RLP
New Member
Greetings all,
Today one of my prismatic LiFePO4 cells (EVE LF105) was knocked over and landed on a metal object, which left a couple of notable little dents in the large side of the cell, as pictured. I measured that the larger of the two dents is 0.7mm deep, and around 2mm in diameter.
The dented area of the cell didn't get hot as far as I could tell. The cell voltage also hasn't changed - it still matches my other cells to within 0.001V.
I know there is probably no definitive answer to my questions, so I'm just looking for opinions from those more experienced with the construction of these cells, and anybody who has seen similar things before: what do you think? Is it probably safe to use? Is it likely that I'll see a performance degradation later on in the future?
The cell will be voltage and temperature monitored and balanced by a BMS, so I will be able to pick up performance degradation if it occurs.
If the verdict is that I should start planning to replace the cell... what I'm wondering is, is it feasible to drop in just one new cell, into an existing ~1 year old series string of hardly used cells, or is that asking for trouble (i.e. imbalance etc.)? The string is 72V, so I'd definitely be looking for alternatives to replacing/repurposing the other 23 cells!
Many thanks,
RLP
Today one of my prismatic LiFePO4 cells (EVE LF105) was knocked over and landed on a metal object, which left a couple of notable little dents in the large side of the cell, as pictured. I measured that the larger of the two dents is 0.7mm deep, and around 2mm in diameter.
The dented area of the cell didn't get hot as far as I could tell. The cell voltage also hasn't changed - it still matches my other cells to within 0.001V.
I know there is probably no definitive answer to my questions, so I'm just looking for opinions from those more experienced with the construction of these cells, and anybody who has seen similar things before: what do you think? Is it probably safe to use? Is it likely that I'll see a performance degradation later on in the future?
The cell will be voltage and temperature monitored and balanced by a BMS, so I will be able to pick up performance degradation if it occurs.
If the verdict is that I should start planning to replace the cell... what I'm wondering is, is it feasible to drop in just one new cell, into an existing ~1 year old series string of hardly used cells, or is that asking for trouble (i.e. imbalance etc.)? The string is 72V, so I'd definitely be looking for alternatives to replacing/repurposing the other 23 cells!
Many thanks,
RLP