AUTARKING Pascal Lithium HEAT 12.8V 50Ah

Compact Energy Storage System for Self-Sufficient Small-Scale Applications

The AUTARKING Pascal Lithium HEAT is a 12.8-V LiFePO4 battery with 50 Ah and 640 Wh. It is suitable as a compact power battery for mobile and stationary systems in which sensors, data loggers, communication equipment, or other 12-V devices are to be operated independently of the power grid.

With a maximum continuous discharge current of 100 A and a peak discharge current of 130 A for five seconds, it supports not only low-power, continuous-use devices but also systems with short-term spikes in current demand. Capacity, peak loads, and the desired backup time must be calculated individually for each application.

Benefits for Measurement, Sensor, and Monitoring Systems

• 640 Wh rated energy: A compact energy reserve for consumers with modest daily needs.
• Bluetooth Control: Battery status and available BMS values can be checked on-site using the AUTARKING app.
• Automatic cell heating: Supports charging at low ambient temperatures.
• Integrated BMS: Monitors the battery's electrical and thermal operating limits.
• IP65 enclosure: Provides protection against dust and water jets at the enclosure level.
• Low self-discharge: less than 3% per month, according to the manual.
• At least 3,000 cycles at 25 °C: Designed for regular loading and unloading operations.

Suitable industrial applications

The Pascal Lithium HEAT is suitable for small off-grid systems, provided that the voltage, power requirements, inrush currents, and environmental conditions fall within the technical limits. Examples of such applications include:

• Automatic weather stations with sensors, data loggers, and data transmission
• Geotechnical Monitoring Stations and Decentralized Geo-Monitoring
• Avalanche, Rockfall, and Natural Hazard Monitoring
• Traffic Counting, Traffic Flow Analysis, and Mobile Data Collection
• Decentralized camera, telemetry, and monitoring systems
• Small stand-alone industrial systems combined with photovoltaic systems

For safety-critical monitoring tasks, sufficient power reserves, fault alerts, and, if necessary, a redundant power supply must be provided. The battery is not a substitute for project-specific safety or availability planning.

Local Battery Monitoring via Bluetooth

The built-in Bluetooth module allows you to monitor battery data using the AUTARKING app. This connection is intended for setup, diagnostics, and maintenance in close proximity to the battery.

Bluetooth is not an Internet-based remote monitoring system. Only one mobile device can be connected to the battery at a time. If the Bluetooth module is in power-saving mode, it will be reactivated within a few minutes by charging or discharging.

Remote Monitoring with SmartShunt or BMV

If the battery is to be monitored remotely via a Victron system, the measurement is taken via a a separate Victron SmartShunt or BMV battery monitor. The shunt is connected to the battery's negative terminal and measures voltage as well as the total incoming and outgoing current. Based on this data, the battery monitor calculates, among other things, the state of charge, the ampere-hours consumed, and the estimated remaining runtime.

The SmartShunt or BMV can be connected via a VE.Direct-Kabel or a suitable VE.Direct-USB-Verbindung can be connected to a GX device such as the Cerbo GX. If an Internet connection is available, the GX device transmits the measurement values to the Victron VRM Portal.

BMS, Cell Protection, and Automatic Balancing

The internal battery management system monitors cell voltages, currents, and temperatures. According to the manual, it protects the battery against overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, short circuits, and excessively high or low temperatures. Automatic cell balancing helps maintain a uniform state of charge across the individual cells.

The BMS is an internal protection feature. Nevertheless, the charger, wiring, fuses, and connected loads must be properly sized and operated within the specified limits.

Cell Heating for Low Temperatures

If the battery temperature drops below 0 °C and an external charging current is applied, the BMS activates the built-in cell heater. The heater remains active until the cells reach 10 °C. Only after the cells have warmed up sufficiently are they charged under appropriate conditions.

For normal heating operation, the manual specifies a minimum external charging current of 5 A. If no charger is connected, the heater will not be powered by the battery.

Correctly Estimating Energy Needs

The rated energy of 640 Wh serves as the basis for calculating the operating time. To do this, the power consumption and operating time of all sensors, data loggers, routers, cameras, and other devices are added together. In addition, standby power consumption, cable and conversion losses, temperature margins, and several days with low solar yield must be taken into account.

The basic formula is as follows: The expected runtime in hours is calculated by dividing the project-specific usable energy in Wh by the average system load in W. For remote measurement points, the design should also take into account inrush currents, communication intervals, and the desired bad-weather reserve.

Download and Install

The battery requires a charger suitable for LiFePO4 or a solar charge controller configured accordingly with a CC-CV charging method. The manual specifies a charging voltage of 14.2 to 14.6 V, a recommended charging current of no more than 25 A, and a maximum continuous charging current of 50 A.

Before using the battery for the first time, it should be fully charged so that the BMS’s state-of-charge indicator can calibrate itself. The wire gauge, fuse, and M6 connectors must be rated for the maximum current. The specified tightening torque for the connections is 10 to 15 Nm.

Series and Parallel Connections

According to the manual, AUTARKING 12-V LiFePO4 batteries of this type can be connected in series (up to four batteries) or in parallel (up to eight batteries). Only batteries of the same type, voltage, and capacity may be connected. Before connecting them, they must be brought to the same state of charge.

In a series connection, the voltage difference between the batteries must not exceed 50 mV. For parallel connections, connecting cables of equal length and sufficient capacity are required. According to the manual, the permissible charge and discharge currents do not increase in the same proportion as the number of batteries in a parallel connection; the system design must take this limitation into account.

Technical Specifications

Conclusion

The AUTARKING Pascal Lithium HEAT 12.8V 50Ah is a compact 640-Wh energy storage system for self-sufficient measurement, sensor, and monitoring systems. Bluetooth facilitates on-site monitoring, while the integrated heater enables operation in cold environments. For Victron remote monitoring, the battery is monitored externally via a SmartShunt or BMV and connected to the VRM Portal via a GX device.

Frequently Asked Questions About the AUTARKING Pascal Lithium HEAT 12.8V 50Ah

• For which industrial applications is the battery suitable?

  
  

  It is suitable for small, self-sufficient measurement, sensor, telemetry, and monitoring systems, such as weather stations, geomonitoring, traffic monitoring, or natural hazard monitoring. Proper energy and power sizing is required.

• Does Bluetooth allow for remote monitoring over the Internet?

  
  

  No. Bluetooth is used for local control within the battery's range. Additional measurement and communication devices are required for internet-based remote monitoring.

• How can I monitor the battery using the Victron VRM Portal?

  
  

  The battery is monitored using a separate Victron SmartShunt or BMV battery monitor. This is connected via VE.Direct connected to a GX device such as the Cerbo GX. The GX device transmits the measurement values to the VRM Portal when an Internet connection is available.

• Are internal BMS and cell values transmitted during this process?

  
  

  No. SmartShunt and BMV measure voltage and total current outside the battery and use these readings to calculate, among other things, the state of charge. The Pascal battery’s internal Bluetooth display and the external Victron measurement are two separate monitoring channels.

• Can the battery be charged when the temperature is below freezing?

  
  

  When the battery temperature is below 0 °C and an external charging current is applied, the BMS activates the cell heater. According to the manual, a minimum external charging current of 5 A is required for normal heating operation. The heater stops when the cell temperature reaches 10 °C.

• How long does the battery power a monitoring station?

  
  

  This depends on the average power consumption and the losses of the entire system. Power consumers, operating times, communication, conversion losses, temperature margin, and the desired number of bad-weather days the system must be able to bridge must all be calculated together. The battery provides a nominal capacity of 640 Wh.