ready to order fork truck battery

solarvic
solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
I am ready to order new fork truck battery. 635 amp 20 hr rate. Standard it comes with short #! cable with anderson connector. Battery seller said I can custom order it however I want it set up. He could leave flag terminals or put heaver wire with anderson connector. Would like suggestions and imput. I am thinking flag terminals. I have 2 sets of 4/0000 battery cables. What is best way to connect the terminals to battery? Solarvic
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  • mikeo
    mikeo Solar Expert Posts: 386 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery
    What is best way to connect the terminals to battery
    If you already have long enough 4/0 cables with appropriate connectors, then I would go with the flag connectors as that would eliminate one less connector loss on the Anderson connectors. All the cells will be bonded with buss connectors so you only have two bolted connections on the battery itself. DO use stainless steel hardware.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #3
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery

    If you do you stainless hardware (instead of brass/bronze), then make sure you use liberal quantity of anti-seize compound on the stainless threads (get a tube or can from an auto-parts store).

    Stainless hardware has a very nasty habit of "galling". The threads lock against each other and you pretty much have to twist the bolt in 1/2 to get it apart (or drill the head off).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery
    BB. wrote: »
    If you do you stainless hardware (instead of brass/bronze), then make sure you use liberal quantity of anti-seize compound on the stainless threads (get a tube or can from an auto-parts store).

    Stainless hardware has a very nasty habit of "galling". The threads lock against each other and you pretty much have to twist the bolt in 1/2 to get it apart (or drill the head off).

    -Bill

    An unfortunate property of SS. But for some reason it's not as bad if the bolts and nuts are of different grades of SS. Here in Canada I find an initial drenching of the nuts and bolts followed by a yearly quick spray with a product called Rust Check prevents all corrosion of battery terminals and cable ends, and so far, for the last about 10 years, I've not had a problem with galling. Apparently the Rust Check also works as an anti-seize.
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  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery

    If they're going to custom build it for you, then it may be worth investigating filling it with a lower SG electrolyte mix in order to squeeze more life out of the batt. European manufacturers make 2 types of batts that are used for off-grid: OPzS stationary batteries (the preferred choice) with 20 year design life and PzS forklift batteries with a 15 year design life. From what I can see in the specs, there is very little difference between the two but one of the differences is that the OPzS type are filled with a 1.24 SG electrolyte whereas the forklift ones use 1.29.

    I'm no expert in battery chemistry so this is definitely something that should be first discussed with the manufacturer. You will lose capacity with a lower SG, so may have to opt for a bigger sized batt to still get the 630Ah C20 rate.
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery

    Battery is ordered. Ordered with flag terminals and they are going to drill 5/16 hole in the terminals. Expect delivery next week sometime. Thanks for all the helpfull comments. I had a question about where to go thru my wall to the battery which I am keeping outside. All my controls, inverter and associated hardware will be located in my floor level just off kitchen. I don,t want to cut hole for conduit above my floor thru the siding to battery. Is it ok to go down thru floor and out thru the cement basement wall? Thats the way I want to do it. Can I run 2 sets of 4/00 battery cables in same conduit from battery to DC panel box? The panel box has either 2 5/8" outside dia or 3" outside dia. Knockouts. Would like to put all cables in one condiut if possable without side effects. This is a old unused PC-500 dc panel box with all the bells and whistles. and set up for 2 inverters. I plan on using the SW-4024 just for the pump only on search mode and the magnum inverter I just got to feed my house service. :Dsolarvic
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery
    Ordered with flag terminals and they are going to drill 5/16 hole in the terminals.

    What size does that leave the flag terminals ?? Are they lead, or tinned copper ?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery
    mike90045 wrote: »
    What size does that leave the flag terminals ?? Are they lead, or tinned copper ?
    I don,t know the composition, just figured it was lead. I just figured 5/16 dia hole is the normal size for battery cables It is a crown model 12-85-13. battery. Battery guy going to drill the holes for me when he gets the battery. Do you think I should have him drill smaller hole to get more lug serface on battery cable. I know the inverter has 5/16 dia x18 with a 5/8 bolt length. solarvic
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery

    Went to pittsburg to get my new battery today. Got lost for about 3 hours but finally found the distributor. I didn,t want the anderson connector so they cut them off and leaded a real nice post that had 2 separate studs for connecting 2 separate sets of cables to. Probably be 3 days or so before I get everything connected. After I get it all connected and charging from the grid I probably be asking for help about charging voltages ect. :Dsolarvic:D
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  • topper
    topper Solar Expert Posts: 113 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery

    Could you post some pics of your set-up when you get it done. I would like to see it as I am looking at going the same route. Battery outside, flag terminals etc.
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: ready to order fork truck battery

    Topper, Today I took the battery to a patternmaker so he could get measurements from the battery. He is going to make me a batterybox. It will have a couple inches clearance on 3 sides and enough extra room on 1 end to keep all the battery tools. Walls probably will have 2"x2" studs, 2x4 floor studs setting on treated 4x 4 treated wood. Will have wood siding like they use on utility sheds. Strips of plastic sheeting the same thickness in walls between the side wall 2x 2 with plastic sheeting on inside wall. Will have piece of rubber roofing material on inside about 3 0r 4 " up from floor and a plywood cover with the rubber roofing. when I get it done I will try to get someone to help me post some pictures. I don,t look for the box to be ready for a week or 2.
    :Dsolarvic:D
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