new NiFe battery bank avaib, orignal buyer ???

[plataoplomo]

The spec is nearly impossible to achieve with a modest setup

Thank you very much.

[Higher-Ground Farm]

Is that just a regular 3/4" copper pipe you are using? What are you tinning it with, just regular lead? Great Photos!

[Mike90250]

Is that just a regular 3/4" copper pipe you are using? What are you tinning it with, just regular lead? Great Photos!

I forgot what size pipe it was, 3/4 or 1", I had to go up 1 size from my prototype, to not punch the hole through 95% of the meat, it was the thicker, underground rated rigid copper in 10 foot sticks, not coiled thinwall tubing. It was about 50/50 tin lead, used a couple rolls of electrical solder and a block of plumbers lead, lots of wire brush inside and out, and lots of flux. Then a good wash to get the acid based flux out, and flattened and tinned again, Still look like new now,
If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing !

[Higher-Ground Farm]

Good job. I made my own battery lugs out of copper pipe, I never thought of tinning them. I guess that is a good way to stave off corrosion. Lugs are damn expensive.

[plataoplomo]

commissioning was months light/no loads, and 40amps solar charge.

I remember reading somewhere that back in the day in L/A cells the "forming charge" was really critical.

I am wondering if a similar situation exists with Nickel cells?

Have you ever run your bank down and measured the capacity?

[Mike90250]

from what I recall,, it's slow with NiFe if you can't hith them hard, but it does not damage them. And I'm living on them, not able to flatten them to measure capacity, But last year when I increased absorb time, I saw a big increase in voltage hold overnight, and much better this winter

[inetdog]

Not the same chemistry, but in early development of cylindrical NiCd batteries the military did an overcharge test on some 2 AH D cells. After months of 1C charging (with cooling) they tested them and found they now had 10AH cells.

[Sunking]

Good job. I made my own battery lugs out of copper pipe, I never thought of tinning them. I guess that is a good way to stave off corrosion. Lugs are damn expensive.

Corrosion should never be an issue if treated and terminated properly. You need to discover NO-OX-ID A Special and learn how to use it. There are 40 year old battery plants out there with absolutely no corrosion issues.

[plataoplomo]

commissioning was months light/no loads, and 40amps solar charge.

Hello,

I presume that you have a 40 cell bank of NiFe cells. Correct?

Do you happen to remember, roughly, what your NiFe cell voltage was at the end of your long commissioning cycle?

Thank you

[Mike90250]

no, I don't have that info. On good news, my bank still is going strong, but it's still drinking distilled water like a camel.

[plataoplomo]

Thank you