alternatives to EVA foam?

[stacks]

i bought some of the EEL V4 48v battery boxes. they came with EVA foam sheets to put between the cells, these take up room and allow the compression plate to actually have some holding force. i don't like this because the cells aren't actual being compressed, the foam would give way as soon as the cells start to bulge.

what material can i replace the EVA foam with? any good low-cost options? i need a total thickness of 20-22mm in each row of material to replace the EVA foam.

 

[Ray Clout]

I use a product (here in Australia) called Coreflute (see picture).
Super light and supercheap.
It may have other names of course

I have given some thought to encasing the cells (I have 16s x 280ah) configuration in expanda-foam, but need to do a lot more research on this.

 

[stacks]

I use a product (here in Australia) called Coreflute

i actually have some of this in my garage right now. this material is corrugated, and would not hold up to the cells expansion pressure any better than the eva foam. would be good for insulative properties, but would not offer good compression qualities. im trying to find a solid material that i can clamp with the cells to offer the proper compression

 

[aliarifat794]

Here are some alternative suggestions but I am wondering if these are applicable for solar panel..

Cheaper Alternatives to EVA Foam Pepakura

Cheaper Alternatives to EVA Foam Pepakura: In This instructable ill show you some alternatives to eva foam that is quite expensive and sometimes hard to get in the UK

www.instructables.com

 

[stacks]

Here are some alternative suggestions but I am wondering if these are applicable for solar panel..

Cheaper Alternatives to EVA Foam Pepakura

Cheaper Alternatives to EVA Foam Pepakura: In This instructable ill show you some alternatives to eva foam that is quite expensive and sometimes hard to get in the UK

www.instructables.com

not for my purpose. im wanting to eliminate the squishiness of the foam, so the cells do not have the opportunity to bulge. thinking of something like hdpe sheets, cutting boards, etc... something that is rigid and does not compress at all

 

[42OhmsPA]

not for my purpose. im wanting to eliminate the squishiness of the foam, so the cells do not have the opportunity to bulge. thinking of something like hdpe sheets, cutting boards, etc... something that is rigid and does not compress at all

My table saw enjoys these, my cells love them.

 

[Brucey]

i bought some of the EEL V4 48v battery boxes. they came with EVA foam sheets to put between the cells, these take up room and allow the compression plate to actually have some holding force. i don't like this because the cells aren't actual being compressed, the foam would give way as soon as the cells start to bulge.

what material can i replace the EVA foam with? any good low-cost options? i need a total thickness of 20-22mm in each row of material to replace the EVA foam.

This is designed for battery pad applications:

https://rogerscorp.com/-/media/project/rogerscorp/documents/elastomeric-material-solutions/poron/english/data-sheets/ideal-cfd-curves-for-battery-pad-applications-poron-4701-40-soft.pdf

Compress the stack by 25% from original thickness of foam and it will be at optimum psi.

PORON 4701-40 Foam W/Adhesive Backing - 12.375" x 9.375" x 0.125" - Box of 10 | eBay

PORON Black 4701-40 Polyurethane Foam With 1173B Acrylic Pressure Sensitive Adhesive. Compression Set, % max @ 23°C (73°F): 5. Quantity: 10 sheets per box. Maintains integrity in lengthy temperature fluctuations.

www.ebay.com

 

[stacks]

This is designed for battery pad applications:

i agree that it was designed for battery pad applications. its an anti-vibration, insulative, and gasket product. it is not meant to stop deformation. if you compress the stack by 25%, the cells would be allowed to swell another 50%+. if you look at how EVE instructs to compress the cells, there is no squishy materials used that would allow any give to the cells swelling as they are charged.

 

[stacks]

My table saw enjoys these, my cells love them.

BINGO. i appreciate you sir, i couldnt find anything that was relatively cheap

 

[Brucey]

i agree that it was designed for battery pad applications. its an anti-vibration, insulative, and gasket product. it is not meant to stop deformation. if you compress the stack by 25%, the cells would be allowed to swell another 50%+. if you look at how EVE instructs to compress the cells, there is no squishy materials used that would allow any give to the cells swelling as they are charged.

Yes but that's a single cell test fixture. They also subject it to physical indentation tests etc. It's not designed to stop deformation, it's designed to apply the ideal pressure against the entire face of the cell, the give allows it to avoid pressure hot spots which are possible when using fr4 insulating sheets etc instead.