64 eve lLF280k version3 cells in 8P8S configuation 24-volt build December 28th, 2023

I ordered a NEEY 15-amp active balancer....
I think that may be helpful with the larger battery builds...
still top balancing a new batch of cells.

There is lots of sun today but it's darn cold @ 9 degrees F with wind at 18mph out of the west... earlier this morning
solar panels like the cold!

February 24th, 2024 update on the build:
I ordered and received 56 pieces of .25-inch x 1-inch x 4-inch silver-coated 110 copper bars to make the interconnects between the paralleled cells.... (280Ah version 3 cells).... ((I only have 3 more boxes to open (6 cells and so far all have arrived in pristine condition with no damage noted)) of the latest 64 cell batch I received....
it was easier and essentially the same price to have online metal cut the bars to length for me. ($346.11 including sales tax and shipping) it does add up fast...

now I need to make a jig and get some drill bits to get the holes in each of the tinned copper bus bars....
I have a center punch to mark them to keep the drill bit from getting off course.... and a bench-mounted drill press in the garage.... (time is the shortage at the moment)!!!
I now have 56 of the 64 cells (280 Ah version 3 cells)on the shelf using 3 chargers to top balance as I do other things...
I turn the Riden buck chargers off at night as they are not a critical load....
16 cells left to get the initial top balance charge started.....slow but sure
I break all big projects into smaller more manageable projects, and this has always worked to make a huge project less intimidating...

can't never did anything

if you think you can
if you think you can't
either way, you will be right.

the other thing I started doing was adding 25mm long set screws(aka grub screws to each of the cells) as the ones supplied would not be long enough with the .25 inch copper interconnect bars....
I have run into this (issue) in previous DIY builds and never thought about it at first but one would want to get longer grub screws in advance also....I had already purchased them from previous builds so I already had them on hand....!!! thank you...

Presently working on a DC-DC 20 amp 2000-watt charger build also.... slow but sure.....the fusing and wire terminals slowed me some, but I have all the pieces for it now... just a few more connections to hydraulically crimp...
Don't believe any YouTube video that claims it only takes a few minutes.... triple that time and it may be more realistic...

I try to utilize as much DC from the batteries as I can.... it is more efficient than inverted AC power...
So DC light and DC heaters etc make good sense to me as does a DC-DC charger.....

64 cells 280Ah version 3 update February 29th 2024 (leap year yall)

all 32 boxes ((of the 280Ah version 3 cells))were opened, all seemed well...
but cell number 49 the welded-on terminal came off so I am in contact with the Alibaba seller to get a replacement...they shipped out of their warehouse located in the USA so hopefully will arrive for final assembly...
I explained I needed all 64 cells to be functional... is sent them pictures of the defective welded-on screw hole cell.
they assured me they would cover the after-the-sale warranty>>>

any suggestions??? perhaps jb weld around all the welded-on screw holes to add some strength to them????

the Neey 15 amp active balancer is en route but has not arrived yet... slow but sure pieces and parts will arrive...

the eye-level wood shelf was not adequate for the 64 cells so after top balancing start on the first 48 280Ah version 3 cells >>> I am now going to a steel and wooded support base at about floor level so all has to be de-asssembled. unfortunately,,,, but I could see the sag on the shelf and decided to go with thicker plywood covered with masonite (masonite makes the top slick for assembly purposes and is cheap) on top of a steel-reinforced base at likely a 12-15 inch height....
unistrut (the larger size will be used) is on sale at the local big box store (Menards) that I can cut to size and bolt together for the steel

I use this same unistrut to mount the solar panels to >>>> so it is something I use and like its performance....

support...>>> I want/need/prefer this to be solid and level inside the off-grid solar power shed!!!!

