Storage
Always store any lithium type battery (LIPO - Polymer, LiIon - Lithium Ion, LFP - LifePO4 Lithium Ferrous Phosphate) with a full charge and batteries should be recharged every 3 months.
Recharging
Recharge your lithium battery after every use regardless of the level of discharge ie. how much the battery has been drained during use. Lithium batteries will last longer and provide better power output if recharged after every use, the more shallow the Depth Of Discharge (D.O.D) the greater the recharge cycles.
Chargers
Most lithium batteries will last over three years if correctly maintained so it is recommended that a new charger is purchased along with a replacement battery. Each lithium battery type requires a charger that uses the correct charging method and voltage to safely charge the battery pack and provide the longest battery life.
Improvements to battery charger electronics and design may also have occurred in the time since the first charger was purchased.
Most common reason for charger failure.
A failed fan in chargers (that use a fan) is the most common reason for charger failure which can increase the chance of damage to the Lithium battery pack. The fans in the battery chargers have a limited life so repair or replace any charger that has a failed fan.
Charger electrical compliance.
Chargers that plug into the normal 240V power outlets sold in Australia must meet Australian electrical compliance, generally this is indicated by the C Tick logo or the new Single Compliance mark, as shown in image below.

The C in C Rating on our LiFePO, Lithium Ion and Polymer batteries is a capacity rating.
The C rating is the maximum safe continuous discharge rate of a battery pack.
10C means the battery pack can be discharged at 10 times that pack's capacity.
The Capacity rating of the battery pack is generally shown in milliamp hours, a milliamps is equal to 1/1000 of an amp.
The battery pack capacity rating will be printed on the battery pack or outer case as a number followed by mAh
Example : 2000mAh, which is equal to 2.0 Ah.

To find your battery's discharge rate multiply the number from the C rating by the pack's capacity.
Here is a calculation example using an 60V 22000mAh 10C (Electric unicycle battery pack)
Details from battery pack label : 60 volt 2200mAh -10C
2200 milliamps = 2.2 amps
2.2 Amps x 10 = 22 amps continuous discharge

Result : The 60V 2200mAh 10C battery pack can safely draw up to 22 amps continuously without causing a problem.
The cell will also have a peak value that is applicable for a few seconds or short period of maxium motor load where the motor power will peak.

Wh or Watt Hours is a simple way to compare storage capacities of similar batteries of differnt Ah and volatage ratings as these can be advertised in many different configurations. Wh rating takes away the guess work for consumers and is a closer measure of the actual work the storage system can produce, although ratings such as the C rating and original manufacturers quality controls will also play a role in the actual work that the system can carry out.
A simply explaination of work is how many kilometers can be travelled on a electric bicycle or how long a solar power storage unit could keep a fridge running for at night.

Example 1:
A 12V 10 Ah Lithium Ion bicycle battery would be calculated as 4 (number of cells in series) x 3.7V (nominal cell volatge) = 14.8V x 10000Mah - 10Ah (capacity of each cell) = 148Wh

Example 2:
A 60V 2.2 Ah Lithium Ion unicycle battery would be calculated as 16 (number of cells in series) x 3.7V (nominal cell volatge) = 59.2V x 2200Mah - 2.2Ah (capacity of each cell) = 130Wh

Conclusion: Although it would seem the batteries would be very different in capacity they actually can do similar work. In these examples a higher voltage system is generally considered to produce an overall more efficient design for the the simalar purposes shown. For this reason most modern brushless electric bicycle systems are 48 volts or more.

There are many different generations of compounds used in rechargeable lithium batteries.

LiFePO4 - Lithium Ferrous Phosphate

Lithium Polymer Commonly called LIPO

Lithium ion

LiFePO4 (or LFP) batteries uses a lithium-ion derived chemistry and shares many advantages and disadvantages with other Lithium-ion battery chemistries. However, there are significant differences. LFP chemistry offers a longer cycle life than other lithium-ion approaches.

Like nickel-based rechargeable batteries (and unlike other lithium ion batteries) LiFePO4 batteries have a very constant discharge voltage. Voltage stays close to 3.2V during discharge until the battery is exhausted. This allows the battery to deliver virtually full power until it is discharged. Because of the nominal 3.2V output, four cells can be placed in series for a nominal voltage of 12.8 V. This comes close to the nominal voltage of six-cell lead-acid batteries. And, along with the good safety characteristics of LiFePO4 batteries, this makes LiFePO4 a good replacement for lead-acid batteries in many applications such as automotive and solar.

The use of phosphates avoids cobalt's cost and environmental concerns, particularly concerns about cobalt entering the environment through improper disposal.

LiFePO4 has higher current or peak-power ratings than LiCoO

LiFePO4 cells experience a slower rate of capacity loss (greater service life) than lithium-ion battery chemistries such as LiCoO2 cobalt or LiMn2O4 manganese spinel lithium-ion polymer batteries or lithium-ion batteries. After one year on the shelf, a LiFePO4 cell typically has approximately the same energy density as a LiCoO2 Li-ion cell, because of LFP's slower decline of energy density. Thereafter, LiFePO4 likely has a higher energy density.

Safety is perhaps the most important advantage of LiFePO4 over other lithium-ion chemistries as a result of the thermal and chemical stability of LiFePO4. LiFePO4 is an intrinsically safer cathode material than LiCoO2 and manganese spinel. The Fe-P-O bond is stronger than the Co-O bond, so that when abused, (short-circuited, overheated, etc.) the oxygen atoms are much harder to remove. This stabilization of the redox energies also helps fast ion migration.

As lithium migrates out of the cathode in a LiCoO2 cell, whereas the CoO2 undergoes non-linear expansion that affects the structural integrity of the cell. The fully lithiated and unlithiated states of LiFePO4 are structurally similar which means that LiFePO4 cells are more structurally stable than LiCoO2 cells.

No lithium remains in the cathode of a fully charged LiFePO4 cell—in a LiCoO2 cell, approximately 50% remains in the cathode. LiFePO4 is highly resilient during oxygen loss, which typically results in an exothermic reaction in other lithium cells, therefor LiFePO4 (Lithium (Li) Iron (Fe) Phosphate (PO4)) cells are much harder to ignite in the event of mishandling (especially during charge). it must be remembered that any fully charged battery can only dissipate overcharge energy as heat so failure of the battery through misuse is still possible. These failures are overcome to some degree through the use of specialised Lithium Battery chargers that do not pulse the battery with charge once it has reached it's capacity.
It is commonly accepted that LiFePO4 battery does not decompose at high temperatures.

Lithium batteries supplied by Milbay are are covered by 12, 24 or 36 months and 10 Years warranty depending on the configuration and application. Example: Racing softpacs are covered by 12 months warranty against faulty manufacture only as is normal for components used in motor racing applications, Home solar backup batteries have 36 months warranty. Milbay MB-4850 2.4kWh LFP 4U solar battery cabinets have 10 years warranty, there are some capacity conditions that apply regarding the 10 year warranty plan, contact Milbay for more information.

If you need to do some calculations or are looking for electrical formulas then Click Here - Rapid tables for a great online resource that can help you out.

Table courtesy of http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/battery_developments

Last page Update: 10 October 2015