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View Full Version : Securing LiFePO4 batteries from elements



tlxreed
04-23-08, 04:47 PM
After my last thread, I pretty much established that I'm getting a 15ah 48V LiFePO4 battery from a seller on eBay.

What I'm wondering now is how are people securing these batteries from theft and weather? The dimensions are 6" tall by 4.5" wide by 11" long. There's also a yellow envelope that contains the BMS as far as I can tell.

I'm riding a recumbent which has under seat pannier racks. I can suspend things between the racks under the seat, a convenient place for this to go. I don't want it sticking up on the rear rack.

I'm thinking I could have acrylic cut to the right dimensions and glue up a waterproof box for it with an opening for the wiring to exit. Is heat a factor on these batteries like it is for NIMH chemistry? Am I going to need some kind of cooling factor inside the container?

Any ideas on containers are helpful.

Once I get the battery I'm going to want to get going and not be scratching my head wondering how to protect it.

karma
04-23-08, 05:41 PM
no problems so far, heat is not a problem. only thing i did to the bms was add a heatsink to the fets. and if you get the size of the box right the battery should slide right in snug. i bolted the box to the bike still no movement.


http://64.231.96.253/pictures/pingping%20battery/index.html

cheers

tlxreed
04-24-08, 06:23 AM
Okay, that looks like a home built box. Can you give some details of how you put it together? How do you access the battery if you need to get to it?

karma
04-24-08, 09:47 AM
lexan is a softer plastic so i just drilled holes and used wood screws, thay hold great. plexyglass would crack if i tried to use wood screws. never needed to access the battery yet. if i need to just remove 4 screws and remove the side or top. i also installed the fuse inside a bad idea on my part. if i did it again i would add the fuse outside.

took about a half hour to build. plexyglass and lexan can be cut on a table saw. use glasses.
i dont have a pdf or any planes on paper it was all free hand, i dont think i even used a Tape Measure
i eyeballed the cuts :)



cheers