For this project, a lithium battery was to be installed in an existing battery box while maximizing capacity, reliability and safety. The Battery was designed using individual prismatic LiFePO₄ cells to optimize the usage of the available space. Using these cells allowed the battery to take up 40% less volume as compared to off the shelf solutions, while fitting in to a pre-existing space. A state of the art Battery Monitoring System (BMS) and high quality ceramic automotive fuses ensure a high level of safety.
Compared to an off the shelf solution, the total system cost was 80% lower using individual cells. The BMS was also integrated to the ship’s network to allow remote state of charge and energy consumption/production monitoring. The 7.2 kWh battery bank along with 800 W of installed solar capacity means the vessel is essentially shore power independant, even for water heating and cooking loads.
