Tuesday 26 March 2013

Battery Box Design

Back into SketchUp to design a battery box. 
My first effort (Version 1) was based on 52 x 200Ahr batteries (166V) and used bars designed to fit through the corrugations in the batteries to hold them in.  This was to leave the tops of the batteries free from fittings other than the connections. 
Battery Box Ver 1 - In Situ
This arrangement fits very snugly into the front of the tray with the battery chargers fitted on the left and the contactors and BMS on the right.  The advantages of putting the chargers and contactors in the box is that the high voltage is contained within the battery box when the car is shut down. 
Battery Box Ver 1 - Frame
I think the design is too tight so I am working on Version 2 based on 180Ahr batteries, probably 58 or 60 depending on how they fit.  These batteries are slightly taller and I am hoping to gain some floor space at the cost of some height. The 180Ahr batteries should still fit in the tray without obstructing the rear window from the cab.   The higher battery voltage (approx 196V) is within the specifications of all the components I have bought so far with the exception of the water heater.  If the higher voltage turns out to be a problem I will connect the elements in series and operate the unit at a lower power output. 

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