More battery Porn!

[llile]

Here is my latest battery case. Got some toolboxes at a hardware store with those tricky clear tops that are meant for screws. The boxes are waterproof, lightweight, strong, and fit a PING 15AH 36V battery just perfectly. I've upgraded the batteries with a fuse (Duh) which can also function as a safety disconnect if I have to work on, say, the Anderson connector at the end of the wire. The little clear boxes serve as a handy place to keep fuses, and a way to see the BMS charging lights through the case, as well as a waterproof way to have a cable exit.

I have two identical batteries, both snap onto the same spot on the bike, allowing double range. (soon: double voltage! ) They don't look like batteries to the uninitiated, and there is a handle, easy to run a bike lock through, to deter sticky-fingered sightseers. Easy to remove, they can be charged inside in the warm house, avoiding storing the batteries in cold or hot temperatures. Each box holds a charger, so either or both could be charged easily at any stop along the route, extending range.

Boxes are lined with sheets of foam, that I got out of a pick-apart foam instrument case, so the batteries can stay warm and not get too many shocks. A little silicon rubber around cable entries and bolt holes ensures watertightness.

The slickest part, though, is a quick-release clip on the back. I have a 1/4" Cromo tube on the bike, and made some little clips that snap right onto it. A strap with a snap holds it in place for safety, but the quick-release clips hold it very securely.

Each quick-release is made from a 3/4" EMT one-hole clamp, appropriately hammered and tortured into the right shape, then tempered and quenched to make it springy. They are bolted onto a length of steel DIN rail, which functions to reinforce the plastic toolbox, and allow point load fasteners to avoid tearing up the plastic. Photos to follow:




View attachment 1

 

[llile]

Some details of the quick-release clip:





View attachment 1

 

[auraslip]

Your boxes look nice and reasonably easy to rig up.

Here is my new rig

The plan is to upgrade to 22s20ah. Who knows what the future holds because I could fit a lot of stuff in this box.

 

[ZOMGVTEK]

auraslip, That battery box is absolutely outrageous.

How many kWh of the 4S packs can you jam in there?

 

[dogman dan]

Heh Heh, enough to run till a motor melts I bet. That is nice.

That plastic box is going to sun rot very soon, and then the hangers will just break off the box.

Sorry if I seem a bit harsh, but that rig is no good. Something similar with sturdy metal boxes is what you need.

You are on the right track Perhaps not shown is another metal strap inside the box? That would help a lot. But sooner or later, that box will tear apart right underneath the metal strap the hangers bolt to. An L shaped bracket bolted to the hanger strap supporting the box from underneath would help a ton. Or just a sturdy metal box.

Again, you are on the right path, it just needs to not rely on plastic to hold the battery weight.

 

[Dauntless]

If you're just going to use a little box, you can have something much more solid, WITH the foam punchouts. http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-1120-Case-Foam-Black/dp/B0002INQSI/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336954401&sr=1-10

I would guess that one is about the same size. If you want something a bit larger: http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-1200-Case-Camera-Black/dp/B0002INQT2/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_c

THIS plastic will hold the battery weight, as well as some stinger missles. I mean this stuff can survive a zombie attack. if only you didn't need holes for wires this thing is watertight to like 40 feet. The government uses these things against Al Qaeda. Not only that, but they're injection molded and cut out by ROBOTS, who then deliver them to humans for final assembly. If the humans don't like the robots' work, they're rejected. That's why they're so guaranteed.

Alright, I admit, they gave me a memorychip case and a 2nd flashlight (Get the first a few years ago) last week, so MAYBE I'm a little biased. But if you SAW those robots work. . . .

 

[auraslip]

auraslip, That battery box is absolutely outrageous.

How many kWh of the 4S packs can you jam in there?

As dogman said, enough

I haven't measured it but probably enough room for a 22s7p pack. or 2849 whs

the real reason i wanted it so big was to fit the charger and dc-dc inside it. the high voltage dc-dc by meanwell isn't small....

 

[auraslip]

FYI, you might be able to reenforce the mounting points with some aluminum straps on the inside.

 

[amberwolf]

That plastic box is going to sun rot very soon, and then the hangers will just break off the box.

Even with out sunrot, fatigue cracking will still happen, even with reinforcement panels inside the box. This is an ABS box from a powerchair, designed to hold what amounts to a car battery for size and weight. I'm using a battery that isnt' even 20lbs in there, but with vibration and road bouncing on CrazyBike2, it's more than enough to break it. Since I only supported it from one side, and not under the end pieces all the way across like it was designed to be, it split right down the corners of the box, and just tore thru the ABS, past my metal reinforcement plates.




Currently there's a big hose clamp wrapped around the whole top half, keeping it on the bike. BTW, it only took several months for this to happen. The identical box on the other side, used for tools and whatnot, hasn't broken this way yet, but it doesnt' hold maybe a quarter of the weight in there, a third at most when I load it heavily.

