DIY Lithium Batteries: How to Build Your Own Battery Packs
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DIY Lithium Batteries How to Build Your Own Battery Packs Written by Micah Toll Copyright © 2017 by Micah L. Toll All rights reserved. Except for noncommercial uses as permitted under US copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews. For permission requests, email to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at [email protected]. Trademark notice: Products, companies or corporate names referenced in this book may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification purposes without any intent to infringe upon the rights of the trademark holders. To my wife Sapir, who tolerates me more than anybody should have to… Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Uses for lithium batteries How lithium battery cells work Chapter 2: Form factors of lithium cells Pouch cells Prismatic cells Cylindrical cells Chapter 3: Types of lithium cells Lithium ion (Li-ion) Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4 or li-manganese) Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO2, li-co or li-cobalt) Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2 or NMC) Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (LiNiCoAlO2, NCA, or NCR) Lithium polymer (li-poly or lipo or RC lipo) Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) General lithium battery cell summary Chapter 4: Sourcing lithium battery cells Buying new cells Using salvaged cells Buying used electric vehicle battery modules Chapter 5: Cell ratings Capacity Maximum discharge rate C rate Maximum charge rate Maximum number of cycles Chapter 6: Combining lithium battery cells to make battery packs Increasing voltage using series connections Increasing capacity using parallel connections Combining series and parallel connections Chapter 7: Safety The danger of short circuits The effect of temperature on lithium cells Handling and storage Chapter 8: Battery Management Systems Why would a battery need a BMS? Disadvantages of a BMS Connecting a BMS Chapter 9: Construction methods Physically holding cells together Joining cells in series and parallel Cell-level fuses Chapter 10: Battery layout and design Voltage Capacity Maximum continuous current Choosing appropriate cells Current rating Cycle life Weight Size Safety Grouping cells in a battery Making different battery shapes Chapter 11: Making battery connections Safety considerations Cell matching Cell alignment and containment Bolted connections Wire connector connections Spot welded connections Series vs parallel connections Connecting the BMS Connecting charge and discharge wires Connecting the balance wires Adding a balance connector Performing final quality and performance checks Chapter 12: Sealing the battery Hard cases Heat shrink Cooling issues Chapter 13: Charging lithium batteries Constant Current, Constant Voltage charging Charging with a BMS Charging without a BMS Charging temperature Chapter 14: Increasing cycle life Charge to a lower maximum voltage Discharge to a higher minimum voltage Charge and discharge at lower currents Keep cells cool Chapter 15: Disposing of old lithium batteries Chapter 16: Example battery building projects 5V backup battery and USB device charger 12s RC lipo electric skateboard battery 10s (36 V) electric bicycle triangle battery 38s (120 V) LiFePO4 prismatic cell electric car battery 14s (52 V) 18650 home energy storage battery 4s (14.8 V) 18650 RC drone or FPV battery Conclusion References Index Safety disclaimer: Lithium batteries can be dangerous. They contain a large amount of energy in a small volume, and are specifically designed to release that energy quickly. When used properly, they can be a safe and efficient way to power nearly anything. However, when used improperly or carelessly, lithium batteries have the potential to cause devastating fires that can and have resulted in loss of property and life. This book is meant to be an educational guide. Please do not attempt to recreate anything you see in this book or on the internet without professional guidance and training. Always use proper safety equipment. Always engage in property safety practices. Never leave lithium batteries charging unattended. Always use your head, be smart and be safe. Chapter 1: Introduction Lithium batteries have existed in various forms since the 1970’s, and innovations in the 80’s and 90’s have led to the familiar lithium battery cells that we know today. Current research on lithium batteries has produced battery cells capable of extreme performance, for example, 100% recharging in just a few seconds. However, these current advances are strictly experimental and won’t see commercialization for many years, potentially decades. The information in this book covers the types of lithium batteries that are commercially available today and will likely remain available well into the future. Uses for lithium batteries Today, lithium batteries are used for a seemingly endless number of applications. They can be found everywhere from electric vehicles to NASA’s spacesuits. Due to their lightweight and energy dense properties, lithium batteries are perfect for an incredibly wide range of applications. In the past, lithium batteries were mostly used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for use in consumer products. These big manufacturers built lithium batteries suited to their needs for specific products or large clients. If a hobbyist wanted a battery size or shape that didn’t exist, he or she was out of luck. However, today there are many lithium batteries and cells that are readily available directly to consumers for use in, well, whatever we want! I was introduced to the world of custom lithium batteries during my time spent working in the do-it-yourself (DIY) electric bicycle industry. I have been building lithium batteries for electric bicycles for years, largely because the number and variety of lithium batteries available to the consumer market has always been frustratingly small. If I wanted a specific size battery pack but it didn’t already exist, I had no other choice than to make it myself. This opened up a whole new world to me. Suddenly, I could build batteries of any voltage, any capacity and most importantly, any size and shape that I wanted. But DIY lithium batteries aren’t only limited to the world of electric bicycles. There are thousands of applications for DIY lithium batteries! Even though electric cars are becoming increasingly available in the consumer market, it can still be cheaper (and more fun) to build your own. Many people convert all kinds of vehicles into electric vehicles, and they need batteries to do it. Unless you want to buy an expensive, purpose built electric car battery, you’ll need to know how to assemble your own large battery pack from lithium battery cells. Just like electric vehicles, home batteries are also becoming increasingly popular. A lithium battery in the back of your closet or hidden in your garage can power a house for days in the event of a power outage. They are also great for storing energy that has been generated on site, such as from solar panels or wind turbines. Home battery storage systems like the Tesla Powerwall are great OEM products, but you can still build your own custom system suited for your unique needs. All you need is the battery know-how! Drones, wearables, backup batteries, toys, robotics and countless other applications are all ripe for custom DIY lithium batteries. This book will teach you how to design and build lithium batteries for all of these uses and more. Prepare yourself, because by the time you finish this book, you are going to be full of knowledge and rearing to go out and power the world! How lithium battery cells work Despite undergoing years of research and development, the electrical and chemical processes that allow lithium battery cells to function is actually fairly simple. As lithium ion batteries are by far the most common form of lithium battery cells, we’ll take a look at how a typical cell works here. A lithium-ion cell is composed of four main parts: Cathode (or positive terminal) Anode (or negative terminal) Electrolyte Porous separator The cathode varies between different types of cells but is always a lithium compound mixed with other materials. The anode is almost always graphite, and sometimes includes trace amounts of other elements. The electrolyte is generally an organic compound containing lithium salts to transfer lithium ions. The porous separator allows lithium ions to pass through itself while still separating the anode and cathode within the cell. When the cell is discharged, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode by passing through the electrolyte. This discharges electrons on the anode side, powering the circuit and ultimately any device connected to the circuit. This process is demonstrated in the diagram below. When the cell is recharged, this process is reversed and the lithium ions pass back from the cathode to the anode, which is opposite to the diagram below. The actual process is quite simple. The major differences (and where things get more complicated) are in the shape of the cells and their slight chemical changes. We’ll cover all of that information in the next two chapters. Chapter 2: Form factors of lithium cells Lithium battery cells are available in a number of different form factors, yet their underlying construction is always the same. All lithium battery cells have a positive electrode (cathode), a negative electrode (anode), an electrolyte material and some type of porous separator in between that allows lithium ions to move between the cathode and the anode. We’ll talk about how changes in the chemistry of different li-ion cells can affect them in the next chapter. For now, the main difference between various shapes of lithium cells is the way they are assembled.