# Zilla LV Settings



## mcrickman (Sep 10, 2007)

I have got my Opel up and running but it doesn't seem to be giving the performance I was expecting. I thought I would post my specs and settings here so other Zilla owners might give me some feedback.

Batteries 100ah Thunder Sky 48x.
Warp 9 Motor
Zilla 1K LV Controller

Zilla 1k settings:

Battery Menu
BA = 300
LBV = 145
LBVI = 150

Motor Menu
Amp = 800
Volt = 156
RA = 0
RV = 0
PA = 0
PV = 0

Speed Menu
Rev Limits
Norm = 5000
Rev = 0
Max = 5500

Options Menu
MotSpd1 = on
MotSpd2 = off
AutoShift = off
StallDetect = off
Batt lt polarity = off
Ck eng lt pol. = off
FR Contactors = off
SP Contatctors = off
Parallel Reverse = off
Drag Race = off
Amps on Tach = off
6 Cyl Tach = off
Plug in Polarity = off
HEPI = on
Z1K Scaling = on

Did I over look any setting(s)?

Thanks, Charlie


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

What is your pack voltage and what were you expecting as performance?

I am going to say that your LBV and LBVI are set too high, probably 135v for LBV and 138v for LBVI.

I have a Z1K-LV running at 96 volts, 500 motor AMPs, 300 battery amps and I am running 12x 8VGC XC floodies and my performance is pretty decent for a lead sled. I have my LBV at 78 volts and LBVI at 82 volts. I have some voltage drop that I need to take care of, but my pack never goes below 82 volts while pulling 300 AMPs up a nasty hill for about 15 seconds.


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## mcrickman (Sep 10, 2007)

My pack voltage is 156. I'm not sure what I was expecting as far as performance but seems like it's good to 35mph then it drops off. It's almost like I have power only to 50% of throttle.

I am using the zilla viewer with my laptop and the throttle reads all the way to 100% and the controller temp is maxing out at 101 F so I'm well below the 130F cut off.

The max amps I've pulled from motor is like 400amps and only like 150amps from batteries.
I'm going to do a few more test runs to see what the controller is reading. Just need to get the wife to give it some juice and not be a girl about it.  So I can monitor it running.

Charlie


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

mcrickman said:


> My pack voltage is 156. I'm not sure what I was expecting as far as performance but seems like it's good to 35mph then it drops off. It's almost like I have power only to 50% of throttle.
> 
> I am using the zilla viewer with my laptop and the throttle reads all the way to 100% and the controller temp is maxing out at 101 F so I'm well below the 130F cut off.
> 
> ...


Which gears are you using? In my little 96 volt setup I use 1st up to 15 MPH, 2nd up to 30 MPH and 3rd up to 45 MPH cruising. I can get 55 MPH in 3rd (automatic transmission) but 96 volts is too low to maintain those higher speeds. The next EV will be a 156 volt beast, hopefully with 160 AH lithiums.


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## GerhardRP (Nov 17, 2009)

mcrickman said:


> I am using the zilla viewer with my laptop and the throttle reads all the way to 100% and the controller temp is maxing out at 101 F so I'm well below the 130F cut off
> Charlie


If you send me a data dump for a typical drive around, I'll try to analyse it for you. PMing email.
Gerhard


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

I'm not a Zilla expert, but your LBV and LBVI is way too high.
Its perfectly normal for TS cells to sag to 2.8V-2.9V during most of the cycle and even to 2.6V towards the end. 

I would set LBV to 128V and LBVI to 134V.

There is no point in setting motor voltage limit since you can't overvolt the motor with your pack. You might be setting unwanted artificial limit in the software. I would set it to something fake like 200V or whatever.

Same with motor amps, if your battery amps are limited, then IMHO limiting motor amps is not very useful. As a test, I would set it to 1000 and see if there is a difference.

Hope this helps


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

The current setup only provides you with about 50 horsepower, perhaps less if the rather high low battery voltage limit is not even allowing you 300 amps. I would set the LBV to 125 volts. Personally, I would turn the peak amps up to 500 if you have newer (LiFeYPO4) cells and rigid end plates tightly clamping the ends of each row of cells (like TS shipped them with.) I turned my amps up to 5C, in my case to 300 amps on my 60 amp hour cells. This is controversial on this list, but seems to fall within the current published specs.

Volts times amps divided by 746 is horsepower. Actually, you have a little less than that because you have to take motor efficiency into account (around 80% is likely, it will be less than peak efficiency at max power.) That is how I'm coming up with about 50 horsepower for your vehicle. 