 

[dogman dan]

Some 1/8 thick alumimum plate, bent into an L shape to support under those boxes should be enough to do the trick. Perhaps some 6" wide material would be plenty, no need for it to be as long as the box. Just some good support in the center would do ya.

On the right path, just need a bit more metal to hold the weight.

 

[llile]

Your boxes look nice and reasonably easy to rig up.

Here is my new rig

The plan is to upgrade to 22s20ah. Who knows what the future holds because I could fit a lot of stuff in this box.

Sweet! I like the integration with the frame!

 

[llile]

If you're just going to use a little box, you can have something much more solid, WITH the foam punchouts. http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-1120-Case-Foam-Black/dp/B0002INQSI/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336954401&sr=1-10

I would guess that one is about the same size. If you want something a bit larger: http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-1200-Case-Camera-Black/dp/B0002INQT2/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_c

THIS plastic will hold the battery weight, as well as some stinger missles. I mean this stuff can survive a zombie attack. if only you didn't need holes for wires this thing is watertight to like 40 feet. The government uses these things against Al Qaeda. Not only that, but they're injection molded and cut out by ROBOTS, who then deliver them to humans for final assembly. If the humans don't like the robots' work, they're rejected. That's why they're so guaranteed.

Alright, I admit, they gave me a memorychip case and a 2nd flashlight (Get the first a few years ago) last week, so MAYBE I'm a little biased. But if you SAW those robots work. . . .

Pelican case! Great idea! Those things are bombproof. I shuda thotta that!

I dragged a pelican case out of the trash the other day (yeah, I pick through other people's garbage) I could not believe it. As big as two checked airline bags, it was stuffed with some kinda obsolete computer equipment, and all those pick-apart foam sheets. I priced one that size online at $500, which qualifies it as one of the best finds in the trash yet. Now, Auraslip might think this is a pretty good size for a battery case, but I think it is a little large. Dunno what I will do with it, maybe strap it onto my car next time I have a trip to California.

If these tool boxes fail, I'm upgrading to a pelican case for sure!

 

[llile]

That plastic box is going to sun rot very soon, and then the hangers will just break off the box.

Sorry if I seem a bit harsh, but that rig is no good. Something similar with sturdy metal boxes is what you need.

You are on the right track Perhaps not shown is another metal strap inside the box? That would help a lot. But sooner or later, that box will tear apart right underneath the metal strap the hangers bolt to. An L shaped bracket bolted to the hanger strap supporting the box from underneath would help a ton. Or just a sturdy metal box.

Again, you are on the right path, it just needs to not rely on plastic to hold the battery weight.

Yeah, I had an ammo box, but it just seemed like overkill. The plastic box is actually supported pretty well, so I am not so worried about the plastic fatiguing. There are three fender washers inside the box that spread the load out, and there is a mounting strap around the box which serves to carry the load. The DIN rail on the back of the box spreads the load out pretty well also. Being into electronics, DIN rail is a commodity that I always have laying around, but an angle iron or a C channel would have served as well. I am thinking it should hold up for quite a while. I'm getting ready to upgrade to a new bike, and buildling the battery boxes ahead of time, so I can take them on a shakedown cruise. On the new bike, I'll make sure there is a shelf to hold the battery box up, so it won't fatigue. I have probably used the first box for several hundred miles already with no sign of failure. Second one has just now been built. I'll letcha know when I reach 1000 miles with it, which is still not much distance.

I am not worried about sunrot particularly, as I store the bike and batteries indoors. It will take a long time for that to be the biggest problem on a homemade bike.

 

[llile]

It's the idea that this is a quick-release case that I am most happy about. I can yank it off the bike, take it inside and charge it. Say, at a restaurant, or at work, or whatever. It is pretty lightweight, adding not much more mass than the battery itself, yet also carries its own charger. When lunch is done, I can clip it back on.

I think the batteries should last longer if they are stored and charged in a temperature-controlled environment, not at 100F or 0F as it might be outside. Having a quick-release case makes this a snap.

 

[amberwolf]

As big as two checked airline bags, it was stuffed with some kinda obsolete computer equipment, and all those pick-apart foam sheets. I priced one that size online at $500, which qualifies it as one of the best finds in the trash yet. Now, Auraslip might think this is a pretty good size for a battery case, but I think it is a little large. Dunno what I will do with it, maybe strap it onto my car next time I have a trip to California.

Great cargo pod for a trike.

 

[Dauntless]

As big as two checked airline bags, it was stuffed with some kinda obsolete computer equipment, and all those pick-apart foam sheets. I priced one that size online at $500, which qualifies it as one of the best finds in the trash yet. Now, Auraslip might think this is a pretty good size for a battery case, but I think it is a little large. Dunno what I will do with it, maybe strap it onto my car next time I have a trip to California.

Great cargo pod for a trike.

Yeah, I was gonna say if it's $500, it must be HUGE. I'm surprised that Pelican doesn't cost so much. Your freebie must have come of Colossus or Bigger Bertha. (They name their injection molders.)