The Return of the Vevor - "Server Rack Mount" Battery - 100ah -

[maddyn99]

This thread will be a continuation or a split of the original thread, which is here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/vevor-48v-100ah-server-rack-lifepo4-676.111403/

A summary of what happened and where I am so far

1. I purchased a 100Ah server rack battery from an Amazon seller. It arrived DOA, and it appears to have been heavily damaged in shipping. Arc flashing and ARrc contacts were all over the case. The BMS had several broken leads. One battery connector came completely loose, and I inadvertently removed another while trying to get to a good QR code.
2. That leads to where we are now. Can it be rebuilt? Should it be rebuilt? I don't know. I am fairly new to this, but this looks sorta fu,n and I have nothing to lose except time. I got a full refund on the battery and got to keep it.
3. A few side notes.
   1. It's currently running on (5) 405W Waree panels. It was fully charged yesterday.
   2. I also have it hooked to a 15a 120v 48v golf cart Life4PO battery charger.
   3. #8 stranded going from the battery to my SunGoldPower Inverter. I know it's undersized for full usage, but the only draw on the inverter and battery is a 20A circuit on a standalone electrical panel with a breaker.
   4. #8 going from the inverter to the Electrical Panel.
   5. BMS seems to be fully functional. Two leads are just manually attached. Need to be either re-soldered or tapped back.
   6. LCD Screen is broken as all other Vevor functions, HOWEVER, I found out today that the BT actually works, sothat'ss a plus.
4. I need to set up the parameters in my inverter. I am going to attach what little info I can find. But it appears the battery operating range is 41.6v to 58.4v. I have what Will recommended in his video for now, but I would like to tweak that.
5. How can I reattach the battery jumper/connector between two cells that don't have a post? I am assuming a spot welder of some sort, but not sure. I have two clamps tightly holding this down right nowk but that is not a viable option.
6. I need to bridge the other connection that's broken. I THINK i can drill and tap a copper bus bar or something similar to make it work.
7. Everything SEEMS to be working fine, it's constantly checked on and has someone around it 95% of the time. I am keeping any input or output loads very, very low until I can decide to keep, fix, or trash it.

 

[OhYou_]

is one of the two heavily charred cells bulging? or why is there a gap there.
what caused the sooting on the yellow sheet in your 7th pic? thats like side of the cell region


I would suggest you carefully separate the pack into 8s and 4s from the seemingly good set, and the remaining four from where all the damage occured you can set aside and maybe try to do something else with those.

this would get you a free 24v and 12v pack, you can reuse the bms for the 24v one and get a new bms for the 12v one.
to reuse the bms simply attach cell 9-16 and overall pack positive to the positive post of cell 8 and set in software that the pack is now 25.6v with 28.8v ovp and whatever uvp.

once the bus bars snap off the cell, you will not be able to get a good connection on it, especially just clamping it. the metal will have to be sanded smooth and new bus laser welded to it.
one option if you really want to have 16s 51.2v is to try to snap off the bus bar off of the positive post of cell 3 and dril a hole and replace cells 1, 2, 3 with new ones with studs and bolted down bus bars, use your new hole to connect up to the rest of the pack.
replace any charred fr4 separators too, and use anti-corrosive on the connection you made at cell 3 since aluminum

 

[fuzzmunky415]

Appreciate the updated pix! I'm annoyed at your predicament, but I also am annoyed at the build quality (lack of) in this pack. The alignment of the bus bars before welding looks downright shoddy, and that placement of the crossbar that arced is suspect. I realize things shifted, but those crossbars should have been directly over the cell vents, as far away from busbars as possible.

Shows the shadow of the crossbar placement, right up against the bus bars, should have been almost two inches over, above the vents/valves.



Poor quality.

 

[Mattb4]

Lots of damage. Looking at it my instincts is to have it safely disposed of rather than messing with it. If you really want to play with it I would suggest that it be placed where there is nothing flammable about and the area is well ventilated.

 

[OhYou_]

Lots of damage. Looking at it my instincts is to have it safely disposed of rather than messing with it. If you really want to play with it I would suggest that it be placed where there is nothing flammable about and the area is well ventilated.

yes give it to me i will safely dispose (reuse) of it for you

 

[fuzzmunky415]

Yeah, I'd break this down to cells only, discard the one, two? bad cells, and leverage good cells into a new pack with new BMS after matching.

