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diy solar

16s 48 volt system test build.

philloder

New Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
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4
I started building a system on Thanksgiving to test and adjust my parameters and hardware before building a Solar Power Plant Connex shipping container that will include 38 Kw of inverters, 30 Kw Solar panels @ 440 watt, and 240 Kwh LifePo4 of 280Ah cells in a 16s-1p config.
The test is with 13Kw of inverters, (2) 16s-1p 15kwh batteries, 5s-2p solar and my shop as a load. The solar panels are just sitting on wood frames on the ground for the test.
As a test some of the A/C wiring is exposed, but is only accessed by Me. The rest is 48 volt Dc with lots of Amps and is enclosed to eliminate shorts. everything exposed is on shunt trip breakers for quick disconnect if the system incurs a fault that could harm the batteries. Battery manual disconnect/breaker are 125 amp keeping battery draw to less than 1/2 C discharge-charge current and inverters are fused at recommended current.
All cells monitored by a Batrium Watchman Core and Cellmate_9 modules and min voltage per pack is 48.5 VDC to Max Voltage of 54.0 and cells are within 0.02 VDC Balance over entire range.
First solar power system attempt, But watched a LOT of Videos and Industrial electrical controls are my business of 40 plus years.

IMG_1079.JPEG
Torquing the battery Nuts to rated, Battery wires are super flexible home made connections with fuse holder for cell monitors. Shelves are rated to 1500 lbs per shelf and holds 800 lbs of batteries per unit.
IMG_1169.JPEG
Powering up the shop on "SOLAR" for the first time! I have lights!
IMG_1170.JPEG

Charged to Full on a bright Day in LA, That's Lower Alabama to Y'all from the West Coast. 14 amp float hitting the batteries. I need more Battery reserve when the heat is on, took batteries to 50 Vdc over night when in the 30's at night. So far So Good for testing, I have Will's favorite battery charger attached for just in case.
I received (32) 280Ah grade A Eve cells to build another 2 batteries packs last night.
 
I started building a system on Thanksgiving to test and adjust my parameters and hardware before building a Solar Power Plant Connex shipping container that will include 38 Kw of inverters, 30 Kw Solar panels @ 440 watt, and 240 Kwh LifePo4 of 280Ah cells in a 16s-1p config.
The test is with 13Kw of inverters, (2) 16s-1p 15kwh batteries, 5s-2p solar and my shop as a load. The solar panels are just sitting on wood frames on the ground for the test.
As a test some of the A/C wiring is exposed, but is only accessed by Me. The rest is 48 volt Dc with lots of Amps and is enclosed to eliminate shorts. everything exposed is on shunt trip breakers for quick disconnect if the system incurs a fault that could harm the batteries. Battery manual disconnect/breaker are 125 amp keeping battery draw to less than 1/2 C discharge-charge current and inverters are fused at recommended current.
All cells monitored by a Batrium Watchman Core and Cellmate_9 modules and min voltage per pack is 48.5 VDC to Max Voltage of 54.0 and cells are within 0.02 VDC Balance over entire range.
First solar power system attempt, But watched a LOT of Videos and Industrial electrical controls are my business of 40 plus years.

View attachment 73959
Torquing the battery Nuts to rated, Battery wires are super flexible home made connections with fuse holder for cell monitors. Shelves are rated to 1500 lbs per shelf and holds 800 lbs of batteries per unit.
View attachment 73960
Powering up the shop on "SOLAR" for the first time! I have lights!
View attachment 73961

Charged to Full on a bright Day in LA, That's Lower Alabama to Y'all from the West Coast. 14 amp float hitting the batteries. I need more Battery reserve when the heat is on, took batteries to 50 Vdc over night when in the 30's at night. So far So Good for testing, I have Will's favorite battery charger attached for just in case.
I received (32) 280Ah grade A Eve cells to build another 2 batteries packs last night.
Very nice.
 
Can you tell us how you did this, it looks top class.
3 strands of #6 copper braid wire in a #4 lug 1/4" hole(60 amp current rating per wire, 180 amp total and fused to 150 amp). wire length for my 280Ah cells are 4.75" slide shrink tube center after crimping 1 end on and bms. fuse holder if needed. Don't shrink yet. Trim ends to equal length. attach 2nd end. Shrink center then shrink both connectors. add silicone terminal covers sized for a 3/8" stud. The braid is super flexible and I use a cheap Chinese hydraulic crimper to secure lugs. With these you need to crimp and then rotate and crimp again to remove the ugly seam line that better crimpers wont make. If you look at the lines on the bench these are cut lines for all my cables , wires, and shrink tube cuts. If I assembly line the materials, pre cut and stage everything for a 16s pack, I can have it built in 4 hours. Flir Heat gun tested under 150 amp load for 1 hour and nothing was over 1 degree above ambient. Always verify connections at the crimp and battery with pull (50 lb. dumb bell hanging from cable, and torque connector to mfg. Load it up after everything is ready and check connection temp. Nothing more than 5 degree's above ambient.
My packs are compressed with plastic strapping and could expand but it won't affect the electrical integrity of the connection!
 

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Shrink center then shrink both connectors. add silicone terminal covers sized for a 3/8" stud. The braid is super flexible and I use a cheap Chinese hydraulic crimper to secure lugs. With these you need to crimp and then rotate and crimp again to remove the ugly seam line that better crimpers wont make.
Nice.

The lugs at each end of your cables look to be rotationally offset by ~90°.
Was that a result of testing to see what worked best when connected to battery terminals?
 
I started building a system on Thanksgiving to test and adjust my parameters and hardware before building a Solar Power Plant Connex shipping container that will include 38 Kw of inverters, 30 Kw Solar panels @ 440 watt, and 240 Kwh LifePo4 of 280Ah cells in a 16s-1p config.
The test is with 13Kw of inverters, (2) 16s-1p 15kwh batteries, 5s-2p solar and my shop as a load. The solar panels are just sitting on wood frames on the ground for the test.
As a test some of the A/C wiring is exposed, but is only accessed by Me. The rest is 48 volt Dc with lots of Amps and is enclosed to eliminate shorts. everything exposed is on shunt trip breakers for quick disconnect if the system incurs a fault that could harm the batteries. Battery manual disconnect/breaker are 125 amp keeping battery draw to less than 1/2 C discharge-charge current and inverters are fused at recommended current.
All cells monitored by a Batrium Watchman Core and Cellmate_9 modules and min voltage per pack is 48.5 VDC to Max Voltage of 54.0 and cells are within 0.02 VDC Balance over entire range.
First solar power system attempt, But watched a LOT of Videos and Industrial electrical controls are my business of 40 plus years.

View attachment 73959
Torquing the battery Nuts to rated, Battery wires are super flexible home made connections with fuse holder for cell monitors. Shelves are rated to 1500 lbs per shelf and holds 800 lbs of batteries per unit.
View attachment 73960
Powering up the shop on "SOLAR" for the first time! I have lights!
View attachment 73961

Charged to Full on a bright Day in LA, That's Lower Alabama to Y'all from the West Coast. 14 amp float hitting the batteries. I need more Battery reserve when the heat is on, took batteries to 50 Vdc over night when in the 30's at night. So far So Good for testing, I have Will's favorite battery charger attached for just in case.
I received (32) 280Ah grade A Eve cells to build another 2 batteries packs last night.
Wow! Impressive!
 
Nice.

The lugs at each end of your cables look to be rotationally offset by ~90°.
Was that a result of testing to see what worked best when connected to battery terminals?
They just are laying like that. They are assembled parallel, but super flex lets them lay where ever without tension..
 
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