Bus Bars on batteries [RE-wrenches]

Tom Elliot telliot at wagonmaker.com
Mon Sep 17 11:23:53 PDT 2001


Bill,

My original post and my installation are not about battery *interconnects*
but about the connections between batteries (or series connected batteries)
and a *main buss* (see http://www.wagonmaker.com/newbatt.html to see what I
mean).  In my installation the series pairs are interconnected with 1/0
cables and the pairs are connected to the main buss with 1/0 cables.  It
isn't about stress on battery terminals or replacing cables it is about the
wiring scheme itself.

A main buss is designed as the central connection point for all series
strings in order to eliminate the parallel battery connections that are a
weak point in battery banks.

We've all known for a long time that too many paralleled series strings is
not good.  What surprises me now is that we could think that *any* parallel
connected series strings are a good idea.  If a parallel connection is good
then it should be no problem for any number of series strings.  By limiting
ourselves to only 3 or 4 parallel strings we are keeping the problems at a
low enough level that they don't show up right away.

It seems to me that we can just eliminate the problem entirely by
eliminating any parallel strings and connecting the batteries and inverter
together through a main buss that evenly distributes charge/discharge across
all the series strings.

Tom


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Brooks" <billbrooks7 at earthlink.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 5:31 AM
Subject: RE: Bus Bars on batteries [RE-wrenches]


> Bob,
>
> In my mind the issue is whether the busbar was designed to be used with
that
> particular battery. Since the only battery systems to be listed are UPSs,
> anything we do with batteries could probably be challenged by an
inspector.
>
> My personal preference is flexible cables like those that Trace sells. The
> key benefit of flexibility is that it does not stress the battery
terminals.
> Busbars and rigid cables can stress terminals unless they have been
designed
> as part of a system where terminal stress has been considered in the
> engineered design.
>
> Our industry is in desperate need of listed battery systems. It will make
> inspection much more straightforward.
>
> Bill.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bob Ellison, Alternative Energy Systems [mailto:ellison at gisco.net]
> > Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 7:36 AM
> > To: RE-wrenches
> > Subject: Bus Bars on batteries [RE-wrenches]
> >
> >
> > Can anyone tell me where in article 690 of the NEC that bus bars are
> > excluded from use in home power systems?
> > I had a discussion with a telecom designer and they use them all the
time.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Bob
> >
> >
> > RE. Ellison
> > Supplier of;
> > Diesel Generators &
> > Alternative Energy Systems & Supplies
> > 34642 Countryman Road
> > Theresa, NY. USA
> >                               13691-2076
> >
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