Looks like you'd have to call the CPSC since the website to report an unsafe product isn't working:
Melted Wiring in GSL Battery - Any idea what went wrong here?
- Thread starter weirded
- Start date
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
It sounds like they were unfortunate to receive a bad batch of cells, you're not going to get anywhere with class action lawsuits and foreign entities but I absolutely would push them very, very hard to replace every single pack that is affected. I think that's the best outcome.
weirded
New Member
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According to their CEO, the new batteries are completely redesigned (and they look different on the website, as well). So fingers crossed they solved this issue.
weirded
New Member
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I can't really isolate one cell since it seems the bus bars are welded on...
weirded
New Member
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Iron Edison was (they're out of business now) a company in Colorado. Originally, they built their own batteries out of CATL cells. Our house came with one of these batteries when we bought it:
Unfortunately, the BMS on this battery had become unreliable, likely due to rodents that lived inside that plywood box (which was built by the local solar installer who installed the whole system in 2015). In 2015, LifePo4 was apparently pretty bleeding edge. According to my contact at IE, each of these things was a bespoke build for a customer
Fast forward to 2021 - I reached out to Iron Edison to figure out how to get the system to be reliable, and they offered me a significant discount on their new batteries (which I now know to be GSL batteries, but did not know back then). I decided to upgrade rather than pouring money into an old system (and frankly, back then I was not very educated on solar systems).
So these GSL batteries weren't strictly a rebrand done by GSL, but a resale by Iron Edison.
(meanwhile, I did keep the original "blue can" cells and after these GSL batteries melted down, I have brought them back to life using a Seplos BMS - check this thread for details)
weirded
New Member
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Yeah, trying - but since I have little recourse, I'll take a replacement for the 3 batterries that died (and I'll just have to wait for the 4th one to die, as well).
You can still measure each cell where the + and - are welded on. They will likely give different values for each cell.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Point them to this thread and ask them again if they would like to replace that fourth one for you.
It would be the cheapest and best piece of PR they could ever do.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
When I say "rebrand" this is in the context that GSL is an OEM for various VAR's (Value Added Resellers), this is very common in fact. Inverters, AIO's etc...
You did a very reasonable thing by reaching out to a company like Iron Edison (also the subtle mental tick "Edison") and or other companies too... None of this is purposeful and I hate to say it, but for some it's painful/costly lessons learned, customer & company both.
Those Blue Cells look a lot like early Sinopoly, those were good cells, right up with Winston, NOT Cheap either ! Especially back then... sheesh. I bet they're still good, provided the old BMS didn't mess up.
houseofancients
Solar Wizard
But, I'll point to the statement I made before..
This was never a BMS issue, rather an OEM that cut corners
This was never a BMS issue, rather an OEM that cut corners
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
If I am counting this out correctly, that is a stack of 22 cells on their sides.
Bottom cell has 21 other cells weight all applied to it.
But if I recall, back 8 pages ago, these are 100Ah packs? in 16s-4p that is only 25Ah cells each?
A typical 25Ah LFP cells seems to be about 625grams, = 1.38 lbs. per cell.
So to answer (roughly) Steve S question: the lowest cell, has the weight of 21( 1.38lbs) cells on top of it = 29 lbs.
This does not seem excessive, since the loads typically listed for 'compression' of cells is far higher.
Makes me wonder: why did the cells leak?
Notice electrolyte residue around left terminal on 2nd battery from the top. I suspect high internal pressure inside the cell forced electrolyte from terminal to case insulator gap. Pressure release burst disks look intact. Cells expand due to cycling and due to age. If they are clamped inside rigid enclosure they have nowhere to expand and develop very high pressure internally. If cells were positioned vertically the electrolyte wound be pooling at the bottom of the cell case away from cell terminals.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
I am not a fan of cells on their sides, sure enough.
however from photo in post 147, there seems to be space in the case at the top, making me wonder if the cells are trapped and developed high internal pressure or from other possible cause. (go back to that part about the control being set for Lead Acid via the Flexnet DC) see comment below...
