Lifepobuildandservice
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2022
- Messages
- 7
This post does not relate to the plastic cased lifepo sealed batteries but is more applicable to assembled batteries like wall hung, rack mounted or home built diy batteries. I think it is time that someone posted a video regarding life cycle lifepo battery monitoring and servicing. I have exhaustively watched video(s) that talk about bolted connections vs. welded connections, different BMS(s), cells swelling over time, securing of cells, flexible vs. solid bus bars etc... I have come to the conclusion that these videos test the heck out of new batteries and battery connections often yielding great insight as a starting point. Now we need a video on life cycle monitoring and maintenance because, as a newbe, it is now obvious to me that there are other issues.
The time to consider battery serviceability is before the battery is purchased - welded connections are not serviceable. Batteries WILL swell over time and use - this can lead to stresses on permanently fixed + and - cell connections i.e. welded connections. Bolted connections can come looser over time too. On-the-other-hand bolted connections allow a user to loosen the nuts and retighten the bolt to the proper torque periodically. After opening the battery, after a considerable period of use and while it is under load, it would be a good idea to use a $30 thermal imager to see if there are any hot spots that need to be addressed. I also believe that securing the batteries, to prevent swelling, may result in internal stresses in the batteries which can shorten cell life too. Having flexible bus bars and/or bolted connections, which are periodically (probably once per year) loosened and re-tightened, to de-stress the connection, seems like a good idea vs. welded connections (in most cases this should not be done by a novice - perhaps, instead, by the installer). Also there are more bolted connections than just on bus bars which are worth checking too. On-the-other-hand welded connections eliminate the potential for hot spots and likely possible fires but again it likely leads to stressed terminals over time and reduced battery life. Again annual inspection and maintenance is probably a good idea. One does not expect a car, tractor mower etc. to run every day for 10 years without scheduled inspections and maintenance so why would we expect a very expensive battery bank to be any different?
Most importantly bolted battery connections allow the swapping out a failing cell many years later instead of having to replace the entire battery. Similarly a single LARGE battery is not a good idea. When it shuts down you loose your entire power supply. For example having a bank of 4 batteries allows time for repairs or replacement of any single unit. Warranties do not include service calls to a residence to fix the problem - instead send back it to the supplier is required. This can be totally impractical and cost more than what the battery cost in the first place. Just like house and auto insurance there is also the problem that you never really know if you have a real warranty until you have a claim. There is also the consideration in regards to "Ltd." company liability. If a battery assembler/vendor has a design error that takes years to become apparent, then the company may fail and restart shortly thereafter under a new name leaving its victims holding the bag or should I say the battery?
The time to consider battery serviceability is before the battery is purchased - welded connections are not serviceable. Batteries WILL swell over time and use - this can lead to stresses on permanently fixed + and - cell connections i.e. welded connections. Bolted connections can come looser over time too. On-the-other-hand bolted connections allow a user to loosen the nuts and retighten the bolt to the proper torque periodically. After opening the battery, after a considerable period of use and while it is under load, it would be a good idea to use a $30 thermal imager to see if there are any hot spots that need to be addressed. I also believe that securing the batteries, to prevent swelling, may result in internal stresses in the batteries which can shorten cell life too. Having flexible bus bars and/or bolted connections, which are periodically (probably once per year) loosened and re-tightened, to de-stress the connection, seems like a good idea vs. welded connections (in most cases this should not be done by a novice - perhaps, instead, by the installer). Also there are more bolted connections than just on bus bars which are worth checking too. On-the-other-hand welded connections eliminate the potential for hot spots and likely possible fires but again it likely leads to stressed terminals over time and reduced battery life. Again annual inspection and maintenance is probably a good idea. One does not expect a car, tractor mower etc. to run every day for 10 years without scheduled inspections and maintenance so why would we expect a very expensive battery bank to be any different?
Most importantly bolted battery connections allow the swapping out a failing cell many years later instead of having to replace the entire battery. Similarly a single LARGE battery is not a good idea. When it shuts down you loose your entire power supply. For example having a bank of 4 batteries allows time for repairs or replacement of any single unit. Warranties do not include service calls to a residence to fix the problem - instead send back it to the supplier is required. This can be totally impractical and cost more than what the battery cost in the first place. Just like house and auto insurance there is also the problem that you never really know if you have a real warranty until you have a claim. There is also the consideration in regards to "Ltd." company liability. If a battery assembler/vendor has a design error that takes years to become apparent, then the company may fail and restart shortly thereafter under a new name leaving its victims holding the bag or should I say the battery?
