Styrofoam on. Note, the pack is still very safe to touch.

The next component changes the game a bit. This is where we start connecting the batteries together with this "hat" assembly. I'm not touching two metal components at the same time any more. I'm using a socket wrench that is un-insulated. I don't recommend it. To be sure, I am very careful as I bolt each battery to the assembly.

 

The hat going on. Checking wires so that they aren't pinched. I flipped the pack up on end to make it easier to bolt up.

 

I checked and double-checked the bolts to be sure they were tight. Electricity doesn't like loose things! Aluminum spacers have to go in... four of them. Then the hat gets a hat. A second hat assembly lines up over the first. Four bolts around.

 

Thank you! Very interesting stuff and thanks for all the great detail and pics. You must have found the work very gratifying and interesting.Great job! H

 

I forgot to mention the switch above. The switch should remain off while working on the pack. It splits the pack voltage, basically putting a disconnect halfway through the pack. It doesn't guarantee you won't get shocked but it helps. I'm still very aware of the danger of electrocution here. No desire to test it.

Next we are bolting up the electrodes. There are two in particular that make me cautious because Honda took the time to put caps over the holes. I don't know about you, but that sends a signal to me. Extra care required. Let's not touch anything while we bolt that one down.

Don't forget to hook up those temperature sensors. Nice grooves in the plastic hat assemblies to run the wires through. Very clean and neat.

Pack complete!

 

Thanks Harold,

I think we'll stop here for tonight. It takes hours to get all this stuff uploaded. I'll try to finish tomorrow with the install into the car.

Night all!

Ross

 

Rossfree- your answer was a good one. I understand the issues you raised and agree. Just wondering you had thought through them and what you concluded.

When I Asked that question over on the Ford Escape Hybrid section all I got was crap answers.

So thanks for thinking through these things. You're on the money with your thinking.

Still I think that these will become replaceable in the future. *** you've shown these aren't rocket science.

BTW its OK to use uninsulated tools... just put an insulating mat under your feet and remember to let go of the wrench before you step off the mat.

 

Thanks for the mat solution Bill. Much safer way to go. A good thick rubber mat. What kind do you recommend Bill? H

 

Thank you Bill and Harold. And thanks to others reading this post. I'm glad someone is enjoying this with me.

I do have a correction Bill, on your thought about a rubber matt. I'm not a know-it-all, but I know this one. :-)

Electricity travels in a loop. For example, a battery post connected to a wire, through a light bulb and then back to the other battery post. It always comes back, some way, some how. Battery to wire to load (light bulb, motor, heater, etc...) to wire to battery. Always a loop.

The outlets in our home are earth grounded. That way, if a frayed wire touches the metal cabinet or cast-iron top of your tablesaw, or your metal dishwasher, or your big nasty amplifier, the grounded metal in that appliance takes that short directly to ground protecting you. The appliance has a wire screwed to the metal of the appliance. That wire is connected to the third prong plugged in to your outlet, and that third hole in the outlet is connected to the ground under your home. It's likely that a short would trip the circuit breaker in your home.

The loop here, is through the ground, because the source of electricity (the transformer on the telephone pole) is connected to the ground at the base of the pole. It is also connected to a copper rod pounded into the ground where the electricity enters your house. It is also likely connected to the copper pipes in your home. Redundancy for safety. Lots of grounds.

Our batteries are not connected to the ground. There's no loop there. You could be standing waist deep in your swimming pool and touch one of the poles of the battery with 150 volts and nothing would happen (try not to drop the battery in the pool!).

How about a car? Your car is connected to the negative side of its 12 volt battery. That simplifies the wiring in your car. It only takes one wire connected to the positive terminal of your battery and attached to a light bulb to make it work, because the other side of the light bulb can be connected to the metal of the car. There's your loop.

You can stand on wet pavement and touch the battery post on your car battery, either battery post, and nothing happens (not that it would at a low 12 volts... remember 24 is the magic number). The battery is not connected to the earth. No loop.

So the loop when working on the hybrid battery would be from battery post positive to battery post negative. When bolting the batteries up to the molded hat, you are slowly attatching more and more cells together... 14 volts, 28 volts, 42 volts, etc... Touching the wrong two bolts could connect you to 79 volts or better (worse). The metal tool tightening the bolts is not dangerous in itself. But if you dropped it across two bolts or held it one hand to tighten one bolt while you accidentally touched another bolt with your other hand, or your elbow or whatever else you may have protruding from your person at the time, and watch the sparks fly!

But you could do it standing barefoot on a wet floor. No problem. Just don't stand on the wet floor and play with a chineese battery charger plugged into the wall!

Not knowing which bolts are connected to which batteries, I treat them all as though they could each electrocute me. One way that could have been much safer would have been for me to put a plastic sheet over the entire "hat" with a single hole in it. Then I could have put the bolts on one at a time through the hole and not likely touch any other bolt or electrode. Come to think about it... that's how I will do it next time!

I hope that sheds some light on things.

Regards!

Ross

 

Ross,

Thanks for posting all your info, pictures, and insights. It's not something I would attempt to do, but I'm sure it will be helpful to others who are willing and able to tackle a technical job such as this.

Good luck with your battery pack; I hope it serves you well with no problems.