Iron Edison 4LiFe IE48V100 User manual

Owner’s Manual
Iron Edison 4LiFe
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery
(Revised 05-03-2019)

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Congratulations on the purchase of your new Iron Edison 4LiFe Lithium Iron Battery
This guide, created by Iron Edison, contains vital information regarding proper care and maintenance of
your new battery.
Please read through this Owner’s Manual carefully and completely before using your battery. Doing so
will help you achieve optimum performance and long life from your new investment.
For additional questions, feel free to contact Iron Edison at 720-432-6433.
WARNING
THIS BATTERY IS TO BE INSTALLED AND SERVICED ONLY BY
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL EQUIPPED WITH APPROPRIATE
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND FOLLOWING SAFE
ELECTRICAL WORK PRACTICES.
ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION, GLOVES, APRON AND MASK
WHEN WORKING WITH BATTERIES, AND REMOVE ANY METAL /
CONDUCTIVE JEWELRY.
REFER TO THE MATERIALS SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS) FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDING: HAZARDS
IDENTIFICATIONS, ELECTROLYTE FIRST AID MEASURES AND
PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE HANDLING AND USE.

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Precautions When Working With Batteries
1. Consider your access to emergency medical attention, and work safely.
2. Use caution to eliminate the risk of dropping a metal tool on the battery. It could spark or
short circuit the battery or other electrical parts and could cause an explosion.
3. Insulated tools are strongly recommended anytime you are working around batteries.
4. Never smoke or allow a spark or flame near the batteries.
5. Remove all metal items, such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, and watches when working
with batteries. Batteries can produce a short circuit current high enough to weld metal to
skin, causing a severe burn.
6. Ensure that someone is within range of your voice or close enough to come to your aid
when you are working near a battery.
7. Wear complete eye / face protection and gloves. Avoid touching your eyes while working
near batteries.
8. If you need to disconnect the battery, always remove the negative terminal from the battery
first. Make sure all accessories are turned off so you don’t cause a spark.
9. Never use or combine this battery with another dissimilar battery.
10. Batteries are temperature sensitive. For optimum performance, they should be installed in a
stable temperature environment.
11. Always recycle old batteries. Contact your local recycling center for proper disposal
information.

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Receiving Your Battery Shipment
Your battery will be shipped via freight carrier and will be delivered via semi-truck or large box truck. A
call-ahead appointment and lift gate service are typical for most residential battery shipments. When the
battery has shipped, you will receive an email from Iron Edison with the tracking information. If there is
any reason a semi-truck will have a problem delivering to your location, Iron Edison can get you in touch
with the freight carrier to make any special accommodations needed for your delivery.
Inspection upon Receipt
It’s very important that you carefully inspect your entire battery shipment for loss or damage
before signing the delivery receipt from the trucking company. By signing the delivery receipt without
noting any damage or missing items, you are accepting complete responsibility for the shipment in its
current condition.
Inspect the Tip ‘N Tell on every crate, as this is another indication that the crate may have been tipped
over or mishandled during shipping.
Should you see any damage to the battery shipment, notice that anything is missing, or if the Tip ‘N Tell
indicates the crate has been tipped or mishandled: make note of the issue on the delivery receipt (i.e.
"damaged items", "missing items", etc.), sign the receipt, and give it to the truck driver. Then, immediately
contact Iron Edison to notify us of the damage or missing item(s).
If for some reason you are unable to thoroughly inspect your battery shipment, you may write "Possible
Concealed Damage" on the delivery receipt before signing it. Writing “Possible Concealed Damage” on
the delivery receipt will greatly improve the chances of receiving reimbursement should you find
something is damaged. You must inspect your shipment within 3 days of receipt. Alert Iron Edison
immediately if you find damaged or missing items.

