Fechter's Mini Meanwell Limiter V.3

[nicobie]

I'd be happy to reship the mouser parts to Europe. If memory serves me right the parts cost about $5 and the shipping to me was $5 USD. I can ship via 1st class international package (no tracking) for less than $5. So for about $15 you can get the parts needed to populate the PCB. If anyone is interested I can figure out my exact cost.

Nick

[fechter]

I'd be happy to reship the mouser parts to Europe. If memory serves me right the parts cost about $5 and the shipping to me was $5 USD. I can ship via 1st class international package (no tracking) for less than $5. So for about $15 you can get the parts needed to populate the PCB. If anyone is interested I can figure out my exact cost.

Nick

If there is enough demand, it would make even more sense to ship over several sets of parts along with the boards.

Anybody want to be a european distributor?
How is shipping between Europe and England?

[hjns]

I'd be happy to reship the mouser parts to Europe. If memory serves me right the parts cost about $5 and the shipping to me was $5 USD. I can ship via 1st class international package (no tracking) for less than $5. So for about $15 you can get the parts needed to populate the PCB. If anyone is interested I can figure out my exact cost.

Nick

Hi Nick,

That would be great. Happy to take you up on this. Can you arrange for mouser parts to ship to Europe for me? I need the parts for 126V and 20A max (2x 48V + 1x 24V in series) If it is $20 it is fine as well.

Looking forwards to your answer!

@Fechter; No, I do not have the time to be an EU distributor. Sorry.

KR,
Henk

[nicobie]

I'd be happy to reship the mouser parts to Europe. If memory serves me right the parts cost about $5 and the shipping to me was $5 USD. I can ship via 1st class international package (no tracking) for less than $5. So for about $15 you can get the parts needed to populate the PCB. If anyone is interested I can figure out my exact cost.

Nick

Hi Nick,

I need the parts for 126V and 20A max (2x 48V + 1x 24V in series) If it is $20 it is fine as well.

I'm not too sure about this but you might need 2 of the units for 3 power supplies especially as they will be 2 different voltages. Let me know what you want to do.

[hjns]

I'd be happy to reship the mouser parts to Europe. If memory serves me right the parts cost about $5 and the shipping to me was $5 USD. I can ship via 1st class international package (no tracking) for less than $5. So for about $15 you can get the parts needed to populate the PCB. If anyone is interested I can figure out my exact cost.

Nick

Hi Nick,

I need the parts for 126V and 20A max (2x 48V + 1x 24V in series) If it is $20 it is fine as well.

I'm not too sure about this but you might need 2 of the units for 3 power supplies especially as they will be 2 different voltages. Let me know what you want to do.

Hmm. Probably better to put the current limiter on one of the 48V units, and have the rest in series. Maybe someone else with more knowledge than I can chime in? I need to charge a 30S pack up to 126V. Thanks!

[fechter]

Yes, I think you could use one limiter on one 48V supply and put the other supplies in series.

[Degull]

I'd be happy to reship the mouser parts to Europe. If memory serves me right the parts cost about $5 and the shipping to me was $5 USD. I can ship via 1st class international package (no tracking) for less than $5. So for about $15 you can get the parts needed to populate the PCB. If anyone is interested I can figure out my exact cost.

Nick

Hi Nick,

That would be great. Happy to take you up on this. Can you arrange for mouser parts to ship to Europe for me? I need the parts for 126V and 20A max (2x 48V + 1x 24V in series) If it is $20 it is fine as well.

Looking forwards to your answer!

@Fechter; No, I do not have the time to be an EU distributor. Sorry.

KR,
Henk

If it helps at all, I'd be willing to ship the parts to you from here in Canada as well. My Mouser parts order cost $8 to ship to me. I also have the the limiter boards so if we ship them all together that might help save on shipping as well. Order the parts to my place and then I can ship you both the parts and the limiter boards. Send me a PM for my address.

[nicobie]

If it helps at all, I'd be willing to ship the parts to you from here in Canada as well. My Mouser parts order cost $8 to ship to me. I also have the the limiter boards so if we ship them all together that might help save on shipping as well. Order the parts to my place and then I can ship you both the parts and the limiter boards. Send me a PM for my address.

This is by far the best way to go.

[m8mat8]

Hello,
I would try to use 5 power supply meanwells like this NES 350 - 48 in series. It woulb be to have charger of 72 A123 20Ah cells (so between 210v and 260v).
I think I must use your board ? Maybe 4, between each power supply ?
I don't know what's better...
Can you help me... and sorry for my poor english.
Mat

[jamo96]

I have two S-350-12 and one S-350-27 meanwells which I intend to put in series for charging to 58.1v at ~10A.

Would I need 1 or 2 limiter boards? and are there any left?

Thanks

[fechter]

I have two S-350-12 and one S-350-27 meanwells which I intend to put in series for charging to 58.1v at ~10A.

Would I need 1 or 2 limiter boards? and are there any left?

Thanks

I think you could use one board on the 27v one. Pm degull about availability.

[Degull]

There are 5 boards left!

[nicobie]

There are 5 boards left!

Time to make more.

This is a vital piece of kit for making bulk chargers out of Meanwells.

Put me down for two.

Nick

[silverheels]

I'll take upto 3!

PM sent.

