Because they are insisting I somehow delete the thread I started about their recall, which I feel is unacceptable harassment, especially when I don't even have admin rights on the forum to delete threads etc, by someone who may or may not be an official representative of the company. The person private messaging me and the originator of this post is not registered and verified by admins as being a commercial member.
I want to make it clear to everyone, that everything I post on this forum is based on my sincere opinions, which is based on my significant experience. I might not be right about everything and that is the point of this forum for others to point out what is wrong and what is right, as a kind of peer review system so people can make their own minds up. If I am wrong about something, I am happy to admit that and am glad that I can learn something from others.
Battery manufacturers have a duty to go above and beyond to make sure that their products are safe and to act in a spirit of openness when things go wrong. Building a battery is easy, but building a safe battery that will not fail in use is extremely hard, especially for high power output packs. Therefore we all need to learn from each other to work towards safe practices for construction. If a company makes a mistake, it is much better to admit the mistake and show how the product is being made safe, rather than hiding it and hoping the problem will go away. In some circumstances, this could be the difference between life or death if a fire breaks out.
We are facing increasing difficulties in using our bikes because of disreputable people. Rules are being introduced on trains, in work places etc on where we can store or charge our bikes. We are close to having laws introduced that require the 3rd party certification of all batteries etc, making life difficult for all of us, including battery manufacturers and importers. It is quite possible imports from China we buy on Ali Express or eBay etc may become subject to very strict regulation.
Yose power (if it is indeed them) seem to think I am suggesting that the recall notice for their battery is related to the UK government warning about UPP triangular batteries.
I never suggested any such thing. Another forum member
@guerney posed the question, I said they were similar but
not the same.
Nonetheless, my friend who bought the triangular Yose power battery did receive a message from eBay that the product they had bought potentially posed a safety hazard and was being recalled and to contact the manufacturer:
I have asked this person who claims to be a representative of Yose power why this recall notice was issued. They have not answered this question. To me, this lack of openness does not inspire confidence. My reason for posting the original thread was to make sure other people on this forum who hadn't seen or received a recall notice were made aware of it.
I want to be fair to Yose power, I have bought several of their kits and batteries in the past. As low cost Chinese imports go, they generally produce suitably serviceable products, far better than a lot of importers on the market. However, they are not perfect. Previously, defects I have spotted have not left me feeling overly concerned, however when I opened up this battery, I felt that there were significant problems that needed to be addressed (I imagine Yose power did too, as they issued a recall notice).
The person who started this thread claims the main power wire which is in close contact with the cells from one end of the pack to the other is capable of handling 48A. If this is the case, why is the pack fitted with a 50A fuse? In private messages, they have told me the 48A cable can handle more than 48A momentarily. Well, this does not inspire me with confidence. In a short circuit situation, with a failed BMS, the current could be far from momentary. On other Yose power packs I've had in the past, which were fitted with a 20A fuse, that fuse would not blow unless more than 30A was passed through it, 50% more than its rating. In a recent post on this forum, I think by
@lenny a video of spade fuses were bought and tested and many were found to blow well above the specified current.
If I am designing a high powered circuit, I would never use a fuse with a higher rating than the maximum rating of the wiring system connecting things together. There has to be a significant margin for error, otherwise it is likely that the wiring will fail before the fuse designed to protect the wiring, with potentially disastrous consequences. In this triangular battery, the wire was in close contact with the cells, from one end of the pack to the other. I know from experience how easy it is for things to get hot very quickly and how quickly thin plastic can break down and shorts occur.
In my opinion, I believe the placement of the main current carrying wire is a poor design choice and a potential safety issue, especially when the wiring is a lower rating than the fuse in the system.
I believe that Yose power can do better than this. They could make a design where all of the main power cables, charge cables and sense cables are packaged away from the cells, resulting in a much safer design and a clear selling point over competitors.