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Prepare the Area
The Iron Edison 4LiFe Lithium Iron Battery must be installed indoors on a dry, level surface
capable of supporting the battery’s weight, and the installation must comply with all local building
and electrical codes.
The Iron Edison 4LiFe Lithium Iron Battery must be installed in a location that will not be exposed
to temperatures below 0oC/32oF or above 55oC/131oF.
The Iron Edison 4LiFe Lithium Iron Battery should not be exposed to moisture, water, etc.
Do not place the battery near flammable material or a heat source.
Do not lean objects on the battery or place objects on top of the battery.
Leave 6” of space between the battery and any other object.
Refer to local building codes regarding any additional space requirements.
IMPORTANT: Failure to follow these requirements can damage the battery. Iron Edison’s Warranty
DOES NOT cover damage due to improper installation. Please see warranty details at the end of this
manual.
Unpack the Crate
Iron Edison Batteries are charged when shipped and present a shock hazard during installation. Take
special care to NOT short the battery posts to each other or to any other metal or conductive materials!
You should be wearing complete eye / face protection and gloves as you work with the battery. Remove
any jewelry such as wedding rings, watches, necklaces or any other metal before working with your
battery!
Keep the workspace clear of animals and children.

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Battery Controls
The Iron Edison 4LiFe battery has a WAKE UP button to turn the battery ON or OFF.
POWER ON - Press and hold the Wake Up button for 1 second. The battery’s internal BMS will boot up,
run a self-diagnostic, and then close its internal contactor energizing the battery’s DC connections. If the
Battery Management System detects a problem during its self-diagnostic it will not close the internal
contactor nor energize the DC connections. See the Battery Management System section of this manual
for more information or contact Iron Edison Support for help.
POWER OFF - Press and hold the Wake Up button for 10 seconds. The battery will open the internal
contactor, de-energize the battery’s DC connections and power down the internal BMS.
The Wake Up button will be illuminated when the battery is ON.
Com Port - The Com port on the battery is for factory use only, and has no functionality in normal
operation. Do not attempt to connect to or use the battery’s Com port.

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Battery Management System
The Iron Edison 4LIFe Lithium Iron Battery includes an onboard digital battery management system
(BMS). The BMS monitors voltage, current and temperature on both an individual cell and battery pack
level. If any of these measurements deviate outside of their safe operating ranges, the BMS will actively
work to correct the deviation. If the deviation cannot be corrected automatically, the BMS will initiate a
self-protect shutdown by opening the internal contactor, disconnecting the battery from the charger and
loads.
Safety shutdown features on your inverter(s) and charger(s) should be the first line of protection against
over current or over voltage situations. Set your system’s max current, high battery cutoff (HBCO) and low
battery cutoff (LBCO) according to the Charge / Discharge Parameters section of this manual. The
Battery Management System’s Shutdown is designed as a last resort self-protect shutdown, and should
not be relied upon for managing charge voltage or currents. Doing so will significantly shorten the
battery’s life expectancy and could negatively impact your inverter(s) or charger(s).
High Current Shutdown –If the charge or discharge current of the battery exceeds maximum
permissible levels, the BMS will disconnect itself automatically. To recover from a high current shutdown,
remove the load from the battery, and then rest the battery by turning the battery OFF and back ON.
High / Low Temperature Shutdown –If the battery’s temperature exceeds permissible levels the BMS
will disconnect itself automatically. The battery will automatically reconnect once the temperature has
returned to permissible levels.
High Voltage Shutdown –If the battery’s voltage exceeds permissible levels the BMS will disconnect
itself automatically. To recover from a high voltage shutdown, remove the charge source from the battery.
The battery will automatically reconnect once the charge source has been removed and the battery’s
voltage drops down to permissible levels.
Low Voltage Shutdown –If the battery’s voltage drops below permissible levels the BMS will disconnect
itself automatically. To recover from a high voltage shutdown, remove ALL loads from the battery. The
battery will automatically reconnect once the voltage has climbed back up to permissible levels. At this
point the battery should be charged immediately. If the battery is over discharged and the Low Voltage
Shutdown cannot be cleared, the battery must be returned to Iron Edison for non-warranty service.

