What’s inside of an AIMS 12v100ah Lifepo4 battery? Have a look!

[D308]

Hello again all,

Some might have seen my rants about my issue with the AIMS battery I bought last year. Its Only about 6 months old and it started to give me problems late last year. Last week it died completely. After several phone messages and an email asking for support without any response from AIMSCORP I’ve had enough. I disassembled my expensive AIMS Lifepo4 battery tonight. I’ll attach some pics too. I know I just ruined my warranty. But what good is it when the company won’t even respond to inquiries regarding tech support and warranties? Based upon that I would not purchase another one of their products.
What I found inside was interesting. The battery and BMS appear to be made of decent quality components. The assembly wasn’t sloppy. In fact it was better than what I’ve seen while watching some of Wills disassembly videos. Im not sure it measures up to the BattleBorn line.
I used a heat gun along the seams and softened them up then used a razor knife and my hand to roll the softened plastic up. I did this to three sides then once cooled I inserted a small flat bladed screwdriver and worked it along the edge until that happy sound of plastic popping loose was heard. Then I heated the last seam and folded the top back. The plastic is very compliant when it’s heated slightly. I think I’ll be able to use the top again when I replace the BMS.
The BMS is centered over the top of the cell frame providing for air circulation around it. It appears to be a good quality BMS but I could not find a name on it anywhere.
Perhaps someone could look at the pics and ID it. The wiring was of good size and quality too. I was impressed with the build of this battery.
Here’s the strange thing, as shown in the pics, upon opening the top I could smell a slight burnt smell. The BMS and batteries below the positive side terminals were covered in condensation. Looking at the BMS I could see some damage on the circuit board. I cannot figure out how the moisture got in there. Since I bought it I have never left it in direct rain or even left the battery uncovered outside the trailer. I’m perplexed by this bug. Maybe It leaked from around the positive terminal? I can’t tell at this time. Unfortunately there is enough moisture to damage the BMS board. I was able to pour out approximately 3-5CCs of moisture by tipping the battery on its side. There are several locations around the BMS where you can see electrical damage from what appears to be shorting due to the moisture. I checked the voltage of the battery cell assembly and it shows around 13 volts which I think is correct because it wasn’t fully charged after I got home from my last trip after New Years.

All in all it appears to be a decently made product but I have no idea how that moisture got in there. I’m hoping I can find a replacement BMS for it. Again, if any of you recognize this BMS please let me know where I can get one.

Thanks for reading.

Don.

 

[Ely]

I guess there is no air flow inside the battery. The cells are close to each other without a little gap. There are warm and cold edges, no air flow and the moisture forms.

I think this construction needs an evenly tempered place, not cold, not hot, a temperature who feel a human well. In my opinion it’s a solid made battery, but partial not well thought out.

 

[nosys70]

it could be a pump effect.
when the battery get warm , air expand and get out of case through small cracks.
when the battery get cold, air comes in with moisture.
moisture fix on hard surface and stay, while the cycle repeats.
in this case , better to have a real hole letting air and moisture freely move.

 

[Ely]

Yes, drill little holes on the two narrow sides of the housing. Three little holes below and above. This let start the airflow while the battery works and change the temperature inside.

 

[Freds northwoods]

I guess there is no air flow inside the battery. The cells are close to each other without a little gap. There are warm and cold edges, no air flow and the moisture forms.

I think this construction needs an evenly tempered place, not cold, not hot, a temperature who feel a human well. In my opinion it’s a solid made battery, but partial not well thought out.

Condensation ??? Maybe two small holes opposite each other near bottom would be in the future would help?

 

[tictag]

Wow. Those pictures are truly shocking.

I can't imagine any battery would be spec'd to function satisfactorily in 100% humid conditions, which is obviously the case inside this battery! I also can't imagine why you would ever have add your own air venting to a zero maintenance battery. Something is very obviously wrong with this i.e. a manufacturing fault. Maybe there is seal damage? Maybe the battery was not built in a suitably dry environment?

I am not suggesting that you do this, I would focus on getting it replaced under warranty (and yes, I know that you've opened it but I'm quite sure they would not want those pictures splashed around the Internet!) but you can buy active dehumidifies designed for such small enclosures. They are like the size of a 50p piece. I watched a YouTube video on them, very clever the way they work.

 

[ghostwriter66]

it could be a pump effect.
when the battery get warm , air expand and get out of case through small cracks.
when the battery get cold, air comes in with moisture.
moisture fix on hard surface and stay, while the cycle repeats.
in this case , better to have a real hole letting air and moisture freely move.