[jamo96]

Are the values for forward voltage drop for the bi-color LED important. The one listed in the BOM (604-WP59SURKSGC) is 1.95 V (red), 2.2 V (green). I am looking for a replacement part as I am purchasing from element 14 (mouser delivery to Aus is $30!).

I have found some with forward voltage drops of 2V (red) / 2.1V (green). Just wondering if this is a critical value needed for the proper operation of the circuit?

http://au.element14.com/bivar/5bc-3-ca/ ... dp/2114474

http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID ... ATID=976#1

http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID ... ATID=976#1

http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID ... ATID=976#1

Cheers

[fechter]

Are the values for forward voltage drop for the bi-color LED important. The one listed in the BOM (604-WP59SURKSGC) is 1.95 V (red), 2.2 V (green). I am looking for a replacement part as I am purchasing from element 14 (mouser delivery to Aus is $30!).

I have found some with forward voltage drops of 2V (red) / 2.1V (green). Just wondering if this is a critical value needed for the proper operation of the circuit?

It's very non-critical. I'm sure any of them will work as long as they have the right pin configuration.
The ones you listed above don't have the right pinout. You need one with a common cathode and 3 pins.

[Hyena]

Fechter,
Any thoughts on using these on high current server power supplies ? obviously you'd need 2-3 shunts (I'm thinking the HP DPS-600PB that is rated at 47amps) but they have a pin to adjust the voltage so I'm assuming your circuit will work ok ?

[fechter]

Fechter,
Any thoughts on using these on high current server power supplies ? obviously you'd need 2-3 shunts (I'm thinking the HP DPS-600PB that is rated at 47amps) but they have a pin to adjust the voltage so I'm assuming your circuit will work ok ?

I'm pretty sure it can work, but I don't know the exact connection point on one of those supplies. I do have one here I was using to power RC chargers, so hopefully I could find the spot. The latest board version has spots for 2 shunts, so up to 40A would be possible without modding.

[nicobie]

Fechter,
Any thoughts on using these on high current server power supplies ? obviously you'd need 2-3 shunts (I'm thinking the HP DPS-600PB that is rated at 47amps) but they have a pin to adjust the voltage so I'm assuming your circuit will work ok ?

What would you use to power those things? For 100v you'd need 8.

[Hyena]

I do have one here I was using to power RC chargers, so hopefully I could find the spot.

Cool if you have one there to test that'd be great. I don't see why it wouldn't work.

If you have that model HP according to RC groups it seem putting a pot between pins 3-9 will adjust the voltage from 8-13.8v
Link is here with lots of other info too
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... ostcount=3

What would you use to power those things? For 100v you'd need 8.

Heh I'm a maniac but not THAT. Though I do have a 240v/20 amp outlet in my garage so could potentially charge up stupidly fast if I wanted.

But no, I parallel charge so would only be using 2 of them to put out 47a at 6S voltage - which is enough for 1C charging a 15ah 18S pack. If I really wanted I could run 2S2P of these units but I don't ever need to recharge that quickly. Especially considering most of my bikes actually run a 10 ah 18S pack 3C charging isn't necessary. For long trips/touring 2 of these are light enough (and small form factor) to take in a packpack for a full recharge while stopping for lunch, which is nice

[megacycle]

Have you got to pre-charge with that gear

[jamo96]

TESTING:

For testing, I would suggest mounting the board on the supply, turn the adjustment pot about half way and fire it up. Look for smoke.
If no smoke, that's a good sign.
Next, use a voltmeter and measure across the HVC pins. You should see 12v across these pins. This tests the output of the voltage regulator.
Next, try shorting the HVC pins. You can use a little piece of wire or some tweezers. Shorting the HVC terminals should make the LED light up green.

I have just built my limiter board... I get 5.53V across the HVC pins, and when I short the HVC pins together the LED goes red, eeek!

Anyone had similar testing results? Anyone see any blaring mistakes?

Edit: Found mistake... no need for zener diode. Misread the first post.

[jamo96]

Next, choose your zener. This depends on the maximum voltage the supply with the limiter is going to be used with.

Up to 35V- no zener - use a jumper wire.

Does this mean value of the voltage on the supply that the limiter will be attached and not the total voltage of the supplies I have in series? In which case I do not need a zener at all...If so I think ive found the error... must read more carefully!!

Edit: All fixed now. Tested and working.

On another note is the limiter supposed to be quite loud while it is in the current limiting phase?

[fechter]

Glad you sorted that out. Yes, the zener selection depends only on the supply the board is attached to, not the total of all supplies in series.

I've heard some reports of buzzing during limiting. It may have to do with the PWM in the supply skipping pulses to keep the output low.

What voltage are you running at and what are the supplies rated at? If you have mulitple supplies in series, it might help to lower the output voltage of the supply(s) that don't have the limiter board and increase the voltage on the supply with it.

[deVries]

In addition, there is an input for cell level HVC alarm that will also drop the charging current and light the LED green. HVC alarm can be from CellLogs or most previous HVC boards that monitor individual cell voltages.

Hi Fechter,

Is there anything special that has to be done to the Celllog alarm output to "protect it" or your limiter when connecting to your limiter? Just wires or ???

Thanks.

Btw, has anyone setup their Celllogs to do this? Thread topic anyone???