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Connecting the Battery: Single Battery Configuration
1. Before making any connections to the battery, turn the battery ON by pressing the Wake Up button.
2. Measure the battery’s voltage using a volt meter on the battery’s positive and negative connections.
Verify the battery is within the normal resting voltage range (48 –54 Volts). If the voltage is outside
this range, stop the installation and contact Iron Edison for assistance.
3. After verifying the battery’s voltage turn the battery OFF by pressing and holding the Wake Up button
for 10 seconds.
4. Prior to making any connections, verify the following:
Battery is OFF & the battery’s DC connections are de-energized
All circuit breakers and disconnects in the system are in the OFF / OPEN position
System is not energized from any AC or DC power sources
5. Connect the battery’s positive connection to the system using a 4/0 cable protected with a 250 amp
circuit breaker. Torque the battery terminal connection to 120 in-lbs. / 10 ft-lbs.
6. Connect the battery’s negative connection to the system using a 4/0 cable. Torque the battery
terminal connection to 120 in-lbs. / 10 ft-lbs.
7. Turn the battery ON by pressing the Wake Up button.
8. Before closing the 250 amp circuit breaker, confirm battery voltage and polarity at the circuit breaker’s
LINE side with a volt meter.
9. Close the 250 amp circuit breaker, and continue proper commissioning of your system.

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Multiple Parallel Batteries Configuration: Design Considerations
Up to four (4) Iron Edison 4LiFe Lithium Iron batteries can be connected in parallel to increase amp hour
capacity.
NEVER connect Iron Edison 4LiFe Lithium Iron batteries in series to increase voltage. Permanent
damage and a dangerous catastrophic failure will occur.
For optimal performance the fewest number of batteries should be used to accomplish the needed
capacity (i.e.: a 400Ah project should use two 200Ah batteries instead of four 100Ah batteries). Here are
recommended configurations for various size battery banks:
Qty.
Battery Size
100 Amp Hour Battery Bank
1
IE48V100
200 Amp Hour Battery Bank
1
IE48V200
300 Amp Hour Battery Bank
1
IE48V300
400 Amp Hour Battery Bank
2
IE48V200
600 Amp Hour Battery Bank
2
IE48V300
800 Amp Hour Battery Bank
4
IE48V200
900 Amp Hour Battery Bank
3
IE48V300
1,200 Amp Hour Battery Bank
4
IE48V300
The recommended parallel wiring method is to use a battery combiner box to combine the batteries into a
single bus, which is then connected to the system. Directly paralleling the batteries is not recommended
due to high current and the need to electrically isolate the batteries in the event of a BMS fault.
It is CRITICAL that the battery cables between the battery combiner box and batteries are
EXACTLY the same size, length and type. Any variance in battery cables will create unequal
resistance, resulting in unbalanced batteries and significant performance issues.
4/0 battery cables and a 250 amp circuit breaker are recommended for EACH battery in the bank. 2/0
battery cables and a 175 amp circuit breaker can be substituted if appropriate for the project’s loads.

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Multiple Parallel Batteries Configuration: Design Considerations (cont.)
Charge and discharge rates must be reduced by 30% in multiple parallel battery configurations due to
potential unbalanced charge and discharge rates on each battery caused by cable resistance variances.
See the Charge / Discharge Parameters section of this manual for multiple battery system’s charge
and discharge rates.
Discharging the batteries below 80% depth of discharge is strongly discouraged, especially in parallel
configurations. Doing so can significantly shorten the battery’s life and potentially result in an
unrecoverable Low Voltage Shutdown requiring non-warranty factory service.
Multiple Parallel Batteries Configuration: Pre-Charge Procedure
Each Iron Edison 4LiFe battery ships partially charged, and must be fully charged so that all batteries in a
multiple parallel battery configuration are balanced before parallel connections can be made. Failing to do
this can cause a large current inrush when the parallel battery connections are made, which could
permanently damage a battery. Unbalanced batteries will also suffer significant performance issues.
One battery at a time, complete the Single Battery Configuration section of this manual, and fully
charge each battery separately using these parameters before continuing with the parallel battery
configuration.
IE48V100
IE48V200
IE48V300
(100 Ah 4LiFe Battery)
(200 Ah 4LiFe Battery)
(300 Ah 4LiFe Battery)
Bulk / Absorb Voltage
56.0 Volts
56.0 Volts
56.0 Volts
Recommended Charge Current
50 Amps
100 Amps
100 Amps
Absorb Termination Current
5 Amps
10 Amps
15 Amps
Absorb Time
<1 Hour
<1 Hour
<1 Hour
Each battery must REST (turned ON and disconnected from any loads or chargers) for 2 hours after
completing the Pre-Charge Procedure before making any parallel connections.