Re: Batteries in the passenger compartment?

It is best to have some type of fire wall between the battery box container
and the passenger compartment.  The fire wall between the motor bay and
passenger may not be completely steel.  There are areas in the firewall that
may be plastic like the heater fan units, the heater core covers, and wire
and cable entrances points.

Now is you look at some trunks, the fire wall between the trunk area and the
rear seat may be only a plastic or cloth insulator.  If you use the trunk
method, its is best to install a full piece of metal over this area.

Looking at a pickup with batteries in the box, and if you have a battery
explosion, the rear glass will break up into small pieces and embed into
you.

I am using the pick up method, but I replace or overlay that rear glass with
a piece of 1/4 inch very high impact lexon glass you can get at a glass
shop.

All my batteries are enclose in a two compartments of 1/4 inch fiberglass
sheeting that is reinforce up to 1/2 inch thick or more.  The battery box
covers are stainless full length hinge and double seal when the lids are
close.

A battery box ventilation should be use, where the all plastic totally
enclose fan exhaust the battery box air out from one corner which brings in
fresh air through a filter at the other corner of the box. The exhaust air
goes up in a heavy duty 1/4 inch flex hose.  DO NOT USE THOSE THIN VINYL
HOSES, where the battery fumes will take these out in with a day.

Most important is to have the battery box covers hinge so only the open end
faces away from the passenger compartment.  Plus, do not latch the covers
down, only hinge them, plus as well any other cover.

Back in 1985 I had one defective battery exploded, which also took out 9
other batteries.  The battery covers lefted up, plus also left up the hatch
back cover which blew out the lexon glass all in one piece.  The rear window
lexon glass panel held.

A local battery company slip in 10 batteries that was 9 months old with a
new 21 other batteries that were 1 month old.  The batteries exploded the
minute I press the accelerator.

It is possible to use a wagon as a EV, but I would get that back panel
section from a pickup and install it, so it would separate the driver
section from the battery section.  Use a 1/4 inch lexon glass you can get
from a glass company and seal it in so it overlaps the flange on the battery
side.

The only problem, is if you have a battery explosion, it will shatter all
the side windows and may kill some one if you do not reinforce those too.

If you do not use battery box covers or hinge covers, then I would triple
layer this glass between the the passenger compartment and the batteries.
Also remember to ventilated the battery area.  I first start up the exhaust
fans before I turn on the battery charger and open any covers.  Run the fans
for about 1 minute before you charge the batteries or work on them.

I have install a interlock system, where I must first turn on the fans which
activates a switch which detects the air flow in the fan exhaust hoses.
When the flow is corrected, then it activates DC contactor that is between
the battery charger and batteries.

At any time, this fan fails, it will then shut down the battery charger.

This fan control system is use on building heating systems, where the fans
must come on first and stay for a certain amount of time after the heating
system shuts down.

Roland




----- Original Message -----
From: "Heynow" <mistel@...>
To: <ev@...>
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 8:14 AM
Subject: [EVDL] Batteries in the passenger compartment?


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