First Ebike build -> Big sparks, need help !!

[currentFlo]

Hello all,
I spent today assembling my first ebike with the following parts:

Crystalyte HS3540 rear
Lyen 12 FET 4110 sensorless controller
CycleAnalyst
Turnigy Battery 20s 5Ah for test (4 x 5s batteries in serie)

Everything seemed fine so after having connected the elements and check the batteries were charged I tried connecting the battery to controller !!! And I've got big spark like a circuit shorted somewhere. (I tied 2 times with the same result)

Battery seems ok I measured +83V on it.

Help please, I hope my controlled is not fried !!

Thanks

Florian

 

[spinningmagnets]

There are capacitors in the controller that are charging up when you plug in the battery.

There are several threads about using a no-spark resistor, and also some battery packs have a separate charging connector in parallel with the main leads so that the battery can be charged up without disconnecting it from the controller (if you want).

The spark is not bad at all at 36V, and it gets bigger as you begin using more volts. At 72V+ the spark is very noticeable.

edit: found a pre-charge resistor thread:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23453&start=30#p342860

Edit: Fechter suggested a 120V bulb as a resistor, with the added benefit of actually being able to see when the caps are fully charged (bulb stops glowing) Kitchen appliance control panel bulbs are small, readily available, and cheap. If you want to plug in fast without waiting, you don't have to use the biggest resistor the calculator suggests. Use one thats half the suggested resistance to cut the spark in half.

 

[currentFlo]

Hi,
yes I heard about that, but I didn't expect the spark to be so big, so I'm not yet convinced this is normal beahvior. Because I tried 2 times I though the second time would be less big because of capacitor charge but it was the same.

Would a polarity error cause such sparks ? Maybe the controller is bad wired internally ?

Thanks for your reply.

Florian

 

[wesnewell]

Hi,
yes I heard about that, but I didn't expect the spark to be so big, so I'm not yet convinced this is normal beahvior. Because I tried 2 times I though the second time would be less big because of capacitor charge but it was the same.

I know the spark is pretty big using only 14s, less than 60V fully charged, so i can image a huge spark at over 80V. It's normal, and the caps drain in milliseconds. You can spark it all day by unplugging and then plugging right back in. Suggest a spark eliminator. Here's how.

http://scriptasylum.com/rc_speed/nospark.html

 

[currentFlo]

Hi all, thanks for your replies I build a quick and dirty spark eliminator with 2 * 400 Ohm resistors it works fine !! Just a very little spark remaining.

I now have a new problem: the wheel spins the wrong direction, I need to find out why ...

Florian

 

[icecube57]

Swap any two phase wires around.

 

[wesnewell]

Hi all, thanks for your replies I build a quick and dirty spark eliminator with 2 * 400 Ohm resistors it works fine !! Just a very little spark remaining.

I now have a new problem: the wheel spins the wrong direction, I need to find out why ...

Florian

Reverse jumpered in controller. Reverse switch throw or leads opened/closed.

 

[icecube57]

Hi all, thanks for your replies I build a quick and dirty spark eliminator with 2 * 400 Ohm resistors it works fine !! Just a very little spark remaining.

I now have a new problem: the wheel spins the wrong direction, I need to find out why ...

Florian

Reverse jumpered in controller. Reverse switch throw or leads opened/closed.

Lyen doesnt mess with this stuff unless you request it so its probably stock configuration.

The Lyen Sensorless controllers are retarded as can be sometimes No offense to Lyen. Even when you have hall sensors installed they act retarded.. Once it thinks it has the right direction and its running smoothly you can't tell it anything. It will run the motor backwards until you flip two phase wires around then it looks at you stupid for a few momments while it figures out which way is the right direction then it will spin the correct way. I know someone is going to fight with me on this. In sensorless mode Even if you push start it in the right direction .... once it finds a way that works... even if its in the wrong direction.. it saves this in its memory. So even if you power cycle the controller it will run backwards and you can tell it different. I installed hall wires in mine ... Even though it has halls if it think it has the correct direction in its memory it will run you motor and controller backwards until you flip two hall wires and same colored phase wires around.

 

[stanz]

Battery seems ok I measured +83V on it.

Holy voltage Batman 83V! How fast do you go???

The first time I connected my 36V pack I was stunned at the spark, I can't imagine how powerful it must be at 83V.

 

[currentFlo]

Hello,
yes I switched two phase wires and its ok now !! I spent my afternoun riding the bike and analysing power/voltage/consumption ... It was really great !!

Now I need to HK having 5s 5Ah 20C turnigy in stock, I also need to think on how to get a bike easy to charge and use everyday because in current setup I'm always pluging/unpluging lot of cables with the fear of KFF :lol:

Thanks all.

Flo

Hi all, thanks for your replies I build a quick and dirty spark eliminator with 2 * 400 Ohm resistors it works fine !! Just a very little spark remaining.

I now have a new problem: the wheel spins the wrong direction, I need to find out why ...

Florian

Reverse jumpered in controller. Reverse switch throw or leads opened/closed.

Lyen doesnt mess with this stuff unless you request it so its probably stock configuration.

The Lyen Sensorless controllers are retarded as can be sometimes No offense to Lyen. Even when you have hall sensors installed they act retarded.. Once it thinks it has the right direction and its running smoothly you can't tell it anything. It will run the motor backwards until you flip two phase wires around then it looks at you stupid for a few momments while it figures out which way is the right direction then it will spin the correct way. I know someone is going to fight with me on this. In sensorless mode Even if you push start it in the right direction .... once it finds a way that works... even if its in the wrong direction.. it saves this in its memory. So even if you power cycle the controller it will run backwards and you can tell it different. I installed hall wires in mine ... Even though it has halls if it think it has the correct direction in its memory it will run you motor and controller backwards until you flip two hall wires and same colored phase wires around.

 

[currentFlo]

Hi Stanz,

yes not too bad for my first electric bike , I had to make a spark eliminator for this voltage because I couldn't connect safely the main battery wires.

Speed is not as good as I expected :? -> max 50 Kph, but as I only have 5Ah pack I limited the current to 50 Amps in cycle analyst.
Also, my wheel size is pretty big 2230mm maybe why I have not enough torque to reach that speed, any idea ?

I measured ~28Wh/Km, is it a normal value ?

note on turnigy batteries: I extracted 4.9Ah (5Ah pack) from them, pack volatge was still 76V at the end !! they seem really good batts...

Flo

Battery seems ok I measured +83V on it.

Holy voltage Batman 83V! How fast do you go???

The first time I connected my 36V pack I was stunned at the spark, I can't imagine how powerful it must be at 83V.