CHINS 12V 300Ah Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Battery
CHINS 12V 300Ah Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Battery is a high-capacity, deep cycle, lightweight lithium battery based on the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry.
As such, the CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery is a very popular choice for various off-the-grid applications requiring a battery that supports a high number of charging/discharging cycles, accepts charge well, that can provide strong current over a longer period of time, and similar.
Published: April 2, 2022.
CHINS 12V 300Ah Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Battery Features and Specifications
CHINS 12V 300Ah Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Battery is a large battery and it belongs to the BCI 8D Battery Group - it features physical dimensions of (L x W x H) 20.47 x 10.59 x 8.55 inches (52 x 26.9 x 22 cm) and it weighs 67.3 pounds (30.5 kg), which is very light for the battery that can, at least in theory, store 3840 Wh (300Ah @12.8V).
CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery is intended for low current, deep cycle applications - the battery is able to withstand 2000-4000+ charging and discharging cycles down to 80-100% DoD.
Note on "low current" applications: CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery is able to provide 200 Amps continuously and up to 600 Amps for ≤5 seconds, which is anything but "low current". However, when compared with lead-acid 12V 300Ah batteries or battery packs, 200 Amps is "low current".
Despite being able to provide 600 Amps for ≤5 seconds, which is often enough to crank smaller diesel and especially gas engines, CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery should not be used for such applications - this is a very fine deep cycle battery, and if You have the need to start such gas and diesel engines, a good car starting battery should be more than good for such task. Also, such battery is much cheaper than a CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery.
CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery comes with M8 battery terminals, ensuring a good connection with connecting wires.
The maximum charging current is 120 Amps, but recommended standard charging current is 60 Amps, which requires ~6 hours to fully recharge this 300Ah battery.
The battery should be charged using a dedicated lithium battery charger or with the battery charger having a dedicated lithium battery charging mode.
If a lead-acid battery charger is used, it MUST NOT have advanced charging modes like lead-acid battery cell equalization, desulphation, and similar - such charging modes can damage the built-in Battery Management System (BMS) or, at best, force the BMS to disconnect the battery in order to protect it from overvoltage.
Anyway, lead-acid battery chargers can recharge this and similar lithium batteries up to 80-90% capacity - if You are willing to pay a very nice amount of money for deep cycle lithium batteries, do yourself a favor and buy a good lithium battery charger as well.
The built-in BMS protects the battery from overcharge, over-discharge, over-current, and short circuits.
Also, the BMS allows the user to connect up to 4 batteries in parallel and up to 4 batteries in series, ensuring the safe operation of battery packs up to 51.2V and up to 1200Ah - and that is a lot of energy!
Note: when connecting the lithium batteries in parallel in series, always use the very same batteries preferably from the same batch charge to the same voltage - for CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery, this means to within ~20mV!
To prolong the battery life, be sure to keep the battery within a certain temperature limit:
- Charging temperature: 32°F - 122°F (0°C - 50°C),
- Discharge temperature: -4°F - 140°F (-20°C - 60°C),
- Storage temperature: -4°F - 122°F (-20°C - 50°C).
Personally, keep the battery at room temperature, and it will do just fine, at least regarding the temperature.
CHINS 12V 300Ah Lithium Battery As RV Battery
CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery can be used as an excellent RV home battery - it can be connected in 4S4P offering different voltages and capacities.
Note about cranking the engine: four (4) CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium batteries connected in parallel can provide 800 Amps continuously and up to 2400 Amps for less than 5 seconds, which may be enough, especially for 24V, 36V, and especially 48V engine starters. Such performances can simplify RV's electric system significantly, but before using CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium batteries for such purpose, consult the manufacturer directly - better safe than sorry.
When used as deep cycle RV batteries, for example in 2S4P configuration, 8 batteries battery pack features 24V (actually 25.6V) 1200Ah - which is in theory 30720 Wh, or in real life 25000-29000Wh, depending on the battery pack condition, charging/discharging currents and similar.
But, even 25000-29000Wh of energy is a lot, especially from the ~540 lbs (~244 kg) battery pack.
Such battery pack can provide 800 Amps continuously, which is ~19 kW for more than an hour (actually, almost 1.5h).
When connected to the suitable power inverter with 85% energy efficiency, a 24V 1200Ah CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery pack can provide :
- 1000W inverter: ~1200W for at least 21-24 hours,
- 2000W inverter: ~2400W for at least 10.5-12 hours,
- 3000W inverter: ~3600W for at least 7-8 hours,
- 4000W inverter: ~4800W for at least 5-6 hours,
- 5000W inverter: ~6000W for at least 4-4.5 hours.
This example shows how configurable CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium batteries are and how they can adapt not only for RV applications but for any off-the-grid application (marine, industrial, medical, security, etc.) that requires a high-capacity, lightweight battery that cycles well.
Long Story Short: CHINS 12V 300Ah lithium battery is a popular deep cycle lithium battery based on the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry.
This battery is not able to provide 1C current constantly, but since it features a nominal capacity of 300Ah, it still can provide respectable 200 Amps continuously and 600 Amps for 5 seconds or less.
Depending on the DoD% it supports 2000-4000+ cycles and supports up to 4S4P connections - excellent features for a relatively affordable lithium battery.
For more reviews and recommendations feel free to check the CHINS 12V 300Ah Lithium Battery Amazon link (link opens in the new window).