DragoDragonfly Energy GC3 270Ah 12V Deep Cycle LifePO4 Battery Installation Guide

DragoDragonfly Energy GC3 270Ah 12V Deep Cycle LifePO4 Battery

Please read this manual prior to installation and use.
Thank you for investing in a Battle Born Batteries System and welcome to the Battle Born Batteries family. This manual provides important information on how to install, operate, and care for your Battle Born Batteries. If you have purchased with us before, you will find this manual useful as a reference tool. If this is your first purchase with Battle Born Batteries, this manual can serve as an educational tool on how to properly use and care for your investment.
If you have a heat enabled model, please refer to the additional Heat Enable Instruction manual prior to use and installation.

QR Codes will appear throughout the manual linking to FAQ videos that may be useful.
To use the QR code, open a QR reader or the camera on your smartphone. Hold your device over the QR code so that the code is clearly visible within the device’s screen. Your phone will automatically scan the code and pull in the corresponding weblink.

What is in the Box?

Included with every purchase of a Battle Born Battery is:

• (1) GC3 Battle Born Battery
  o Dimensions (L x W x H): 22.83” x 7.09” x 13.15”
  o Weight: 80.8 lbs.
  o Comes standard with mounting feet, feet can be removed with a #3 Allen wrench
  o Comes standard with terminal covers, terminal covers can be removed with a Phillips head screwdriver
  o Comes with standard flag style terminal posts with a 3/8” hole to accommodate either a 3/8” or a 5/16” bolt

• (1) Finishing Hardware Kit
  o (2) ‘18-8 Stainless Steel’ 5/16-18 x 1” Bolts
  o (2) ‘18-8 Stainless Steel’ 5/16-18 x 1 1/4” Bolts
  o (4) Washers
  o (2) Nylok Nuts

What Do I Need for Installation?

If you already have your system set up and are ready to drop in your batteries, you will need a torque wrench that is able to fit to and properly torque your 5/16” finishing hardware. This is REQUIRED to make sure that you torque to the specification of 9 to 11 ft-lb, otherwise you may cause system failures and damage.

Connecting Load Specified Cables to the Batteries

1. Identify the positive and negative terminals. These are labeled and color-coded red for positive (+), black for negative (–).
2. Determine which finishing hardware set you will use. Verify that your bolt can fully seat into the nylok insert of the nut. If multiple lugs are used, longer bolts may be required for the bolt to fully seat into the nylok insert of the nut.
3. Connect your cable lugs to your battery terminal with the previously identified finishing hardware set. Make sure to connect your positive load specified cable lug to the positive terminal and the negative load specified cable lug to the negative terminal. The proper order to connect to your terminal with a finishing kit is shown in Fig. 1.
4. When connecting to your battery terminals, DO NOT finger tighten. Use a torque wrench to torque your hardware to the specification of 9 to 11 ft-lbs. Failure to adequately secure connections can result in severe damage and will void your warranty. Fig. 2 below demonstrates proper and improper connections.

Connecting the Batteries in Parallel

Why Connect in Parallel?
Multiple BBGC3 batteries may be connected in parallel to increase the capacity and current of the system. When batteries are connected in parallel, the voltage of the system does not change, but the capacity and current limits are additive. For example, two BBGC3 batteries connected in parallel (shown in Fig. 3) create a 12V 540Ah bank that can deliver 600A continuously and 1,000A for 30 seconds.

How to Make a Parallel Connection
NOTE: All cables and connections MUST be able to accommodate the high currents that can be delivered by the battery. Appropriate fuses and circuit breakers are highly recommended to protect downstream components from current spikes and short circuits.

1. Identify the positive and negative terminals. These are labeled and color-coded red for positive (+), black for negative (–).
2. Determine the appropriate finishing hardware set you will use. Verify that your bolt can fully seat into the nylok insert of the nut. If multiple lugs are used, longer bolts may be required for the bolt to fully seat into the nylok insert of the nut.
3. Make the proper cable connections to the positive terminal of the first battery. Please reference Fig. 1 for the proper order of hardware.
4. When connecting to your battery terminals, DO NOT finger tighten. Use a torque wrench to torque your hardware to the specification of 9 to 11 ft-lbs. Failure to adequately secure connections can result in severe damage and will void your warranty.
5. Connect the other end of your positive cable to the positive terminal of the other battery you are connecting to. Repeat step 4.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the negative connections.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 for additional batteries in the system. An example of a finished connection can be found below in Fig. 3

Connecting the Batteries in Series

Why Connect in Series?
When batteries are connected in series, current capacities remain the same, but the system voltage is additive. For example, two BBGC3 batteries connected in series form a nominally 24V system (shown in Fig. 4) and should be charged using a bulk and absorption voltage of 28.8V, and a float voltage of 27.2V.

How to Make a Series Connection
Note: Battle Born GC3 Batteries are capable of being connected in series up to 48V. DO NOT exceed a 48V setup or you will void the battery’s warranty.

