BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
I turned off all those limits and got 120 Ah out of the cells at one point. I posted the picture here or somewhere
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ECO-WORTHY 48V 100Ah 5120Wh LiFePO4 Server Rack Battery
- Thread starter BarracudaBob
- Start date
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
I use the JBD app but 99% of the time it is computer or solar assistant.
fuzzmunky415
Solar Enthusiast
Still searching, but I note you already found a discharge anomaly here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/e...ifepo4-server-rack-battery.92299/post-1237604
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
Exactly, I have had that issue on (3) different welded rack battery MFG. That is why I do the top balance with the active balancer (Will is cringing right now) when I get them new. Take care of it in the beginning and it doesn't come back. I am within 10mV with factory BMS (no active) now at full charge voltage of 56.8V
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BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
Exactly, it is very difficult when they start out unbalanced to get them top balanced. The BMS will not let you get them up to 3.650V and with 60mA of balance current it just takes numerous deep DOD and charging.
I found a method that works great to get them to a true top balance and everybody gets one. In Wills video he mentions me doing a single battery a couple times. I have 5 E-W batteries so I did each one once. That and changing the balance to Idle and 3.420V after the BBob top balance and issue goes away. Like I said 3 different MGB same issue.
How else are you going to get all 16 WELDED cells to 3.650V and hold them? I just works, it has repeatable results, and it is the least amount of time spent fussing with them.
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Scissor lift table. Data Centers generally have one you can borrow if you are in one. Lower end ones are $200, sufficient for these batteries, but frankly 5KWH is plenty heavy enough to deal with. You may have to "step" it up on the cheaper models that don't go up 72", no biggie, save your back.
jorby
Solar Enthusiast
wildbird12
New Member
@Will Prowse : Yes, this is the one that pops up when you are using the barcode. It connects fairly reliably, provided you have moved the antenna outside for WiFi. Even Blutooth has very low signal if the antenna is in a closed case. You can see a hack to bring it out ion pages 62 and 63 of this thread. This much improves the signal, but ideally one would install an external "stubby" antenna on the front.
wildbird12
New Member
Wow - that is rad! 16 batteries + extras! Are you running a data center?
That's a lot of batteriesWow - that is rad! 16 batteries + extras! Are you running a data center?
jorby
Solar Enthusiast
No data center here, just all electric home. The "spare" rack battery is on top of the left rack now, and hooked up. Total of 17 rack batteries is 85 kwh. The 230ah stack is another 12 kwh and the 4 rows of 280ah cells make the final 56kwh. About 153 kwh total.
It is not enough during the winter here, because we often get a week or more overcast/rain at a time. It was overcast today and only charged 4.3 kwh and used 38 kwh. Raining tonight and forecast is rainy for the next week. Last week was full sun and I wish I had a megawatt to fill up. I charged 75kwh Saturday and it filled the battery by Sunday afternoon with another 65 kwh. Mon Tue Wed it was full before noon. With no sun in the forecast, I will be back on grid by Sunday.
I am looking for 128 300ah cells, (about 3 days storage) but having trouble deciding who to buy them from. I have 17 kw more pv on the way, and two 6.2 kw AIOs with 500v mppt chargers already here for the new panels. One inverter output will be exclusively for a 3.8 kw Nissan Leaf ev charger and the other one will power the 4.5 kw water heater. I really only got them for the built in 500v mppt chargers but those two circuits are 240v and don't need a neutral at all which will work fine with these "non-split-phase" inverters. They have battery comms and wi-fi too, so it will be fun to get all of that working.
It is not enough during the winter here, because we often get a week or more overcast/rain at a time. It was overcast today and only charged 4.3 kwh and used 38 kwh. Raining tonight and forecast is rainy for the next week. Last week was full sun and I wish I had a megawatt to fill up. I charged 75kwh Saturday and it filled the battery by Sunday afternoon with another 65 kwh. Mon Tue Wed it was full before noon. With no sun in the forecast, I will be back on grid by Sunday.
I am looking for 128 300ah cells, (about 3 days storage) but having trouble deciding who to buy them from. I have 17 kw more pv on the way, and two 6.2 kw AIOs with 500v mppt chargers already here for the new panels. One inverter output will be exclusively for a 3.8 kw Nissan Leaf ev charger and the other one will power the 4.5 kw water heater. I really only got them for the built in 500v mppt chargers but those two circuits are 240v and don't need a neutral at all which will work fine with these "non-split-phase" inverters. They have battery comms and wi-fi too, so it will be fun to get all of that working.
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
The only way to know if unbalanced cells and/or the BMS is greatly limiting the battery pack performance is to bypass the BMS and take it right from the top balanced cells.