 

[maddyn99]

A few things I either left out or didn't make clear. I intended to never use this long-term, as is. I do like the idea of taking the cells out and replacing 3 or 4 of the broken ones with a new case. The BMS seems to be working, and I think it's a Daly or it uses their App. This is sitting in an ALMOST empty metal garage. If it caught fire, the only thing it would do would be burn up a bit of the metal wall, my electrical panels, and the inverter. I am only pulling about 15a max on a 20A 120VAC circuit. The Bluetooth works, so I am treating it like a test bed and experimental science project that could kill me at any moment

This thing only had to last me until today or tomorrow, as I have THIS F'ing THING to install (TY Chris Boden).



I also picked up a Tester/charger. No clue how to use it yet, but it can't be too hard. At least this will allow me to charge or test individual cells now, as all I had before was the inverter and the 48V Golf Charger.




On a side note, why does it turn all my pictures sideways?

 

[Kornbread]

Sorry, but if that were my house, the way that thing is damaged and jerry rigged together would scare the he&& out of me.

IMO, I'd find the cell manu and size, replace the bad cells. Might be possible to cut and splice the busbars. Replace the bms. Put it back together so it's safe. Or, as someone else mentioned, have a need for a 12v or 24v battery? Is there a barcode on the cells? That might lead you to cell replacements.

 

[CASL]

until I can decide to keep, fix, or trash it

It looks like the cell #3 touched the reinforcing bar due to poor shipping and low battery compression. It is not clear what inserts are between cells, if any. Yellow epoxy is quite slippery, EVA foam would hold cells together better during transport. The big yellow thing should have been below that bar.
The fire damage is concentrated on the top of cell #3, replace it or keep the battery away from your home.
There may also be an overcurrent damage to cells #1,2,3. But due to the low voltage (10V), the bad connection to the bar, and arcing it probaby did not happen.

 

[robbob2112]

I agree with the others -- get rid of the bad cells and keep the good ones -- new BMS -- and tips below to think about

• Cover the reinforcing bar with heat-shrink tubing, or slip fish paper under it during reassembly.
• Remove all burned cells for proper disposal.
• Install a new BMS (I prefer JBD, though many here recommend JK).
• Ensure everything is insulated and fully covered before powering the unit.
• Use flexible bus bars on the replacement cells.
• When cutting out old cells, drill directly on top of the post with a slightly oversized bit:
  
  • This removes the welds cleanly.
  • Preserves maximum bus bar length.
  • May leave a hole for bolting if needed.
• Drill slowly, use cutting fluid, and monitor post temperature carefully to avoid overheating.
• Always wear gloves and a full face shield with a filter:
  
  • A venting cell won’t be lethal, but inhaling the fumes would be very unpleasant.

 

[Kornbread]

If the oem bus bars are tin platted copper, I'm thinking cut out the hump in the middle, drill and tap both sides, or possibly bolt and nut if not thick enough to tap, then bridge the gap with more tin platted copper bus bar. I'm really not a fan of trying to drill and tap a cell terminal.

 

[robbob2112]

Most of the time the bus bars in batteries like that are aluminum

 

[Kornbread]

Most of the time the bus bars in batteries like that are aluminum

Makes sense. I should have thought of that since they are welded to the al cell posts.

 

[OgreMustCrush]

Drilling and tapping the terminals on the cell the busbar broke off of is going to be the only reliable option other than a laser welder. But yeah, could just replace with a new cell that already has studs, 100Ah cells don't cost that much, though often there is a minimum order of 4 so maybe replace all the questionable cells. That would also take care of the cells with the destroyed busbar, as it looks like there isn't enough left on the one cell to make much of a connection to.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

This thread will be a continuation or a split of the original thread, which is here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/vevor-48v-100ah-server-rack-lifepo4-676.111403/

