New 152Ah LiFePo4 3.2 A-Grade cells for $42

[Frank in Thailand]

Small update..

Or maybe large..
New Life to old thread

I've decided to melt my copper and pour my own busbars.

Clay and sand make perfect molds.

I bought some tools from AliExpress to melt the copper in a crucible

I also have torch but ran out of oxigen.
Apparently can't get refill for the small tank and need to buy 60 liter one...
Those Man high small tanks...

It took some time to know what to extend my batteries with.
It's going to be 16* 280Ah, they are already ordered and paid for.
Not Haomi this time but Donngguan Billion Electronic

I paid $ 73,- per 280Ah, and reasonable DDP transport prices for now ($275) to Thailand.

That will be separate pack with the new Smart Daly 150A BMS.
Bluetooth and nice 3 inch display




The coins will be removed once dry, and depending on how much it shrinks, size is just right, or need some modifications.
Good thing about dry clay is that it's easy to remove some.

The busbar will be about 3 or 4 mm thick.
Kind of depending on the crucibe

It will be weeks before the stuff arrive.
If the crucible is sooner, I might get me the big tank and use the cutter torch.
It's hot enough to melt 1/2 inch thick iron beam.
Should not have problems with some copper

 

[JJthegreat]

You sir, are a lot more hardcore than most on the DIY front. Awesome idea!

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Thanks.

I bought my big cigar.. (50 kg man high large oxigen tank)
The little one, 10 kg that came with the iron cutter apparently can't be refilled in our location.. (maybe Bangkok)

With the delay in transport, it's getting really worse, I don't have the luxury to wait 6 more weeks.

I found crucible that is soft and cheap, and you scratch out the hole you need and put the flame in there.

With some borax to slow down the oxidation process..
Will be fun and scary to do!

I might try to make iron mold as they seem to give better results.

Now I have enough oxigen, it's not too difficult to cut a sheet of metal.

Refill is only 200 THB ( about 6.25 USD) but the tank was 125 USD :-(
I tried months to find refill location for the small one....
Better expensive then not available at all.

 

[Supervstech]

Why not use a blower, and propane for a smelting furnace? Lots of YouTube videos on the build and results.

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Yes, propane can be enough if you build.

Standard the flame isn't hot enough to melt copper!

Good instructions are here


I have the cutting torch.
And it gets hot enough to melt iron liquid enough to blow it away with the force of the flame.

You still need kind of crucible to hold the copper.

I don't have any old thick iron pan.
Thai like aluminium, useless for this.

I don't have old fire distinguisher that I can cut in half.

And a small tin can? Yes, but they can't hold the copper!!

Result is simple, if I want to have something to hold the melted copper, I need to buy it.

I'm not sure if this link works
Thailand Lazada crucible

If it does it show you a nice video with melting silver and gold.

Price is a wooping 5 USD include transport.

Going to a shop that sells iron pan, is more expensive, even if the pan would be 4 USD.
It costs 30 minutes to reach the main road.. and drive to town.

This is delivered at my doorstep

With the equipment I already have, perfect quick set to melt the small amount of copper I need for a busbar.

I am not planning on making 16 at once!! (And end-piece)

As I have the equipment, just no longer the oxigen, it was a really good reason to end the search of months to get the 10kg tank refilled, and buy the 50kg one.

Now I'm all set

I saw some videos about pouring copper into "clay"(hole in the clay soil) that didn't work well.
Probably as it wasn't clean not dry!

I do have some scrap iron left.
And will try to make also a mold from that one.

Problems with clay is, it shrinks when it dries!

The parallel cells do like to have their screw hole exactly at the right location.
A bit wider still can be used
Smaller I need to crush the cells
(Or make bigger holes)

 

[CoryBaker]

You ever pull the sticker off the top of your cells and see another QR code??

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Yes,

There is not really a sticker, more likely black plastic cover that is kinda glued.

The QR code is "laser printed" on the aluminium housing, and isn't replaced or scratched or modified.

No sticker to remove, unless you use sandpaper

 

[CoryBaker]

Yes,

There is not really a sticker, more likely black plastic cover that is kinda glued.

The QR code is "laser printed" on the aluminium housing, and isn't replaced or scratched or modified.

No sticker to remove, unless you use sandpaper

These are the 90ah cells I received from XD battery. Not sure what to think?

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Lol.

The QR code shifted location...

Or there are 2 on there?

It's always difficult to say if it is a problem.

Yes, strange, not a reason for refund.
Do they work ok?
Then stop worrying.

They don't?
Make refund request based on not working, and not QR code mismatch.

This is China, many possible reason why they have done, that don't include bad intentions!!!

I believe @ghostwriter66 wrote a whole episode about possible reason why the QR code can be different.

Enjoy your new cells!!
I hope they will last many many years.

 

[CoryBaker]

I hope they work ok. Pictures are from my wife. I'm out of the country for a couple more months ?

 

[Deleted member 9967]

I will always suggest to use spring-washer, especially if the battery endure vibrations!

Using studs or screws...
The amount of force stay the same.

The studs ain't aluminum, but the battery pole is.

Thank you for this piece of wisdom.
As I am using mine on a mobility scooter, vibration protection is an extremely pertinent topic for me.
So thank you for this.
I will now include them in my build.
Thanks again Fhorst

 

[MohammedAlnasi]

Is t

I did order the 16 that Cokeboy77 cancelled.
It will take longer time at they are now still at the warehouse packed and labelled for Cokeboy77 .....
when they have found their way back to Haomi, she'll put in one extra (17 in total) and send to Thailand.
I got little lower price as its the last 152Ah stock (ATM), and pay a under $900 for the 17*152Ah including bus-bars, screws and DDP

Time for transport should be between 7 and 9 days.. but that's wishful thinking.
I expect them to arrive within 3 weeks, or at least have left the forwarders warehouse.
Even if it is 4 or 5 weeks, i'm sure they will arrive...... they are good quality EVE cells.
And I don't need the additional power storage yet.

I expect when the transport goes back to normal, the price of the lifepo4 will also go back to "normal"
(that was for 152Ah about 80-100 usd and for 280Ah 150-250 usd!!)
Yes, transport times may be really slow... but you do have a really low battery price for it!

Prices have gone up fro transport.
Apparently not the same for each company!

Haomi from 165 to 205 USD
Xuba from 165 to 337 USD..
(For DDP to Thailand)

Haomi
3.2V 120AH Lifepo4 Battery for $37.50 (MOQ=1)
3.2v 152Ah LiFePo4 Battery for $ 42.00 (MOQ=4) (temporary out of stock)
3.2V 280AH Lifepo4 Battery for $ 79.80 (MOQ=4)

Xuba:
3.2V 120AH Lifepo4 Battery for $36.00 (MOQ=1)
3.2v 152Ah LiFePo4 Battery for $ 43.00 (MOQ=1)
3.2v 280Ah LiFePo4 Battery for $ 82.67 (MOQ=4)

Is there any update links to the suppliers pages, as the prices gone up these days