making a battery

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  • ahdiofreak
    Junior Member
    • Aug 2018
    • 13

    making a battery

    I have purchased 28 Headway 38120hp to build a 12v battery. I'm having a hard time understanding how to and what to use for balancing cells since I read a lot about people balancing cells with setups higher then 12v. I understand the dangers of lithium, which is why I want to understand what I'm doing before I do anything with charging or grouping the batteries. What do you guys use for balancing batteries? And tips on where I should start with this project would be great.

    Link to the datasheet http://www.akkuenergiesysteme.de/app...ifications.pdf

  • jflorey2
    Solar Fanatic
    • Aug 2015
    • 2331

    #2
    Originally posted by ahdiofreak
    I have purchased 28 Headway 38120hp to build a 12v battery. I'm having a hard time understanding how to and what to use for balancing cells since I read a lot about people balancing cells with setups higher then 12v. I understand the dangers of lithium, which is why I want to understand what I'm doing before I do anything with charging or grouping the batteries. What do you guys use for balancing batteries? And tips on where I should start with this project would be great.
    What are you going to do with it?

    Comment

    • Sunking
      Solar Fanatic
      • Feb 2010
      • 23301

      #3
      This is funny stuff.
      MSEE, PE

      Comment

      • BoloMKXXVIII
        Member
        • Jun 2018
        • 51

        #4
        It will be very difficult for anyone to give useful feedback without knowing what you are planning on doing. Having a detailed plan should be the first step before purchasing anything.

        Comment

        • J.P.M.
          Solar Fanatic
          • Aug 2013
          • 14920

          #5
          Originally posted by Sunking
          This is funny stuff.
          Yea, I kind of suspected something like this might happen from reading the OP's first post.

          Comment

          • Sunking
            Solar Fanatic
            • Feb 2010
            • 23301

            #6
            Originally posted by J.P.M.

            Yea, I kind of suspected something like this might happen from reading the OP's first post.
            He is a Stoner. Pass the bong please.

            MSEE, PE

            Comment

            • ahdiofreak
              Junior Member
              • Aug 2018
              • 13

              #7
              It is will be used as a battery in my car stereo setup. I got the cells for a good price, so they can be sold easily if im not able to use them since I did purchase them without actually having a plan.

              Comment

              • goodoleme
                Junior Member
                • Jun 2017
                • 21

                #8
                I did not know they made class a amps anymore for cars! Did you get a Krell and a inverter?

                Comment

                • phazaar
                  Junior Member
                  • Aug 2018
                  • 10

                  #9
                  Gosh the naysayers on this forum...

                  This is pretty simple tbh, and LiFePO4 is basically the safest battery chemistry going, so don't worry so much.

                  You'll need a 4S setup. This'll get you to ~13V. To do that you have two options:

                  1) 7 4S cells in parallel. You'll need to balance all of the cells in series, so you'll need 7 balancers.

                  2) 7 cells in parallel, connected in series 4 times. You'll only need one balancer here, however you'll be trusting the individual cells in each parallel set to balance each other. Truth be told, I wouldn't worry about this in such a cheap pack. You can always pick up replacement cells if you kill any.

                  Balancing's controversial. Plenty of people don't see it as necessary, suggesting you bottom balance the pack instead, charge them until the first cell reaches 'full', and then use these two voltages as your 'top and bottom' thresholds, assuming the batteries will deteriorate more or less in line with each other. You've got a small pack here (about 56Ah) and I'd be inclined to do it like this too. Alternatively, build out the option #2 pack and get a single active balancer (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3S-t...950876697.html) which will just keep on balancing the pack forever.

                  Alternatively, get a BMS that'll do it for you. If your current draw isn't huge you could do this, but depending on how utterly absurd your audio setup is, this might not be an option.

                  Good luck!

                  Comment

                  • SunEagle
                    Super Moderator
                    • Oct 2012
                    • 15123

                    #10
                    Originally posted by phazaar
                    Gosh the naysayers on this forum...

                    This is pretty simple tbh, and LiFePO4 is basically the safest battery chemistry going, so don't worry so much.

                    You'll need a 4S setup. This'll get you to ~13V. To do that you have two options:

                    1) 7 4S cells in parallel. You'll need to balance all of the cells in series, so you'll need 7 balancers.

                    2) 7 cells in parallel, connected in series 4 times. You'll only need one balancer here, however you'll be trusting the individual cells in each parallel set to balance each other. Truth be told, I wouldn't worry about this in such a cheap pack. You can always pick up replacement cells if you kill any.

                    Balancing's controversial. Plenty of people don't see it as necessary, suggesting you bottom balance the pack instead, charge them until the first cell reaches 'full', and then use these two voltages as your 'top and bottom' thresholds, assuming the batteries will deteriorate more or less in line with each other. You've got a small pack here (about 56Ah) and I'd be inclined to do it like this too. Alternatively, build out the option #2 pack and get a single active balancer (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3S-t...950876697.html) which will just keep on balancing the pack forever.

