Assembling my 6P8S CALB Battery Bank (48, 3.2v, 100ah Lifepo4 Cells, Daly 500amp, 2/0 cables to Bus Bar)

[TedH]

Last weekend (2/5/2022), I disassembled my 24v, 200ah battery bank that I've had in my RV for about 1.5 years. It consisted of two, 24v, 100ah CALB battery packs (total of 16 3.2v, 100ah lifepo4 cells) with 1 BMS managing each pack (2 BMS total). The BMS were the 100amp (50charge) ANT Smart BMS with Bluetooth and low/high temp cutoff. This setup was good for about 5Kw consuming 80% (charge to 90% and discharge to 10%) of available power. I was able to get about 10-11 hours of continuous power from the bank when I had about 450-500watt load.

This week, I am incorporating the 16 CALB cells into a bank of 48, 3.2v, 100ah CALB cells. I had set out initially to build a 24v, 300ah bank. Once I tested for a year, I realized that I would need a 15Kw bank capable of supporting my fridge, heat/ac and small appliance requirements (1500watt hours average for 10-11 hours). I used an Emporia Vue monitor with cloud data and graphing/history to model my usage from the hottest (Sept) through the coldest (Feb) in FL to arrive at my estimate.

With what I learned, I purchased the 32 CALB cells (total 48) for my bank. I have a 500amp DALY 8S smart bms, 2/0 cables, connectors, ANL fuses, aluminum bar for the battery bank, external 4-way bus bars, on/off switches and other hardware.

I will be top balancing each pack of 6P cells (3.2v 600ah pack). Total of 8 packs will be in series for a max 24v, 600ah bank (15Kw). Bus roof solar will be 1500watts).

Any experience assembling a similar setup?

NOTE: Existing system/devices I am reusing:
Aims 6000watt/18000watt surge inverter/charger (can charge battery bank at 80-85DC amps)
Aims Solar Charge Controller (1700watts total input with up to 60amp charging of battery bank)
Midnight Solar combiner box containing three, 20amp breakers (6 panels will be connected in three, 2-panel pairs)
Six SanTan Solar, 250watt panels (1500watts max output) with 15amp inline fuses
I am assessing the current 2 gauge cabling between the bus bars and inverter for potential replacement with the 2/0 cables. They are short runs under 2 feet
I have 250amp bus bars. I do not anticipate needing to draw even 200 DC amps. I bought the 500amp DALY for ability to charge at 250amps across the 600Ah bank.
I have a Victron shunt/app, Emporia Vue app and the smart bms monitoring app for real-time system monitoring

 

[HRTKD]

Just to clarify, do you have more than one BMS for the new battery bank?

 

[TedH]

I am using ONE, DALY 500amp 8S 24v BMS. I will have eight, 3.2v 600ah battery packs. The packs will be connected serially. I am using 3/8" thick, 1" wide aluminum bus bars to parallel connect each 3.2v, 100ah cells in a pack of six cells.

I purchased the aluminum bar from an American manufacturer. I will be cutting it to length. Two bars per 6-cell pack. Each bar, approx 14 1/4" length to connect each row of negative (bar) and positive (bar) terminals. I am using 1' and 3/4" serrated flange bolts to attach the bars to the 3.2v 100ah cells. The BMS will connect to the 3rd or 4th (+) terminal post in each 6-cell pack. I will be able to charge the bank at up to 145amps total with current components. 85amps from my Aims inverter/charger and 60amps from my Aims solar charge controller. I currently can charge the bank from shore (60amps), onboard diesel generator (60amps) into the Aims 6000watt inverter/charger. Then, solar charge controller has 1500watts of panels (6, 250watt). I hope to upgrade to 350+ solar panel capacities once they are as cheap as the SanTan 250watt panels.

 

[HRTKD]

That sounds like an 6p8s battery bank, not 8s6p which would be six separate batteries that could not be controlled by a single BMS.

 

[TedH]

Each pack of 6 cells will be 3.2v, 600ah. A big cell as far as the BMS is concerned. Each pack will be series connected to make a 24v, 600amp bank.

 

[HRTKD]

Each pack of 6 cells will be 3.2v, 600ah. A big cell as far as the BMS is concerned. Each pack will be series connected to make a 24v, 600amp bank.

That's 6p8s. You might want to update your original post to avoid confusion.

 

[TedH]

Updated. I am modelling my bank after the setup from this YouTube video:

I will leverage the balancing on the Daly only. Not a separate active cell balancer. Right at the end, he may have solved why his bank was not balancing; issues with several cells on his primary + pack.