Let’s design, from the ground up, some torches that run on LiFePo4 18650s and 26650s. I’ve covered in previous posts why I believe them to be superior, even while giving up 50% energy density compared to Li-ion, so let’s not dwell on that.
In another thread, it was mentioned that they’re now making lower-voltage LEDs — so let’s start with that basis and eliminate the need for buck/boost converters in the circuitry as much as possible.
My vision goes something like this:
The Stud ($25) — runs off [1] 18650.
Straight-tube form factor.
The rubber-surrounded clicky end button will protrude through a hole threaded 1/2x28mm on one end of the tube.
The internals - from lens, bulb, to clicky - come out of the aluminum tube as one simple module - itself held in a plastic tube.
The other end cap, the lens end, has a large hole to let the light out… but it compresses the module to hold it firm when tightened down.
Modes - Low, Med, High. No extra BS.
The Chad ($35) — 2 x 18650 version
The Hogleg ($45) — 1 x 26650 version
… and so on…
So, I’m just the idea guy. You guys are the magic that turn dreams into reality.
Are you ready to do this?! Let me get a HELL YEAH!
Please take a look from another perspective: the manufacturers. Of batteries and led’s.
A poll of DBSAR generated DATA that the average BLF-member owns appr. 40 LiIon cell’s. Very ballparkish. Counting 50-100 lights as 75 lights, etc. That is just the info of the 175 members who have responded. Today there are 27,810 users on this forum. That makes us the proud owners of 1.13 million cell’s, give or take a few. Again, all very ballparkish.
Tesla want’s to build 500,000 cars a year. Each car has 7,000 batteries. So they need 3,500 milion batteries a year (give or take). Manufacturers like Tesla set the norm for chemistry and size of these batteries, based on THEIR needs.
There are billions of smokers on this planet, they also have their (own) specifications for batteries.
Led’s like the XM-L were conceived for industrial lighting, not to please a handful of enthousiasts.
We, as a flashlight community, can be compared to surfers. To few to make waves, but we ride the waves.
We use the batteries of Tesla and the vapers, and the led’s of the lighting industry.
If you wanna cause a new wave, be my guest. But don’t expect much of it. You(we) don’t have enough mass.
IMHO the only thing that is really specific for OUR hobby is the driver. These are not suitable for Tesla, vapers, and industrial lighting manufacturers.
Henk4U2 Heh. That’s exactly the same [perfectly rational] reasoning I was given when my idea to invent the .32 Super cartridge was branded a non-starter over at a firearm forum.
Basically, momentum and previous investment is not on my side — no matter how good the idea might be. I get it.
Nevertheless, cylindrical LiFePo4 cells are becoming more numerous and more affordable… and I believe either they or something like them will eventually replace the 3.7 Li-ion chemistry, due to safety alone.
For using LiFePO4 batteries in a lineair flashlight you need the lowest voltage leds, actually only the Luxeon V gets low enough (but that is a great led so why not?), and you need as little resistance in the circuitry as possible, so no clicky switch but an e-switch, a copper-alloy spring at the tail and no spring (brass post) at the driver side, thick ledwires etc. Also it is advisable to use a multiple led setup, like a triple to lower led voltage, for a triple also SST-20’s will get you a good output. Only then you have considerable output, think close to 2000 lumen.
About 60 years ago, the increasing need for electrical devices in cars initiated a switch from 6V to 12V lead-acid electrical systems. The old systems needed to much costly thick copper cable, and so the move double-the-voltage and half-the-amperage was started. Today’s heavy trucks have 2 or even 4 batteries, which means their heaviest electrical devices operate at 24V or 48V.
The 48V systems you are referring to are meant for peak-shaving and (brake)energy recouperation. This is called mild-hybrid. The usual devices like the lights remain 12V. For now the (all)electric car keeps it usual 400V (or so) battery.
If you want something safer than Li Ion just go with NiMH, not lifepo4.
Also having buck drivers is a good thing, not a bad thing.
You get higher efficiency and longer regulated output than direct driving an LED.
Not really. The mild hybrid concept is meant as a way to make gradual move to 48V everything. And now f.e. Audi A8 suspension is 48V.
Some years ago there was a push to 42V which failed because the cost of converting all devices at once was just too large. Now they are trying to do it while retaining backwards compatibility for as long as it’s needed.
Just what I said. The usual suspects stay on 12V. Cold start is on the 12V lead-acid battery.
New components like the electric turbo and the start-stop system are 48V with a LiIon battery.
These (first) cars have in fact a double installation with a DC / DC converter in between.
Never said this would last for ever (well, it may just survive me)
The bottom line is that with a growing electricity demand going back to 6V is totally out of the question.
I think it’s GREAT that the OP has STUCK HIS NECK OUT and presented sum idears that at first glance may certainly appear to sum as ‘whacky’. As most of you know I am quite a proponent of whackiness in a SATIRICAL fashion, coupled with whacky anti-grammatical liberties employing nonetheless double-innuendo and double-entendre. All for funn of course.
That said, from out of the box thinking come new approaches of looking at things. Even whacky satire sumtimes produces not so whacky shifts in once rigid presumptions.
Anyone who has ‘brainstormed’ especially in a rigid corporate technical setting can tell you that ofttimes from the most SEEMINGLY wackiest comments come forth amazing discoveries that were hidden in front of everyone.
So, appreciate the OP’s courage and not watt necessarily appears on the surface to be idle ramblings and complete technical and practical application nonsense. He’s not doing it just to do it as evidenced by his persistence.
We all will learn from other people’s thoughts whether they’re perceived wacky or not becuz ultimately it forces us to constantly RETHINK and RECONFIRM watt we BELEIVE and have believed either correctly or becomes otherwise.
I would hope that most here don’t take everything said on BLF as dead serious. A lot of it is valid relaxed education and a lot of it should be skeptically questioned.
Butt again that doesn’t mean we should be mean and condescending to anyone here for voicing things outside of what you’re used to hearing or THINK you truly know and understand as resolute fact - when in fact as technology and applications evolve it may now not be quite so black and white going forward.
I’ll defend your right/privilege to do so and I won’t disparage, demean, or make you feel that your ‘off beat’ musings have no place here.
