Firefly “OASIS” G3 1 U ser’s Manual
February 201 7
Congratulations on your pu r c h ase of the Firefly Oasis G31 Battery!
The Firefly “OASIS” battery uses a patented carbon Microcell Foam grid structure that is highly
resistant to sulfation and grid corrosion . I t has the longest life of any lead aci d battery used for
deep cycling, even at extreme temperatures and operation at less than full charge
The Firefly batteries can have four times the life and two times the energy density of a
traditional lead acid battery:
• Plate corrosion is inhibited.
• Plates are resistant to sulfation
• The high plate porosity allows the e lectrolyte to rea ct more efficiently.
Installation
MOUNTING ORIENTATION
The Oasis battery can be installed in any orientation other than i nverted without com p romi sin g
the operation of the battery.
PARALLEL INSTALLATION
SERIES INSTALLATION
CONNECTING THE BATTERY
Take care not to sh ort circuit the terminals on the battery. Make sure the terminals and
connectors are clean and free of corrosion. Connect the positive cable to the positive (+) battery
terminal. Connect the negative cable to the negative (-) battery terminal. The termin als are
3/8-16 UNC and should be torqued to 16 ft lbs.
Operation & Charging
• The Oasis battery ca n be operated in a partial state of cha rge for long periods of time
without sustaining any permanent damage.
• The Oasis may emit gas during the first 10-20 charge cycles. This is normal.
• The maximum recommended discharge current is 0.7C for extended periods of time to
ensure the longev ity if the battery. The FF battery can discharge faster than that for short
periods.
• If you have hardware that requires a Peukerts constant to be entered, we recommend
that you do not chan g e the factory settings due to the large inaccuracies based on varying
discharge rates. The Peukerts constant for the FF battery for the 10hr and 20hr rate is
1.07. It is 1.12 for 6 .5hr and 1.8hr rate. Keep in mind tha t whatever Peukerts correction
you use, you will lose accuracy with extremely slow discharges.
• If you have hardware that allows the u ser to enter a tem perature coefficie nt , use
24mV/C° for temperature compensation.
• For a complete charge cycle, charge the Oasis to 14.4V with temperature compensation
(bulk phase) and continue charging until the charging current drops to 1.5A (absorption
phase, time will vary). You DO NOT need to fully charge the Oasis each cycle in order to
maintain the capacity and only need to perform a complete charge cycle when you want
to maximize the capacity for the following discharge cycle.
• For charging sources that may be charging the battery for an extended period of time
(solar, or an alternator if motoring for a while); set the float voltage to 13.4V. The Oasis
does not require a f loat charge. But, if float charging, due to the Oasis’s longer projected
lifespan, it is important to keep the float voltage at 13.4V to ensure the battery lasts for as
many cycles as possible. Reset to bulk phase: for programmable charging sources, adjust
the “reset to bulk phase” to occur if the battery voltage drops below 12.0V for >1 minute.
• The optimum operating temperature for a l ead-acid battery is 25°C (77°F). As a rule of
thumb, every 8-10 °C ( 14-18°F) rise in temperature will cut the battery life in half. Note
that continuous duty at elevated temperature will shorten the life of any battery.
Restoration Charge
As stated, the Oa si s c an operate in a partial state of cha rg e for long periods of time without
sustaining any permanent damage. The usable capacity will decrease, however, with each cycle
within a partial state of charge, up to a point. In order to regain the full original capacity and in
some cases more, i t i s necessary to perform a restoration charge. To perform the restoration
charge: charge the Oasis to 14.4V and continue to charge until the current drops to 0.6 A. Fully
discharge the battery to 10.5V, and then repeat the same charge cycle. At this point, the Oasis
should have regained full capacity.
Safety
EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES
Battery Electrolyte Eye Contact: Imm ediately remove any contact lenses if present. Flush ey es
with water for at le ast 15 minutes. Seek medical attention immediately.
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing. Flu sh with water for at le ast 15 minutes. Seek
medical attention immediately.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If not breathing give artificial respiration. If breathing is
difficult give oxygen. Seek medical attention immediately.
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. If conscious di lute by drinking water or milk. Do not give
anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Seek medical attention immediately.
PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE HANDLING AND US E
Steps to be taken i n case of a broken battery case or electrolyte leakage: neutralize spilled
electrolyte and exposed battery parts with soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, lime, etc. Do not use
organic or combu stible material. We ar acid resistant clothing, boots, gloves, face shield, an d
proper respiratory pr otec tion .
Waste Disposal In f ormation: Please observe all federal, local, and state regulations regarding
the disposal of lead/acid batteries.
Precautions to be taken i n Handling, Storing, and Transportation: Store in cool, dry area away
from combustible materials; store i n well ventilated areas. Other Preca utions: Do not charge in
unventilated areas.
Shipping, storage and disposal
VIBRATION RE SI ST A N CE
The carbon foam batteries have been used under conditions of extreme vibration and impa ct i n
applications suc h as transit buses - carbon foam plates have higher yield strength than lead
plates and have high compressive strength.
D.O.T. REGULATIONS-NONSPILLABLE
Firefly’s Group 3 1 battery meets the non-spillable criteria. It is exempted from CFR 49,
Subchapter C requirements, which translates to no proper shipping name, no hazardous class,
no UN number, no packaging group and no hazardous labels when transporting, provided that
the following criteria are met: 1. the batteries m us t be protecte d agai nst sh ort cir cuit s and
securely packaged. 2. The batteries and their outer packaging must be plainly and durable
marked “NON- SPI LLAB LE ” or “NO N-SPILLABLE BATTERY”.
TWO YEAR SHELF LIFE
Unlike other lead acid batteries that require a recharge as frequently as e very six weeks, the
Oasis battery can be stored for up to two years at 25ºC (77ºF) from a fully charged state.
FULLY-CHARGED WHEN SHIPPED
The Oasis will be shipped from the factory fully charged. Some venting from the valves is
possible when it arrives.
RECYCLING
There is an existing i nfrastructure to recycle lead acid batteries. Because Firefly’s technology
uses carbon, it actually decreases the amount of lead in the battery. Firefly’s microcell
technology can be recy cled through the existing lead acid infrastructure.
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