ZS Battery pack - £5,500

Cocijo

Cocijo

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Sounds like a good way to get electrocuted to me. I have professional experience working with high voltage DC. The majority of home storage batteries, including mine, are 48volt - which is considered the boundary between low & high voltage. Our ZS EV batteries are over 400 volts and designed for one purpose - use in an EV. Could they be made to work with a home storage system? Yes. Would be a sensible thing to do and be covered by your insurance? No. Could it kill you? Yes.

Be warned. This sort of stuff should be admired and respected from a distance!
 
Isn’t it current (amps) that can kill you? I’m far from an expert. We used to get shocks from older ICE cars HV ignition systems (I think very high voltage - 20,000volts?) and although painful not fatal! I guess the Average HV EV battery pack must also pack quite a bit of current.
 
When I repaired SWMBO's Prius battery, there was an isolator connector on it that you pulled to split the pack into two 110v halves, so I assumed 110v DC would be the safe limit to not kill you.
I would think there will be something similar on EV batteries.
 
Cocijo said:
Isn’t it current (amps) that can kill you? I’m far from an expert. We used to get shocks from older ICE cars HV ignition systems (I think very high voltage - 20,000volts?) and although painful not fatal! I guess the Average HV EV battery pack must also pack quite a bit of current.
Click to expand...
Sort of. Firstly, an HT shock isn’t able to source much current - enough to hurt a lot yes, but the current falls dramatically as it can’t be maintained. Secondly, the HT shock is a burst, which starts & stops - your muscles therefore get a chance to relax and you can let go.

With the 400 volts, it can source a massive current unlike the HT shock, it’s also constant and once you’ve grabbed hold your muscles can’t let go.

Given the choice, I’d much rather have the HT belt which would hurt like hell than a probably fatal EV shock. Hence the bright orange conduit on the HV cabling within EVs - it’s a warning …..
 
Lincs Robert said:
Sounds like a good way to get electrocuted to me. I have professional experience working with high voltage DC. The majority of home storage batteries, including mine, are 48volt - which is considered the boundary between low & high voltage. Our ZS EV batteries are over 400 volts and designed for one purpose - use in an EV. Could they be made to work with a home storage system? Yes. Would be a sensible thing to do and be covered by your insurance? No. Could it kill you? Yes.

Be warned. This sort of stuff should be admired and respected from a distance!
Click to expand...
That’s just made me think, what voltage output are each of the 9 cell packs... the high voltage is achieved as they’re used in series?

4.2v each X 12cells in a pack is 50.4v

I know nothing much about home storage batteries, but Im guessing that these could be used in that case - keeping each cell pack together. I’m not suggesting doing it btw lol!
 
Kithmo said:
When I repaired SWMBO's Prius battery, there was an isolator connector on it that you pulled to split the pack into two 110v halves, so I assumed 110v DC would be the safe limit to not kill you.
I would think there will be something similar on EV batteries.
Click to expand...
Er, no. 110v DC should be considered to be probably fatal. DC is used a lot in the petrochemical industry, with a limit of 48v unless special precautions are taken. The 110v power tool transformers that builders use, are actually 55 0 55, admittedly AC. Similarly on board ships its + & - either side of the hull‘s zero reference.

Working on DC is fine as long as precautions are taken and you know what you are doing - if neither are true then the risks are very high …….
 
JodyS21 said:
That’s just made me think, what voltage output are each of the 9 cell packs... the high voltage is achieved as they’re used in series?

4.2v each X 12cells in a pack is 50.4v

I know nothing much about home storage batteries, but Im guessing that these could be used in that case - keeping each cell pack together. I’m not suggesting doing it btw lol!
Click to expand...
The cell packs are arranged in series/parallel to give 48 v. I have multiple 48v batteries in parallel, each having a capacity of 2.4kWh, and providing 19.2kWh in total ……
 
Aren’t modern ICE cars ignition system voltage/amps also quite dangerous?
 
Cocijo said:
Aren’t modern ICE cars ignition system voltage/amps also quite dangerous?
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30 years ago i had a land rover and it was spluttering, flipped the bonnet and thought oh a HT lead is dangling. It's rubber coated what's the worst that can happen.

I can still remember my version of the moonwalk until this very day.

For reference a taser is 50,000 volts but only 26mA, and you know how incapacitating that is.
So a 360amp? battery might fry your ear holes.
 
Lincs Robert said:
The cell packs are arranged in series/parallel to give 48 v. I have multiple 48v batteries in parallel, each having a capacity of 2.4kWh, and providing 19.2kWh in total ……
Click to expand...
Interesting stuff.
At some point I’ll probably get solar panels and some storage capacity.
That is a lot of storage capacity you’ve got.
 
One of the salesmen on early visit to see one of the first ZS EV.
I asked him about how felt about now selling, then in turn, conducting / repairs on EV’s now ?.
He invited me outside and pointed in the direction of the workshop.
The then told me that one or two bays had been converted for EV repairs only.
He then pointed out, that there was a large non conductive pole with a hook on one end, hanging on the wall of the workshop !.
That’s what I think about working on EV’s he said.
“Rather be selling them, then working on them”.
 
EV batttery packs are incredibly dangerous and not to be tampered with by anyone. I am not a mechanic but I wouldn't want to have to effect repairs on any EV battery system. As an electronics engineer I have dealt with many 3 phase mains supplies and at over 400v between phases that is quite dangerous enough thanks. But DC is ans added level of risk.
 
The other risk is burns.
Used to work in Telephone exchanges which used a 50V DC supply. Batteries were in parallel with the Mains to DC rectifiers. A medium exchange had an 3 * 400 amp rectifiers and the batteries could supply 20,000 amps.
Drop a spanner across the supply bus bars and it would be vaporised instantly.

For EV batteries to be repurposed they would need to be reconfigured at a factory using the right equipment.
 
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