AGM Batteries Tested For Recovery From Sulfation

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Some excerpts from these lengthy articles:
For this test, we wanted to see just how fast the effects of sulfation could set in and damage brand-new, healthy batteries. To do this, we turned to a partial state of charge cycle test.........A partial state of charge cycle test is testing in which the battery is discharged and partially recharged but does not return to 100 percent before being cycled again. This mimics what happens when were at anchor or when we store our boat on a mooring or in a marina with no electricity.

After bringing the batteries up to full charge and defining amp-hour capacity, we cycled them 30 times through partial states of charge, applying just one hour of recharge, and we charted the results......At the end of the 30 PSOC cycles, each battery was discharged to 10.5 volts on cycle 31 and then recharged to 100 percent state of charge. The batteries were determined full at absorption voltage and 0.5 percent net accepted current. For the 100-Ah Odyssey battery, this was 14.7 volts and 0.5 amps. See test protocol at: https://www.practical-sailor.com/systems-propulsion/tracking-marine-batteries

What We Tested:​

Lifeline GPL-31T (105 Ah): The Concorde Battery Co. manufactures Lifeline batteries, a longtime player in the marine market. It is one of the most popular AGM batteries in use on boats today.

Deka 8A31DTM (105 Ah): East Penn Manufacturing in Pennsylvania manufactures and markets the widely distributed Deka brand batteries. This battery appears under many different labels. East Penn has a state-of-the-art recycling plant for used batteries.

Odyssey PC2150 TPPL AGM (100 Ah): Marketed as a dual-purpose battery, this thin-plate pure lead (TPPL) battery is made by EnerSys, based in Reading, Penn. This battery is also currently sold as the Die Hard Platinum AGM.

Firefly Oasis Marine Group 31 (110 Ah): Featuring materials and a design that is relatively new to the recreational marine market, the Firefly Oasis uses a patented carbon microcell foam technology that the company claims can delivery longer life and better performance under extreme conditions. The Firefly Oasis Marine AGM is distributed through Bruce Schwab Energy Systems.

China Aviation Lithium Battery Co. (CALB) SE100AHA LiFePO4 (100 Ah): This is a lithium-iron phosphate battery (LiFeP04), sometimes abbreviated as LFP. It is not a drop-in replacement for a lead-acid battery, and it is not recommended for the typical consumer. Mastervolt, Genasun, and Victron build factory-ready LiFePO4 systems, and these would be good places to begin any investigation into a LiFePO4 system for marine use.

Others: Northstar/Energy 1 sent us a battery, but it arrived too late to be included in this round of testing. It will be tested alongside a duplicate Deka battery for comparison and to verify results with the Deka battery we used for this test.

What We Found:​

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Would have been nice to see a load test to see if it made a bit of difference in cranking. Most folks who use their batteries for SLI don’t particularly care about absolute Ah the way a boat or RV or something might. Use beyond cranking woukd amount to some time spent with a dime light or radio on...

Interesting results all the same!
 
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