Planing CanView and BMS+ conversion with lithium

Hi Plugin,

I have received some info from Dimitri that is relevant


I really like PIS design, I have over 10,000 miles with it and its working great. Their latest 4kWh kit is a great step in filling a market void for cost conscious customers. They use 76 cells as it seems to be ideal number to take most advantage of plugin pack, taking voltage sag into account. Since A123 cells probably sag less, that explains lesser count, but in my opinion 70 is too low.

Food for thought. If 70 cells does not do it you can always add more cells later on.

 

This is not a opinion, this is what i use every day: 70 A123 is a good cell number.

If using a buck dc-dc converter you can have more cells.
If using other cells with lower voltage also.

If you remove nimh, like peef done, you can use 72 A123 cells.

 

Hi PLug-in,

Are you thinking of using some sort of hold down brackets for your battery cells. The last thing you want are batteries flying out the windows in an accident.

 

The A123 20AH pouch cells are now selling on Ebay from the USA Carlifornia at:

3.2V 20Ah A123 LiFePO4 Prismatic APP72161227 PHEV/EV/E-REV Rechargeable Battery | eBay

 

As requested the Ebay listing for 70 cells of A123 20AH pouch cells for anybody interested in doing the BMSplus 4KWH PHEV conversion. Only $US1605 with free shipping.

70P A123 20ah Batteries | eBay

 

I have not been so lucky. Xueming has informed me that DHL and UPS have rejected the package and returned it to him. Wonder why? 4kwh of cells are a bit over the limit. He is still trying to find a way to send me the package.

 

I do not know why. He may have to send them by boat for such a large quantity or split them up into many parcels for air.

 

I just received my 70 x A123 20AH pouch cells today. They were well packed. Each cell was totally sealed inside what appears to be an anti-static bag. I will be using five complete miniBMS slave boards (16 cells) with a seperate head end control board. Each slave board has a small soldered jumper to modify to 14 cell voltage protection. I still have the ability to increase my slave boards to 16 cell voltage protection should I decide later to increase the size of my battery pack. Thanks to Dimitri who gave me a good deal below the normal price had I gone through the website.
I am still waiting on delivery of my Elcon PFC charger as they inform me they are still configuring the charger to my battery pack specs.

 

Cool! How are you going to connect the tabs together?

 

There is still enough tab length which can be used (12mm x 46mm) once the plastic/nylon is removed and metal tabs are exposed using a electric wire wheel - see photo. Then I can connect positive to negative tab using only metal plate clamps with nuts and bolts (no cable) similar to if not the same as those used in the Enginer RFE packs. This reduces battery pack voltage drop at 80 amps discharge. Each cell is connected back to back so positive connects to negative and so on. I will just run one BMS wire from each link. Then I can use plastic insulation sheets between each cell for isolation.

 

So far my project costs have been:

70 x A123 battery cells - US$1660 including delivery
miniBMS - US$875 plus US$40 delivery
EV display unit - US$236 including delivery
BMSplus PCB only- CA$199 plus CA$40 delivery
Elcon 1500 HF/PFC 240V charger US$340 plus AU$104 delivery
16mm2 cable TBA
12 x 75amp anderson plugs TBA
2 x 50amp anderson plugs TBA
100amp 12V contactor TBA
5 x PVC battery pack containers
with clear lid TBA
HRC service fuse holder TBA
and 100A fuse TBA

 

You can have a look here

 

Hi Planetaire,

Thanks for the info. So each cell envelope is made of three layers - plastic/aluminum/plastic.

So I need to keep each cell well isolated so that the envelope of each cell cannot touch any tab or any metal plate or part connected thereto.

And also install a 1-2mm metal plate in-between tabs so that the cell envelope cannot touch the envelope of another cell.

So keeping creepage distances and clearances and insulation resistance high between tabs and cell envelope and between each cell envelope is important.

Your info is great.

I am planning on making up a stainless steel gig at work to cover the cell and just expose the tab section where I want to remove plastic using a electric wire wheel.

 

I used a single strand of copper wire from a flexible multi stranded copper cable to do the solder bridge. I used a magnifying table lamp I bought from Officeworks. You need a really small pointed soldering iron and a steady hand. It may help if you use a temperature controlled soldering iron set to 300deg C or lower so you do not unsolder other MSD parts.

See details at this link

Enginer PHEV automatic over/under voltage protection | PriusChat

Also more detail and pictures at Enginer forum at this link

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It was a long time ago so I cannot recollect much. I guess you should be able to download the log file from the CellLog8S whilst the CellLog8S is still plugged into the 9pin battery cells plug.

 

I was lucky enough to find the perfect tool to expose the A123 tabs. It is a small handheld pneumatic linisher I have at my workplace.