# Replace terminal connector with kill switch?



## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

My pack is 100 x 100AH cells. It's in one big box sitting in the trunk of my minivan, so it's easily accessible.

The kill switch looks like a good fit between rows of cells. If that's the case, is it a good idea to take out a terminal connector and replace it with the kill switch for maintenance purposes? I'm hoping to be able to do it without using any cable.

The only problem I see is a lack of flexibility, the kill switch is rigid of course.

Seems like the OEM hybrids have something like this near the electrical centre of their packs.


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

Something like this, might fix the problem with stress on terminal lugs.

I prefer to have it so that I can hit it without reaching over the pack. So it would have to be right at the back of the van.

I'd make a cutout from my box so that the two terminal connectors can protrude about 20mm.


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## TEV (Nov 25, 2011)

Due to the fact that you have an AC system , you don't realy need a kill switch, for maintenance you can just unplug the Anderson connector. You want as less as possible contacts in your battery circuit.

Did you charged the battery and made a test run yet ?


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

Hi TEV

Thanks for the reminder re AC - I was thinking mostly about maintenance, to split the pack voltage, and in case of any electrical fire to have a breaker that I can easily access from outside the vehicle. Not worthwhile?

I want to charge up the pack but I haven't figured out how to mount the terminal block in the engine compartment yet. For my test wheel-spin (still up on blocks) I think the diagram below is enough.

Correction: fuse for DMOC should be 15A.


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## TEV (Nov 25, 2011)

Did you test drive it yet ?


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

*Charging the pack - bench test*

Hi TEV

Summer holidays are my busy time at work so not much EV work going on the last while.

I charged the pack for a few minutes this weekend at 360V, charger seems ok. I still haven't balanced the cells, so I'm going to charge up very cautiously to see how close the V stays. I've had three cells bulging already. Hopefully no more.


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## TEV (Nov 25, 2011)

Sorry about your cells. Did you brought the van home yet ?


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

*Connecting motor/DMOC*

It's still at the workshop. I'm hoping to get a proper truck fuse box that will be wide enough for my terminal block. The box I've got now is not automobile grade.

This Saturday will be about connecting the DMOC and the motor and doing a longer charge. If all the cells look okay I'll drive it home, probably first weekend in September.

It looks like I can run the motor without changing any parameters on the DMOC at this point. Did you do anything to your DMOC parameters?


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## TEV (Nov 25, 2011)

I don't have a DMOC, I have a UMOC.
The only parameters you may want to check are the battery voltage limits , the maximum and the minimum battery voltage, if your pack voltage isn't in the range of the minimum and maximum programmed on the controller, then the controller won't work or won't work property (will output low or no power to the motor)


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

*DMOC max nominal V*

Hi TEV

Thanks, since I now have 97 cells at 3.2v nominal I am at 310v. The DMOC max nominal is 312v. I guess that works out well.


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## TEV (Nov 25, 2011)

*Re: DMOC max nominal V*



sabahtom said:


> Hi TEV
> 
> Thanks, since I now have 97 cells at 3.2v nominal I am at 310v. The DMOC max nominal is 312v. I guess that works out well.


If the DMOC is similar with the UMOC (
and it should be on this aspect because all controllers are) there are 2 battery voltage settings : minimum battery voltage and maximum battery voltage , those 2 parameters can be changed according with your battery pack specification.
So, if your charged battery pack voltage is higher than max. batt. voltage setting in the controller , the controller will limit the power output to the motor or won't drive the motor at all.
When you drive the battery pack voltage will sag to a low value in regard with battery state of charge and the power the controller will demand from the battery, when the pack voltage will be lower than the min. batt. voltage setting, the controller will limit the output power to the motor or will output no power.

You should be aware of this when you will try your first motor/controller test because is the first think you should check (battery settings in the controller) if the test fails or the power is to low.


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