When you run out of power in one gear it is time to shift up to the next taller gear. This will happen at a lower rpm with the 9 inch motor compared to the gas engine it replaced. For strong acceleration you will likely be shifting around 4000 rpm.


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## Bowser330 (Jun 15, 2008)

Great info gents!

MC, try the following and make sure to report back how it all goes...

Battery Menu
*BA = 300-500
LBV = 125-128 
LBVI = 134*

Motor Menu
*Amp = 1000*
Volt = 156
RA = 0
RV = 0
PA = 0
PV = 0


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## mcrickman (Sep 10, 2007)

OK!!! I officially know what it's like to drive an EV. 
WoW is all I can say. I changed the motor amp and battery amp settings.
Now she has a lot of power and is very quick even from starting off in third gear.
A few gear swaps and man this car will fly. 
This car is going to get me in so much trouble.  
Thank you all for your help.

My new settings:
Battery Menu
BA = 500
LBV = 128 
LBVI = 134

Motor Menu
Amp = 1000
Volt = 156
RA = 0
RV = 0
PA = 0
PV = 0

Charlie


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## Bowser330 (Jun 15, 2008)

great news!


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## jtgreeson (Aug 14, 2009)

I have a similar battery & controller setup and found the same to be true. (48 LiPo pack) I started out at 140v as the Battery Pack Voltage limit. After changing it to 125V it made all the difference. I discovered the limit by driving at different speeds/gears/accelerations and letting another person write down parameters using ZillaView via a laptop.

Remember to drive for a couple hundred miles to break in the batteries and motor brushes before you "punch it". It's a real temptation! EV driving is so much fun.


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## Lordwacky (Jan 28, 2009)

I'm glad you got your setup working. My only word of caution is with your 100ah batteries, your max rated cont. discharge is 4C, 400A. Most LiFePO users on this forum don't recommend cont. discharge in excess of 3C, so 300A in your case. 

What I'm trying to say is your controller has the ability to totaly kill your pack. Don't get adicted to your vehicles capabiltiy and get a lead foot because it can bite you in the butt with your relativly low Ah rated pack.


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## mcrickman (Sep 10, 2007)

I've been watching the amps closely. The most amps I've pulled from the batteries is 300 amps. I think that this car is so light I will be fine with the current settings. But I will keep an eye on the amps and make sure I don't go much over 300amps. 

Charlie


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## Bowser330 (Jun 15, 2008)

mcrickman said:


> I've been watching the amps closely. The most amps I've pulled from the batteries is 300 amps. I think that this car is so light I will be fine with the current settings. But I will keep an eye on the amps and make sure I don't go much over 300amps.
> 
> Charlie


share some videos with us of your EV and its changed personality!


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## electric85 (Apr 10, 2008)

After having the car running properly for a while now, what are some of the real world performance results? i have the same controler as you do and i also have a 9in motor. my car isn't on the road yet but i do plan on going with thundersky batteries. just curious whta your range is like? also are you using a BMS of some sort? if so what kind/brand?


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## jtgreeson (Aug 14, 2009)

With my 9in Warp9, Zilla LV, and 48 LiPo pack I got 132 mile range, 106 mph top speed and 0-60 in about 12 sec. 700 miles so far. Fun to drive!


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## Lordwacky (Jan 28, 2009)

jtgreeson said:


> With my 9in Warp9, Zilla LV, and 48 LiPo pack I got 132 mile range, 106 mph top speed and 0-60 in about 12 sec. 700 miles so far. Fun to drive!


 
132 mile range on a 100ahr pack, thats really good, thats 154 Whr/mile. Most people seem to get 250 Whr/mile. How big is this Opel?

What kind of range do you get out of your porche. I ask because I have nearly an identical setup for my MR2 that I'm building, I'm wondering what kind of range to expect, I was thinking something like 90 at 100 DOD.


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## jtgreeson (Aug 14, 2009)

Mr. Lordwacky, The details on my 914 are here: 

http://www.evalbum.com/3439

132 Miles on a 2500 lb porsche 914 with a pack of 48 , 180ampHour TS cells. About what's expected, I believe.

Jim


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## mcrickman (Sep 10, 2007)

I get about 260 watts/mile, I have wide tiers about twice as wide as stock.
Need to get my 0-60 time but with the 100 ah pack I get about 50 miles per charge. 
I drive it daily and put 30 miles on it using 7.5 - 8.0 KW

I've put 625 miles on the car now in temps from 20F - 80F (West Texas weather).

I have also dropped the LBV setting to 96 volts. 

Charlie


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