THUNDERSTRUCK MOTORS Dilithium Battery Management System User Guide

THUNDERSTRUCK MOTORS Dilithium Battery Management System

Product Specifications

• Product Name: Dilithium Battery Management System (BMS)

• Designed for: Monitoring lithium battery packs

• Enclosures:

  • BMS Controller: Control board and measurement board
  • BMS Satellite: Measurement board

• Support:

  • Each measurement board supports up to 24 cells
  • Each measurement board has two measurement chips (LTCs)
  • Each LTC monitors at least 4 and up to 12 cells in a cell group

• Configuration:

  • BMS Controller can operate alone
  • Up to 3 satellites can be added to support additional cells
  • A BMS Satellite requires a controller to operate

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many cells can each measurement board support?

A: Each measurement board supports up to 24 cells, with each LTC monitoring at least 4 and up to 12 cells in a group.

Q: Can a BMS Controller operate without any satellites?

A: Yes, a BMS Controller can operate alone, but up to 3 satellites can be added for supporting additional cells.

BMS Quick-Start Guide

The Dilithium Battery Management System is designed to monitor lithium battery packs. The BMS has been implemented as two enclosures:

• BMS Controller: a control board and a measurement board
• BMS Satellite: a measurement board

Each enclosure contains a measurement board supporting up to 24 cells. Each measurement board has two measurement chips (LTCs), each of which monitor at least 4 and up to 12 cells, called a cell group. A BMS Controller can operate alone, or up to 3 satellites can be added to support additional cells. A BMS Satellite requires a controller to operate.

Cell Wiring

The first step in wiring the BMS is to determine the locations of the cell harness groups within the pack. All cells in a group must be wired consecutively with increasing voltage. Any unused cell wires must be connected to the last cell in the group, as shown below.
Wire 0 (pinout W0), is connected to the negative terminal of the first cell in each cell harness group. Notice that wire W12 of the left cell group and wire W0 of the right cell group essentially connect to the same pack location as shown below.

WARNING: INCORRECT WIRING MAY DAMAGE THE BMS. VERIFY PROPER WIRING BEFORE INSERTING THE HARNESS INTO THE BMS. REMOVE THE HARNESS FROM THE BMS BEFORE ALTERING ANY BATTERY CONNECTIONS. DAMAGE CAUSED BY WIRING ERRORS ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY.

NOTE: A cell group must not span a fuse or other circuit protection device.
Wiring must be checked using the included harness test board before plugging each harness into the BMS. Verify that each wire number matches each assigned cell number. Verify that the cell voltages increase consecutively from contacts C1 to C12 relative to contact C0 on the test board. Please see the harness testing document, wiring video, and the complete manual at www .thunderstruck-ev.com/bms-controller.html.

System Connections

• 12v power is connected to +12V and GND. The BMS should be powered when the vehicle is being driven or charged. For use with the Thunderstruck EVCC, the BMS may be powered by the “12V_OUT” connection.
  Either CAN or cell loop can be used to disable the charger:

  • The CANH and CANL wires are connected to the EVCC, which will stop the charge if a BMS error is posted over canbus.
  • The cell loop wires LP1 and LP2 connect to an internal 200 ma solid-state relay which is closed if there are no alerts while the BMS is powered. The cell loop can trigger an external relay (coil <200 ma) to disable the charger or trigger an alarm.

• The IPO and IMO pins are only used for packs with more than 24 cells. (See manual for details.)

Software Configuration

The BMS is configured by connecting to a computer with the serial cable available for purchase. Once connected to the interface, commands can be entered to change configuration.

• lvc: low voltage cutoff
• hvc: high voltage cutoff
• bvmin: minimum balancing voltage
• thmax: maximum cell temperature

The lock command is entered to save cell configuration. Once been entered, the BMS will generate an alert if there are any loose or open connections.
Balancing draws about 170ma from cells with the highest voltage, and runs after enabled any time the BMS is powered.
For technical support, call 707-578-7973 or send an email to: connect@thunderstruck-ev.com

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