Maximizing Alpicool AC/DC 26Q/25L fridge run-time..

[fred333]

Shallower cycling will get you more cycle life from the battery, but they can typically endure 300+ 100% discharge cycles before they degrade below 80% rated.

Inergy, the Apex's maker, warns against running the Apex's battery down below the 10% level. I'm not an engineer, but I've read/heard similar warnings from other solar charger companies and lithium battery distributors.

From the Apex's manual:
What kind of battery is in the Apex?
A: The battery in the Apex is a Panasonic 90 Amp hour 1,100-watt lithium-ion battery.

What is the maximum voltage at full charge? What is the minimum voltage at the maximum safe depletion level?
A: A fully charged Apex will be between 12.3 - 12.6 Volts. A completely discharged Apex will be between 9.3 - 9.6 Volts.

How long will the battery hold its charge?
A: The Apex will retain a charge for up to a full year, but we recommend you check the battery level every 3 months to ensure it is not below 10%.

 

[snoobler]

Inergy, the Apex's maker, warns against running the Apex's battery down below the 10% level. I'm not an engineer, but I've read/heard similar warnings from other solar charger companies and lithium battery distributors.

From the Apex's manual:
What kind of battery is in the Apex?
A: The battery in the Apex is a Panasonic 90 Amp hour 1,100-watt lithium-ion battery.

What is the maximum voltage at full charge? What is the minimum voltage at the maximum safe depletion level?
A: A fully charged Apex will be between 12.3 - 12.6 Volts. A completely discharged Apex will be between 9.3 - 9.6 Volts.

How long will the battery hold its charge?
A: The Apex will retain a charge for up to a full year, but we recommend you check the battery level every 3 months to ensure it is not below 10%.

While sitting alone in the dark drinking milk and eating buttered celery, would you really turn the fridge off to not go below 10%?

Isn't this an emergency only device that might only get cycled every few years?

Batteries have a 100% discharge cycle life. At the end of that life, they will retain 80% of their capacity. For this chemistry it's about 300-500 cycles. It's in a manufacturer's best interest to scare its customers into behavior that reduces potential warranty claims.

 

[fred333]

While sitting alone in the dark drinking milk and eating buttered celery, would you really turn the fridge off to not go below 10%?
Isn't this an emergency only device that might only get cycled every few years?

Yes, it's primarily intended for emergency/extended power outages...and in a life-or-death emergency, you betcha I'd run the battery below 10%. But just for testing, not so much.

 

[snoobler]

Yes, it's primarily intended for emergency/extended power outages...and in a life-or-death emergency, you betcha I'd run the battery below 10%. But just for testing, not so much.

Assuming worst case, 20% loss over 300 cycles = 0.067% capacity or about 0.7Wh per full cycle.

Personally, that is a price I'm willing to pay to know.

 

[MrNatural22]

Last update:
I got 5 days operation from my 102ah 12v LiFePo battery operating the Massimo/Alpicool cx50 fridge as of 10:00am this morning ?
Battery down to 12.88v <20%> SOC.

Plugged the solar back in and recharging.
This is what I’m getting from the single flat trailer roof mounted Sunpower 327w 96cell PV @ 10:10am. ️️
Satisfied with the results

 

[fred333]

Last update:
I got 5 days operation from my 102ah 12v LiFePo battery operating the Massimo/Alpicool cx50 fridge as of 10:00am this morning ?
Battery down to 12.88v <20%> SOC.

Thanks for this.
Based on both of our experiences, my take-away is that these portable 12V fridges use ~ one V/day. I began at 12.6V and ended up at ~10.5V after two days (with ~15~ 20% left in the tank). Had my battery been able to start at a 14.4V charge, considering an ~ one V/day drop, I'd end up with ~ 20% left after four days, which, if you account for your battery's additional 10% of battery capacity, mirrors my results and makes perfect sense. It's precisely what I'd expect (and why I ordered a coupla additional batteries when I purchased the Apex).

