INSTALLING THE 48 VOLT LITHIUM BATTERY

 One of the nice things about electric propulsion in a sailboat is the ability to upgrade parts of it as new technology comes along. When I made the conversion back in 2008 Lithium batteries were new and available but, were very expensive. Plus there were long wait times for delivery. So I went with the 8A4D AGM batteries. Today the prices have come down as have delivery times. My 48 volt Allied Battery 105 Amp Lithium battery arrived in two days. 

Installed the single 48 Volt Lithium battery on board. It was easy using the Nova Lift I originally installed in 2008 to lift the 120 pound AGM batteries for installation.

The new 48 volt lithium battery replaced almost 500 pounds of AGM lead acid batteries that I have been using since 2008 when I converted to Electric Propulsion.

In addition to the four AGM batteries I was also able to get rid of a lot of other jumpers, tie downs, wires, fuses, screws and battery insulators.

The best part is all maintenance is now done from inside the cabin. No more squeezing down the cockpit hatch and doing boat yoga.

BATTERY INSTALL 2016

The sailing season has been delayed while I deat with the damaged battery SNAFU. Two new 8A4D batteries arrived to replace the two that were damaged in the original shipment. The only difference is that the batteries probably have different manufacturing dates. When I ordered the original batteries the battery company said it could provide batteries manufactured the same day. But, now that probably is not the case. Whether or not it will make that much of a difference only time will tell.
So I loaded up all five hundred and twenty pounds of batteries into the car and took them to the boatyard.

I had BIANKA launched because it would be easier to load the batteries into BIANKA while floating at the dock.
I did make some major changes in the placement of the new batteries. I reversed the location of the the terminals of batteries one to three. I just turned them around so all terminals are located along the port side. Battery four was off by it's self next to the other batteries facing aft on the starboard side. The was because the engine stringer which held up the original battery platform did not extend far enough aft to allow for the fourth battery so I installed it next to the other three. Unfortunately this also meant I had to empty out two cockpit lockers to do any maintenance on the pack instead of one. It was a real pain.
By building a metal extension battery holder out of slotted angle iron and extending it off of the existing platform:

I was able to line up all the battery terminals on the same side and make them easy to reach after only emptying one of the cockpit lockers. This will make for much easier access and maintenance in the future.

 Other than doing the install on the hottest day of the year the install went pretty good. There might be some tweaks I might want to do but, they could wait until the off season. The next step is to get the batteries wired up. I did have some concern that since I changed the layout of the batteries that one or both of the main battery cables would not reach the proper terminals. We'll see how that works out once I start wiring thing up.

GOING ELECTRIC PART 17: INSTALLING THE BATTERIES

Another 1/4 ton pallet of batteries arrived at the house. The correct 8A4D size this time and the wrong larger 8A8D batteries have been picked up and returned to the manufacturer for a credit. Now it's time to move on to another milestone in the electrification of BIANKA. Installing the batteries. The batteries on an electrically propelled boat are the fuel tank that hold the fuel (electric potential) that powers the motor. It's pretty important function. So it makes sense that this part of the system and it's installation be thought out pretty carefully. I've already decided on the battery layout as shown in GOING ELECTRIC PART 15. Now it's time to install the real ones.

I tried to think about not just installing the batteries now but, also future installations and maintenance of the system. Such as being on a cruise and needing to replace the batteries. I am hoping to get at least five to ten years out of the batteries. Their life is yet to be determined. I am hoping new battery technologies will also be tested and proven in the future. Which is also something that an electrically propelled boat can take advantage of. But that is the future. The problem now is how I can install and maneuver the four 130 pound batteries into the hold. It's a lot of weight to be lifting and dropping into the hold and each can cause a lot of damaged to a person or boat if it drops. I then discovered this handy little piece of technology The Forespar Nova Lift:



This solved my battery installation problem. It has a capacity of 220 lbs plenty of safety margin for loading the 130 pound batteries. It could also be used to lift other items like an outboard motor or even a person who needs to be rescued from the water. I was so excited about installing the batteries I forgot to take photo of the actual above deck process using the Nova Lift. But, these photo "simulations" will give you a good idea of what the process looked like using the Nova Lift:




I laid a small 12 inch wide plank below the hatch so I could slide the battery onto the battery platform. This was very helpful.
I also came across something at a surplus electronics website that proved to be useful:
A pair of industrial rollers. They were just the thing to help maneuver the hefty AGM butteries once they were in the confined space below deck. Below is a photo of the first battery installed and the second one is on the plank on the way in.

Notice the small crowbar this was helpful in lifting and positioning the batteries into the correct location. The white grate items on the battery platform are a product called DRI DEK. It is made for decks and floors but, I am using pieces of it here for underneath the batteries. It serves three purposes: 1) It raises the batteries over the heads of the lag bolts securing the battery platform. 2) It provides an airspace helping to keep the batteries cooler and dry. 3) It helps keep the batteries from sliding on the platform. Also note the battery tie down straps for the same purpose.
With the battery installation completed the heavy work is done and I'm moving rapidly toward completion of the electrification of the BIANKA.

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