1. Before making any connections, make sure to charge each battery up to 14.6V with a proper lithium charger. ALL BATTERIES SHOULD BE AT THE SAME STATE OF CHARGE PRIOR TO CONNECTING, otherwise you will encounter balance issues within your system. You can check your battery’s state of charge with a multimeter.
2. Identify the positive and negative terminals. These are labeled and color-coded red for positive (+), black for negative (–).
3. Determine the appropriate finishing hardware set you will use. Verify that your bolt can fully seat into the nylok insert of the nut. If multiple lugs are used, longer bolts may be required for the bolt to fully seat into the nylok insert of the nut.
4. Make the proper cable connections to the negative terminal of the first battery. Please reference Fig. 1 for the proper order of hardware.
5. When connecting to your battery terminals, DO NOT finger tighten. Use a torque wrench to torque your hardware to the specification of 9 to 11 ft-lbs. Failure to adequately secure connections can result in severe damage and will void your warranty.
6. Connect the other end of your cable to the positive terminal of the other battery you are connecting to. Repeat step 4.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 for additional batteries, but DO NOT exceed 48V. An example of a correct series connection can be found below in Fig. 4.

How to Properly Charge the Batteries

To properly charge your Battle Born Batteries, you will want to verify that any charging component in your system is capable of being programmed for the following specifications. Charging components can include, but are not limited to converters, inverter chargers, solar charge controllers, DC to DC chargers, etc.

• Bulk/Absorption: 14.2V – 14.6V
• Absorption Time: 60-90 minutes per battery (for parallel string)
• Float: 13.4V – 13.8V
• Equalization: 14.4V/ Disabled
• Temperature Compensation: 0/Disabled

NOTE: Not all chargers are capable of multistage charging. If yours is not, you will want to verify it can be programmed for the Bulk/Absorption voltage and have the other items mentioned disabled if applicable. Consult your charger’s manual or the manufacturer.

How Does the BMS Protect the Batteries?

All Battle Born Batteries come with a built-in battery management system (BMS) that protects the cells from many strenuous circumstances to protect the life cycles of the cells and your electrical system from potential damage.
The BMS protects against the following conditions:

High Voltage Disconnect ( > 14.7V)
If an individual cell voltage exceeds a prescribed threshold during charging, the BMS will prevent a charge current from continuing. Discharge is always allowed under this condition. If the batteries have not been balanced for a long time, high voltage disconnect could occur at a lower voltage. The batteries will rebalance after several full charges.

Low Voltage Disconnect ( < 10V)
If an individual cell falls below a prescribed threshold during discharge, the BMS will prevent further discharge. Although the battery is in “low-voltage disconnect” mode, it will still allow a charging current.
NOTE: Many chargers must detect a voltage over 10V to send a charge to the battery. Please be aware that some chargers may not sense a battery in low voltage disconnect and you may need to jump with a 12V source to “wake up” the battery. You should jump your battery within 24hrs of entering low voltage disconnect otherwise you risk damaging your battery and voiding the warranty.

High Temperature Charging and Discharging ( > 135°F/57.2°C)
The BMS will not allow a charging or discharging current if the internal temperature of the battery has reached 135°F (57.2°C).
Low Temperature Charging ( < 25°F/-3.9°C)
The BMS will not allow a charging current under 25°F (-3.9°C) but will continue to discharge down to -4°F (-20°C).

High Current Discharge Surges
The BMS will not allow a current that exceeds 500 (+/- 5%) Amps for more than 30 seconds, or anything larger for 0.5 second. After a high current disconnection, the battery will automatically reconnect after 5 seconds.

Balancing of Cells
A passive balancing process is activated by the BMS at the top of each charge cycle when the battery voltage exceeds around 14.2V. This ensures that all the cells remain at the same state of charge, which helps pack longevity and performance.

How to Properly Size Cables for a System Install

When considering cable sizing there are a few factors to consider. First, what is the size of the load you are powering with the battery bank? Second, how far away from the battery is the load? You can do voltage drop calculations to see if you need to step up your cable size. Fig. 5 is a chart to use for reference. Do keep in mind that cables are only capable of carrying a certain amperage and you should verify the specifications of your cable and the power draws before implementing them into your system to avoid potential failures and damage.

How to Incorporate Fuses into System Install
ANL fuses are designed to melt and separate into two pieces for the purpose of breaking a circuit in the event of excessive current. These fuses are essential components for protecting against a catastrophic event and are found through the DC and are typically placed between Battle Born Batteries and the inverter/load.

How to Properly Store Batteries
We recommend bringing the Battle Born Batteries to a 100% state of charge. Then, disconnect the battery from any loads by removing the negative cable from one battery. On average, the batteries lose approximately 2-3% capacity per month. This is subject to increasing if stored in extreme environmental conditions.

