Cheap HV battery replacement -how possible?

If you buy a factory new Toyota pack @ 1650 then the cost of each module is 58.92 each.

 

Let’s see should I listen to you that rebuilds battery’s for fun and profit, or Sam who doesn’t even own a gen 2 Prius? I’m going with you.

 

Are we going to debate qualifications here ??
I'll put up 50+ years of training and experience as an Electronic Engineering Technician, part of that at Bell Labs.

The physics and chemistry of how a battery works doesn't depend on what it is used IN.
The type makes some difference......but the basics are still the same.

 

And with all that training how many batteries have you rebuilt? @TMR-JWAP has probably built at least 100.

 

And the answer to that question would prove what exactly ?

 

Until those differences matter.

 

That @TMR-JWAP is far more qualified to answer questions about batteries than you are.

 

I went to school with a lot of smart people.

I work with a lot of smart people too.

But that doesn’t mean that they know everything about everything.

Experience and education are 2 entirely different things.

 

Appearances are sometimes deceiving.
How about we agree to disagree and drop this senseless flame war ?

The simple truth is: NO external device connected to an old and partly worn out battery will make it "like new" again.
It might improve it's health back to what it should be for an XX years old battery but there is no magic.

 

There seems to be a difference between authority and observation. Authority is the usual starting point, but I'll go with observation every time.

TMR-JWOP cycled old modules 19 times, about 18 times more than most people do. The result was that modules with about 3000 Ahr capacity increased to about 6500 Ahr after the cycling. So based on the measure of Ahr capacity as presented by his equipment, the batteries are back to new capacity. There are obviously other measures, most important of which is how well the cycled batteries perform in actual service.

I look forward to further reports on how well these batteries perform in normal service.

 

As do I.

Sam,

I understand that just because the like new capacity is reached with an old module that doesn’t mean that it will last. That being said if each of the modules are made up of 6 cells with various materials then exactly what is deteriorating in each cell that makes it unable to be reanimated? You say chemicals and I am not doubting that I would just like to know exactly what they are.

JAB

 

Also what are the exact components that make up a cell?

Thanks again!

 

While in essence this is a simple truth, it is not was is being said or being claimed. It would be good to keep on point and not make generalist statements that are off topic (and inflammatory).

 

Except for the experimental "super capacitors", all batteries operate from an electro-chemical process.

And the chemicals are not totally pure because that would be too expensive and there are some unwanted chemical reactions present that make OTHER compounds that detract from the desired process of creating free electrons.

I don't KNOW exactly what chemicals are used because it is different for each type of battery.
If you really care.......look it up.
The Internet is a fantastic tool for finding facts like that.

 

In Figure 15, the positive electrode plates that make up the group of electrode plates 7 are produced by packing nickel hydride powder (the active material) into a porous material (expanded nickel) and rolling this to a specific thickness, and then cutting this product to a specific size to form a nickel positive electrode with a capacity of 10 Ah per plate. The negative electrode plates are produced by coating punched metal with a binder and a hydrogen-absorption alloy powder having a composition that allows the electrochemical occlusion and release of hydrogen, rolling this to a specific thickness, and then cutting this product to a specific size to form a hydrogen-absorption alloy negative electrode with a capacity of 13 Ah per plate. These positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are each wrapped in a pouch-like separator, and 10 of these separator-wrapped positive electrode plates and 11 negative electrode plates are alternately layered so that the total thickness is approximately 85 to 100% of the inside dimension of the battery housings 2 or the battery case 22 or 36. The leads from the various positive electrode plates are connected to the positive electrode terminal 3, the leads from the various negative electrode plates are connected to the negative electrode terminal 4, and this entire assembly is housed in the polypropylene battery housings 2 or battery case 22 or 36. The battery housings 2 or battery case 22 or 36 is filled with an alkali electrolyte, and the opening in the battery housings 2 or battery case 22 or 36 is sealed off by a cover 6 provided with a safety vent 5. The cells 1 or 21 thus produced are subjected to initial charging and discharging (15 hours of charging at 10 A, and discharging at 20 A down to 1.0 V), and the above-mentioned group of electrode plates 7 is expanded so that the outermost part thereof is in contact with the inner surface of the battery housings 2 or the battery case 22 or 36. The capacity of these cells 1 or 21 is limited by the positive electrode, so the battery capacity is 100 Ah. The nominal voltage per cell in a nickel metal-hydride rechargeable battery is 1.2 V. Therefore, the output voltage is 12 V when 10 of the cells of these embodiments or of the conventional structure are connected in series.

 

A cycling life test was conducted for the rechargeable batteries A through F consisting of cells 1 with the capacity discussed above, and for a rechargeable battery with a conventional structure. This test involved charging for 12 hours at 10 A, allowing the battery to stand for 1 hour, and then discharging at 20 A until the voltage dropped to 9 V.

 

Interesting patent. Google Patents