Somewhat related...if I put 4 100ah Lithium batteries in a series circuit and charge them with a 48 volt charger, how will the batteries stay individually balanced?
A few things to take into consideration when charging batteries in parallel. Good connections are extremely important, a dirty, bad or loose connection, will effect the charging/discharge rate of each bank. Keep all wiring the same gauge and as close to the same length. Avoid replacing just one bank at a time, when replacing both banks make sure they are of the same manufacturer, amp rating, and date codes. In a parallel circuit voltage stays the same and current will divide, by not adhering to all of the above the weaker set will not receive the same charge as the stronger set, the stronger set may be overcharged. If using flooded batteries it is important to monitor liquid levels monthly, adding more distilled water to one bank in parallel every month could mean that there is an issue with the other bank.
Here’s a follow up question you might address in the future. What are the considerations of max charge/discharge current from different wiring configurations? Say you have two batteries each with max charge capacity of 50 amps. When wired in parallel should you set the charger to a max charging current of 50 or 100 amps (or possibly 40 or 80 for a safety margin)? If 100 amps what if one battery fails in a way that it will not take a charge, if that’s possible? Will the good battery now be subject to too much charge current?
Somewhat related...if I put 4 100ah Lithium batteries in a series circuit and charge them with a 48 volt charger, how will the batteries stay individually balanced?
A few things to take into consideration when charging batteries in parallel. Good connections are extremely important, a dirty, bad or loose connection, will effect the charging/discharge rate of each bank. Keep all wiring the same gauge and as close to the same length. Avoid replacing just one bank at a time, when replacing both banks make sure they are of the same manufacturer, amp rating, and date codes. In a parallel circuit voltage stays the same and current will divide, by not adhering to all of the above the weaker set will not receive the same charge as the stronger set, the stronger set may be overcharged. If using flooded batteries it is important to monitor liquid levels monthly, adding more distilled water to one bank in parallel every month could mean that there is an issue with the other bank.
Here’s a follow up question you might address in the future. What are the considerations of max charge/discharge current from different wiring configurations? Say you have two batteries each with max charge capacity of 50 amps. When wired in parallel should you set the charger to a max charging current of 50 or 100 amps (or possibly 40 or 80 for a safety margin)? If 100 amps what if one battery fails in a way that it will not take a charge, if that’s possible? Will the good battery now be subject to too much charge current?