Firefly OASIS G31 User manual

Firefly User’s Manual for the
“OASIS” G31 & the L16
March 2020

Congratulations on your purchase of a Firefly Oasis Battery!
The Firefly batteries use a patented carbon Microcell Foam grid structure that is highly resistant
to sulfation and grid corrosion. They have the longest life of any lead acid battery used for deep
cycling, even at extreme temperatures and operation at less than full charge.
The Firefly batteries have many advantages over a traditional lead acid battery:
•Plate corrosion is inhibited.
•Plates are resistant to sulfation.
•The high plate porosity allows the electrolyte to react more efficiently.
Receiving & Refreshing Charge
•Check the Individual battery voltages , It will be around 12.90 V for a fully charged 12V
Battery G31 Battery and 4.20V for L16 battery.
•Freshening charge shall be carried out using a CCCV ( Constant current _Constant
voltage charger as per OCV voltage observed on the batteries.
•In case the OCV (Open circuit voltage) of the battery is less than 12.70 V , the G31
battery needs to be charged @ 14.40 V (2.40 V / cell ) for 12 hrs. before commissioning.
•In case the OCV (Open circuit voltage) of the battery is less than 4.10 V, the L16 battery
4V 450 Ah block needs to be charged @ 4.80V (2.40 V / cell ) for 12 hrs. before
commissioning
Installation
MOUNTING ORIENTATION
•Both the G31 and the L16 batteries can be installed in normal orientation or on their
sides with the narrow side down.
SPACE AND VENTILATION
•The batteries should be installed with a minimum of 1” between batteries to allow for
proper ventilation and air circulation.
•There also needs to be adequate space in the compartment for ventilation.
•If possible, mount the batteries on low stand-offs to encourage air circulation around
their bases.
FOLLOW ALL ABYC INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
•The batteries should be fastened securely and restrained from movement in any
direction.
•The positive terminals should be protected by a cover or boots.
•Refer to ABYC standards for more installation guidelines.

PARALLEL INSTALLATION
•Ensure proper uniform current distribution with equal resistance cables on both sides of
the Battery Terminals are connected to common load/ charger busbars. No center-
tappings are allowed as it would cause differential drain on batteries in the battery bank.
SERIES INSTALLATION
4V L16 CONNECTION
The battery will be shipped with the connection bar shown on the left. This
connects the 2 cells inside the module in series making the battery 4V and
450Ah. For a 12V x 450Ah bank, connect 3 x 4V L16 in series (3S). For 24V x
450Ah, connect 6 in series (6S). For 900Ah x 12V, it can be either 2P (P = in
parallel) x 3S, or 3S x 2P. For 900Ah x 24V, it can be either 2P x 6S, or 6S x 2P

CONNECTING THE BATTERY
•Take care not to short circuit the terminals on the battery.
•Make sure the terminals and connectors are clean and free of corrosion.
•Connect the positive cable to the positive (+) battery terminal.
•Connect the negative cable to the negative (-) battery terminal.
•The terminals on the G31 are 3/8-16 UNC and should be torqued to 16 ft lbs.
Operation & Charging
•Firefly batteries can be operated in a partial state of charge for long periods of time
without sustaining any permanent damage.
•The batteries may emit gas during the first 10-20 charge cycles. This is normal.
•Max discharge Current: The maximum recommended discharge current is 0.7C for
extended periods of time to ensure the longevity if the battery. The FF battery can
discharge up to 3C for short periods.
•Max Charge Current: The maximum recommended sustained charge current is 0.5C. 3C
can be tolerated for 10-20 seconds in the case of regenerative breaking
•Peukerts Constant: If you have hardware that requires a Peukerts constant to be entered,
we recommend that you do not change the factory settings due to the large inaccuracies
based on varying discharge rates. The Peukerts constant for the FF battery for the 10hr
and 20hr rate is 1.07. It is 1.12 for 6.5hr and 1.8hr rate. Keep in mind that whatever
Peukerts correction you use, you will lose accuracy with extremely slow discharges.
•Temperature Compensation: If you have hardware that allows the user to enter a
temperature coefficient, use 24mV/C° for temperature compensation for a 12V battery &
48mV for a 24V battery. Contact us for higher voltages. The temperature compensation
should be zero at an ambient temperature of 25°C/77°F. This means that for every
degree the battery is ABOVE 25°C, the charge V should be reduced by 24mV/48mV. For
every degree that the battery is BELOW 25°C, the charge voltage should be increased by
24mV/48mV. Note that with Firefly batteries, the battery temperature sensor only
needs to be near the batteries to measure ambient temperature. It isn’t necessary to put
the sensor directly on the battery. This is different than other Pb batteries.
•Complete Charge Cycle Recommendations: For a complete charge cycle, charge the G31
to 14.4V/L16 to 4.8V with temperature compensation (bulk phase) and continue
charging until the charging current drops to 0.5A for the G31 or 2A for the L16
(absorption phase time will vary). You DO NOT need to fully charge the batteries each
cycle in order to maintain the capacity, however, we recommend doing a complete
charge cycle at least once a month when cycling once per day or every 30 cycles if

