Homemade LifePo4 battery

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by pkrboo, Mar 26, 2020.

  1. Where did you get the battery box from? and what BMS are you using, very tempted to try myself
     
  2. You can but it's more expensive, if you wamt a built battery for about 500quid more then look at ReLion. More again would be battleborn who are labelled differently in the UK and called transporter energy

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  3. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    If you use the van regularly, with a large capacity LifePo4 battery and a battery to battery charger maybe you could forget about the solar. The money saved by not buying solar panels (that might only work for a year - or less) and a MPPT controller would pay for the LifePo4 battery.
     
  4. Did you get any instruction with the BMS etc? or did you just follow Wills video on how to connect it all up?
     
  5. Just followed wills video, no instructions came with it

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  6. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    I took my own advice and bought four Grade A 3.2V 176Ah Lifepo4 Battery cells and a Daly Smart 80amp BMS from AliExpress and to charge the battery an OLYS BS123020 B2B and MPPT (30amp B2B or 20amp solar). https://www.olyssolar.com/product_Info-24-50.html.

    We’ve had a few weeks away camping this year and have never needed hook-up or needed to worry about where the sun was or leaves on the panels, or shade or solar at all. The battery is big enough to run the compressor fridge, lights, water pump, Propex, etc for several days and soon recharges driving from place to place.

    If I hadn’t already had 2x100w solar panels I wouldn’t have bothered with solar, they produce virtually nothing, and I could have used a B2B without MPPT.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2021
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  7. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    When we get a Tesla Gigafactory we will suddenly find that some lithium ion cells get a lot cheaper as they wont have to be expensively shipped to the UK.
     
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  8. Coda

    Coda Supporter

    I just ordered 20x LifePo4 280ah cells, 16x for house battery and 4x for the bus. I should've waited for the gigafactory
     
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  9. Probably even more cheaper when they find enough lithium to mine in Cornwall
    They are also looking into extracting it from water coming out of various natural springs.
     
    art b likes this.
  10. We have people locally repairing car batteries..


    Screenshot_20211102_081203.jpg
     
  11. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    This is good, but the service includes comforting the customer. Its probably still a lot more expensive to properly fix a battery pack than anybody would really like.
     
    art b likes this.
  12. I think it's Eastern European speak...:)
     
  13. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    I love a bit of Eastern European comforting.
     
    art b likes this.
  14. The red windows of Amsterdam...:thinking:
     
  15. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    Easter….
     
  16. Cant wait for Tesla to make them cheap..fresh from China!...[​IMG]

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    theBusmonkey, 77 Westy and pkrboo like this.
  17. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Hope you understand about top balancing and all the malarky that goes with these. :)
     
  18. On it .. 3.5 V first lift from transport voltage. See how long its taking might build them up to 12v blocks and battery charge them to get close.. [​IMG]

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    Iain McAvoy, 77 Westy, art b and 3 others like this.

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