Ni-Fe batteries, BEUTILITYFREE

[dloefffler]

Does anyone have experience dealing with this company? Batteries are made in China, paid for in advance of shipment, pricey to say the least.

Has anyone used Ni-Fe batteries? I am attracted to them due to maintenance and durability issues.

Dennis

[rossw]

Does anyone have experience dealing with this company? Batteries are made in China, paid for in advance of shipment, pricey to say the least.

Has anyone used Ni-Fe batteries? I am attracted to them due to maintenance and durability issues.

I "dealt" with them at one stage, I was very very very close to buying a bank.
My biggest problem with NiFe batteries is that most of the readily available inverters and chargers can't handle the wide range in voltage between discharge and charge. That is to say, in order for me to get enough volts to keep above the inverter low voltage dropout I have to put 40 odd cells in series, but I'm over my inverters maximum input voltage trying to charge that many cells in series!

The company you cite kept bombarding me with emails with un-necessary and moderately large attachments after my initial contact with them. Even after asking them to stop, they continued. Eventually I sent a strongly worded demand they cease - and got what I consider to be an unreasonable, sarcastic and hostile confirmation that they would cease sending me their junk.

[SteveCH]

I have an order for the batteries right now. The shipment is due any day, to arrive on the W. Coast, then it'll be a while to get here due to customs and trucking. Hopefully in a couple weeks, in other words.

I bought them through the co. you mention. This is my first dealing with them. They have been quite professional, helpful, and have done everything they've said they would exactly on the schedule they promised. The only contacts I've had from them have been occasional updates about my order, which, coming from China, has had some delays due to China stuff and not BeUtilityFree. They've called a couple times, e-mailed a couple times with updates and twice to answer questions I had e-mailed to them.

So, I've had the opposite experience from Ross's. As I said, this is my first dealing with them, but the experience has been positive and professional. As to the Ni Fe batteries, I cannot say more til I receive them. The change-over from my lead-acid bank will take a few days, or so I anticipate. It is very hot right now, and I need to try to minimize my electrical downtime to protect my fridge and freezer stores and other electrical needs. Meaning, it may be a little while before I have much info' gleaned from my actual Ni Fe battery experience. But, I am excited to be receiving them....

[dnix71]

Shipping something heavy and bulky half way around the world makes no sense. If these are to be real replacements they need to be made here as well.

Some people have reported trouble buying enough lithium to make better electrolyte. Also DO NOT Google search "where buy lithium hydroxide" Almost every single link was fake pharmcuetical spam sites. The only two real links were the Cole-Palmer catalog and RebreatherWorld.

Lithium is used for regulating certain bi-polar diseases, so buying any might cause some to wonder what you were up to. Dive shops have it, too. Rebreathing air has become accepted as a way of extending dive time.

[PeterDe]

Can not comment on the company that is talked about both good and bad in previous posts.  However I can comment on Ni-Fe batteries as we published a paper for Battcon 2011, that was a backup paper.  It is on the Battcon website.  Thomas Edison had it right, etc. etc.

That paper was a report on the Thomas Edison cells that we got our hands on that were all built between 1924 and 1931, yes an average age of about 85 years old.  We followed the instructions in an original Edison manual, plus referenced ChangHongs manuals, and the Saft manuals.  Saft does not build Ni-Fe, but the procedures are the same for MN-Cd and N-Fe as far as electrolyte replacement.  Recharge voltage are different though as was mentioned.

These batteries all recovered although not to the original rate of performance but still will carry a load at a derated capacity test per IEEE 1106.  The cells in that paper were all the 300AH rated cells at the 5 hour rate.  We tested them at a 15 amp load and they held above 1.0 volts per cell for over 5 hours.

We just finished a recovery process on a string of 150AH rated cells at also a 15 minute rate for 5 hours and they also held above 1.0 volts.  We are presenting a paper on this project at the Intelec 2011 conference.

[thirteen]

I think there is a battery place in western  Montana, USA., that is called (??) ZAPP Batteries, Dillion, Mt.. I think they repair or rebuild Edison batteries. but they deal with Ni-Fe Batteries. Someone might use the info. Just a thought.

[PeterDe]

Thirteen;

I believe that you are correct about them rebuilding Edison batteries.  they may even put them into new plastic jars, so that no one knows how old the insides are.  so you might buy a battery that you think is new and think, hey this is great.  I now have a new Ni-Fe battery which could last me 100 years, only to find out that the plates in your battery are 90 years old. 

When I talked with them they did tell me that they were rebuilding old Edison cells.  Heck if you can find old Edison cells, all you need to do is replace the electrolyte and run a number of charge discharge cycles and you will end up with whatever capacity is available out of the cells.  It will of course be some reduced number from the original capacity, but they sure do last long.

[coldspot]

"Zapp Works now offers Made in Montana Nickel-Iron batteries."
"http://www.zappworks.com/"
Location
Address    115 South Atlantic - Dillon, MT 56725
City    Dillon
County/State    MT
Postal Code    56725
Country    USA
Contact Info
Phone Number    406.579.7777
Website    http://www.zappworks.com
Email    Steamer@zappworks.com

$0.02

[TomW]

I emailed them and asked. Here is their responce:

We currently refurbish original Edison batteries.  New batteries from our plant will be available tin 6-8 months.

Stephen




  Stephen Ellis
 PO Box 1681
  Ennis, MT 59729
  406.579.7777
  Skype:  mybigskype

Which should eliminate the speculation.

Tom