Keeping batteries cool this summer?

[Tedski]

I had a great winter keeping my lithium batteries warm. I had them in a heavily insolated compartment and a monitored heating pad under them. Things worked fantastic and not once was i without power. Today the monitor was reading 20C and I see a potencial problem on the horizon. The vehicle is going to really warm sitting in the sun and I know heat is something l need to address. My question is probably stupid but I'm wondering if I should leave then totally insolated or remove it and add ventilation? Any other suggestions?

 

[400bird]

Is the battery inside the conditioned area of the vehicle? This would also be the area that would be +130f on a sunny summer day depending on your location.

Blowing ambient air past the battery is likely better than letting it bake inside the sealed interior.
You could even blow the cool night air over the battery, then seal it up for the day as ambient temp raises.

Where about are you located? What's the summer going to be like?

 

[Tedski]

Is the battery inside the conditioned area of the vehicle? This would also be the area that would be +130f on a sunny summer day depending on your location.

Blowing ambient air past the battery is likely better than letting it bake inside the sealed interior.
You could even blow the cool night air over the battery, then seal it up for the day as ambient temp raises.

Where about are you located? What's the summer going to be like

I had a great winter keeping my lithium batteries warm. I had them in a heavily insolated compartment and a monitored heating pad under them. Things worked fantastic and not once was i without power. Today the monitor was reading 20C and I see a potencial problem on the horizon. The vehicle is going to really warm sitting in the sun and I know heat is something l need to address. My question is probably stupid but I'm wondering if I should leave then totally insolated or remove it and add ventilation? Any other suggestions?

Is the battery inside the conditioned area of the vehicle? This would also be the area that would be +130f on a sunny summer day depending on your location.

Blowing ambient air past the battery is likely beytter than letting it bake inside the sealed interior.
You could even blow the cool night air over the battery, then seal it up for the day as ambient temp raises.

Where about are you located? What's the summer going to be like?

I hope I'm responding correctly. The batteries are inside and you're correct the temps going to get HOT when the vehicle is sitting in the sun. Right now the batteries are sitting on a 1/4" aluminium plate with the heating pads under the aluminum. Then everthing is wrapped with hard foam insulation. I understand your idea but the batteries are in with all the other electrical stuff and uncovering and re-covering isn't an option. Things worked so well this winter that l don't want to rock the boat if l don't have to. Am I the only one with this problem? I don't want too, but l have to agree with you, removing the insolation temporarily is probably the way to go. I can heat to keep them warm but I really have nothing to cool them if they get to warm. (except for cool night air).
I'm located in Windsor Ontario, near Detroit. I'm leaving in about a week for a trip from here to the PNW and then North to Alaska. I'm planning to gone a year.

 

[chrisski]

I am going into my first summer with 16 x 280 ah cells. Storage temps will likely get to 110f.

Those cells are not easy to come out of the Rv, so what i will do for summer storage is discharge to 50% and hope for the best.

A lot of this comes to how hard is to get these things apart. For me, i can’t lift 200 lbs out of the trailer, so I’d need to take it apart, which comes with a risk of ruining a stud, and also don’t really have a good place to keep them If removed.

In the long run, I might not be able to pass these cells off to my kids decades from now like those who take pristine care of their cells; however, I still expect several years of use.

If I had batteries that were as wasy as disconnecting a couple of lugs each and lifting them out, that is what I’d do.

 

[Tedski]

I am going into my first summer with 16 x 280 ah cells. Storage temps will likely get to 110f.

Those cells are not easy to come out of the Rv, so what i will do for summer storage is discharge to 50% and hope for the best.

A lot of this comes to how hard is to get these things apart. For me, i can’t lift 200 lbs out of the trailer, so I’d need to take it apart, which comes with a risk of ruining a stud, and also don’t really have a good place to keep them If removed.

In the long run, I might not be able to pass these cells off to my kids decades from now like those who take pristine care of their cells; however, I still expect several years of use.

If I had batteries that were as wasy as disconnecting a couple of lugs each and lifting them out, that is what I’d do.

I'm not sure what your trying to tell me? I think I said the batteries are not in a place to allow them to be removed as I think you're suggesting? No matter where there located moving them is not viable and the last thing I'd consider.

Maybe you misunderstood my question? I simply wanted thoughts on if it were better to leave the batteries totally insolated to keep the heat out during the heat of the day or better to remove it. I'm not totally interested in prolonging the life of the batteries, but if I can thats fine with me. What I'm interested in is having uninterrupted power. The battery BMS is going prevent charging when the temp hits the high temp limit. That may happen and if so it happens. I just want it to happen as little as possible. I don't have solar and can't justify its value considering the room I have to mount panels. Hope this makes more sense?

HAGD

 

[Bluedog225]

Get a 12 volt Danfoss compressor ice chest (eg Coldco or Engel). Cut a 3” hole in side (shudder) and vent cold air to battery compartment. Cover batteries with insulating, non-conductive blanket and sit them on 3/4 poly iso foam (if possible).

Run this system separately from your main if the main is not 12 volt. Fill voids in compartment with non conductive thermal mass.

You can remove the cooler lid and cover with foam for your venting so you wouldn’t have to destroy your nice new cooler.

Remote temp sensor to see how it’s going.

 

[gelmjw]

Days of Hot Weather in Windsor​

The hottest days at Windsor have temperatures peaking in the thirties Celsius. The city averages one day a summer when the thermometer climbs above 35 °C (95 °F). The thirty-degree weather can show up here anytime from April to October.

How about "crack a window open and let the hot air out?".

 

[HRTKD]

Remove as much of the insulation (not insolation which is a measure of solar radiation) as you can. My batteries live in my trailer year round. I have the rigid foam insulation surrounding them (and the battery warming pads) currently and will be removing the insulation within the next couple of weeks. I've already removed the insulation on top of the batteries. The insulation on the sides is next.

EDIT: I should have pointed out that when the trailer is not in use I don't do anything to cool the batteries or the trailer during the summer. I've checked the interion battery compartment on days when the outside temperature is 95°F and the batteries are around 75°F.

 

[chrisski]

'm not sure what your trying to tell me? I think I said the batteries are not in a place to allow them to be removed as I think you're suggesting? No matter where there located moving them is not viable and the last thing I'd consider.

I’m in the same boat you are. My first summer with lithiums. I’ve decided to run down to 50% and store on a trailer where the temps will hit 110f. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’d like to hear how what you decide on works