72V to 48V???

dilkes

100 W
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
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196
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I may be given a 72v pack soon. Both my bikes run on 48V. Is there any way to step down this voltage so it can be used? My thoughts:

1. A resistor in series...but this wastes a good bit of the power into heat

2. A DC-DC converter...but I haven't been able to find such a thing...lots that step down to 24V.

Or am I wasting my time?
 
Upgrade the controller on one of the bikes.
Opps - ignore - thought he was upgrading from 48V to 72V

If he's going to do that maybe consider upgrading the hub motor to a 750W 72V hub motor or even 1000W 72V hub motor... as speed/power is primary objedtive otherwise why even do the conversion?

It really depends on how usable are the remaining discharge cycles of the 72V battery (25mph cruising vs 35mph cruising). Probably only needs to upgrade the Controller from a 20A or 30A to a 40A 72V Controller for improved extra power as well as range. Although doing so will shorten the battery cycle life. Needs to find out if the 72V battery already has at least a 50A BMS.


Wouldn't he need a 72V Controller as well as a 72V hub motor if possibly as much as 72V were being pulled from his battery ??
 
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I may be given a 72v pack soon.
Yep. Choices are:
1) Higher voltage controller
2) Keep the current batteries and use a stepdown (so the 72V becomes a booster.) Probably have to build one yourself, but a non-isolated buck converter is the easiest converter to build.

Resistor is a non-starter.
 
1. A resistor in series...but this wastes a good bit of the power into heat
This won't work, as the voltage across the resistor will change with current flow thru it. No current flow means no drop across it, so the controller would then see the whole voltage when not actually drawing sufficient current.

2. A DC-DC converter...but I haven't been able to find such a thing...lots that step down to 24V.
WTurber has a thread about using a converter for a battery of a different voltage than the controller supports. I think his is a boost vs buck that you'd need, but the thread should give you some idea of the possible problems, and that it *can* work. It's likely that the converter will be at least as big as your controller is, and could give you a 20%+ efficiency hit, or worse.

LED PSUs rather than straight DC-DCs are another option; Meanwell makes good ones; not sure if any will run off the DC input range you'd get out of a 72v battery (something around 66-84v from empty to full), but they have ones with adjustable voltage and current that are even sealed and potted (hence weatherproof and vibrationproof) .

However, it is going to be much simpler and probably cheaper, certainly more efficient, to use a controller already built to run off the higher voltage (minimum of 84v, full voltage of a typical 72v pack). I recommend making sure it actually has an LVC for a 72v pack, so that it will help protect your battery and you're not depending on the BMS (if any) to do that.

A new controller also gives you the chance to get features you don't have now that you have always wanted, if you have a list. ;)

It might also be possible to modify the controller you have for the higher voltage but it is likely to be as or more expensive than buying one, plus the risk of making it not work at all and having to buy a new one anyway. :/
 
I may be given a 72v pack soon. Both my bikes run on 48V. Is there any way to step down this voltage so it can be used? My thoughts:

1. A resistor in series...but this wastes a good bit of the power into heat

2. A DC-DC converter...but I haven't been able to find such a thing...lots that step down to 24V.

Or am I wasting my time?

1. a resistor is crazy ideia.. P=(72V-48V)*20A = 480W heat dissipation losses..
2. a DC-DC could work, but needs to be a step down from 72V to 48V and able to supply 20A@48V this means U need a minimum 1000W step down converter..

3. other dirty solution -- > U have a 72V 20S battery and you need a 13S 48V, sooo open 72V 20S battery, desolder main positive form 20S element and solder to 13S element.
positive is not affected by bms, soo bms still working at this downgrade, But you carry 7S unused elements.. 20S to13S downgrade (use 13S charger!!)
U have to test your new downgraded battery to ensure this system is fully workin!

4. remove 7S blocks from 20S battery and replace BMS for 13S . This way you have a real 13S battery with 13S BMS

Have a nice day.
 
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Hello everyone. I know this thread is older but I’m hoping someone sees it and can help me out. I was doing a search for info pertaining to this thread. I’m no electrician and VERY new to the e-bike scene,( I’ve been an internal combustion bike rider but the harassment from the police have caused me to find other options of legal power). I also may have access to a 72v battery and my thought was what batteryGOLD said about opening it up and deleting cells. Could someone help point me in the right direction on where to buy a compatible BMS circuit board so I can put a new one on the battery if I am able to get the battery? I just want to make sure the electronics are good so my new Hidoes B6 bike and/or the battery don’t get destroyed. I paid $1,300 for the bike about 2 months ago but, I got a full refund and kept the bike also thanks to Amazons A-Z guarantee. That is a whole other story. But I’m sure some of you would be amazed how it all happened.
Thank you in advance if someone reads this and can give me more insight on what exactly to do and info on the BMS board.
 
What exactly do you want to do?

Meaning, what is the final result you want out of the battery?

What voltage do you need it to be?

What charger do you have now? (if you lower the battery voltage, you'll need a new charger).

If you take cells out of the battery, or bypass them, you reduce not only it's voltage, but the total range of the system by reducing it's Wh capacity.


If the bike is a 72v system/controller, it probably won't operate at the lower voltage, so you'd need to replace it's controller, display, etc with ones meant for the lower voltage.


Note that anything involving working inside the battery, reconfiguring it, etc., has the risk of shorting something and starting a fire you probably can't put out on your own (without specific preparations for that event), or of electrocuting yourself, especially if you haven't any experience with this kind of thing.


If you just bypass cells in the battery as BatterGOLD suggests, by moving the main B+ wire, without replacing the BMS with one that only monitors the lower number of cells, and without getting a new lower-voltage charger, then charging it is going to take a VERY long time, as it will have to continuously bleed tiny amounts of charge off the cells still in the pack but not being used, so charging will start, run for a few seconds or minutes, stop, drain for minutes or hours, then restart for a few seconds or minutes, and repeat this cycle for hours or days (or longer) until the in-use cells finally finish charging.

Using a lower voltage charger on only the still-used cells will fix this after the initial time the BMS has to drain any of the higher cells of a bit of charge, and be normal on any subsequent charge.


The advantages of just bypassing the cells is that they are still in the battery if you need to upgrade later, and you are not disassembling the battery physically, reconfiguring it, etc., so it's safer.

Disadvantage is the cells are still there taking up room and weight.



The BMS doesn't protect the bike or controller, etc., it is there to protect the cells. Which BMS you get will depend on what the cells are capable of vs what the controller itself needs.

What BMS is in there now, and what current (amps, A) are the cells rated for?

What controller does the bike have now, and what current (amps, A) is it rated for?
 
I also may have access to a 72v battery and my thought was what batteryGOLD said about opening it up and deleting cells. Could someone help point me in the right direction on where to buy a compatible BMS circuit board so I can put a new one on the battery if I am able to get the battery?
Unless you have a lot of hands on experience repairing and building battery pack, I would not recommend that you attempt to that modification.
 
I’m gonna take your advice and leave the battery as is. Although, I might look to upgrade the rest of the system to match the battery. Unless I’d have to replace the display and lights then it’s getting too pricy.
 
A new 72V controller's likely to need a new display because the old 48V display's probably limited by 60V components.

If the bike has space for both new and old batteries then the 72V can be a booster as JackFlorey said, easier than providing the full current for the bike. The bike rides as before (controller unchanged) but with better range and a bit less sag.

Simplest is to have a CC buck regulator topping up the old battery the whole time or, if the 48V BMS doesn't support charging while riding, power the bike in parallel with the old battery using a dual battery discharge adapter.

AliExpress CC Buck Converter 100v
 
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