Sorry, newbie questions, and I am as dumb as a rock about this stuff

[PastyMuncher]

Hey there Please don't hate me for asking a question that has been answered many times in many places. I'm convinced I'm going to screw this all up and would like some very specific guidance and reassurance and hand-holding relating to my own build. Please.

I have managed to buy a 48 TongSheng tsdz2 with a VLCD5 from PSWPower. I do not think I want to be so adventurous as to try flashing the firmware. I am not aware of any reason why I should, in any case. Let's assume all things are stock/default. I don't do computers, especially not programmable computers. Generally if I touch one something bad happens.

There are lots of things about batteries that confuse the heck out of me, and reading/Googling has just seen a barrage of information hit the back of my eyeballs which has merely confused me more. I did try, but I cannot make sense of what I'm reading, for the most part. I know diddly squat about electrical things. They work by magic, right?

I would like to purchase a battery, say perhaps 15ah based on some fag-packet maths. There are some important criteria I would like to mention and get help with, please

First, a quick word about where I live. The terrain of Cornwall, UK, is one giant hill. It is always uphill, in every direction, no matter where in Cornwall you are. This is not Holland. In fact Cornwall is the anti-Holland. I do not care about going fast. I just want to get up the hill without having a heart attack. This is made more difficult by being an unfit 40 year old. I am fine with just about managing 11mph with the wind behind me. Just spare my legs. This is why I am trying e-biking. Insanity is why I'm trying to convert my existing bike rather than buying a new one.

This bike is for road/well-surfaced trail use only. Not commuting, more like weekend exploring.

Considerations/criteria for my new battery:

1. The most important. It should not kill me (or anyone else). It should not burn down my house. I would like to invest in a battery of sufficiently good reputation to make a fiery death as improbable as possible. It should be safe. It should charge safely (not fast!).
2. It should continue abide by rule (1) when wet. It should not have a passenger electrocution mode when rained on. (It rains a lot, here).

I think actually that might be my only criteria, in all honesty. Every other question I have is related in some way to avoiding explosions and/or electrocution.

Form factor

I think I would like a triangle battery, or put another way, a battery which attaches the frame more securely than with those silly water bottle holders (that will definitely snap off the first time I bump them). Some nice Velcro straps would be marvellous. The more straps the merrier. I've never ridden an ebike but I can imagine the effect of strapping 20 bags of flour to the frame. It's a heavy old thing, this battery.

If I have to put it in a bag that's fine, but I'm not sure if these things need to "breathe" at all, or if putting it in a bag would lead to heat accumulation which could get dangerous. I'm guessing that the cases, especially the metal ones, serve some purpose as a heatsink/radiator.

And here come the questions

So this BMS thing... it stops the discharge/charge from exceeding unsafe tolerances - unsafe for the battery only, I'm guessing - but does it matter if running with a stock VLCD5? I think the controller ultimately decides the max amperage draw, correct? So if a battery pack has a "50 AMP" rating, that's meaningless when the controller will at max request 16 amps? Is pairing a 50AMP rated battery less safe? Is it like putting the wrong fuse in a plug, i.e. you're removing a safety feature? Or is it just excess capacity that will never be used.

I think the stock controller will not allow anything other than 48 batteries? With a fully-charged 52V battery it will cut out? So I probably want a 48 V battery, then.

Ultimately I would really like somebody to say, "This seller is awesome and their batteries are made really well and they absolutely will not kill you. As a bonus they will work with what you've just bought and you don't have to become a software engineer to reprogram everything."

If I don't use it I leave it below 80% but above 40% charge, I think? It can be left for no more than a couple months without affecting its capacity? Is that still true? And if I don't use it for a year it's basically a paperweight?

Are there any cells to avoid? Or must-have super-modern cells with a higher density and lighter weight? Panasonic or Samsung or?

Is it safe to store an e-bike battery in an unheated conservatory or shed, where temps could hit freezing? We don't get below -2C or so. Is it worth buying a fire-retardant blanked to cover it with? I really, really don't want to burn to death in my sleep, I might have mentioned this.

Anyway, thanks for reading this absolute nonsense. Any and all suggestions welcome, info, tips, or "just buy this" feedback very much appreciated.

 

[eMark]

1. The most important. It should not kill me (or anyone else). It should not burn down my house. I would like to invest in a battery of sufficiently good reputation to make a fiery death as improbable as possible. It should be safe. It should charge safely (not fast!).
2. It should continue abide by rule (1) when wet. It should not have a passenger electrocution mode when rained on. (It rains a lot, here).

I think I would like a triangle battery, or put another way, a battery which attaches the frame more securely. Some nice Velcro straps would be marvellous. The more straps the merrier.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BB24KFW1?tag=track-ect-usa-1393406-20&linkCode=osi&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DP1YMTK?tag=track-ect-usa-1393406-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

There are less expensive (cheaper) ones, but - Buyer BeWare. About the only way you'll burn down your house is if you leave it unattended and accidently overcharge your battery pack ... resulting in an EXPLOSION. Best to always charge in a safe place away from children.

If the battery is too heavy get a 10Ah triangle instead of a 20Ah if your uphill/downhill round robin trips are only a few miles.

The terrain of Cornwall, UK, is one giant hill. It is always uphill, in every direction, no matter where in Cornwall you are.

For every hill there's a downhill - - besides isn't pedal assist in the UK the NORM ... good exercise

 

[99t4]

Ultimately I would really like somebody to say, "This seller is awesome and their batteries are made really well and they absolutely will not kill you. As a bonus they will work with what you've just bought and you don't have to become a software engineer to reprogram everything."

