IBEX 365 News

2021 IBEX Innovation Award Interview with Discover Battery

News Date: January 6, 2022

LITHIUM BLUE

LITHIUM BLUE batteries by Discover Battery are designed for marine deep-cycle house loads and trolling motor applications. The system incorporates a battery management system (BMS) that controls the safety of the battery and real-time Bluetooth access to information including the charge, voltage, current, and temperature.

What problem does this product solve?
LITHIUM BLUE has multiple advantages over other battery chemistries: faster charging, longer runtime, longer life, less weight, and a Bluetooth app that displays the state of charge and diagnostic data. This battery provides twice the runtime and half the weight of lead-acid batteries. It charges five times faster than lead-acid and twice as fast as other lithium-based chemistries. It can also manage onboard house electrical needs in a smaller footprint.

How did you become aware of this problem?
Discover Battery has been designing, manufacturing, and selling deep-cycle lead-acid batteries for transportation, motive power, and energy storage applications for over 70 years. Through this experience, we’ve come to understand the advantages that lithium offers over lead-acid and we’re working to provide a shift to a cleaner energy future.

What audience does this product reach?
Boaters with inverter/chargers and large DC house loads will gain the most. Inshore and offshore cruisers, sailboats, and distance-traveling trawlers will benefit significantly.

What is noteworthy about the technology used?
This battery incorporates a proprietary, high-current BMS that controls the safety of the battery and improves charging performance. LITHIUM BLUE is also rugged. Its internal cradle for the prismatic cells creates a compact high-energy-density package that is resistant to vibration. Flexible bus bars ensure a robust connection from the cellblock to the replaceable BMS board installed under the cover. The battery is rated IP67 for humid and wet environments and has a gore vent to reduce internal condensation and moisture which protects the internal components. It also uses cobalt-free Lithium Iron Phosphate cells (LiFePO4), which are easier to recycle than other lithium products.

How is it different from any other solution on the market?
The battery features a convenient built-in suitcase-style handle and a field-serviceable fuse to protect the user’s investment. These batteries are available in standard G24 and GC12 sizes in 12-Volt models for deep-cycle applications. Also, 12-Volt, 24-Volt, and 36-Volt models are available for trolling motor applications. They fit into the same or less space than lead-acid batteries and can be paralleled for greater system capacity and a longer runtime.

What obstacles did you encounter in the R&D process?
Achieving a high current rating was a challenge that was overcome.

What customizations can be enabled to personalize/differentiate this product or solution?
The Bluetooth app can be used to communicate with service techs in the field.

How has the product been received?
“We have had tremendous success with the launch of the battery,” says Discover Battery’s Matt Campbell. “Our distributors pre-purchased large quantities of the batteries based on their confidence in the product and they have already reordered and that’s with the battery being in the market for less than six months.”

Is there anything else we should know or that you’d like to share?
Discover Battery is pleased to be selling batteries into the marine market and would like to remind the industry that the company not only manufactures lithium batteries, but builds lead-acid and AGM versions for all boating applications.

For more information about the 2021 IBEX Innovation Award winners, click here.