Motor controller high voltage protection causing an issue

[N8!]

Hola, TL, DR, any voltage over 60v is too much.

This is information about the G-Drive Dual System motor controller ver 2.0, prod num ZN-A20 with a S830 LCD panel.

The motor controller states it is a 36-48v controller but in the programing mode it allows the following voltages to be accepted:
24, 36, 48, 60.

The original battery is assembled of 18650 cells in an 10s config with no BMS resulting in 41.8v at full charge.

I built a new battery out of 18650 cells in a 15s config and purchased a new charger, 63.4v@2amp.

When constructing the cells I used partially discharged cells so when the battery was completed the motor controller showed 45% battery.

It ran like the wind, under full throttle the battery showed 5% , I put it on charge overnight.

Next day battery shows 63.4v, I cool it and after 4 hours it reads 63.2

I put it on the bike, LCD showed 93% charge at 63.1v and the motor will not respond. I swapped the 36v back on and set the controller to the lower voltage and the bike rode again, boring and slow and I had to pedal up hills.

I put the 63v battery on a big 120v dc motor and fly wheel and ran it down to 62v, the LCD display shows 94% and still won't power the motor.

Sadly the only solution I came up with is a 14s and yet another charger.

 

[E-HP]

I put it on the bike, LCD showed 93% charge at 63.1v and the motor will not respond. .

I put the 63v battery on a big 120v dc motor and fly wheel and ran it down to 62v, the LCD display shows 94%

Just to be clear, the LCD showing 94% at 63.1V is the same one that showed 93% at 62V (voltage went down but % went up)?

 

[N8!]

Just to be clear, the LCD showing 94% at 63.1V is the same one that showed 93% at 62V (voltage went down but % went up)?

that's correct, the percent moved inverse to the voltage on the LCD

to follow up, 14s shows 58.8v and 61% on the LCD, I'm going for a bike ride.

 

[E-HP]

that's correct, the percent moved inverse to the voltage on the LCD

And this is with P03 set for 60V?

 

[neptronix]

I'm really glad i only own programmable controllers rn.

 

[N8!]

And this is with P03 set for 60V?

yes, voltage set at P03 for 60v.

I just took it for a ride at 58.8, LCD showed 61%, 5% under throttle. Voltage at full throttle showed 50v.

 

[N8!]

I'm really glad i only own programmable controllers rn.

I'm leaning towards that myself, what kind of controllers do you prefer?

 

[neptronix]

For low to mid power ( < 2kw ), i would pick grin's phaserunner/baserunner controllers any day of the week.
For > 2kw, i like my trusty infineon clones ( can still buy them from cutler mac ).

Other people like much cheaper programmable controllers but i have no experience with those, so there's none i can personally vouch for.

 

[E-HP]

yes, voltage set at P03 for 60v.

I just took it for a ride at 58.8, LCD showed 61%, 5% under throttle. Voltage at full throttle showed 50v.

When I was deciding/experimenting with what voltage level I wanted to run with my current system, I found that 60V was the least consistent when I came to pack configurations. That is odd, since 60V is a "standard" pack voltage (multiple of 12V), however it looks like 14S/52V became the preferred voltage over 60V. I found 60V packs were either 16S or sometimes 17S. I've never seen a 15S "60V" pack, so maybe the controller wasn't designed for that. I just did a quick google search on 60V lithium ion battery pack, and selected 4 batteries at random, and each had a full charge voltage of 67.2V (44v - 67.2v). That's 16S.

If you replace the controller, make sure it's one that you can key in the number of serial groups and chemistry, instead of voltages. The phaserunner ones mentioned by neptronix probably do, since the Cycle Analyst works that way.

 

[amberwolf]

No, the PR works by entering the *actual* voltages you want for LVC, HVC, and the "soft" points for each of those as well.



The CAv3 uses a chemistry and number of cells for it's SoC meter, but it has an actual voltage entry for LVC [ Batt->Vlt Cutoff ] and shutdown voltage [ Misc->Vshutdown ]. (it doesn't have an HVC, AFAICR).


Personally I'd rather have an actual voltage number I can enter for soft and hard LVC and HVC, so that I can precisely set them for the actual pack I'm using, and the actual charge range I'm using (since not every BMS even of the same chemistry may have the same *VC points, or may be used for it's full capacity range, etc).

 

[E-HP]

No, the PR works by entering the *actual* voltages you want for LVC, HVC, and the "soft" points for each of those as well.

Even better!
EDIT: I probably should have said instead of voltage presets. "instead of voltages."