LiPo Battery Ruggedized Power Module

A while back, we decided that we needed a 24v power source for various “testing” applications. This source needed to be durable enough for daily use by a wide variety of people without becoming damaged. It also needed to protect the device being powered, and be easy to maintain.

Given that tall list, Ben suggested a HobbyKing LiPo pack, 6S, 5Ah. With that start, we decided that it should have volt and amp meters for monitoring, as well as a circuit breaker to provide positive power disconnect, and protect the battery (easily capable of 150A into a dead short).Meters were ordered from Ebay and the breaker was something out of an old UPS.

The blue enclosure is a waterproof storage box from Walmart, modified to pass through various connectors.  It’s not waterproof at this point, but we’re more after the durability of the polycarbonate than the waterproof aspect anyhow.

Internally, there’s quite a bit going on.  The battery is packed into a foamed-off area, while the other side contains the electronics, including the circuit breaker,ammeter shunt and all the connectors.

Charging is accomplished via a modified ATX connector (which re-presents the balance plug and main power leads), with a fuse to protect against abuse. The idea is that it’s virtually impossible to charge the battery improperly, or to break a relatively fragile balance connector.

Overall, it was a pretty straight-forward build, and cost around $90, including the battery and all the connectors.

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