How to Maintain the Batteries
Battle Born Batteries require very little maintenance. If your batteries are in series and not being charged by a multi-bank charger it is recommended that you fully charge the batteries individually once every three months if the system is used frequently. This will internally balance your batteries to ensure that they will reach their expected life span and allow you to get the full power out of them with each use. If your batteries are in parallel this is not necessary, just make sure the batteries are charged to 14.2V – 14.6V frequently for internal balance. Our BMS has a built-in passive balancing system that will take care of this for you.
For more FAQs scan the QR code.

Warranty

Dragonfly Energy Corp. (“the Manufacturer”) warrants each Dragonfly Energy and Battle Born Batteries branded Li-ion battery (“the Product”) sold by Dragonfly Energy, Battle Born Batteries, or any of its authorized distributors or dealers, to be free of defects for a period of 10 years (“the Warranty Period”) from the date of sale as determined by either the customer’s sale receipt, the shipping invoice, and the battery serial number, with proof of purchase. Within the first 8 years of the Warranty Period, subject to the exclusions listed below, the Manufacturer will credit, replace, or repair, if serviceable, the Product and/or parts of the Product if the components in question are determined to be defective in material or workmanship. After 8 years and up to 10 years, if the components in question are determined to be defective in material or workmanship, and the Manufacturer deems the components to be repairable, the Product will be repaired and returned. If the Manufacturer deems the components to be not repairable, a new, similar Product will be offered at a discount of 30% off the price listed at the time of the offer. The offer will be valid for a period of 30 days after the date of notification. See https://battlebornbatteries.com/terms-conditions/#warranty for the full warranty policy.

NON-TRANSFERABLE
This Limited Warranty is to the original purchaser of the Product and is not transferable to any other person or entity. Please contact the place of purchase regarding any warranty claim.

WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS
The Manufacturer has no obligation under this Limited Warranty for Product subjected to the following conditions (including but not limited to):

• Damage due to improper installation; loose terminal connections, under-sized cabling, incorrect connections (series and parallel) for desired voltage and AH requirements, or reverse polarity connections.
• Environmental damage: inappropriate storage conditions as defined by the Manufacturer; exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures, fire or freezing, or water damage.
• Damage caused by collision.
• Damage due to improper maintenance, under or over-charging the Product, dirty terminal connections.
• Product that has been opened, modified, or tampered with.
• Product that was used for applications other than which it was designed and intended for, including repeated engine starting.
• Product that was used on an oversized inverter/charger (any inverter/charger that is rated to 3500 Watts or greater) without the use of a Manufacturer- approved current surge limiting device.
• Product that was under-sized for the application, including an Air Conditioner or similar device having a locked rotor start up current that is not used in conjunction with a Manufacturer-approved surge-limiting device.
• Product not stored in adherence to the Manufacturer’s storage guidelines, including storage of the Product at a low state of charge.

This Limited Warranty does not cover a Product that has reached its normal end of life due to usage which may occur prior to the Warranty Period. A battery can deliver only a fixed amount of energy over its life which will occur over different periods of time depending on the application. The Manufacturer reserves the right to deny a warranty claim if the Product is determined, upon inspection, to be at its normal end of life even if within the Warranty Period. Please see https://battlebornbatteries.com/terms- conditions/#warranty for the full warranty policy or scan the warranty QR code.

Return Policy

You have 30 calendar days to return an item from the invoice date. To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it in. You must have the receipt or proof of purchase. If an item is new, unused, and in the original packaging, we are happy to accept a return up to 30 days from the original invoice date with no restocking fee. If the item has been installed, used, or no longer has the original packaging, we will assess a restocking fee that will be shared when the return merchandise authorization (RMA) is issued. Items 60 days past the original invoice will be reviewed at Battle Born’s discretion.
Returns will not be accepted without an RMA number, which can be obtained by filling out the return form at https://battlebornbatteries.com/returns/.
To avoid being charged restocking fees, review the full return/refund policy at https://battlebornbatteries.com/terms-conditions/#returns.

Refund Policy
You have 30 calendar days to return an item from the invoice date. Once we receive your item, we will inspect it and notify you that we have received your returned item. We will immediately notify you of the status of your refund after inspecting the item. If your return is approved, we will initiate a refund to your credit card (or original method of payment). You will receive the credit within a certain amount of days, depending on your card issuer’s policies. No refund is guaranteed after the initial 30 days has passed or if the item has been used.

Shipping
You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item if you are returning after 30 days from the original ship date. Shipping costs are nonrefundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

If you have any questions, please contact us by calling 855-292-2831 or email us at info@battlebornbatteries.com

Notice: Product improvements and enhancements are continuous; therefore, the specifications and information contained in this document may change without notice. Dragonfly Energy, Corp. shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior written consent of Dragonfly Energy, Corp.
Copyright © 2021, Dragonfly Energy, Crop., all rights reserved. Battle Born Batteries® is a registered trademark of Dragonfly Energy, Corp. All other trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective owners.

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