It should only get hot if using the inverter at high power or the charger flat out..I don’t know about the batteries however I am considering installing a twin extractor fan to keep good air flow around a Victron Multi plus inverter charger as it’s in quite a confined area
Yes the operating temperature zone may well be as stated but I seem to recall that the batteries lifespan generally deteriorates when used in higher temperatures above the 25 degree optimum and that that accelerates the more you approach the edge of the envelope. In much the same way that 100% cyclic use also impacts greatly on expected life span and that a reduction of say 15% from both top and bottom of cycle is enormously beneficial when it comes to expected lifespan.
If you think it's going to be a problem why not just do something about it.
LiFePO4 batteries need far less care and attention than lead acid ones. Avoiding regular 100% discharge will further extend their already considerable cyclic life but I don’t worry about anything else. The well made ones are tough and reliable beasties but I wouldn’t trust the cheap ones found on popular online marketplaces.
They may need less day to day attention but the environmental requirement may be as high if not higher if a good long life is to be achieved.
That study appears to be about EV batteries and was carried out at a C3 rate i.e. discharging a 100Ah battery at 300A. A C1 rate would be tops for a leisure battery and C.5 rate more typical. Batteries in EVs may need thermal management because of the high discharge rates but I have not heard of LiFePO4 leisure batteries needing it.
I am more worried about whether I can outlive my battery than about it’s lifespan.
I think the cells in question were pretty normal being 53mm x 34mm. Not unlike what you'd find inside most batteries. And yes they were forced at c3 rate to expedite the study....its not feasible to wait a few years to come to the conclusions.....nor is anyone saying that storage and use in a 35-40 degree ambient is death to the battery. What they and many many others do say is that high ambient temps in that region have a high impact on the longevity of the cells capacity in the same way and possibly only secondarily to 100% cycling. No one uses a battery from 100% to 0% because of the impact it will have on the cell life and so in the same way thought needs to be given to the environment in which the cells are housed when the ambient temp is high! Its not apparently either /or, the effects ( of any 'abuse') are accumulative to the detriment of the cells. It seems that if you want to pass them on to your grandkids then you need to be kind to them.....!
It is not a bad idea to add some extraction of hot air, but no point in just moving it around a confined areaI don’t know about the batteries however I am considering installing a twin extractor fan to keep good air flow around a Victron Multi plus inverter charger as it’s in quite a confined area
Where the vent points already available H or have you made them yourself ? I was thinking in terms of either drawing in saloon air and fan pushing it out of either the floor or at a pinch the side exterior wall of the locker or putting in vents in the floor and pushing it out the side. Both have issues in that the floor vents would need to be good against dirt and wet incursion where as the side wall vent would need a good trim to make it look part of the furniture and aesthetically pleasing from outside as it were!It is not a bad idea to add some extraction of hot air, but no point in just moving it around a confined area
I have my "multiplus fan" setup so it starts and sucks the heated air outside when the electrics locker gets to a set temp (think I choose around 27C. Too low and you are not achieving anything). It is quite effective at keeping the temperature from getting too excessive.
There is a definate advantage in keeping the temp down - the unit can easily stand high temperatures and work, but the power ratings goes down as the temp goes up.
I have a twin extractor fan that will vent to exterior it also had a thermostat so that I can adjust temp settings to suit.It is not a bad idea to add some extraction of hot air, but no point in just moving it around a confined area
I have my "multiplus fan" setup so it starts and sucks the heated air outside when the electrics locker gets to a set temp (think I choose around 27C. Too low and you are not achieving anything). It is quite effective at keeping the temperature from getting too excessive.
There is a definate advantage in keeping the temp down - the unit can easily stand high temperatures and work, but the power ratings goes down as the temp goes up.
here is the fan:
Oh well we can't all be believers.......
I'm sure they do but its unlikely to get that warm in the engine room of a steel narrowboat in the refreshing waters of the UK canals.......what should we say...16-18 degrees for the water and 16-28 for the air.....and all the while any warm air generated is been pumped out of the room into the exhaust by the engine itself ( in our case at a rate of about 140 ft3 a minute I think !)...! Our engine room with a 50hp in it seldom reached 30 degrees shoving 18tons at full pelt if it was called into duty to help get us across the North Sea.......
I have my Multiplus, plus a bunch of other kit, fitted in one of my external lockersWhere the vent points already available H or have you made them yourself ? I was thinking in terms of either drawing in saloon air and fan pushing it out of either the floor or at a pinch the side exterior wall of the locker or putting in vents in the floor and pushing it out the side. Both have issues in that the floor vents would need to be good against dirt and wet incursion where as the side wall vent would need a good trim to make it look part of the furniture and aesthetically pleasing from outside as it were!
Pushing it out being always better than pushing it in.....
only very slightly out but bugs me!
Very nice indeed!I have my Multiplus, plus a bunch of other kit, fitted in one of my external lockers
Victron Fanboy by David, on Flickr
Use a little temp controller like this for the fan activation (these are really good, very cheap and I have found them very reliable as well (used them in a few setups).
Temp Controller by David, on Flickr
Venting wise, there are gaps at the rear where air can be be pulled in from the interior living area (specifically the kitchen) and I fitted an vent kit to the door to extract.
The inside view
IMG_20210828_180322_2 by David, on Flickr
I think it looks fine on the outside too - or it would it I hadn't had manage to make the cut straight
IMG_20210829_102123_7 by David, on Flickr
This is a proper Motorhome/Caravan vent kit so no problems with water ingress. (worth paying a bit extra to get a properly designed unit IMO).
I am not about to change my beliefs on the basis of a few paragraphs about EV batteries that have not been proof read for mistakes and contradictions. I do accept that LiFePO4 batteries have optimum operating temperatures and that if they are sharing a confined space with heat generating kit then perhaps some ventilation would be beneficial. However your original question was
to which my answer remains not needed. If the outside temperature is in the high 30s as your question goes on to mention a shaded battery could well be cooler so forced ventilation is unlikely to help.
My boat is moored on what is effectively river water. I have a thermometer in the bilge, below water level, which barely varies from 14°C year round, and I've seen ambient temperature -10°C up to 30+°C over the years.
Recharging 2 eBike batteries in 23° outside temperature via inverter supplied by my 160ah Lithium increased my battery temperature to 19°c
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