JB-Weld is a BAD idea... thit is no compensation for laser welded & bonded aluminium.
You can Tap & Thread a hole (no deeper than 6mm !!! )

64 cells 280Ah version 3 cells:
64 280 Ah version 3 cells weigh a lot ((((5.3 kg x 64 = 339.2 kg)))) which to me means>>> 339.2 kg x 2.2 pounds per kg is approximately 746 pounds plus the bus bars etc so not a normal shelf load of stuff... the shelf need to be about 5 feet long by 24 inches deep which is also a rather large footprint...
no room for a crane to lift that much weight in the small off-grid solar power shed!!!
hydraulics jacks and support posts were not a good solution
the solution is to lower it closer to the floor with stronger materials.... hopefully
Thin El cheapo wood was not strong enough... and trying to jack it up more in place was a bigger problem than when I first started to make the supporting shelf...

I have not noticed any issues with the 32-cell or 16-cell builds but they have a better support shelf.... and only 25 to 50 percent of the weight of 64 cells....

snow mostly melted yesterday or the wind blew it away >>> and hopefully it will warm up some..... quite windy again though. It is a sunny 46 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now 10:56 am/....

64 cells 280Ah version 3 cells:
All cells were disassembled and a new steel unistrut floor mount (((four 5-foot pieces of thick unistrut and 3 layers of wood making a 24-inch x 60-inch footprint))) was completed to support the 64 version 3 cells....march 2nd 2024 update
My battery-powered grinder with a cutting disc and smoothing off the rough edges was quicker than going to the shop building to dig out the portable bandsaw..
I used a piece of melamine on top to make it slick to more easily slide the cells during assembly...
I definitely got my exercise out of that.
Even boxes of bus bars add weight to move...
who needs calisthenics????
perhaps today I will begin re-assembly more...
very windy the last few days....but sunny so there is no lack of solar PV electricity in the other functioning ESS batteries....

Did the seller resolve the terminal issue?

presently still waiting for one replacement 280Ah version 3 cell....but it gave me some time as I am waiting for the NEEY 15-amp active balancer and have a lot of other things to do on the farm.... this is the 3rd order from this vendor for prismatic cells and they indicate they will cure the issue.... I can visually see no other cell with defects and all boxes have been opened and are on the new steel reinforced shelf minus the defective one with the badly welded-on screw hole..
I plan to send them (the Alibaba vendor of the cells) another message later today after I do one more visual inspection as I re-assemble the cells....and continue with the top balancing process. and other things...

Would you mind sharing the link to their alibaba store?

michael d said:

I ordered 64 cells lf280k from a previous supplier today December 28th, 2023

Click to expand...

Who is the supplier?

42OhmsPA said:

Would you mind sharing the link to their alibaba store?

Click to expand...

I sent them a message to get a clear address...
you can search and search and search at times trying to find them...
Ryan Zeng was the 1st contact but then Shelley Yang made the last sale to me and Ana Mo arranged all the deliveries from the warehouse in the USA... I will let you know when they reply.... i think I usually get ahold of them in the chat and message center in the evenings....even though they have products in the USA warehouses I still think the conversations are with people in China... so a big time zone difference...
this is the 3rd large order of cells I have bought thru them and this time they were quicker to ship and receive as the warehouse of good is in the USA --- I think they have 3 different warehouses in the USA...
they have excellent tracking of the product including the ship tracking if you order from China but this last order of 64 cells 280Ah version 3 cells was shipped from a warehouse within the USA.

BuffaloTrace said:

Who is the supplier?

Click to expand...

I am trying to get a clear contact for you...i expect to hear back tonight...

64 cells 280Ah version 3 cells:

March 3rd, 2024 update....charging more cells with 3 Riden buck chargers 6012, 6018, and 6024((((I really like the 6024 and made up some very flexible silicone 10AWG cables with ring terminals for it which definitely outperforms the other two ---- better wire is the key and the ring terminals for better connections)))); did not finish the 20 amp dc to dc boost charger build yet... but will in time...

