This is my current CAD mockup of how I will package a group of six Nissan Leaf modules. I have 48 total modules from a Leaf battery, so I will have eight of them to distribute throughout my truck’s battery bays. I also have a CAD model of that:
Unfortunately, my existing Lead Acid (golf cart battery) bays are not tall enough to mount them vertically, so I am having to lay them sideways. This results in terminals being relatively close together in the two side bays. (I’ll probably slide a sheet of plastic between the two batteries after I get them installed to make it more difficult to drop a wrench down there and short things out. It’s only 32 volts total potential, but a lot of Amps!)
If you would like to know the specifications of a single module (and some people have asked) here is what I know:
From: http://www.electricvehiclewiki.com/?title=Battery_specs
Confirmed by Jay with a 2013 Nissan Leaf module.
lm_width=223; // mm – 8.7795 inches (measured 222 – 8.75 inches)
lm_length = 303; // mm – 11.9291 inches (measured 298.45 or 11.75 inches)
lm_thickness = 34; // mm – 1.3779 inches (measured 34- 1.3333 when compressed)
lm_weight = 3.8; // kGrams, or 8.3775 lbs
The power “bolt blocks” are 20×20 mm in size, and I modeled them around 1 inch in height. But, this height includes the space for a bolt head and a busbar on the top. In the CAD model I made them one inch tall, but in real life they are slightly shorter than that. The “bolt blocks” for the sense terminals in the middle are slightly smaller (18×18 mm) but the same height. So if you download my CAD model (link below) keep in mind that the top of the bolt blocks on the module includes a little extra wiggle room. The CAD software I use is OpenSCAD, which you can download for free. The file itself is human readable text.
BatteryPacks.scad (You may have to rename it from BatteryPacks.scad.txt to BatteryPacks.scad )
Sir, I got a silly question. is there any negative effect mounting the batteries in a different direction than the original setup. Meaning mounting them vertically vs horizontally. I believe you cannot do it on the lithium Ferrite batteries. I don’t know much about these. Thank you
It is my belief that with the prismatic pouch cells, you can orient them in any direction.
In my particular situation, 24 (of the 48) batteries in the original Leaf pack were on their sides, just like I have them mounted in my truck, so I am 100% certain that the orientation I’m using is perfectly fine. The other 24 were mounted “flat” in the original leaf batteries.
So the only orientation that wasn’t already used in the leaf pack is “upright” and “upside down” (terminals straight up or down), but I suspect that those orientations would also be perfectly fine.
I would love to know your charge controller settings. I have 14 in a 6s config but im still strugeling on where are the safe voltage (low voltage disconnect, and max safe charge voltage)
I charge each cell to 4.1 volts max (8.2 per module). According to the manufacturer 4.2 vpc (8.4 per module) is the “absolute maximum” high voltage.
I try not to get close to the LVC, but my miniBMS modules trigger around 3.3-3.4 volts.