much capacity! hope you can understand!

I can't wait till this BS circus of a conversation will be over and get my money back!

 

[power.esrl3]

I agree, I think the responder, Howard thinks we are a bunch of d*** a**.
Here is the latest reply from me:

April 1, 2024 at 6:14:05 AM PDT
As for the bloating this is not normal for a new battery but instead a sign of being overcharged or older than a new battery! Your reply “ there is no evidence showing that the cells are not brand new” as it pertains to a battery date codes is a lie. It is industry standard to laser etch a QR code on every battery showing the following manufacturers, product_types, cell_types, model_codes, capacity_ah, energy_wh, production_date, production_city, factory_product_line, "factory_task_order, number_of_cell_produced_that_day, original_qr_content"manufactured date, place of origin, type of battery, capacity, and serial number. See attached. I agreed on brand new batteries and as you can see from all the QR codes from the 8 batteries show the following production dates: 27/9/2022 28/9/2022 4/10/2022 5/10/2022 6/10/2022 7/10/2022 9/10/2022 22/10/2022 I have a response from another battery company that reviewed the batteries you sold me and mentioned this. See attached letter. “I think they didn't provide qualified battery cells to you. the battery cells which were produced in 2022 was too old. we provide only brand new cells which are fresher produced.” Even your website states Brand new” here https://eelbattery.myshopify.com/products/3-2v-320ah-grade-a-lifepo4-battery-cells-china-shipping Batteries are defective, see screenshots attached cell number 8 reached over charge and shutdown the charging. This cell reached over the product specification allowed limit seen in the following data sheet attached of the value 3.65 volts thus making the battery defective compared to the other 7 cells. The JK bms can not keep up with the active balancing during the charge and discharge at 2 amps to help prevent over and under charging so instead it shutdown the charge and discharging as a precaution. I am not accepting your response as a resolution

Here are the attached pictures of the batteries you sold me so that you can see for yourself in the pictures that they do in fact have qr codes that do display the date. let me know if you need anything else if not I demand a full refund with full shipping paid for return post back to you. I hope you understand!

Shenzhen EEL Battery Co.,Ltd
April 2, 2024 at 12:23:51 AM PDT
Hi, Please check the QR code under the stickers! The CATL306 is a new version, some QR code websites or Apps do not have these cell's data. You said you have tested one of the cells and got 322AH capacity! If these are you said 280ah cells, they will not have so much capacity! hope you can understand!

I can't wait till this BS circus of a conversation will be over and get my money back!

I'd suggest you create your own thread with a bold title for better exposure.

These manufacturers won't change if no one would make enough dent.

 

[solardanman]

Yes I am struggling, I am struggling to except old batteries that are bloated!

As for the balancing it has been done and cell 5 is doing better. I'll know more today since yesterday I didn't get a full charge but almost.
At least now they finally sent some info about compression that is useful to help eliminate the bloating. Now I just need the proof of the dates with serial numbers which they are struggling to offer!

What do you think about their response? Also for cell 5 why the imbalances? I ordered a resistance tester yesterday so maybe internal resistance will tell me the issue. I added a screenshot with balancing wire resistance and those numbers look good.

Today's response

The Shenzhen EEL Battery Co.,Ltd
April 6, 2024 at 11:48:30 PM PDT
Hi,did you do the top balance before the assembly?these cells are not balanced well now. I do not know why you struggle with the QR code, the CATL306 data does not update in time on third-party websites or Apps,CATL does not like EVE or other battery companies, their cells are only provided to the automotive companies,only a few of the cells will be released to the trading companies like us. normally, websites or Apps do not have enough data to fulfill their database. Also, the battery cells are supposed to be compressed, if you are using 300kgf to compress the cells, the cells will not be bloated.Please make sure you are using with enough force to compress the cells. Please use the battery cells correctly and hope you can understand.

 

[solardanman]

I'd suggest you create your own thread with a bold title for better exposure.

These manufacturers won't change if no one would make enough dent.

I am thinking once I get a resolution might be easier to post a new thread. I'm not sure how to post my posts from here to a new one

 

[EastFalcon]

apologizes in advance but...

@Alkaline !

 

[Alkaline]

I don't know enough about catl qr codes but the fact that eel put a bs sticker ontop of the qr code already has alarm bells going off.

here is something you can do, is peel back the cover and see if you see signs of sanding you will need rubbing alcohol or wax/grease remove to get rid of the adhesive with some paper towels:

Purchased from "BATTERY FINDS"

After reading here on DIY Solar forum the proper method of verifying condition and then assembling a 48vdc battery bank, I have ordered the following from "BATTERY FINDS". I selected them over the "18650 Battery Store" because they as well have a US based warehouse (City of Industry California)...

diysolarforum.com

example of docan sanding / relasering:

Purchased from "BATTERY FINDS"

After reading here on DIY Solar forum the proper method of verifying condition and then assembling a 48vdc battery bank, I have ordered the following from "BATTERY FINDS". I selected them over the "18650 Battery Store" because they as well have a US based warehouse (City of Industry California)...

diysolarforum.com

 

[houseofancients]

To add, CATL doesn't sell their automotive grade cells to any others than it's automotive customers.
The only CATL cells available through 3rd party resellers are grade b or less

 

[solardanman]

Well well well. Update on my disputes. I tried through paypay to get a full refund with return paid shipping but EEL responded with credit for one cell only during the dispute process. This so far was at least 5 interactions with EEL. Then I escalated to Paypal that I was not satified with the offer then EEL agreed for a full refund but I was responsible for the shipping. Which was a good start but with over 400.00 to send the 8 cells back to China and not trusting the refund process I went ahead and disputed with my credit card instead and just today I got a full refund "We are pleased to let you know that the temporary credit we posted to your account for 843.00 on 5/15/2024 is now permanent."

I want to thank all of you that helped with my understanding of these cells and suppored me through the process.
I have now received perfectly matched unbloaded EVE MB31 cells and the dates are from March. OMG what a difference in products. I did the purchase though Alibaba and the shipping took 1 month from China to San Diego. Here are some pictures of the

Shenzhen Qishou 8000 Time Cycle 314Ah/Mb31 Brand New Grade A 3.2 V Lf314 314 Ah 314Ah Lifopo4 3.2V Lithium Lifepo4 Battery Cells​

 

[wfdTamar]

Hi. Similar to my experience with EEL. Is your credit card a Visa or Mastercard (mine is a Mastercard)? I have a refund for now, but I'm not sure they have finished their 'investigation' (if you could call it that as every time I talk to them they have no idea of the history and I have to painfully explain from scratch why having one bad cell means the lot are useless. That they're not like AA's where you just replace the bad cell with another of any old spec.