Elcon / tccharger advise pls.

dutchlincoln

100 W
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Messages
135
Hello,
I have a setup with 16pcs. of 90Ah Winston cells.
I intend to use the Foundingpower EBS.BMS with a bleeding balance current of 200mA.
Now, i figure the BMS does the controlling of the charge, so i want to buy a 1500W or 2000W Elcon charger in order to fill the pack.
Now, i need to specify a charging curve and voltage, but thats where it gets hard... I read somewhere that the curve doesn't matter because the BMS will regulate this. I think that's not quite true, as the BMS only bleeds off, and doesn't control any current or voltages that go into the pack.... (There IS a possibility however to regulate the max. output currnt of an Elcon charger...Not sure if this BMS does something with it?)
I find different optimal charging voltages, namelijk 3.65 volts, 3.7 volts, 3.8 volts, and even 4 volts (the latter seems too high in my opinion.)

Personally, i think that a end voltage of 3.8 volts seems okay (they are LiFeyPo4 chemistry)
I also read that the actual cell voltage isn't what you read at the clamps (possibly due to resistance loss in the connections i guess?)

Can anyone advise me a bit in order how to set the BMS and how to order the Elcon Charger?

Thanks!
 
I have used these chargers quite a bit, and I think they are a solid product.

You will need to set your top of charge voltage to 3.65 V per cell. The balancers should only start working if the cell voltage goes above this. So in your case, 58.4 V is ideal. What you need to be careful of is the time it takes for the balancing to occur. The TC charger is great in that once it hits 58.4 V, the charge current is trimmed right back to an amp, and after a short time, it turns off. This stage doesn't last long - maybe 5 minutes. This is good; if the pack is well balanced, it shouldn't need much more than this. If it is well out of balance, you will need to reset the charger a few times.

Make sure you get the three wire version so you can trim the output current down for balancing - very handy.
 
Okay,

Do you know what curve i need to choose for my specific setup?
I think that a curve that lowers current at the final stage would be good?
 
Whatever comes from the factory I guess. I never knew you could change it, or even have it set. If you want to limit the charging current at any stage, you can use a voltage divider three wire control lead to trim the constant current (CC) back for a slower charge, but the constant voltage (CV) stage will still always start once the maximum set voltage is reached. What current it drops back to is where the settings would matter, I guess.

Edit - found this handy if you're into CAN Bus and all that.
http://media3.ev-tv.me/chargermanual.pdf
 
Jes, that is mostly true, but i don't want to hand-operate it naturally :)

My goal is to have it bulkcharge to approx. 95% at full current, and then backoff and charge with a few amps, thus making balancing easyer.

The manual you found is a nice item. Where did you find it? (There's no brand or supplyer mentioned?)
 
If you don't yet have a firm decision on BMS, I recomment using EMUS BMS from www.elektromotus.lt
This BMS has good CAN integration with TC/Elcon charger, as well as USB/BT interface to PC/Android, etc.

Feel free to check it out: http://elektromotus.lt/en/products/battery-management-system-bms
Documentation: http://elektromotus.lt/wiki/index.php?title=BMS:_Quick_Start_Guide_v2.x
There are some distributors around the globe.
 
Hi, Thanks for your reply.

Not really firm, but i already ordered my BMS, and the BMS you mention has a triple pricetag of the Founding power BMS.
I have to admit it is a very nice BMS, but compared to the battery-package to control, not priceworthy..
 
Hi,

I got my BMS wired in right now, and set some values (posted a pic of the settings at the foundingpower-bms topic)

Do you thnk i need to have it charged to 3.65 volts, and start balance at 3.7 volts or so?
Currently, i set it to 3.350 volts balancien, and 3.300 charge stop (by head, not quite sure)

Not clear for me what the best moment is to start balancing... When the charger stops, or when the nominal cell voltage is reached.. (3.3 volts)
 
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