bobbill
100 W
Comments?
Nickel Strip vs Solder (Tinned) Woven Copper Busbars
- Thread starter bobbill
- Start date
spinningmagnets
100 TW
The biggest reasons (IMHO) to use copper is either...they are free, or...you need high current from high-amp cells. In either of those cases I'd be reluctant to use woven copper braid. I'm not saying its bad, I just haven't seen enough builds with them to feel confident that they would not have any problems.
The downsides of nickel are that...they are expensive, and...they are best when drawing low amps per cell. If a nickel-bus pack was large enough that the pack amps were high, I'd overlay the series strips with soldered copper wire.
The downsides of nickel are that...they are expensive, and...they are best when drawing low amps per cell. If a nickel-bus pack was large enough that the pack amps were high, I'd overlay the series strips with soldered copper wire.
bobbill
100 W
First, Flippy and Spinning magnets thanks, I have read your input in past and know you know your stuff...
Second, what I did was acquire one of those kits from Vruzend, an easy build, with the interlocking plastic ends for the cells (I know squat), then I learned the strips are not nickel but SS, so I bought some nickel and some woven copper ground "wire" covered in lead solder or tinned...copper vs nickel conduction sort of thing...
All for a 10s3P 36v pack...it is about a foot long. Was thinking of cutting individual pcs of the mesh to match the strips...and use the nickel for the parallel contacts...and nut them down like the strips...
Then I remembered this site, and you guy's advice, so before I did another dumb thing, asked here.
I am leaning now to using the nickel strip, cut to size, even if far less conductive, cuz the rig is small. Now am thinking of squaring the pack a bit...but will think on it. All to do 14 quiet miles on my we Xootr, 20-inch folder...I really only need to get back up hill to house, about a kilometer, if that.
Am slow convert form former gas rig...which was flawless, but noisy.
Thanks again.
Second, what I did was acquire one of those kits from Vruzend, an easy build, with the interlocking plastic ends for the cells (I know squat), then I learned the strips are not nickel but SS, so I bought some nickel and some woven copper ground "wire" covered in lead solder or tinned...copper vs nickel conduction sort of thing...
All for a 10s3P 36v pack...it is about a foot long. Was thinking of cutting individual pcs of the mesh to match the strips...and use the nickel for the parallel contacts...and nut them down like the strips...
Then I remembered this site, and you guy's advice, so before I did another dumb thing, asked here.
I am leaning now to using the nickel strip, cut to size, even if far less conductive, cuz the rig is small. Now am thinking of squaring the pack a bit...but will think on it. All to do 14 quiet miles on my we Xootr, 20-inch folder...I really only need to get back up hill to house, about a kilometer, if that.
Am slow convert form former gas rig...which was flawless, but noisy.
Thanks again.
If all the connections are bolted, you could use solid copper. I have used braided copper for things in the past but it's hard to know the equivalent wire gauge. The main thing is to have enough cross sectional area to carry the current so things don't heat up. As long as nothing gets warm, it won't really matter which one you use. Long term reliability is also a factor. Stainless steel is good in this respect.
bobbill
100 W
Am new at this and study up first...but search is "iffy."
Only using the plastic and inserts of the kit, as I have them and simple.
Learning as we go. The kit's bus bars are SS, which I found out later and more or less a waste of time, for me. Why I acquired the copper and nickel material as replacements and asked about them here.
Small project, so I was not overly concerned, but anal enough to try to be as efficient with what I have. Still appreciate you response and you opinion.
Only using the plastic and inserts of the kit, as I have them and simple.
Learning as we go. The kit's bus bars are SS, which I found out later and more or less a waste of time, for me. Why I acquired the copper and nickel material as replacements and asked about them here.
Small project, so I was not overly concerned, but anal enough to try to be as efficient with what I have. Still appreciate you response and you opinion.
Chalo
100 TW
bobbill said:
"Flawless", you say.
I never smelled one of those things that I would call flawless.
bobbill
100 W
Chalo, I know what you mean...one of the reasons am here fooling with crazy cells etc.
Thing ran perfect for 5-10 years...was as simple as can be but loudish and stinky...I could post a pic, I would...it really is a nice bicycle...
On topic. Am finally concluding the rig I am building will do fine with nickel, being low key etc, so will proceed with the nickel strips for each series connection, and maybe use the ss strips for parallels...
I def need more experience, but just a simple build.
Thing ran perfect for 5-10 years...was as simple as can be but loudish and stinky...I could post a pic, I would...it really is a nice bicycle...
On topic. Am finally concluding the rig I am building will do fine with nickel, being low key etc, so will proceed with the nickel strips for each series connection, and maybe use the ss strips for parallels...
I def need more experience, but just a simple build.
bobbill
100 W
BTW "flippy," don't pooh-pooh the cellholder/placeholder stuff...has some shortcomings, but with some tweaks, makes building a b-pack simple and, generally speaking, very minimal soldiering. Try one out...later versions...
My problem with them was the difference in material components compared to what I read here and in the book by Toll, which is very good, but deserves some tweaks - for newbie readers who did not take physics etc in school or who have not dealt with electronics for a bit.
My problem with them was the difference in material components compared to what I read here and in the book by Toll, which is very good, but deserves some tweaks - for newbie readers who did not take physics etc in school or who have not dealt with electronics for a bit.
flippy
1 MW
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 2,351
bobbill said:
shortcomings as in stupid high prices, denting the cells, very poor contact pressure, little surface area, disconnecting cells due to movement from heat, wear and shocks just to name a few from the top of my head....
there is no reason at all to recommend a system built on plastic friction, especially not in a device that moves.
bobbill
100 W
Gee, all that? Seriously, looked over lots of reviews, never read about dents and loose cells...every time I turn around, it is something else, maybe I should get the other ones...no tops etc and just spot-weld...
Appreciate it. Might just do different plastic things. I do have a rule..."Simple is best in the beginning and always later..." Guess the red/blue thingy gets complicated. Now will try the black ones, if I can procure faster.
Appreciate it. Might just do different plastic things. I do have a rule..."Simple is best in the beginning and always later..." Guess the red/blue thingy gets complicated. Now will try the black ones, if I can procure faster.
docw009
10 MW
I've seen two threads where owners have found at least one cell not making contact in a Vruzend group, Doesn't seem all that bad until you realize when one cell floats away, you lose 25% and 33% of the rated AH for a 4P and 3P battery. Those intermittent groups quickly unbalance, as they drain faster. The whole pack is screwed up after two or three usages. At least you can recover it.
People who are fairly careful and then mount their batteries so they don't get shaken seem to do OK though. If your 10S-3P is almost a foot long, that's kind of bulky.
People who are fairly careful and then mount their batteries so they don't get shaken seem to do OK though. If your 10S-3P is almost a foot long, that's kind of bulky.
bobbill
100 W
Thanks...have similar visions...will likely do as I said, even if it takes long due to slow shipping, and better order before tariffs are imposed.
flippy
1 MW
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 2,351
i got a customer that came to me to fix his battery pack. he had 300 GA cells in a vruzend holder pack (costed a pretty penny) and i had to toss about 60 of those cells because they had massive dents. had to tell the guy he needed to spend another 300 bucks to buy new cells to replace the dented ones because they were unsafe and i cant weld on concave terminals.
Similar threads
