Check Your Battleborn Positive Terminal!

[DaveInDenver]

The problem seems obvious in the 3rd video tear-down.

There's a plastic form between the internal busbar and the terminal.

Giving benefit, maybe running it insulated with a bolt was a failed attempt to be a fuse. That's a big benefit of the doubt.

This is not ideal, the guy in the first two videos is right. This is not safe mechanically as different materials expand/contract and there's no way to fix it without opening the case or/and a redesign. Even if it wasn't the electrical tie mechanically it seems kind of weak. If the plastic cracks that terminal flaps in the wind even if happens to not start arcing.

The battery itself (e.g. cells, BMS, thermal and current protection) may be safe electrically. This is a failure at the fuzzy boundary between battery and load.

The heat and arcing here is creating a failure mode that's basically the same as if you didn't do a good job connecting it on the tab. The location of the heat in proximity to the cells is more problematic, though.

Being internal in a case that is not intended to be opened or serviced it's incumbent on the supplier to do better. It would be different if the user could open the enclosure to inspect, look for deformation or loose fasteners. Maybe some iterations have a fuse or breaker to bridge this spot.

Since you can't do any of that it's on them completely. I would be concerned if these are in your system. Relying on the epoxy discoloration to indicate overheating isn't a comforting prospect.

 

[jkam]

As competition heated up, Battleborn continued to keep their battery prices very high.
And still do compared to what else you can get.
They won't be around much longer with a business model like they continue to use.

 

[HoganW]

As competition heated up, Battleborn continued to keep their battery prices very high.
And still do compared to what else you can get.
They won't be around much longer with a business model like they continue to use.

Their stock is basically worthless now vs during the pandemic. It's not just the problematic business model.

 

[HoganW]

LOL...

Yes, I understand it's not expected that a battery is going to constantly be discharged and charged at the listed rates, however the rates provided BB, which is the same as Will has configured, are continuous. The BMS shouldn't be triggering the high-temp cut-off when the battery is being charged and discharged at the continuous rates specified by BB themselves.

 

[dstefan]

LOL...

Yes, I understand it's not expected that a battery is going to constantly be discharged and charged at the listed rates, however the rates provided BB, which is the same as Will has configured, are continuous. The BMS shouldn't be triggering the high-temp cut-off when the battery is being charged and discharged at the continuous rates specified by BB themselves.

Battleborn just can’t quit over promising and under delivering … as well as over pricing!

I’m in no way defending BB’s bad design, warranty and customer service, and terrible lack of transparency, but this test along with reading all the problem circumstances reported in Prowse’s forum seems to indicate that the problems appear to be more likely with high draw constant discharging and charging.

I guess we’ll have to see. But for folks like me who bought these 5 or 6 years ago before the explosion of cheaper, well made competitors AND who use these inconsistently and well below the maximum specs, I think it provides a bit of, um… perspective, if not assurance.

Sure wouldn’t want a BB under any circumstances now, though. And if I had a bank of these in a home solar or heavy draw mobile situation, I'd sure be working hard to replace them.