How to build a LiFePo4 battery bank.

StirCrazy wrote:

time2roll wrote:

Itinerant1 wrote:
If the heating pads are wired directly to the batteries terminal and if needing them because the actual cells are below 32f and not the ambient temp how would a generator help unless you have a heater cube plugged into it throwing heat to the compartment.

Are you going to add extra insulation on the walls/ floor to help keep heat in and cold out during the colder months if using them during that period?

Heaters will be wired on the load side of the BMS. If the load side is powered by generator, solar or vehicle, the power will go to the battery heater.

Insulation will not be added unless it seems to be needed. Most camping is in fair weather. Not intended to be a north pole expedition vehicle. Just some minimal protection for a mild cold snap.

I think everyone is going on about a mute issue, unless the batteries are totaly dead then just the charging is going to be cut off at 32 degree ish, the discharge will still be available so the heating pads will work untill it gets down to a heck of a lot colder. if you insulate good around the batteries you may never come to this as the discharge from using/charging the batteries will create there own internal heat and with the right insulation it might be enough to keep them above zero down to a pretty cold temp, but that just theory...

Steve

I was thinking about this at work, and I may be wrong... it all depends on the BMS and how it is configured for the internal pass through of power. if it is just one line then the cold weather will kill the whole battery, but if they spent some money and used diods and did two internal paths then you could controle charging and discharge independently. I guess we would have to dig into the BMS construction to know for sure...

Steve