Battery Powered Electric Motor and Charging Requirements

[Fred Gandolfo]

TL;DR

Battery Operated system to drive a pump motor rated 10.1 Brake Horsepower for approximately 8 hours, along with a charger.

I need to build a battery system to drive a 10 HP pump motor. The actual BHP varies as the pressure in the system rises, but for the most part we are operating at a 10.1 brake horsepower. Run time requirements will vary from a few hours to many hours. I settled on 8 hrs as a basis.

Motor voltage can be changed to meet the optimum battery designs. The system can be charged up from an oversized industrial engine driven alternator, a stand alone generator, or shore power. The theory is between stops the transportation vehicle can keep the batteries topped off with an industrial auto alternator, when on site the solar (if used) can augment peak charge if the pump is not running and the system can be charged with a standby generator and or shore power overnight when the truck in back in house.

This is a portable, trailer mounted project which gives us 3 walls to hang the new style, home back up style batteries, if this is the most efficient way to plan. I have looked at using an inverter and powering up the DC Bus for our input power to the system, and delivering 3-Phase 208 Volt to drive our motor. I can also use a DC motor so as to not lose efficiency in the inverter.

I am lost on the battery and chargers, the technology has changed so rapidly with the new Solar offerings, I am not sure of the right off the shelf technology available, or if this is even feasible with battery power.

Any help someone could offer would be great, I am at the preliminary planning stage and not stuck on any specific battery or motor design. Yet.
Thank you,

 

[sophiecentaur]

Summary:: Battery Operated system to drive a pump motor rated 10.1 Brake Horsepower for approximately 8 hours, along with a charger.

I need to build a battery system to drive a 10 HP pump motor.

Interesting project. I just have to make the following suggestion, though. If you have water storage capacity then you could cut out the requirement for a battery at all. Storing water at height will be much more efficient than going through the charge - discharge cycle of a battery bank.
Of course, it more than possible that you can't store a lot of water so my comment could well be irrelevant but there are applications where it's a very good solution. A storage tank will never wear out.

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PF.

Rough numbers: 10.1HP * 750W/HP = 7580W

7.58kW * 8hr = 60kWhr

That's roughly 4-5 Tesla Powerwall batteries.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default.../Powerwall 2_AC_Datasheet_en_northamerica.pdf

 

[Borek]

Similar line of thinking, just Mike was a bit faster: you would need 100 of 12V/50 Ah lead-acid car batteries.

 

[Fred Gandolfo]

Interesting project. I just have to make the following suggestion, though. If you have water storage capacity then you could cut out the requirement for a battery at all. Storing water at height will be much more efficient than going through the charge - discharge cycle of a battery bank.
Of course, it more than possible that you can't store a lot of water so my comment could well be irrelevant but there are applications where it's a very good solution. A storage tank will never wear out.

Air compressor pump, there is no water involved. I get your idea. If it was water, it would be a good way to approach it.
Thank you

 

[sophiecentaur]

Air compressor pump, there is no water involved.

Ahh, I see now. Of course, you could always store compressed air but that stuff is scary in large quantities. Did you look at the many different transport systems that don't use fossil fuels? It's interesting to get a feel for the numbers involved in those things.
But I can readily appreciate that battery storage tends to take the unknowns of of designing what you want. I liked the above calculations that give the mass of 12V lead acid batteries. Lithium has some real advantages there.