                    Alternatively, get a BMS that'll do it for you. If your current draw isn't huge you could do this, but depending on how utterly absurd your audio setup is, this might not be an option.

                    Good luck!
                    If someone comes onto this forum with an idea that they have no experience or understanding it is our responsibility to make sure they do not do something that can hurt them or others.

                    Building a battery (any chemistry) from parts without a background in the science can be very dangerous to the novice.

                    One wrong action could cause a fire or an uncontrolled release of energy from a storage component.

                    Comment

                    • jflorey2
                      Solar Fanatic
                      • Aug 2015
                      • 2331

                      #11
                      Originally posted by ahdiofreak
                      It is will be used as a battery in my car stereo setup. I got the cells for a good price, so they can be sold easily if im not able to use them since I did purchase them without actually having a plan.
                      Building a battery is not something you can do without some knowledge and experience. Without that, you risk damaging the cells (best case) and a fire (worst case.) I'd recommend two approaches:

                      1) Find a friend with lots of experience/knowledge and have him build it. You may have to buy him lots of beer and/or pizza.

                      2) Sell the cells and get a battery like the Thundersky that comes built-out as a 12V battery.

                      Comment

                      • ahdiofreak
                        Junior Member
                        • Aug 2018
                        • 13

                        #12
                        Originally posted by goodoleme
                        I did not know they made class a amps anymore for cars! Did you get a Krell and a inverter?
                        They make class a/b amps for full range and class D for bass. And bass is what im mostly worried about because it draws the most current. I do not know what a krell is and no I don't have an inverter

                        Comment

                        • ahdiofreak
                          Junior Member
                          • Aug 2018
                          • 13

                          #13
                          Originally posted by phazaar
                          Gosh the naysayers on this forum...

                          This is pretty simple tbh, and LiFePO4 is basically the safest battery chemistry going, so don't worry so much.

                          You'll need a 4S setup. This'll get you to ~13V. To do that you have two options:

                          1) 7 4S cells in parallel. You'll need to balance all of the cells in series, so you'll need 7 balancers.

                          2) 7 cells in parallel, connected in series 4 times. You'll only need one balancer here, however you'll be trusting the individual cells in each parallel set to balance each other. Truth be told, I wouldn't worry about this in such a cheap pack. You can always pick up replacement cells if you kill any.

                          Balancing's controversial. Plenty of people don't see it as necessary, suggesting you bottom balance the pack instead, charge them until the first cell reaches 'full', and then use these two voltages as your 'top and bottom' thresholds, assuming the batteries will deteriorate more or less in line with each other. You've got a small pack here (about 56Ah) and I'd be inclined to do it like this too. Alternatively, build out the option #2 pack and get a single active balancer (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3S-t...950876697.html) which will just keep on balancing the pack forever.

                          Alternatively, get a BMS that'll do it for you. If your current draw isn't huge you could do this, but depending on how utterly absurd your audio setup is, this might not be an option.

                          Good luck!
                          I will look into the active balancer, thanks! Even though these cells are cheap to replace and easy to get at the moment, I don't want to risk damaging any of the cells. At my level of car audio, there can and will be a high amounts of discharge going on rapidly. So a cell or more (especially lithium, have you seen vape batteries explode?) leaking or exploding, in a vehicle is not safe lol It could damage my equipment, or even worse catch my car on fire. A BMS would not do good with car audio, but I do plan on getting some cell logs to monitor each bank so I can see whats happening.

                          Comment

                          • ahdiofreak
                            Junior Member
                            • Aug 2018
                            • 13

                            #14
                            Originally posted by jflorey2
                            Building a battery is not something you can do without some knowledge and experience. Without that, you risk damaging the cells (best case) and a fire (worst case.) I'd recommend two approaches:

                            1) Find a friend with lots of experience/knowledge and have him build it. You may have to buy him lots of beer and/or pizza.

                            2) Sell the cells and get a battery like the Thundersky that comes built-out as a 12V battery.
                            If I had a friend that knew anything, I wouldn't have came here to bother you guys. Trust me. But if I need to leave or have too I will.

                            Comment

                            • ahdiofreak
                              Junior Member
                              • Aug 2018
                              • 13

                              #15
                              Originally posted by SunEagle

                              If someone comes onto this forum with an idea that they have no experience or understanding it is our responsibility to make sure they do not do something that can hurt them or others.

                              Building a battery (any chemistry) from parts without a background in the science can be very dangerous to the novice.

                              One wrong action could cause a fire or an uncontrolled release of energy from a storage component.
                              It is my responsibility to learn what I need to know before I start working on any DIY project, and its my own risk. And its my job to make sure I have the proper equipment to do whatever it is safely.

                              Comment

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