A summary of what happened and where I am so far

1. I purchased a 100Ah server rack battery from an Amazon seller. It arrived DOA, and it appears to have been heavily damaged in shipping. Arc flashing and ARrc contacts were all over the case. The BMS had several broken leads. One battery connector came completely loose, and I inadvertently removed another while trying to get to a good QR code.
2. That leads to where we are now. Can it be rebuilt? Should it be rebuilt? I don't know. I am fairly new to this, but this looks sorta fu,n and I have nothing to lose except time. I got a full refund on the battery and got to keep it.
3. A few side notes.
   1. It's currently running on (5) 405W Waree panels. It was fully charged yesterday.
   2. I also have it hooked to a 15a 120v 48v golf cart Life4PO battery charger.
   3. #8 stranded going from the battery to my SunGoldPower Inverter. I know it's undersized for full usage, but the only draw on the inverter and battery is a 20A circuit on a standalone electrical panel with a breaker.
   4. #8 going from the inverter to the Electrical Panel.
   5. BMS seems to be fully functional. Two leads are just manually attached. Need to be either re-soldered or tapped back.
   6. LCD Screen is broken as all other Vevor functions, HOWEVER, I found out today that the BT actually works, sothat'ss a plus.
4. I need to set up the parameters in my inverter. I am going to attach what little info I can find. But it appears the battery operating range is 41.6v to 58.4v. I have what Will recommended in his video for now, but I would like to tweak that.
5. How can I reattach the battery jumper/connector between two cells that don't have a post? I am assuming a spot welder of some sort, but not sure. I have two clamps tightly holding this down right nowk but that is not a viable option.
6. I need to bridge the other connection that's broken. I THINK i can drill and tap a copper bus bar or something similar to make it work.
7. Everything SEEMS to be working fine, it's constantly checked on and has someone around it 95% of the time. I am keeping any input or output loads very, very low until I can decide to keep, fix, or trash it.

cutting through the BS... why did you not send it back? it is simply hazmat that you now need to dispose of.... send it back demand replacement or cash back... i have nothing else to say about this at this moment in time./

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Appreciate the updated pix! I'm annoyed at your predicament, but I also am annoyed at the build quality (lack of) in this pack. The alignment of the bus bars before welding looks downright shoddy, and that placement of the crossbar that arced is suspect. I realize things shifted, but those crossbars should have been directly over the cell vents, as far away from busbars as possible.View attachment 327454

Shows the shadow of the crossbar placement, right up against the bus bars, should have been almost two inches over, above the vents/valves.

View attachment 327456

Poor quality.

the whole thing is a TEMU level Cluster Fark... send it back.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

A few things I either left out or didn't make clear. I intended to never use this long-term, as is. I do like the idea of taking the cells out and replacing 3 or 4 of the broken ones with a new case. The BMS seems to be working, and I think it's a Daly or it uses their App. This is sitting in an ALMOST empty metal garage. If it caught fire, the only thing it would do would be burn up a bit of the metal wall, my electrical panels, and the inverter. I am only pulling about 15a max on a 20A 120VAC circuit. The Bluetooth works, so I am treating it like a test bed and experimental science project that could kill me at any moment

This thing only had to last me until today or tomorrow, as I have THIS F'ing THING to install (TY Chris Boden).

View attachment 327519

I also picked up a Tester/charger. No clue how to use it yet, but it can't be too hard. At least this will allow me to charge or test individual cells now, as all I had before was the inverter and the 48V Golf Charger.


View attachment 327518

On a side note, why does it turn all my pictures sideways?

if you cannot figure that little bit out.,,.. jsut stop Sorry @Will Prowse it is hard to stay silent. you need to study everything about these cells before you go any further Sunshine Eggo is not here to stop you so i must. this si a up in smoke mainstream event waiting to happen. send them back.

 

[CASL]

why did you not send it back

I think they shipped a replacement/returned money and let him keep the burned one.

It can be salvaged, but the cell#3 could later fail in a spectacular way.
Those cells are not really held in the correct position and the yellow insulation was not placed under reinforcing bars.
Any jumping, especially in a delivery vehicle can cause this if the cells are not compressed with EVA foam pads.
If they turned over the battery, the fire would be much stronger, and cells would cook releasing a lot of gas.

 

[maddyn99]

if you cannot figure that little bit out.,,.. jsut stop Sorry @Will Prowse it is hard to stay silent. you need to study everything about these cells before you go any further Sunshine Eggo is not here to stop you so i must. this si a up in smoke mainstream event waiting to happen. send them back.

Send them back to where and why? They don't want them back, and I can't send them back. This was thoroughly explained. I just love it when people miss half the story and then want to tell you what to do or how to do things.