I just ordered another 100 30mm x M6 cup point grub screws... I wanted 25 mm long ones but 100 was cheaper in the 30mm longer M6 ones....on Amazon with free shipping was only $16.07 including tax...they will be here March 8th, 2024....
so 16 cents for each 30mm long grub screw in the M6 variety....

when assembling a 4P8S ESS or an 8P8S ESS using thicker interconnecting bus bars you will need at least 25mm M6 grub screws/ set screws....
I had forgotten about that detail when I first started assembling and top-balancing the new batch of 280Ah version 3 cells....
A small but important detail...

I'm pretty sure this is the seller based off the name on the cells pictured above.

I also ordered white paint markers to number each of the cells... From Temu I think they were 98 cents for a two-pack..they will be here in a day or so...
most of the temu stuff is less than what you think so buyer beware...
labels and tape often come loose....
grey permanent Sharpie markers also work well on the black plastic materials on top of the prismatic cells...

42OhmsPA said:

I'm pretty sure this is the seller based off the name on the cells pictured above.

Dongguan Lightning New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

Alibaba Manufacturer Directory - Suppliers, Manufacturers, Exporters & Importers

x.alibaba.com

Click to expand...

I never had any problems with them but the company is another name in 3 large orders with the other two coming via the slow boat ride,,, they provide tracking and are attentive to their customers...

they used to go by "creative" as their website,,, the same people just upgrading their sales methods and shipping methods....the Alibaba seller...
Alibaba has better guarantees than Aliexpress is my opinion....
I will try to get a clear name It is Shenzhen Sanben something or another... I think they all have a bunch of different sales entities....I just hope no one gets a lemon as Will Prowse has had happen in some of his purchases and others...

64 cells 280Ah version 3 cells:

I currently have 2 of the 2P8S and two of the 4P8S;
the new one is an 8P8S configuration;
so 96 plus 64 is 160 of the large prismatic form factor cells for ESS.
etc....

The first seller never provided tracking and seemed to drop off the earth (about 3 years ago)but those cells did arrive some 75 days later by the slow boat ride direct from China .... I will never use that vendor again or tell anyone who....the cells arrived without any issues>>> I just thought I was being scammed...as no replies...
getting the cells faster in the USA from a USA warehouse takes some of the buyer anxiety away.... for me anyways...

I want to try the new 560Ah cells.... but the budget says not now....

Very fast reply from the store I linked above and excellent pricing.
Decisions decisions.
Thank you @michael d for sharing your experience.

64 cells 280Ah version 3 cells:

Here are a couple of pictures (((next to the red metric measuring/drawing aid used for the size context)))of the new busbars .25 x1 x 4 inches.... now I need to drill the holes.
these will be the cell interconnects between each row of cells that are paralleled first...
the interconnects will make the series connections 8 times per row of paralleled cells to the next row of paralleled cells...

As you can see the new busbar interconnects are a lot thicker than the standard busbars shown with the black shrink wrap.
The new busbars I purchased from onlinemetals.com and had them cut to length... 4 inches long by .25x 1 inch.
the new busbars are copper H110 and already have the silver coating to resist the corrosion of different metals....
the bad reaction is a galvanic reaction between dissimilar metals..... that is why one uses tinned copper lugs and other varieties to to cut down or prevent the unwanted galvanic reaction....
aluminum and copper do not play well
stainless steel is used as it has minimal galvanic reaction problems as a go-between for the grub screws/set screws....
but it is best that the busbars are tinned. Silver is a good conductor as is copper.
zinc is a poor conductor
aluminum is also a rather poor conductor but is cheap >>> that is why they use aluminum...

now how to get the measurements and drill the copper accurately....
I could have had online metals drill them all also, but I think that doubles or triples the price so back to DIY for that part of the new busbar preparations...
any drilling suggestions???

Sunday march 3rd, 2024 I was reassembling the new 280Ah prismatic cells (63 of 64)and began top balancing some more cells...
also cleaning the outside solar power shed....
it is amazing the things you find under other hidden gems....