TOTALLY CORRECT --
Battery Heats = air expands - forced out through microscopic spaces
Battery Cools = forms vacuum = cool moisture sucked back in
Battery stabilizes = cool moist air comes in contact with metal and forms droplets ..

 

[tictag]

It can't be that hard to make an airtight battery box. I mean, we've had submarines for over 50 years!

 

[D308]

That’s interesting. But that also brings up a concern for everyone. If this is a common problem, that means it’s a potential flaw in all of these batteries designed in this way. Why are we not hearing or seeing this from everyone that owns these batteries?
Perhaps the manufacturers need to add desiccant packs in these batteries. I think I’ll be adding one when I install a new BMS in this one. All in all, it shouldn’t happen.
Good info

Thanks for the reply.

Don.

 

[tictag]

Perhaps the manufacturers need to add desiccant packs in these batteries.

The trouble with desiccant is that whilst they can extract moisture from a small, sealed space, they are essentially a consumable item, the desiccant doesn't 'last' forever.

I put a load of desiccant in sealed plastic bags, together with a moisture detector, to store my 3D printer 'ink' - it was good for only a few months no matter how well I thought I was sealing them (sandwich bags do not provide a perfect air seal - who knew?). You can buy active (i..e powered) dehumidifiers though.

 

[D308]

@tictag I would focus on getting it replaced under warranty (and yes, I know that you've opened it but I'm quite sure they would not want those pictures splashed around the Internet!) but you can buy active dehumidifies designed for such small enclosures. They are like the size of a 50p piece. I watched a YouTube video on them, very clever the way they work.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that. I received a couple of emails from two people at Aimscorp today. In the end they will not cover it under warranty since I opened the case. I was pretty sure they wouldn’t. I don’t really blame them for that.

 

[Supervstech]

Desiccant is useless in the warming and cooling environment of a battery case...

and as mentioned, they don’t last long before filling up and needing replenishment.

iccky...

 

[D308]

Thanks. not sure how to resolve this issue. I’m now curious if each manufacturer that uses this case style is going to end up with the same problem? I would imagine it was an oversight during the design process.

 

[tictag]

Totally agree.

You might want to consider something like this as a workaround?

 

[D308]

Not a bad idea but the case would be huge. It wouldn’t fit the group 27 case.

 

[EVpower]

Hi Folks,

New here. I have purchased the AIMS 100ah battery and tested its capacity with an ANSI certified load tester. The AIMS battery came in at 110ah so at this point I'm happy. I see that most all these manufacturers do not recommend locating the batteries in wet or high humidity locations. Curious where the OP had the battery mounted in what type of case? Also I spoke with folks at AIMS in regard to them selling out of this battery so quickly and they mentioned they have a new battery line coming with integrated BT. Happy to see the tear down where at least the AIMS pack looks to incorporate quality components.

 

[D308]

I have my battery mounted on my trailer frame in a group 27 covered case. It is not directly exposed to rain or inclement weather. Here in SoCal we do get occasional high humidity but nothing like Florida.
As far as Aims goes, I’m impressed you are able to reach them. They flat out refused to return my calls. It took days for them to reply to an email. They were essentially zero help technically. I can not recommend them to anyone. I did notice shortly after the issues I had they quit selling them on Amazon. They do still offer the 200 amp version.
I discussed the issues with another dealer that I know and he pointed out some of the shortcomings of the AIMS battery that failed on me based on the materials they use.
Ive since rebuilt the battery with a new 100 ah BMS and a new case. Now it looks like a new battery with no labels. It’s working fine so far. I elected to not go with the BT model of BMS. I tend to let the batteries sit unattended for awhile. I don’t want the BT to add a parasitic draw on the battery. Yes, it’s minimal but it adds up. Besides, I don’t need to watch the battery that closely. To me it’s a gimmick. My environment is mild and most likely not very hazardous to that battery.

 

[EVpower]

My battery is also out on the tongue of the trailer where this may not be the best place to be, such as in a driving rain or the result of someone with a stray hose? Not implying this applies to your case (literally) but its very odd you would experience this much condensation and especially in SoCal. Rethinking my unsealed group 27 battery box now. From your pics the battery and BMS looks to be of high quality with the exception of what looks like some steel being present. I've reached them several times where at times there were a few repeat attempts. In speaking with them they mentioned their 100ah battery had sold out and supply was short due to a couple reasons. One being the result from the most recent events and the other due to a new battery line.

 

[bjfields]

So, I have this battery. I was considering another one down the road. Is it necessary to match batteries if I want to parallel up to 200ah? What now that it's no longer available?

Brett

 

[EVpower]

Brett,
I do not think you can parallel connect two dissimilar capacity batteries. Once this mess is over their new battery should become available.