6s6p lipo battery safe?

[Liquidice]

Hello. New user but frequent lurker.

I recently made a elongboard and run 6x 6 cell 2200mah HK batteries for it. These batts are all connected in parallel. Charging them is annoying because I have to balance charge each battery. I would like to run a BMS and make them into a giant pack. I'm confused about the balancing. If I ran the battery with balance leads of each battery parallel, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of balancing each cell individually?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Schlafmutze]

" If I ran the battery with balance leads of each battery parallel, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of balancing each cell individually?"

Yes it would, as cells in parallel don't need to be disconnected and individually charged.

 

[dogman dan]

A harness that paralells all your balance leads will make it easier to balance charge as one big pack. Once paralleled at the balance leads, they are in effect, just 6 cells.

However, you should try to learn to manage your pack so that it's not so unbalanced all the time. Stopping sooner will help that, you will stay much more balanced if you stop at 3.6v per cell rather than going lower.

Don't beat your pack to death, and it should stay balanced quite well for weeks. Then you only have to bulk charge it. That is, just run the charger in the non balancing charge mode.

 

[Liquidice]

Thanks guys. I will take your advice. Is a BMS still required or is it optional?

 

[wesnewell]

I have a feeeling you are still confused. Exactly how do you intend to use these six 6s packs? As one 6s battery pack, one 18s2p pack or something else? This may help some.
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=39666

 

[dogman dan]

I look at it this way, A BMS IS ALWAYS MANDATORY. The question is, do you prefer to have a circuit board do that, or do you feel ok with the extra effort to be a human bms.

Both are fallible, so this makes cheap hobby type lithium cobalt, NEVER SAFE.

Best approach, trust but verify. Install a bms, but also check the cells often, check for balance at full charge, check for damage, watch the voltage while you ride to verify that your LVC didn't fail.