The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Most “Drop In” Lithium Batteries Not ABYC Compliant

The way I read this, batteries with BMSs that do not communicate are now obsolete:

If a shutdown condition is approaching a battery system should notify the operator with a visual and/or audible alarm before disconnecting the battery from the DC system.

ABYC E13-7


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Stein Varjord

Hi John,
I’ve long thought that the majority of “drop-in” batteries should rather be named drop-out batteries. 🙂 As I see it, any lithium BMS, inside the battery or outside of it, that cannot communicate with the charging units is useless, just junk. Batteries or systems with such a BMS are proof that a swindle has happened.

Charles Hendricks

Are you sure? It says battery system not “the battery”. Doesn’t this mean a battery monitor installed that warns of temp, voltage, or current approaching an out of spec condition would meet this requirement?

Personally, I feel ABYC caved to drop-in manufacturers and really developed a weak and potentially dangerous standard.

Jesse Falsone

The above E-13 verbiage says “should” not “shall”. I may not speak the queen’s english, but in my view communicating via alarm before disconnect is not expressly a requirement. Others in LiFePO4 groups I frequent on FB are of the same opinion. This is to say nothing of the value of such an alarm, I’m only speaking to the language.