What is the longest lasting deep cycle battery?
Deep cycle batteries are designed to provide steady energy over an extended time. They are used in Recreational Vehicles (RVs), golf carts, boats, electric vehicles, solar grids, floor cleaning machines, etc. These batteries can deliver same performance until they get discharged completely. Different deep cycle batteries are available for distinct applications.
Parameters to consider while choosing a deep-cycle battery
To choose one, from the different batteries, consider the following parameters to analyse the products –
· Type, whether Li-ion or lead acid battery, which better suits your application
· Capacity of a battery is measured in terms of Ampere-hour (Ah) rating. A battery with highest Ah rating will offer the highest capacity and can last long, while taking more time to charge. A battery’s capacity can be measured using the following formula:
Capacity (Ah) = Device Wattage (W) x Time to Run (Hours) / Battery Voltage (V)
· Number of discharge-recharge cycles, a battery can sustain on an average
· Functionality, whether starter or deep cycle or dual-purpose (hybrid) battery
· Ability to withstand vibrations
· Ability to withstand changes in temperature: If you are living in a hot area, make sure that your battery can sustain a temperature of at least 35 degrees on the hotter side. Adequate CCA rating would come to help for temperatures on the colder side. Cold cranking amps or CCA is the ability of a battery to start the engine at lower temperatures. For cold regions, the ideal value is 600 CCA or above.
In addition to these, it’s better to consider other parameters like size, weight, brand, warranty, charging time, shelf life and voltage rating, when choosing a deep cycle battery.
Types of deep cycle batteries
There are two basic categories of deep cycle batteries under which, a total of four types exists –
· Lithium-ion batteries and
· Lead acid batteries
o Flooded lead-acid batteries
o Sealed AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) batteries
o Sealed gel batteries
The following brief description about each battery type would help you in making an informed decision while choosing a deep cycle battery.
Lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion is the newest battery type which has the longest lifespan and is temperature resistant. These batteries have the fastest recharge rate than any other battery type.
In these batteries, lithium ions move between cathode and anode which are immersed in a solution of lithium salts. Applications include usage in automobiles, golf carts, RVs, solar systems, marine systems, etc.
Flooded lead-acid batteries
In these batteries, cell structures are formed by layered construction of lead plates. Each of these cells are filled with distilled water. Applications include usage in houses as they can be recharged multiple times.
Sealed AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries
In these batteries, the battery plates are immersed in an electrolyte solution. A special fiberglass mat inside the battery ignites the solution, cause a chemical reaction, and thus produces electrons.
It’s a dry battery which doesn’t carry any distilled water and it is maintenance-free. These are originally designed for aircraft industry. Now a days, AGM batteries are used in high-performance engines as they have a long service life.
Sealed gel batteries
These are used in electric scooters and wheelchairs. In this battery, both the electrolyte and sulphuric acid combines with silica fumes to cause chemical reactions.
Conclusion
Lithium ion is proved to be the best choice for numerous applications, while the other types are suitable for small capacity applications like RVs, golf carts and trucks.
Li-ion batteries has 80% usable capacity and can last from 2000 to 5000 discharge-recharge cycles on an average. These are light weight and support fast charging but are little expensive.
One of the types of Li-ion batteries are Lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are very safe to use. These batteries use 100% safe and renewable energy and last 10 times than the standard lead-acid batteries. These batteries can easily handle high loads and thus ideal to be used in vans, boats, and trailers. The recharging time of these batteries is faster than others.
