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NiFe Electrolyte Refurbishment/Replacement 8-20128 (& DIY battery inverter )

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  • #16
    Originally posted by littleharbor View Post



    Some threads around here run their course, then lose focus, others outright Crash and Burn.
    Don't like a post, or several, ignore it/them. If someone wants to get the thread back on track, they usually post something germane to the original topic of the thread.

    You got anything constructive to add with respect to NiFe electrolyte ?

    Comment


    • #17
      JPM, none whatsoever. Just adding to the humorous side of this post.
      Sorry if you didn't see it for what it was. Guess I should have used the Comic Sans font.
      2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by littleharbor View Post
        JPM, none whatsoever. Just adding to the humorous side of this post.
        Sorry if you didn't see it for what it was. Guess I should have used the Comic Sans font.
        Got it. Among other things, I've been accused more than once of sometimes taking myself all too seriously. I try to keep the persistence of such comments in mind. I just took a deep breath.

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by J.P.M. View Post

          Got it. Among other things, I've been accused more than once of sometimes taking myself all too seriously. I try to keep the persistence of such comments in mind. I just took a deep breath.
          .No worries.
          I'll use the correct font in the future when appropriate
          2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by SunEagle View Post
            How about a used EV battery?
            Should be a lot of them in 10 years. The local EV shop is already selling used 57 volt Tesla modules that would work nicely in a 48V system. (Assuming your charge controller will go all the way to 62 volts.)

            Comment


            • #21
              About 3:30 pm, I finished all the bolts and cable re-connections, and switched back to the NiFe bank. Mercifully, it was uneventful. (no earth shattering Ka-Boom )
              Re-programed all the chargers again, and we're charging back up to full power. Might take a couple days, got a lot of smoke blowing in, today was very hazy, but the haze may extend my charge time till 6pm from all the bright scattered ambient light.

              Off-sunlight hours, I keep the 4 marine batteries on float with a honda EU-2000, about 80 hours, and 8 gallons of fuel
              Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
              || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
              || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

              solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
              gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

              Comment


              • #22
                Hi Mike, first I will say I hope that the fires are not causing you immediate risk. We have them here too and there are shocking. I've just joined solar panel talk and I found you. A rare species that actually uses NiFe batteries. I'm embarking on an off grid build myself for retirement and I'm in a bit of a quandary about batteries. Despite all the bad stuff spoken about NiFe batteries I have been leaning in that direction for a while but the Lithium scenario is throwing a curved ball at me. Efficiency doesn't worry me a great deal as PV panels are now quite inexpensive and I intend to have a wind gen too as the site is quite favourable. It means that I can probably have less capacity and more input. I guess I'm asking would you still go with NiFe. Given your background I suspect your opinion is really worth having and you are after all walking the walk. I have a pretty useful skill set and watering etc. doesn't phase me too much and I think my 2nd leaning would be towards flooded lead. Gel etc seem to be for those that want to set and forget - generalisation I know. Any thoughts would be much appreciated, and I get that you are up to your eyeballs in chemicals at the moment so NO pressure, Best regards Dave.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Originally posted by Colesy View Post
                  ..... I get that you are up to your eyeballs in chemicals at the moment so NO pressure, Best regards Dave.
                  Well, the bank is back in operation, shoulder is sore from a day with the big torque wrench. I'm not sure I can perform another change out in 10 years, it's a job for 2 younger men, not an old fart with a replacement shoulder. Otherwise, I love not having to worry in the winter if they are charged enough to not sulfate. Panels ARE cheap, having installed the 2nd array for SWMBO morning toast, also provides an redundant array and CC.

                  The terminal bolts are 20mm with 30mm nuts:
                  20180805_080540.png

                  While bolting the tie links in, I left a couple out, so if something untoward happened, it would not have the whole bank behind it, and I also us a marine battery disconnect switch in the middle of the bank, by the door, as an emergency shutdown.

                  20180731_094659.png
                  Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                  || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                  || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                  solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                  gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Thanks for posting these, it's an impressive setup, especially compared to a lot of the hokey stuff I see on the web.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      It's one string, done mostly right, but so long, it wraps around the room.
                      Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                      || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                      || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                      solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                      gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Mike90250 View Post
                        I'm not sure I can perform another change out in 10 years, it's a job for 2 younger men, not an old fart with a replacement shoulder.

                        While bolting the tie links in, I left a couple out, so if something untoward happened, it would not have the whole bank behind it
                        2 very good ideas. Impressive but way more work than I would want to do. Bruce Roe

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          I'm sorry, I didn't catch where you may have said what prompted you to go ahead and change the electrolyte.

                          Is it just age/health concerns, meaning you are changing it while you are still able to? Or did you check the carbonate levels?

                          If you were to try and estimate, how much longer do you think the cells could safely continue to operate before really needing the electrolyte change?

                          Tom

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Originally posted by TPA View Post
                            I'm sorry, I didn't catch where you may have said what prompted you to go ahead and change the electrolyte.
                            Is it just age/health concerns, meaning you are changing it while you are still able to? Or did you check the carbonate levels?
                            If you were to try and estimate, how much longer do you think the cells could safely continue to operate before really needing the electrolyte change?
                            Tom
                            Yes.
                            7 years since install, and because of labor and health issues, I did the change-out now. Cells would have gone another 5 years, but with diminishing capacity and increasing water usage.

                            Since the changeout- I've not had to add water because of the restored efficiency.

                            Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                            || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                            || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                            solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                            gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              How many questions am I allowed? Because I have a few...

                              Let's start with this one...

                              Did you source the new electrolyte through your original supplier (BUF) if not do you mind saying who, and was the supplier helpful with instructions?

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Yes, I got the chemicals via the battery supplier, because now they cannot be sourced in california, and instructions were the same as the original fill.

                                So ask the questions in one post, 'cause I'm not going to do this piecemeal. I'll skip answers that I already covered in this thread.
                                Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                                || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                                || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                                solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                                gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                                Comment

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