Top balance all the cells to 3.650V and hold them for a couple hours for a true top balance. This would be the true ultimate top capacity test of the cells.
Preform the capacity test right off the top balanced cells without the BMS.
Make a negative to a positive, help those who own welded cell rack batteries.
@Will Prowse you are this far down the rabbit hole, you could answer one of battery enthusiast greatest questions. Is it worth the effort to top balance a new battery? Does doing a TB on a welded server rack battery enhance it ongoing performance?
Can you make a battery be all it can be?
Top balance all the cells to 3.650V and hold them for a couple hours for a true top balance. This would be the true ultimate top capacity test of the cells.
Preform the capacity test right off the top balanced cells without the BMS.
Make a negative to a positive, help those who own welded cell rack batteries.
@Will Prowse you are this far down the rabbit hole, you could answer one of battery enthusiast greatest questions. Is it worth the effort to top balance a new battery? Does doing a TB on a welded server rack battery enhance it ongoing performance?
Can you make a battery be all it can be?
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BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
Come on guys, I am serious, to much negativity. He can still complaint about how the cells aren't matched and horribly imbalanced.
But try to make it better. Be a Hero to those in need! Lets see some support for the challenge!!
When I find time to do this I will. I pretty much already have but do a more controlled demonstration.
But try to make it better. Be a Hero to those in need! Lets see some support for the challenge!!
When I find time to do this I will. I pretty much already have but do a more controlled demonstration.
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Q-Dog
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't see the point in trying to squeeze out every last electron from these batteries. How many are actually cycling their solar batteries 100%?
Charge them up and use them.
Charge them up and use them.
I'd generally agree - even my DIY packs, 64 total cells had no more than 0.005mV deviation across all of them in their shipping voltage got a slow/low amp charge and top balance. I do it to make sure there isn't a hidden runner cell. I don't feel like getting things together and then running into weird OVP/UVP issues. It's not about pulling max capacity though, you're spot on there.
I have home system battery range anxiety anyway.
I get jittery below 40% (even though I've lived 99% of my life on grid); now I have the backup capability I don't want to have an outage and not have gas in the tank.Guess it means I just need to buy moar batteries.
ETA - don't forget lots of us are consummate tinkerers. It's fun.
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
I don't disagree with the standard user. Will and I started down this testing and posting results so 4 quarter and 10 yards to go.
I am willing to go to the dark side and suck the life force out of a pack. It just proves my point of top balancing a welded rack battery increases its capacity and decreases my aggravation.
We have to finish the game!
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Haha that's my goal, working on video. Will post results and solutions soon. And other issues encountered. Coming soon
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
I guess it is my troubleshooting nature of it if it broken I fix it. If it is at 80% I make it 100%
Was never to much into bashing things but I am not out for reviews.
Everyone loves a good train wreck. Otherwise the news bobbleheads would be out of a job.
I have 2 of the Eco-Worthy and the LV is set at 2.5v and I have 4 of the Vatrer and the LV is set lower I think it was 2.2v.
I wonder when doing compacity test that you may want to see what it's set at. Wouldn't the 2.2v be a little low? It would also give better readings.
If my math is correct wouldn't the Eco-Worthy cut off around 40v and the Vatrer around 35.2v
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jorby
Solar Enthusiast
I'm with you on this!
My goal used to be 200kwh and I am already gearing up for 270.......
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
I believe that having them all top balance is the most effective way to get the maximum capacity.
The test I was proposing was really brutal from top to bottom. Gaining information on how much the BMS is interacting and stopping the discharge process. We already know it stops top end cuz it never lets it get to the full cell voltage. Both values are programmable.
Will stated numerous times that no damage will occur.
I was just wondering if some of the other battery's being reviewed were set lower to get better numbers when being reviewed.
BarracudaBob
Harvesting free photons from clean fusion
When I get time I'm definitely going to play around. One of the first settings is the depth of discharge is said for 80% or 80,000 mA.
Between top balancing and that one setting you think it'd really open it up.
Right now I am concentrating drilling a core through a concrete steel reinforced radio shelter in the swamp.
jorby
Solar Enthusiast
Do you use a sensor to avoid the rebar or just go for it?
fuzzmunky415
Solar Enthusiast
I simply want transparency. A 'blessing' from an influencer does me no good...WHY is a product good/bad? How was this determined? How was it tested? Were there any mitigations to any issues? Then, how does it compare?...I guess I may be a bit too far in the Project Farm camp....but 'let's test that' should be any good researcher's reflex.
edit: just a general comment wrt perceived negativity..no quoted needed.
edit: just a general comment wrt perceived negativity..no quoted needed.
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