Lithium-ion batteries

Hello, I joined to answer any questions about converting lead to lithium, as I manufacture them.

Let me know your requirements.

@seaquest

Okay, so I'm giving some thought to transitioning from lead acid to lithium ion batteries for my 2010 Duffy M160 (pontoon style Duffy).  I currently have a 48V system consisting of 8 6V GC2 batteries, 220Ah each.  These 8 batteries are divided into 2 banks of 4 batteries each, one bank on the port side and one bank on the starboard side.  I want to keep this split to balance the weight and make power connections easier.    I'm satisfied with the range of my current batteries, but I'd also be happy with a bit more "reserve" range.

Seaquest, what do you suggest for batteries?  Will I need to replace the Delta Q 48V charger or have it reprogrammed for lithium ion batteries?  Anything else I should know about this conversion?

Thanks!

Hello Rob, good question;

The Delta Q charger can charge a lithium battery if you have the RC type or QuiQ type.. according to Delta-q website. Yes, it has to be programed for lithium at 58.4V

You old GC2 batteries weigh about 490 lbs. A new 48V Duffy lithium battery weighs 78 lbs, so, you may be able to go a little faster with motor pushing  400 lbs less weight.

Reserve..GC2's are rated at  C/20 ( 11 amps ) to get their reserve #. Lithiums rate at 1C, so, you get a truer number,  plus, lead acid can only be discharged to no > 50% ah capacity.

The Seaquest 128Ah lithium battery should give you a little more runtime and " reserve " , but, hard to calculate exactly without actual testing.

As for weight distribution, you'll have to check if your boat will float just fine with a single 78 lb battery on one side... or.. You could always but a lithium on each side.

you can contact directly  for details

Thanks

@seaquest For some reason, I can't seem to send you a private message.  How can I get in touch with you to get more details?

Thanks,

Rob

seaquestbattery at gmail

@seaquest I too have a 2010 Duffy M-160.  I need to replace my batteries. I have 16 6volt batteries for some reason......I guess to get longer cycle.  Anyway, I need to change out batteries and I would like to explore lithium batteries.  Help. 

@meekheel Be sure to contact Seaquest by his email address above.  He's very responsive.

FWIW, I haven't converted to Lithium Ion batteries yet, since my lead acid batteries are hanging in there, even though they are 5 years old.  I've done a ton of research, and there are a couple of options for me.  I'll probably decide and pull the trigger in a few weeks.

Good luck, and let us know what you end up doing.  

Hi all, email is the best way to contact me. My website - seaquestbattery.com - still needs updating, forgive me, i am not a professional webmaster...

I have a sea shipment arriving in 30 days with a lot of battery supplies.

In your email, please give specifics like ; Voltage, current batteries being used, which gives me a dimensions I can look up, and how they are arranged in the boat... weight distribution, etc.

Most importantly is - How many hours you typically run the boat for . and the current being used / watts of motor. Example; if you only go out for 2 hours max at a time, then, you dont need

to pay for a 5 hour runtime battery !

What other lithium choices are being considered, if any, for comparison.

Features you would like to have. bluetooth, voltage indicator, more power, more capacity, etc. If u have a $ # you dont want to go over in ur budget.

Pictures are welcome. wiring connections, charging protocol, type charger used, whether it can charge LiFepo4 type. after conversion.

thanks

My T105s have a lot of life left, but I'm converting to lithium ion as soon as they kick the bucket.

If my napkin math is right, you could put 6 Tesla S/X battery modules in a Duffy 8-battery rack (arranged in two rows, stacked three tall). Street price today would be $6k, hopefully less in a few years. This would give you 31.8 kWh, or 2.65x what a stock T105 setup gives you. Practically it would be better than that, because a greater portion of li-ion capacity is available at high discharge rates, relative to lead acid. Total weight would be 330 lbs for the Tesla modules vs 496 for the Trojans.

It would be cheaper to build your own battery, but one nice thing about the Tesla modules is that they are prebuilt for liquid cooling. With a few hours of extra work, you can have a liquid cooled system via lake/seawater, which will help a great deal with longevity. And they'll work with any 6s BMS, as the modules provide cell-level access.