eBike Battery Heater!

DrkAngel

DrkAngel

1 GW
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Messages
5,300
Location
Upstate-Western-Southern Tier NY. USA
eBike thread got folded into eVehicle forum ... ?
Had to supply a link ... click on pictures!

Inexpensive, thin, flexible, self adhesive, low wattage heating pads.- $5.39/pair!
< $4

12V thermostat - safely regulates 12V heating pads.- $15.99 w/shipping!


2-3amp DC step down converter - $2.18
 
Sounds great! Have you used some yet or are you still waiting on shipping?
 
You know, personally, I'd rather pay more for something that is more likely to be supported, and yes, it's $50 instead of $5, but it does have a 1 year warranty (yes I know it's only as good as the company warrantying it) and it's probably tougher since it's designed to be sat on. It also is set for 120 F, and should already regulate I imagine, so no separate regulator needed. :wink:

And it's Infrared heat, not a electrical wire that will eventually break and has more potential of causing a problem when it eventually wears out and shorts.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIR-Infrare...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4aa7f54f5c
 
Previous link - Sold Out!

New links listed!- Click on picture!
Inexpensive, thin, flexible, self adhesive, low wattage heating pads.- $5.39/pair!
< $4
 
Heating the batteries - doesn't sound very "green"
It makes an enormous difference to lead acid batteries though - we got a 45% power hike by battery heating in our greenpower race car. My impression with lipo's is that the temp makes little or no capacity difference, slight series resistance difference and there is effectively no peukert, so, like, what's the point?
 
Point of test:
Observe effect of temperature on eBike-battery performance.

Factors:
Remove eBike drivetrain, temperature, as a factor.
Ambient temperature - 32F
Recycled LiPo (Lithium-ion Cobalt)
Battery charged to 29.4V

Battery & bike allowed to cool to 32F
WOT level cruising speed 17.2 MPH - 23.2V w/sag

Bike at 32F
Battery re-charged & warmed to ~70F
WOT level cruising speed 20.4 MPH - 27.6V w/sag

Observations:
Pedal assisting to 20.4MPH, w/32F battery, reduced battery sag, substantially!

Conclusions:
Battery temperature decrease, (increased Internal Resistence?), caused reduced speed, with increased drain!
A Double whammy!
Lithium-ion Cobalt (LiPo)cells, (suffer an extreme IR increase?), and performance decrease, from reduced temperature!
 
bobc said:
Heating the batteries - doesn't sound very "green"
It makes an enormous difference to lead acid batteries though - we got a 45% power hike by battery heating in our greenpower race car. My impression with lipo's is that the temp makes little or no capacity difference, slight series resistance difference and there is effectively no peukert, so, like, what's the point?
Click to expand...

All I can tell you is my garage is no longer heated until we fix the pellet stove, and as long as the temperature is below 50F, my battery capacity suffers about a 40%+ battery capacity lost.

A perfect example is using my E-Bike to take a normal trip that would only take about 30% of capacity in warmer temperatures now takes 60%!

The CA shows only about 8-9 AH Drain which is exactly 50% of my total capacity (true capacity, not just usable capacity) of 18 AH's

However, when I go to charge, the Hyperion tells me I am now at 20% capacity for the same exact trip of about 30 miles that in the warmer weather only took 4-5 AH's.

I plan on eventually buying an IR heating pad, but for now, I don't have it in the budget.

I love these simple battery heating solutions! Thank you for the inspiration DA! :D
 
2-3amp DC step down converter - $2.18
 
All part of why my lipo boxes on bikes are designed for removal of the batteries for charging and storage. In my case, 8 months of the year my lipo would be too hot in the garage. But it helps to start with a warm batttery in winter. Since my boxes are not insulated, I see the sag set in pretty quick if it's really cold. My ride through slushy wet snow the other week a great example of that. I could tell the slush spraying my battery box was givng my batts an ice cream headache.

In my climate, for the most part, I wouldn't be riding for fun unless it was closer to 50F, so it's not much of an issue.

On my commuters, that would get ridden in the cold more, I insulate the box and the low c rate heats the batt to a decent running temp. I lose about 2 mph of top speed.
 
Received "Heaters" today ... 11 days shipping time.

< $4
Click on Picture
Tested in Series! Rigs for 24-25.9V, 36-37V etc.
 
LI-ghtcycle said:
....

And it's Infrared heat, not a electrical wire that will eventually break and has more potential of causing a problem when it eventually wears out and shorts.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIR-Infrare...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4aa7f54f5c
Click to expand...

Looks interesting, i like infrared heat. Probably more efficient too.

To warm up any part of our body, ok, as long as you're not wearing any clothes that could bounce back infrared rays.

But are you sure infrared can warm up a LiPo pack for example ? I believe the cells inside the pack are wrap in foil that could have a layer of aluminum ? Not sure though.
But whatever material they are wrap in, one should test if infrared don't bounce back and actually heat the battery.
Maybe the black heat shrink around the pack will absorb infrared and warmp up the whole pack this way.

