The requirement
What I like about the DIY projects I am getting is the variety in the requirements and the purpose that they are meeting. My recent assignment is to build an inverter battery case that will house the heavy battery and the inverter stabilizer. Considering the inverter is in the living room, the need was to build a cabinet around the whole thing which will look neat and can double up as a small side table. |
| The inverter |
Making the trolley - Phase 1
One constraint though. The battery needs to be fed with water at least once every two months. So an enclosed cabinet will not serve the purpose. Either the cabinet should open up to expose the battery or the battery should easily move in and out. I went with the latter option and decided to place the battery on a trolley.
The first phase of the project was to build the trolley. I used 19mm plywood board for the trolley and had wooden laminate installed around it. I installed trolley wheels beneath the board and also had a door handle screwed in. The handle is to aid in pulling the trolley out of its enclosure. I tried using it as a skate board for sometime and ended falling flat.
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| 19mm Plywood plank |
 |
| The trolley |
Yesterday, I had the trolley delivered and installed. The dimensions ended up being perfect and it was really easy to pull the battery around.
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| Battery on the trolley |
Making the cabinet - Phase II
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| Tentative design and measurements |
I have to now build the cabinet around the battery. Since the trolley needs to move in and out, decided to not have any base for the cabinet. It will have one additional shelf to house the stabilizer and will have doors covering the front of the cabinet. While the doors will hide the inverter, they will also have sufficient ventilation to allow for any smoke to sneak out. Adequate ventilation also needs to exist in the sides and rear.
This 3D design that I created using sketchup is very simple and tentative. Once approved I will be starting work on Phase II.
Most countries and states may not understand the need for inverters in the house. But, with daily power cuts being the norm in Chennai, almost every household has one. Do you have one too installed in your home ? How have you covered it up? There are ready made cases available. What did you go for ?
- Somu
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Interesting, I will be waiting to see how this project turns out. I also have a project exactly for this purpose. My father has a similar setup and I'm planning to make a furniture like cabinet to house it. I thought if I make it before I move, I can use the box to pack some stuff thus it will do double duty.
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind If I steal the idea of the trolley. I was planning to keep the battery inside. Your trolley idea seems better.
Hi Kittu, am excited too. Have few other projects that I am working on so work on this will be a while before I start.
DeleteIf the battery is low maintenance, it can be housed in the cabinet. But this one requires maintenance on and off and so decided to make it mobile. Feel free to use the trolley. I hope that it eventually helps meet the purpose that I am looking at.
And right. I need to have holes for air circulation. I am still learning sketchup and so didn't want to spend too much time depicting the holes in the diagram :)
Some holes for circulation of air might be needed.
ReplyDeleteThis design needs some minor modification to take into account the considerable heat generated by the inverter. Instead of having a solid back panel, have slats or perforated hardboard which will allow for air circulation. Also, laminate the trolley top to prevent erosion by the battery water that might spill out.
ReplyDeleteHi Indranil, you are absolutely bang on target. My original plan is to use 6mm plywood planks in the rear. That way most of the rear is open to allow for the wires and cables to be routed and also make way for the additional ventilation.
DeleteI intend having holes on the sides. Still need to figure out how many and at what size. Did not want to depict them in the image. I am also thinking of not covering the entire front with the door. Maybe an inch of gap in the bottom.
I have used wooden laminates on all sides of the trolley. Are you referring to anything specific that will handle the erosion ? Do let me know.
And thanks for the pointers. I sometimes tend to work with the image and am likely to forget the ventilation aspect that is mandatory in this requirement. This conversation will remind me when I start work on it :)
As the performance of the inverter such as inverter ON,Charging, battery low, needs to be watched by means of indicator light every now and then, it may be appropriate to keep it on the top of the cabinet instead of keeping inside the cabinet,thus additional work of creating a partition may be eleminated.Front side of the cabinet may be provided with doors and back side kept open for ventilation as well as for electrical leads - mama
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post; Battery is the only source that assists to prevent us from the power demanding time, so choice of your battery should give at least minimum power consumption so better to buy your batteries & inverters from the battery authorized dealers...
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Exide inverter battery |Amaron battery dealers in chennai
Hi Sir, Nice idea :). same way i m preparing , i have stated work 2 months ago. My Frame is already ready. my battery height is 20 inches. in my plan i included Set top box (like a CD drive in PC, 3 switches 1 socket) space for woofer 1 drawer and 1 drawer for tv remotes only. FYI 4 months back i completed my wooden PC desk, link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54CHp7AVa7I.
ReplyDeleteHi Sir,
ReplyDeleteIt is quite interesting. I never thought someone will have carpentry as hobby. This is the first time I came across carpentry as hobby. Great. BTW, I am looking to buy a wooden trolley for my inverter battery and inverter. By any chance, you have something to sell or can you guide me where I can get that ? I do not want to go for plastic trolleys as they are not able to withstand the weight. I am in Chennai. Please respond.
Interesting Post...Yes battery is the product that requires little much extra care and these case and battery trolley to reduce damage and other environment effect on the battery cells. Some popular brands also sell their inverter and battery stand or trolley.
ReplyDeleteInverter Trolley | Battery Trolley
Hey.. I know I'm a lil too late to this party but i stumbled on this post searching for the exact same requirement. I had just one question, how is the cabinet holding up? Because of water dripping from the battery spoilt the cabinet? This was a concern raised by our carpenter saying the wood will get spoilt too soon.. can u clarify if u happen to see this post someday.. Thanks
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