High Quality 5-6A 12s LiFePO4 Charger?

s28400

100 W
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
143
Location
Orlando Florida
Hello,
I am working with some A123 26650 Cells and I am trying to find a high quality robust charger. I was using this one here: http://www.batteryspace.com/Smart-Charger-5.0A-for-38.4V-LiFePO4-Battery-Pack-110-240V.aspx I thought that it was a high quality charger, but it ended up catching fire/smoking profusely during a charge. It also didn't seem to be ver efficient as it required a fan and got very warm.

I have been trying to find a nice enclosed switching supply but I can't find anything off the shelf that will work. This one from mean well is close:https://www.sager.com/_resources/pdfs/product/GC330.pdf However, it is only available in a 40.8v version and a 54.4v. My system needs 43.2v minimum to charge and balance and Mean Well has a MOQ of 200 for modifications. So I have two options, either buy one of those chargers, open it up and look for the resistors that determine voltage and current and change them to suit my needs, or find a way to charge the cells with the 54.4v version. I think Boosted is actually doing just that on their V2 as they are using 12 of the 26650's and a 54v charger. Any thoughts on how that is done?

Cheers!
 
Well, the Satiator would be my first recommendation, but it ain't cheap. http://ebikes.ca/cyclesatiator

The other one I could recommend, based on posts here on ES about them, and my so far single experience with them (to be ongoing now), is the Meanwell HLG LED PSUs, as they are sealed for even wet-area use. No fan, gets warm but not hot even at max output for much of an hour (even with two of them secured to each other, outputting at over 1200w). The ones I have are not small, though, because they are for almsot 60v at 12A each.

I think the HLG-300H series, the "42v" version, would probably adjust to the voltage you need, (for 12s that'd be 3.65v/cell * 12 = 43.8v, if you're using a BMS to balance), It's probably about the size of the Satiator, if the 600H size is any indication (about twice the size of that).

The HLG-185 will do 4.4A, and there is a 42v version of that I found accidentally:
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/14441598289199582387?sclient=psy-ab&biw=1529&bih=925&q=hlg+300h-42&oq=hlg+300h-42&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.&bvm=bv.142059868,d.cGw&tch=1

Probably a lot of others, too.
 
My best suggestion would be more or less, same thing as you just smoked. I like my Em3ev charger with three voltage switch best of my chargers.
 
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