ChopperMan wrote:I don't see any calculations or allowances for BMS, enclosures and vehicle integration?
I take your point Ian, I guess it is the difference between the cost of the system on the left side of my spreadsheet and the ball-park TS and HP numbers for a similar sized system... so... that would be... best get the calculator out....
More seriously:
- vehicle integration: well, each of such projects is pretty much a unique event and in my naivety I'm not sure what that means really. My controller needs a red and a black wire connected to it.
In fact, an advantage of a system that
does break up into lots of cells is that integrating them round the car is, I think, going to be more flexible (not necessarily easier though)
- enclosures: indeed it would be nice to have my cells come very modular and not too DIY. The Zebra would have been great - one box, two wires? A what cost though... With relatively modest requirements to put the cells in my car, I don't see I'll have much more work than if what I had bought came already "bundled". I might have to learn to weld, though...
- BMS: indeed a serious subject. The HP
charger at least should manage the balancing correctly, albeit it is not a complete BMS. I've seen a few TS systems that appear to have a BMS though. Overall the costs I've had quoted are compatible with what I've said above, however.
I would add another caveat: performance. The performance of these systems is clearly not equal. But that's difficult to quantify and obviously depends a lot on what is required for the vehicle.
To anyone in general who is a bit shocked I placed the numbers on my site: when I was looking for information on this very important investment, information on what was available and where to go was really hard to find. (several distributors were very helpful, several not). Prices of course will vary and so what I found, last summer, isn't a perfect guide to what you can expect today, or even then. But at least there's a range of choices that I think might help someone think, contact dealers, ask questions, and then decide what they want to do: stick to lead acids, by a modular box, or try DIY LiFePo...