When you’re dealing with lithium batteries, something that you need to master are the basics of the energy. This means having the exact idea of how much power you might be needing for any system.
To achieve that expertise, you need to know the basics of two concepts: amp hours vs watt hours. You can’t get an idea about how much power you need if you don’t know what these are and how they work.
But no need to worry. Once we’re through explaining how these two concepts function, you will be ordering the right lithium battery from Thinpack in no time. Let’s not wait any longer and get right to it.
Introducing the Terms Amp Hours and Watt Hours
For starters, what do these terms represent? Both of the terms are units for measuring something. But what are they measuring?
Let’s break down amp hours first. As we all know, ampere is the unit needed to measure electrical current.
In order to allow a flow of 1 ampere of current over the course of 1 hour, energy is needed. Amp hour is the unit for measuring that energy. If you don’t want to get technical consider it as the total current over time
Then what is watt hour? Watt is the unit that’s used to measure power. It’s a representation of the amount of energy used by a battery for electrical devices. It’s a different value for different appliances. The simpler explanation for this is power over time.
Fundamentally these represent the same thing. Both units can be used to understand the lifespan of a battery. The two units are just different representation of the measurement when other factors are given.
An Example Case
Let’s check out a practical example to understand the two terms even better. For the sake of consistency, we’re going to consider the same battery for both of the cases. For the test case we’re taking a 12V battery with 150Ah capacity. It will also have a power rating of 50W as well.
Since it has a capacity of 150Ah, which means it’s able to supply a total of 150 amperes worth of current over 60 minutes.
To explain watt hours, we consider the 50W device. The device will require the 150 Ah battery to supply it with 50 W power for one hour.
Why Do You Need to Know About Amp Hours Vs Watt Hours
Whenever you’re setting up your electricity system, you need to have your math done right. You can’t guess how much power you need. Even if you do, there’s a high chance that you’ll be short on power because of your lack of calculations.
When you’re building an energy system, you need these exact values. After all, this is what you are going to base your battery purchase on. Picking the wrong one will result in a power backup deficit.
With the watt hour calculation, you can determine exactly how much power is going to be consumed in a single day. That will help you decide which battery will better suit your needs for power.
Along with all of these you will also get the amount of time you need the battery backup as well. The results of your calculation will also tell you what kind of wires you need thick or thin.
Once you have all the facts in hand, you can then go ahead and order lithium batteries to serve your needs.
Thinpack offers customizability for lithium batteries. That means if you have the exact specs that you need from your calculations you can easily place an order. When you’re in need of a battery, make sure to check out the different available options on the website.
But how do all of these calculations play out? In the next section, we’ll show you exactly how the math is done.
Taking a Look at the Math
There is only one equation that you need if you want to do the calculation yourself. A quick Google search will show you different websites where you can perform the calculation. But since you’re here to learn, we might as well talk about the theory behind it.
When you look at the equation, you’ll see how you can convert between the two quantities easily. As we’ve seen from the last section, you will need the exact values for both of these units. So, how does it all work?
How to Convert Ah to Wh?
Finding out the value of watt hours for all of your devices will help you pick the right battery. That’s why you will need to know the math behind it. Without this, building the proper energy system will prove difficult.
A simple equation can be used to find the value of the watt hours. The equation goes as follows:
Wh = Ah x V
If you have a device where you have the amp hour rating, then the calculation for watt hour is simple. Following the equation shown above, anyone can find the value of watt hours provided that the rest of the values are available.
How to Convert Wh to Ah?
Since the previous equation has the amp hours variable, you can use it to find the value easily. You don’t even need a new equation for it. This only works when you have the voltage of the battery and the watt hour values found out.
Here’s what the equation would look like:
Ah = Wh / V
Take a closer look at the equation. It’s essentially the same one with the variables rearranged to calculate the amp hours. Place the required values and you will find your desired results.
Practical Uses for Amp Hours Vs Watt Hours
All this talk of theory and math is fine and all. But where will you be using it? Here are some cases where all of this knowledge will come in handy.
For Solar Energy System
When you set up a solar energy system, you need to list all of the different specifications for each and every component. The most crucial part of the system is going to be the energy storage. And lithium batteries are going to be the perfect choice for that.
Since you don’t want to mess things up with the lithium batteries it’s important to be able to convert amp hours vs watt hours and vice versa.
For Vehicles
Batteries are used in all kinds of vehicles on land and in water. In order to operate these vehicles for an extended period of time, you need good lithium batteries. Not only do they need to be of great quality, the voltage and capacity rating also needs to be perfect.
The calculations that we showed in this guide will definitely come in handy here. When you pair your vehicle with the right battery, you will be able to enjoy its best performance.
For Power Stations
A big part of power stations are all the lithium batteries that are used inside. If the batteries are not able to supply the required power to the nearby areas, the residents have to be victim of power outages.
This is precisely why you need to get all of your calculations in order. It needs to start with the total power consumption of the designated area. Based on those calculations, the lithium batteries need to be selected.
Finishing Up
That should cover the basics of amp hours vs watt hours for lithium batteries. Now that you know how it works, picking the most appropriate lithium battery for your needs is not going to be an issue at all.
As long as you know the other quantities for the two equations that we showed in this guide, you should be able to find out the values for the amp hours and watt hours as per your need.
When you’re ready to place the order for lithium batteries, get in touch with Thinpack Power. We have a variety of options that you can explore. Any kind of custom order that you have, you can leave it up to us. If you’re in need of that feel free to get in touch with us.
FAQ
Are Amp Hours and Watt Hours the same thing?
If we go by the theoretical definition, they are two completely different things. But if we’re talking about practical stuff, both of these quantities represent how long lasting a battery can be.
Can I Determine Ah and Wh without Voltage?
In both cases, if you want to find the right value, you will need the voltage rating of the battery. If you want to calculate the values, determine the voltage first.
Does Ah represent the capacity of a lithium battery?
As you’ve seen the definition of amp hours in this guide, you should know that it means the total amount of current flow possible over time. The Ah gives you an idea of how long the battery can supply you with power.