Ran 2.5 years, making it seem unlikely that during a few weeks recently 3 out of 4 packs fail all at once.
agreed
When OP taked to a former tech from IE (he likely saw failures from other installations) the point taken is pretty clear: the cells were not being properly controlled via various reasons, the OP noted recently they added to the loads, this may have triggered a problem with the cells such as over voltage, leading to the leakage that lead to the failure we see.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
I don't know why we have to assume the cell was abused in some way, it could just be they had rather too many in that batch that had poor quality connections made on the terminals and some of them started leaking, obviously being laid on their side was the final blow.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
We see three out of four packs all fail together after 2.5 years in operation, there is more to it than just poor quality cells.
The thing that changed was the cause. OP noted adding loads to the system in October 2023, adding to the stress on the system? wider range of charge and discharge? higer rate of charge discharge? all of the above?
OP reaches an Engineer formerly from IE 'very familiar' with the issue who confirms the root cause as poor control over charging currents - adding stress to the (likely poor to begin with) cells and results in 3 out of 4 failing during a short period of time.
Sure hope OP receives all new replacement packs from GSL, and extended warranty for them.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
There is a LESSON LEARNED HERE FOR EVERYONE !
Primatic Cells are NOT intended to be on their sides ! Cylindrical OR Blade cells (designed for that) are intended for that sort of assembly but NOT prismatics. EVEN THE SPEC SHEETS INDICATE THAT !!! from Many Manufacturers.
SIMPLY PUT ! ANY Company trying to sell you Battery Packs (regardless of mounting type) that have Prismatics on their sides "RUN Forest RUN". Not to mention "WHO" but a company is selling Floor Model 48V Large AH Packs with cells on their sides... they have had issues, claims etc but still keep it up... Tsk Tsk... hint, the vendor/retailer is US Based.
Primatic Cells are NOT intended to be on their sides ! Cylindrical OR Blade cells (designed for that) are intended for that sort of assembly but NOT prismatics. EVEN THE SPEC SHEETS INDICATE THAT !!! from Many Manufacturers.
SIMPLY PUT ! ANY Company trying to sell you Battery Packs (regardless of mounting type) that have Prismatics on their sides "RUN Forest RUN". Not to mention "WHO" but a company is selling Floor Model 48V Large AH Packs with cells on their sides... they have had issues, claims etc but still keep it up... Tsk Tsk... hint, the vendor/retailer is US Based.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
I note with interest that the Felicity Solar battery packs I have do indeed have their cells upright in two rows of eight stacked with a BMS tray sat in the top of the battery pack.
The 4 EEL and XR-01 DIY packs I built are currently sitting on their end so the cells are flat on their sides. I did this because they are too heavy for me to actually stack them horizontally until I get some manpower over...... I think I may make that my priority.
The 4 EEL and XR-01 DIY packs I built are currently sitting on their end so the cells are flat on their sides. I did this because they are too heavy for me to actually stack them horizontally until I get some manpower over...... I think I may make that my priority.
brock.mcvay
New Member
I don't think these failed from added stress. We have one system with 4 batteries was a grid tied backup. They sat at float voltage for most of their life with virtually no load. That system was an outback system. Another system was a solark, also grid tied backup, that one had two batteries..
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
Prismatic LFP cells cannot take weight / pressure. They are intended to be "Bound" with very mild compression @ 3.200V to prevent stresses on terminals etc. LFP will always expand & contract a small amount and is relative to SOC & Ambient Temps. Most often the binding is with Fibretape or fibre-strap. They are NOT intended to be on their sides because the electrolyte will not fully cover the jelly roll. They are designed to be UPRIGHT !
LFP Pouch & Cylindrical (which are also structurally stable) are far more flexible for orientation. Blade Cells are unique in that their design is Long, Thin & Narrow which suit such builds...
