I've been trying to top balance my LiFePO4 battery pack for a few months now, but since I live in a mobile setup without grid power, my window for generating power is pretty limited. Each battery has a capacity of 480 amps, and I struggle to hit the top knee before needing to draw power from the battery. I've dedicated this past week just to balance at least one battery, but the weather hasn't cooperated. I read that top balancing should be done at 3.6V with as many amps as the charger can supply. So, my question is, can I set my charger to 4.0V and watch my cells with a multimeter until the pack voltage hits around 3.55V? Then I could lower the charger to 3.6V and keep charging until all the cells are balanced at 3.6V. I feel like this would help me get closer to the top knee faster before losing daylight.
2 Answers
You mentioned needing to know the battery chemistry, and since you’re using LiFePO4, that definitely changes the voltage range you're diving into. Just make sure your charger is at the right settings; balancing at the wrong voltage can lead to imbalances.
Definitely be cautious with those voltage settings! If you know it’s LiFePO4, you should be aware that those voltages you've been working with could be incorrect unless you’re in the sweet spots for charging. Keeping an eye on the voltage while charging is a good approach.