running a couple cycles a day. Ideally, if the battery is under heavy use, we recommend
doing a full charge cycle at least every 2 weeks.
•Float-Charging: For charging sources that may be charging the battery for an extended
period of time (solar, or an alternator if motoring for a while); set the float voltage to
13.4V or 13.5V for the G31 and 4.5V for the L15. Firefly batteries do not require a float
charge. But, if you are float charging, due to their longer projected lifespan, it is
important to keep the float voltage at 13.4V or 13.5V (4.5V for each L16) to ensure the
battery lasts for as many cycles as possible.
•Reset to bulk phase: for programmable charging sources, adjust the “reset to bulk
phase” to occur if the battery voltage drops below 12.0V for >1 minute for the G31 or
4.0V for >1 minute for the L16.
•Periodic Fast Charge Recommendations: Note that periodic fast (high current) charging
can help restore usable capacity after periods of repeated slow charging and deep
discharge cycles. If continuously deep cycling, then ideally once a week the batteries
should be charged at a current of 0.4C (40 Amps for a 100 Ah battery) or 0.2C (25A per
G31 battery) at minimum. For applications lacking fast charging capability, contact OPE
or Firefly USA for alternative restoration procedures. Due to the low impedance design,
Oasis batteries can tolerate in-rush current levels as high as 3C (300A for a 100Ah
battery). Don’t be afraid of deep cycling and fast recharging with Firefly batteries!
•Operating Temperature: The optimum operating temperature for a lead-acid battery is
25°C (77°F). As a rule of thumb, every 8-10°C (14-18°F) rise in temperature will cut the
battery life in half. Note that continuous duty at elevated temperature will shorten the
life of any battery.
Restoration Charge
As stated, Firefly Batteries can operate in a partial state of charge for long periods of time
without sustaining any permanent damage. The usable capacity will decrease, however, with
each cycle within a partial state of charge, up to a point. In order to regain the full original
capacity and in some cases more, it is necessary to perform a restoration charge. To perform the
restoration charge: charge the G31 to 14.4V or the L16 to 4.8V and continue to charge until the
current drops to 0.5 A on the G31 or 3A on a L16. Fully discharge the battery to 10.5V (G31) or
3.5V (L16), and then repeat the same charge cycle.
Safety
For any operation on the batteries, from storage to recycling, the
following safety rules should be observed:
•Do not smoke.
•Use tools with insulated handles to tighten connections.
•Check that the connections between the cells / monoblocs are fitted
•correctly.
•Never place tools on the batteries (metal tools are particularly dangerous).
•Never lift the cells / monoblocs at the terminals.

•Never use a synthetic cloth or sponge to clean the cells /monoblocs.
•Use water (wet cloth) without additives.
•Avoid shocks.
•Even when disconnected, a battery remains charged.
•Always wear insulating gloves and glasses while handling batteries.
•Read the “Installation Instruction” and “Operating Instruction” carefully
EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES
Battery Electrolyte Eye Contact: Immediately remove any contact lenses if present. Flush eyes
with water for at least 15 minutes. Seek medical attention immediately.
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing. Flush with water for at least 15 minutes. Seek
medical attention immediately.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If not breathing give artificial respiration. If breathing is
difficult give oxygen. Seek medical attention immediately.
PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE HANDLING AND USE
Steps to be taken in case of a broken battery case or electrolyte leakage: neutralize spilled
electrolyte and exposed battery parts with soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, lime, etc. Do not use
organic or combustible material. Wear acid resistant clothing, boots, gloves, face shield, and
proper respiratory protection.
Waste Disposal Information: Please observe all federal, local, and state regulations regarding
the disposal of lead/acid batteries.
Precautions to be taken in Handling, Storing, and Transportation: Store in cool, dry area away
from combustible materials; store in well ventilated areas. Other Precautions: Do not charge in
unventilated areas.
Shipping, storage and disposal
VIBRATION RESISTANCE
The carbon foam batteries have been used under conditions of extreme vibration and impact in
applications such as transit buses - carbon foam plates have higher yield strength than lead
plates and have high compressive strength.
D.O.T. REGULATIONS-NONSPILLABLE
Firefly’s Group 31 battery meets the non-spillable criteria. It is exempted from CFR 49,
Subchapter C requirements, which translates to no proper shipping name, no hazardous class,
no UN number, no packaging group and no hazardous labels when transporting, provided that
the following criteria are met: 1. the batteries must be protected against short circuits and
securely packaged. 2. The batteries and their outer packaging must be plainly and durable
marked “NON- SPILLABLE” or “NON-SPILLABLE BATTERY”.

SHELF LIFE
Unlike other lead acid batteries that require a recharge as frequently as every six weeks in order
to avoid permanent damage, the Oasis battery can be stored for up to two years at 25ºC (77ºF)
from a fully charged state. They will discharge at a rate similar to other lead batteries but the
sulfation that naturally occurs when discharging will not cause permanent damage. However,
for better life cycle, it is recommended to recharge the Firefly battery at least every 6 months.
FULLY-CHARGED WHEN SHIPPED
The Oasis will be shipped from the factory fully charged. Some venting from the valves is
possible when it arrives.
RECYCLING
There is an existing infrastructure to recycle lead acid batteries. Because Firefly’s technology
uses carbon, it actually decreases the amount of lead in the battery. Firefly’s microcell
technology can be recycled through the existing lead acid infrastructure.