So, taken en toto, I have to conclude that the answer to my original (bottom line) question is that there's no way to get there from here. That is, there's no trick or hidden feature that'll allow the Apex to run all the gadgets I cited for a week on a single [full 12.6V] charge.

So, again, my sincere thanks to all who contributed their time, effort and experience to this thread. I leave with the same conclusion I arrived with, but with a whole lotta more understanding. Thank you All.

 

[snoobler]

Thanks for this.
Based on both of our experiences, my take-away is that these portable 12V fridges use ~ one V/day. I began at 12.6V and ended up at ~10.5V after two days. Had my battery been able to start at a 14.4V charge, considering an ~ one V/day drop, I'd end up with ~ 20% left after four days, which, if you account for your battery's additional 10% of battery capacity, mirrors my results.

Please don't think like this. This is in no way a meaningful way of contemplating this issue. You have made a connection where none exists. Had you been able to start at 14.4V charge, your Apex likely would have caught fire before then as you would have severely over-charged the unit and ran the fridge for 0 seconds.

Batteries start with a full state of charge and and empty state of charge. The voltage range is a function of the chemistry and is not a reliable way of looking at it.

Had @MrNatural22 waited 24 hours AFTER charging the battery, his battery voltage would have settled to around 13.8V and still had 100% capacity remaining. In a month, it would have been 13.3V and STILL had at least 97% of its capacity remaining.

So, had he delayed test start 30 days, he would have gone from 13.3V to 12.88V in 5 days.. <0.1V/day

So, taken en toto, I have to conclude that the answer to my original (bottom line) question is that there's no way to get there from here (i.e., there's no trick or hidden feature that'll allow the Apex to run all the gadgets I cited for a week on a single [full 12.6V] charge.

I indicated that in post #3.

So, again, my sincere thanks to all who contributed their time, effort and experience to this thread. I leave with the same understanding I arrived with, but with a whole lotta more understanding. Thank you All.

You were on the right track, but I'm really concerned that you're walking away from this with this "volts per day" hooey in your head. Please discard it.

INDEPENDENT OF BATTERY CHEMISTRY AND VOLTAGE, Wh capacity is the only reliable way to directly compare battery capacities if they're a different chemistry or nominal voltage.

Consider a simple 50W RESISTIVE load (not a motor that may change efficiencies at different voltages):

Your 1100Wh battery can deliver 50W for 1100/50 = 22 hours.
His 1305Wh battery can deliver 50W for 1305/50 = 26 hours.

 

[fred333]

Consider a simple 50W RESISTIVE load (not a motor that may change efficiencies at different voltages):
Your 1100Wh battery can deliver 50W for 1100/50 = 22 hours.
His 1305Wh battery can deliver 50W for 1305/50 = 26 hours.

Not to belabour this too much, but I think you're making my point: His 1305Wh/100Ah battery has ~10% more capacity than my 1100Wh/90Ah battery. Therefore, it's logical to expect his battery to be able to run my Alpi' fridge for ~10% longer (i.e., an additional number of HOURS), not ~300~400% longer (i.e., an additional number of DAYS), as's been reported.

If my battery were DESIGNED to take a full 14.4V charge, so I could begin the testing at that voltage (rather than 12.6V) AND I had the same lower end-limit, I'd expect to run my fridge for twice as long (four, rather than two, days). Of course, my battery's incapable of a 14.4V charge, which is why it's just an extrapolation of the reports I've gathered from our collective testing here.

I'm only concerned with the math as it relates to, and results in, a SIGNIFICANT practical run-time improvement, which circles us back to my bottom line question, which had nothing to do with the electrical characteristics and everything to do with "run-time", as measured in [gaining additional] days, not [additional] hours (or amps/volts/watts). And I think that's where you and I're missing each other. Again, my singular goal in starting this thread was/is to see if there's a way to get the Apex to run the Alpi' MK25 (or similar 12V portable) fridge and some other small gadgets (for light, tv, internet, et al) for a week without a recharge? I came with the understanding that it is NOT possible with my setup and, after much testing by me and others, have seen no evidence suggesting that my original premise was inaccurate.