Interesting idea. Do you know the consumption of one pad per hour ?

thanks
 
So... This thread is about two years "down the road" now... In the "Great White North" (southern Ontario) we're facing another winter soon... And I'm thinking about pack warmth outside... Have currently nowhere to keep the trike indoors, plus removing the pack/case from the trike (first removing the back basket) is a bit of a PITA... So right now the pack looks like this:
Reveal3.JPG

...with thick black plastic foam packing, on all sides, inside a black (probably recycled) plastic "box"... So the pack itself is relatively "tiny", inside a smaller-ish case...

Tonight our weather forecast predicts low plus 3 (C) with a "risk of frost".

So, it'd be *nice* to have a heater of some sort, drawing only mA's at 48V, and switching on only when the pack reached some min temp... Then off again, once things are relatively "toasty" inside the batt case, or eg after the sun has been up for a few hours, and ambient temps are again "climbing" for the new day...

Plans currently are to "make the leap" to some newerisher Li chem eg LiFePO4 (or some other Li Flavour?)

So just curious, if any of the earlier posters in this thread care to update, or anybuddy on ES cares to add to or update this thread?

Merci, mes amis!

L
 
PS... and BTW... A pic of one single cell in the pack (not disassembled from the wiring)...
Reveal5.JPG

Showing the mfgrs codes "ZM6268DSPN-4200MAH" and "12K23"... (other side of foil cell "pouch" is blank)...

So these pics appear to confirm the cells are from the "Jiangxi Z.T New Energy Co., Ltd (established in July 2003), and may be these particular cells:
http://en.zhongtouenergy.com/products_detail/&productId=38728b5a-a28f-4841-aef8-d380d1b79de1&comp_stats=comp-FrontProducts_list01-1340181357701.html

(The "ZT" product name, vs my "ZM" is I suspect only an "OEM" diff... When the cells in their pics appear to have tabs covered with plastic protection...)

But lets see...

Typical Capacity 4200 Mah... Check...
Nominal Voltage 3.7 volts... Check...

`Fraid I don't have the instruments currently to weigh the weight or measure the size (L, W, thickness) of each cell...

Pack is said by assembler to be "48V" and "9 Ah"... So yeah, looks like the pack is two packs of 12 cells each. But 12 cells at 3.7 volts total only 44.4 volts? And 2x 4200 mah cells totals only 8400 mah?

Unfortunately, I don't have any instruments to measure each cell/the pack...

L
 
New Link for 2 flexible pads self adhesive.
< $4
 
Thanks DA! "Motorcycle Handlebars Motorcycle Warm Heat Heated Grip Kit Pads"... My guess, 12 volts, but no indication of the mA's involved... ie "wattage" consumed... The A-B on-off toggle switch is a nice touch, but I was kinda hoping to automate that process, based on ambient or cell/pack temps...
L
 
Lock said:
Thanks DA! "Motorcycle Handlebars Motorcycle Warm Heat Heated Grip Kit Pads"... My guess, 12 volts, but no indication of the mA's involved... ie "wattage" consumed... The A-B on-off toggle switch is a nice touch, but I was kinda hoping to automate that process, based on ambient or cell/pack temps...
L
Click to expand...

Voltage: 12 v
Colour: black
Heating area: 90 x 85 mm
Power: 3 w
Warming faster (1 seconds speed heat)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycle-Warm-Heat-Heated-Grip-Kit-Pads-for-Motorcycle-Handlebars-Black-12V-/370904153521?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item565b9c3db1
 
Lock said:
Thanks DA! "Motorcycle Handlebars Motorcycle Warm Heat Heated Grip Kit Pads"... My guess, 12 volts, but no indication of the mA's involved... ie "wattage" consumed... The A-B on-off toggle switch is a nice touch, but I was kinda hoping to automate that process, based on ambient or cell/pack temps...
L
Click to expand...
I Did Amperage wattage tests, including running pads in series with 24V & 36V, with resultant volts, watts and Amps.



DrkAngel said:
DrkAngel said:
Received "Heaters" today ... 11 days shipping time.
With self adhesive tapes.
2 pads run in parallel use 1.2A
12V x 1.2A = 14.4 watts
8V x .8A = 6.4 watts

2 pads rigged in series
12V x .3A = 3.6 watts

Click to expand...

More test results:
2 pads run in series:
25.9V pack - 29V
.7A 1- 13.5V 1- 15.5V = 20Watts ... 15.5V noticeably warmer ... too hot?
Reversed voltage showed same pad running at higher V.

3 pads run in series
.5A 8.6V 9.1V 10.7V = 14.5Watts

25.9V pack - 29.2V
4 pads run in series 25.9V pack - 29.2V
Covers the main exterior surfaces of my LiPo packs.
All pads near 7V - about 3W each
Looks to be ideal for me, with batts placed in insulated pack.

37V pack - ~42V 6pack "Cool Cell" pack should work nicely with 6 pads in series.
(6 pads covering vertical surfaces nicely.)
Stats should be nearly identical to 4 pad 29.2V pack.
Click to expand...
 
Terrific Sirs! Many thanks... Hey Norfolk? The Broads still there? (It's been a looong time since I lived in Croydon, UK, but my Navy dad used to take his family for vacations cruising the Broads (and the Fens)... Pretty amazing stuff for a Canadian kid.
L
 
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