[HYPRDRV]

HI everyone,
I've run into an issue with my Orion BMS a couple times and wondered if anyone else has as well.
I have a pack of 48 Lithiums with the EVIC monitor on my boat. I charge to 98% and have the LV alarm set at 10%. I was running along and had discharged my pack to about 78% when we stopped for lunch. On restarting the motors and proceeding my battery pack dropped to 10% setting off the alarm. Has anyone else run into this before, a sudden drop off of the voltage? I have a friend with the same system and he has seen this happen as well. Our motors (2 per boat) use a total of 60A under full speed (for our boats) so it's not like we are running anything hard. The EVIC display is suppose to show what the BMS is indicating but honestly I didn't confirm it. I've run on batteries for a number of trips but this has only happened 3 times. I've also been told that the BMS needs to "learn" and it's had months to do that.
As a side note the generator was locked out as well. Once the batteries were charged at the dock to 11% (alarm off) the genset began charging the batteries.

Any input or help in this would be greatly appreciated from such great people and site.

Steve
Lagoon 410 S2 E

 

[frodus]

Who did you purchase this from? The only reason I ask, is they're usually great resources for support.

Do you have a current sensor? and is it reading properly? I know that with the Elithion BMS, it won't calculate SOC correctly if it doesn't have a current sensor, so it's more or less just a monitor. Also, there might be a "snap" setting where below a certain voltage it will snap to 10%.

It sounds like something might not be configured correctly at the very least, within the Orion.

 

[HYPRDRV]

Thanks frodus for responding.
The Orion was purchased from Electric Car Company as well as most of the components I'm using. Yes I have 2 sensors that monitor the 2 motors. My understanding of the system is that the sensors are indicating the Amp draw of the individual motors which are shown on the display for each motor as well as a combined amperage draw shown from the BMS and the % shown. I'm not sure if there is a "snap" setting but will check. Normally the amperage percentage is a steady downward curve from 98% to whatever is the low end (in my case 10%) that you set it to. Going from 78% to an immediate 10% isn't acceptable since it doesn't leave me with any options other than setting the lower threshold lower to see if that releases the genset to recharge the batteries or run the motors. In my case on Saturday we were out and preparing to raise the sails in a tight channel. This didn't allow me the time to reprogram the BMS to a lower threshold to see if that would work.

This is not a consistent problem. I've been very pleased with the system in general and have had this happen only a few times but it is quite upsetting when it does. In the case of a boat what if the sea conditions where extreme or during a storm? We did get the sails up (wind was practically non existent) and made headway at a snails pace but it wasn't fun.

I was hoping there would be a black and white answer to this issue and others will chime in.

Thanks again,
Steve

Lagoon 410 S2 E

 

[frodus]

From what I recall on their designs, those sensors are for Battery current, not motor current. One for Battery output to the controller and the other for charger input to the pack.

What Orion BMS is it (exact model number)?