Figure what out? The battery charger/tester? Or why does the forum turn my pictures sideways... your question wasn't clear either way, I was not born with an innate knowledge of all things solar and electronic. I said I don't know how to use it ...YET, and that it couldn't be too hard. I'm here to learn and experiment, not sure why you felt the need to flag me out to Will. I am an almost-retired electrician, and I deal with power, electronics, and tons of other low-voltage items daily in my job.

I am being, at least to my mind, extremely cautious about these. They are never powered on when no one is present. The ONLY thing near the unit is my electrical panel, the inverter, and a brand new metal garage. While the risk of fire and injury is present, I think I am being reasonable in my actions. This is not in my house, apartment, barn, or anywhere where people or animals live or reside. In fact, this building is probably at least 200 feet from my house and at least 100' from my whopping 5-panel input string.

Everything is on either a fuse, breaker, or other such device. It has never received more than 25% of its rated input capacity, and I have never drawn more than 15% of the rated capacity.

 

[CASL]

I am running a discharge test today ...
25Ah left from 300Ah start and still kicking. getting 70mV spread -60A 24.5V I am at 8% SOC and 92% DOD
I want to hit 3V .... oops ... one cell hit 3V and JK BMS reset to SOC zero.
Everything is still running but JK does not measure minus power.
24V -60A and cell BMS undervoltage just turned off the battery. about 20Ah was left, but the load was too high.
It seems that I should set capacity to 280Ah.
I will start the battery charging process by shorting the BMS. now. Wish me luck. Glasses on.
Nice spark, I used a thin wire without a resistor/light bulb, and the inverter started after several seconds.
Smashing success!

 

[robbob2112]

... your question wasn't clear either way, I was not born with an innate knowledge of all things solar and electronic. I said I don't know how to use it ...

Good, it is hard on mom when you come out with a solar panel and battery strapped to you? Not to mention the electrical inspector in the delivery room

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Send them back to where and why? They don't want them back, and I can't send them back. This was thoroughly explained. I just love it when people miss half the story and then want to tell you what to do or how to do things.

Figure what out? The battery charger/tester? Or why does the forum turn my pictures sideways... your question wasn't clear either way, I was not born with an innate knowledge of all things solar and electronic. I said I don't know how to use it ...YET, and that it couldn't be too hard. I'm here to learn and experiment, not sure why you felt the need to flag me out to Will. I am an almost-retired electrician, and I deal with power, electronics, and tons of other low-voltage items daily in my job.

I am being, at least to my mind, extremely cautious about these. They are never powered on when no one is present. The ONLY thing near the unit is my electrical panel, the inverter, and a brand new metal garage. While the risk of fire and injury is present, I think I am being reasonable in my actions. This is not in my house, apartment, barn, or anywhere where people or animals live or reside. In fact, this building is probably at least 200 feet from my house and at least 100' from my whopping 5-panel input string.

Everything is on either a fuse, breaker, or other such device. It has never received more than 25% of its rated input capacity, and I have never drawn more than 15% of the rated capacity.

my apologies, i did not read the entire post and came in half way and half cocked... consider me properly chastised.

 

[maddyn99]

my apologies, i did not read the entire post and came in half way and half cocked... consider me properly chastised.

Not a problem. I understand it was coming from an abundance of caution. Let's all be friends while we gather photons from that giant ball of burning hydrogen in the sky.

 

[max2k]

A few things I either left out or didn't make clear. I intended to never use this long-term, as is. I do like the idea of taking the cells out and replacing 3 or 4 of the broken ones with a new case. The BMS seems to be working, and I think it's a Daly or it uses their App. This is sitting in an ALMOST empty metal garage. If it caught fire, the only thing it would do would be burn up a bit of the metal wall, my electrical panels, and the inverter. I am only pulling about 15a max on a 20A 120VAC circuit. The Bluetooth works, so I am treating it like a test bed and experimental science project that could kill me at any moment

This thing only had to last me until today or tomorrow, as I have THIS F'ing THING to install (TY Chris Boden).

View attachment 327519

I also picked up a Tester/charger. No clue how to use it yet, but it can't be too hard. At least this will allow me to charge or test individual cells now, as all I had before was the inverter and the 48V Golf Charger.


View attachment 327518

On a side note, why does it turn all my pictures sideways?

LFP cells when heated up enough outgas hydrogen and it can explode- depending if your garage has ventilation or not. So burning is not the only problem here. Check the video in this section on that electrical boat explosion just to gain awareness what are you dealing with.