How to charge Li-ion pack with 'separate charging port' BMS using KID?

Started by the_phew, August 17, 2019, 02:20:17 PM

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the_phew

Hello, I bought my KID ('marine version') last year, but finally getting around to setting it up. My intent is to use three 120W PV panels (27V open-circuit each) in series to charge a 44V nominal Li-ion (NMC chemistry I think? 46.2V final charge voltage) pack with its own built-in BMS. Specifically, the pack is the 1 kWh battery for the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 electric outboard motor, which has a separate charging port rated for 5A. When I charge it using the OEM ePropulsion wall charger or solar charger, I plug into this separate charging port. These 'separate charging port' BMS typically have diodes on the charging port so they can only charge, not discharge through this port (I don't consistently measure any voltage across any pins on the charging port even when the pack is fully charged). The problem is that apparently the KID draws its power solely from the batteries it's charging, foiling my plans (this was not at all clear from the description of the KID, or I probably wouldn't have bought it).

Do I have any options other than splicing the KID into the 'discharge' port of the pack and hope the BMS allows it to charge this way? Or is there some other way to power the KID while it charges batteries (through the USB port, for instance)?

P.S. I searched and didn't see a similar question, which is surprising to me because 1. the KID is marketed as a solar charge controller for marine applications and 2. every electric outboard I know of (Torqeedo, ePropulsion, etc) uses a 'separate charging port' BMS for their OEM lithium packs. I thought I was going to be a 'typical usage case' for the KID, but it seems like everyone is doing something much more 'home brew' than charging an off-the-shelf lithium pack.

Thanks

ClassicCrazy

Not sure the answer to your question but I was looking at BMS awhile back and some of them have the charging and discharging combined instead of separating them.
Look around on this store and you will see what I mean
https://daly.aliexpress.com/store/all-wholesale-products/4165007.html?spm=2114.12010608.nav-list.1.5eeb18a4SVr7Dd

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

the_phew

Quote from: ClassicCrazy on August 17, 2019, 09:27:10 PM
Not sure the answer to your question but I was looking at BMS awhile back and some of them have the charging and discharging combined instead of separating them.
Look around on this store and you will see what I mean
https://daly.aliexpress.com/store/all-wholesale-products/4165007.html?spm=2114.12010608.nav-list.1.5eeb18a4SVr7Dd

Larry

Indeed, but I'm not about to void the warranty of my ePropulsion lithium pack to install a new BMS, when the OEM BMS works just fine. I (apparently wrongly) assumed when shopping for a solar charge controller that the only things that mattered were the input voltage range, charging voltage range, and current rating. But that minor detail about where the power to run the controller is coming from (I assumed it was the PV array, like many other solar chargers) has left me with a $500 paperweight, apparently.

FNG

All DC charge controllers get their power from the battery, I have run into this a few times and the battery manufacturer has approved a resistor across the BMS to allow enough voltage and current the charge controller will start.

if not then you have an issue and the battery is not designed to accept a charge from solar as such IMHO

mike90045

I've often considered, in the case of some sort of failure, of being able to jumper the PV Input to the Battery Output, to directly feed the PV array directly to the batteries, till there is enough voltage to start the charge controller.
http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar

Classic 200| 2Kw PV, 160Voc | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph )| Listeroid 6/1, st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | midnight ePanel & 4 SPDs | 48V, 800A NiFe battery bank | MS-TS-MPPT60 w/3Kw PV

the_phew

Quote from: FNG on August 19, 2019, 10:46:52 AM
All DC charge controllers get their power from the battery, I have run into this a few times and the battery manufacturer has approved a resistor across the BMS to allow enough voltage and current the charge controller will start.

if not then you have an issue and the battery is not designed to accept a charge from solar as such IMHO

Not to be argumentative, but the OEM MPPT solar charger from ePropulsion charges directly through this 'separate charging port' (which doesn't reliably read a voltage across any pins, even when fully charged):

https://www.epropulsion.com/product-page/spirit-solar-charger-1

...so it must be getting its power from the PV array. But this charger has a variety of flaws (gets very hot and randomly stops charging for long stretches, mainly), so I was hoping to use the KID instead.

FNG

Fair enough, I was mostly referring to all the solar controllers in the industry like Ours and Morningstar etc

Ryan