 

[Bud Martin]

I do not understand why you are still thinking about the Voltage, snoobler already explained it in his post #107.

 

[fred333]

I do not understand why you are still thinking about the Voltage, snoobler already explained it in his post #107.

I do not understand why you keep harping on electrical units? You win! It's not volts....or it is volts...in the context of what I came here for, it doesn't matter.

Regardless of the electronics involved, my original question remains the same: Does anyone know of a way to get the equipment I currently have to run the stuff I described in the first two lines of the first post in this thread for a week? I'll take volts, watts, jiggers or pits—it doesn't matter as long as it'll achieve my bottom line goal. As of a few days ago, the answer appears to've been the one I came here with: No, can't get there with the hardware I've got. And that's fine. I came here on the off-chance there was some hidden feature (in the Apex or Alpi') or gizmo I wasn't aware of that performed "magic". Clearly, there isn't. So, again, I got the answer I came here for and thank you for your time.

 

[snoobler]

Post #3.

Welcome to the forum.

Bottom line:

No such thing as free energy. Get two more Inergy Apex. If it's an option, turn off the AC inverter. It burns juice just having 110VAC available even if not used.

Snip

You really need to sit down and establish what your minimum energy needs are for an entire week (lights, charging, etc) and then design a system around it. You're never going to get to where you want to go using your existing approach.

 

[MrNatural22]

You could sell the apex to recoup some funds and start anew by building a decent crate system with inverter like Will Prowse built using
280ah LiFePos or even 170ah LiFePos and have a very capable and reasonable solution to the emergency problem.
Not a designer fancy looking box but very efficient for your emergency when needed.

 

[snoobler]

Have a totally tits system for about $2K... 7kWh.

But of course, an energy audit in advance....

 

[fred333]

You could sell the apex to recoup some funds and start anew by building a decent crate system with inverter like Will Prowse built using
280ah LiFePos or even 170ah LiFePos and have a very capable and reasonable solution to the emergency problem.

I don't have the room. The Apex's small, compact footprint and all-in-one format is one of the reasons I choose it.

 

[fratermus]

Maybe some people here have them and have had them running nearly continuously for at least a year and can chime in.
That would be awesome.

My Alpicool C15 ran great (and sipped power) for 2.5 years {fulltime including freezing and 100F+ temps, rough roads on BLM/NF} until I physically dropped it, fully loaded, on the ground from hip level during a van cleanout. I gladly replaced it with another Alpicool (C20 model with extended lid).

When I win the lottery I will buy an Engel with the sawafuji compressor. Based on price it'd have to last about 11 years to reach the same annualized cost.

{added more info}

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

My Alpicool C15 ran great (and sipped power) for 2.5 years {fulltime including freezing and 100F+ temps, rough roads on BLM/NF} until I physically dropped it, fully loaded, on the ground from hip level during a van cleanout. I gladly replaced it with another Alpicool (C20 model with extended lid).

When I win the lottery I will buy an Engel with the sawafuji compressor. Based on price it'd have to last about 11 years to reach the same annualized cost.

{added more info}

Was that with the LG compressor ?
Keep the positive Alpicool stories coming! I may just get one after all.

 

[fratermus]

Dunno which compressor. It was purchased off Amazon in late June 2018, so whichever those had. I bought the replacement in March, so maybe I have a different comp now if they changed in the interim. If it falls over dead I'll let y'all know.

 

[fred333]

Keep the positive Alpicool stories coming! I may just get one after all.

You might find this Alpicool fridge one-year (non-affiliate) review of interest

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

I take YouTube videos with a grain of salt because you never know what "motivations" they might have behind the scenes.
But when someone who posts on this forum regularly says they have one and it has lasted, that I trust.

 

[fred333]

I take YouTube videos with a grain of salt because you never know what "motivations" they might have behind the scenes.
But when someone who posts on this forum regularly says they have one and it has lasted, that I trust.

Fair enough. Here's another from a customer who had a problem with his Alpicool. I think his experience with their customer service speaks for itself.