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

[Mike90250]

After 7 nearly trouble free years, I had a shoulder replacement, and while it's doing good, I decided to do the electrolyte and be good for 10+ years.

Remembering the weight (about 80# each) and the 40 batteries, I decided to build a jig to hold and invert them for draining. It worked out really well, I made a cradle and drilled 2 holes for the axle in a cider press (which is now really clean !) The cradle has a rope handle to start the lift and rotation, and at the top is a rope to prevent over-rotation. the bad juice goes into a bucket, then emptied into a couple of olive barrels.
But taking it all apart, mixing up 90 gallons of lye, dumping the old, cleaning the batteries, and the next step - putting it all back together. Going to take about 3 or 4 more days, between the fires and smoke here, and the 90+ heat, I can only do a couple of hours with help. Started at 6am, while it was still cold and had to knock off at 11am. For the last 4 days !
So, I've got a sacrificial bank of 4, G27 marine batteries basically on float daylight hours and i fire up a honda eu2000 to put-put all night to keep the batteries up. 90ah is not going to last long if the gas runs out.
more pics later & at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=1988b7f97a

20180801_080750.png

[Sunking]

Mike I really admire your creativeness and abilities. You would make an excellent redneck like myself where you depend on anyone., or take any crap from anyone.

[J.P.M.]

[QUOTE=Sunking;n381760]Mike I really admire your creativeness and abilities. You would make an excellent redneck like myself where you depend on anyone., or take any crap from anyone./QUOTE]

But even with the glove, a lousy Michael Jackson celebrity look alike.

[sdold]

I don't think that's Mike. Mike, I followed your link and was really impressed, that system you came up with is pure genius
.

[Mike90250]

PS - the fellow in the photo is Fred B, an ultra reliable hard worker, and smart too. He came up with the idea for the safety rope at the top, to let the battery rest and drain, all hands off.
This AM, I got all the cells refilled with magic battery juice (Koh & Lithium ) and am now starting in on cleaning up the terminals and re-coating with them with vaseline.20180803_094848.png

[Sunking]

Question is would you do it again with hind site? I mean use NiFe.

Reason I ask is because if I were to go that route I would have used wet NiCd to get around some of the pitfalls of NiFe like low C rates, efficiency, and availability of chemicals and factory support.

[Mike90250]

Would i do it again ?
yes
NiCad is too much of a toxic mess
FLA is a constant worry, over charge, under charge. NiFe, I pretty much ignore except for adding water. Bank is large enough to not worry about damage, as long as plates are covered

In 10 years, when change out needs to be done again. I don't know. That's a younger mans job. I'm still not done with it yet, cleaning up the hardware, new vaseline on all the metal, bolting up 170 connections (dual terminals on the batteries). In 8 years, I may start looking for a Li "powerwall" to use, instead of the electrolyte change out.

[SunEagle]

Would i do it again ?
yes
NiCad is too much of a toxic mess
FLA is a constant worry, over charge, under charge. NiFe, I pretty much ignore except for adding water. Bank is large enough to not worry about damage, as long as plates are covered

In 10 years, when change out needs to be done again. I don't know. That's a younger mans job. I'm still not done with it yet, cleaning up the hardware, new vaseline on all the metal, bolting up 170 connections (dual terminals on the batteries). In 8 years, I may start looking for a Li "powerwall" to use, instead of the electrolyte change out.

How about a used EV battery?

[Mike90250]

How about a used EV battery?

We'll see what's there in 10 years

[J.P.M.]

Please pass along to Fred B. : My wife thinks he's hot.

[Mike90250]

Please pass along to Fred B. : My wife thinks he's hot.

Are you trying to get rid of her ? Fred will get a kick out of this.

[littleharbor]

Take my wife, please.jpg

[J.P.M.]

Are you trying to get rid of her ? Fred will get a kick out of this.

No, but thinking about it, it might be the other way around.

Reality: SWMBO & I have a deal. Doesn't matter where you get your appetite as long as you're home for dinner. Or, you don't have to eat at the restaurant, but you can always peruse the menu. We're married, not dead.

But that's not to say Fred's reduced to the equivalent of a roast beef sandwich either. No disrespect intended.

Best to Fred.

[Garrett]

[littleharbor]

Some threads around here run their course, then lose focus, others outright Crash and Burn.