Upcoming improvements to the dev kit

[kirk]

Hi all, been planning some improvements to the dev kit that are underway, based on some ideas exchanged at a conference with some other open-source flow battery projects (Redoxino and the team at QUB).

It's mostly to improve ergonomics - there is now a case to hold the arduino and wires on the rear of the cell:

We also realized you can just clamp the cell shut with a 2-inch C-clamp instead of using the bolts, and it seals well:

Note, the new endplates here used are backwards-compatible with previous gaskets/graphite plates/brass current collectors, so no need to recut anything. Moving forward though, the design files for those components will change to reflect the need for only two alignment pin holes instead of the four bolt holes.

And based on Redoxino's presentation at the Nordic Flow Battery Network meeting, Gastronorm (GN) containers are a nice standard to use for secondary containment, it seems with some tweaks we could fit the entire kit into a GN 1/3 150 mm deep container, which are a standard for industrial kitchens worldwide (and available in polymers like PP and PC).

Need to make the reservoirs shorter or mounted lower somehow, and maybe make a holder in the jig for the C-clamp, so that it's in a fixed position.

Right now I'm working on these developments on the clampable-cell branch here: https://codeberg.org/FBRC/RFB-dev-kit/src/branch/clampable-cell

Let me know if you have feedback/ideas/suggestions! Docs are not yet updated for this configuration, I will do that before I merge it to main.

[kirk]

The new endplates are basically the same, just two alignment pins instead of four bolt holes.

[kirk]

Oh, and we'll be trying to add Luer Lok twist connectors to make detaching the cell quickly from the rest of the setup faster/easier than undoing tight barbed fitting connections.

[kirk]

Also, we have a "double-reservoir" part that contains an internal spillover passage for systems that have a lot of water/liquid transfer. Probably going to make a version with and without this and have it as the standard going forward, to simplify the tubing and jig setup for whatever version people want to use.

The double-reservoir with spillover is in use here

[doho]

Hi Kirk, I am very interestet in your new endplates.

I have try-ed to download Your new files from github (.stl and .pdf), but the files all appeared as broken, even in github.
How to get this problem solved?
(please see: my suction luer lock)
also some other links from you do not work
(only for information: my system is Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, Firefox)

doho

[doho]

I just had get the .stl files for the end-plates and I will print them