Can you identify this battery cell?

[Larry-Cleveland]

Ok, I ripped apart (very carefully) one of my bus batteries. It has 6 banks, each holding 40 of these cells. If they are around 3 volts (the cell has no voltage) it would be 120 volts. With the 6 packs, it could make three phases of 240 volts. The bus is three phase. Just guessing.

Want to make 12 volt banks for my small camper but don't know what I have.

I would guess that they are some kind of lithium as they have temperature monitors and the bank is clamping the cells together.

Searched on all the numbers. QR code goes nowhere. No name.
They do have safety warnings in English on the top.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Those are 7.2V NiMH modules containing 6 NiMH cells. They were made by Toyota/Panasonic from 2000 to 2003 equivalent to Gen1 Prius modules. They were very problematic - notorious for leaking and had notably higher internal resistance vs. subsequent versions.

The design was changed and improved dramatically for the 2004 MY Prius.

If the 4th digit is an "R" that's very surprising. These modules are still made for replacement purposes in the Gen1 Prius because the module length is slightly different. If that's an "R" it's from 2016. If it a "B" it's from 2000. The first four digits of the serial number is a date code, DD-M-Y. That module was made on 11th of Jan, 2016.

The size of those battery packs is identical to the GM 2 mode hybrids - Tahoe, Escalade, Silverado and Yukon as well as the Lexus GS450h - fourty, six cell modules.

If they are measuring 0V, they are 100% only good for scrap. Any that measure < 7.3V are 99.9% likely to be only good for scrap.

They are only 6.5Ah. The entire 40 module pack is only 1.87kWh, so your entire bus battery is only 11.2kWh.

They must not be put in parallel. You can't parallel NiMH cells/batteries without the real risk and near certainty of thermal runaway due to the nature of NiMH cells at full voltage.

99.99% of all PV charge controllers and AC or DC chargers will not work with NiMH.

As someone who has many many hundreds and has tested tens of thousands of 7.2V NiMH modules, I can say with absolute certainty, they are worthless for the purposes of 2nd life energy storage unless they are used singularly with cells only in series.

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Thank you for all the great information.

I have done some research on these modules and they seem to have very little use. I probably have 500 of them. So what do I do with them? Does not look like there is an easy way to charge them.

Any ideas?

No I don't want to buy a Pruis...

 

[sunshine_eggo]

You have approximately 1300# in modules.

Local nickel recyclers?

or

NiMh Battery Recycling Services | GlobalTech Environmental

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