Unfortunately things are too fluid in regards to (nonlocal) battery builders, supply chain issues, ubiquitous fake components/materials, etc. to rely on a positive suggestion (review). Last month someone may have lucked out with a fantastic battery from vendor x, but today's product may easily have inferior components or shoddy workmanship.

Some pointers:

• Find a vendor that clearly states the components and materials in detail.
• Find a vendor that has proven good customer support. (your very first correspondences with them may tell you a lot)
• Cheap bargain is usually a good indicator of cut corners somewhere.

That being said, vendor em3ev has historically been a proven reliable quality battery vendor. I think they still sell triangle format.

Your calculations (total weight, desired speeds, hills, distance, etc.) will give you the Ah as you have stated but you need to uprate that 30 - 40% (or even more) to compensate for battery aging, cold temperature operation, and some vendors' notorious over-hyping their batteries' capabilities.

The battery discharge leads are commonly a simple two-pole connector which you should be able to specify to match the controller batt. connector, usually no need to reprogram anything.

 

[eMark]

Find a vendor that clearly states the components and materials in detail.

• Find a vendor that has proven good customer support. (your very first correspondences with them may tell you a lot)
• Cheap bargain is usually a good indicator of cut corners somewhere.

That being said, vendor em3ev has historically been a proven reliable quality battery vendor. I think they still sell triangle format.

EM3ev - 14s6p with Smart BMS - $569 (charger is extra) ... EM3ev 52V (14S6P) Hard-Case Triangle Ebike Battery Pack With Bag | EM3ev

Either a 7p or even 5p for a 17.5Ah capacity for range and hill climbing with some moderate pedal assist.
13s/14s with 2500mAh cells X 7p = 17.5Ah capacity. 13s/14s with 3500mAh cells x 5 = 17.5Ah capacity. A 30amp Controller should be sufficient for good speed as well as hill climbing power (with some pedal power assist).

The MaximumContinuousDischrge rating using Samsung 25r 2500mAh (MCD 20A) cells is 20A x 5p = 100amps for power bursts
The MCD rating with Samsung 35e 3500mAh cells is 8 x 7 = 56amps for power bursts. They say continuous, but shortens cycle life of battery.

You really don't need more than a 50amp Controller for no uphill pedalling. Actually a 40amp Controller should be more than sufficient for hills with some intermitten pedal assist ... 30amp Controller less stressful on the cells for longer battery cycle life than a 50amp Controller.

Here's the UK Catch-22 ... Check to see if Cornwall allows more than a 250W hub motor. Ideally with hills to climb you'd be better-off with at least a 500W hub motor. 50volts output times 20amp Controller = 1000W. What you really need is a 750W hub motor and a 30amp Controller ... only pulling 30amps for just a couple minutes when hill climbing with pedal assist. On urban paved level pulling at most 12-15amps at 40kmh (25mph).

Whatever battery you decide on try to find out what brand name cells as well as the mAh capacity and the MCD rating (e.g. LG, Samsung, Molicel, Sony, BAK, Lishen with MCD rating varying from 8A (35e) to 20A (25r). The reason some triangular packs list the popular cell brand and cell specs is so they can charge more ... Also if they amy come with a so-called Smart BMS. You get what you pay. However, if the cost is too good to be true - BUYER BEWARE!

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[tomjasz]

EM3ev - 14s6p with Smart BMS - $569 (charger is extra) ... EM3ev 52V (14S6P) Hard-Case Triangle Ebike Battery Pack With Bag | EM3ev

Either a 7p or even 5p for a 17.5Ah capacity for range and hill climbing with some moderate pedal assist.
13s/14s with 2500mAh cells X 7p = 17.5Ah capacity. 13s/14s with 3500mAh cells x 5 = 17.5Ah capacity. A 30amp Controller should be sufficient for good speed as well as hill climbing power (with some pedal power assist).

The MaximumContinuousDischrge rating using Samsung 25r 2500mAh (MCD 20A) cells is 20A x 5p = 100amps for power bursts
The MCD rating with Samsung 35e 3500mAh cells is 8 x 7 = 56amps for power bursts. They say continuous, but shortens cycle life of battery.

You really don't need more than a 50amp Controller for no uphill pedalling. Actually a 40amp Controller should be more than sufficient for hills with some intermitten pedal assist ... 30amp Controller less stressful on the cells for longer battery cycle life than a 50amp Controller.

Here's the UK Catch-22 ... Check to see if Cornwall allows more than a 250W hub motor. Ideally with hills to climb you'd be better-off with at least a 500W hub motor. 50volts output times 20amp Controller = 1000W. What you really need is a 750W hub motor and a 30amp Controller ... only pulling 30amps for just a couple minutes when hill climbing with pedal assist. On urban paved level pulling at most 12-15amps at 40kmh (25mph).

Whatever battery you decide on try to find out what brand name cells as well as the mAh capacity and the MCD rating (e.g. LG, Samsung, Molicel, Sony, BAK, Lishen with MCD rating varying from 8A (35e) to 20A (25r). The reason some triangular packs list the popular cell brand and cell specs is so they can charge more ... Also if they amy come with a so-called Smart BMS. You get what you pay. However, if the cost is too good to be true - BUYER BEWARE!

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Cellman has been selling and supporting the eBike community for at least a decade before you started trolling posts referring to EM3ev. I can count on Paul when criticized to not troll my wife’s Facebook page and PM one of her photos. Creepy at best.

 

[docw009]

The TSDZ2 can run on a small battery. A 48V 15AH with 39 2170 cells is plenty of battery, as is the same thine with 52 18650 cells. Either in a Hailong downtube case, and neither has to be really expensive..Just check that theyu use brand name cells.