[omonoid]

I'm trying to figure out the best order for all of the components between the battery pack and the controller.

The parts are:

• Shunt
• Circuit Breaker
• 400a Fuse
• Contactor

It would be great if someone said the ideal order and why. The main question is whether it is better to have the circuit breaker before everything, or after say the contactor.

Thanks in advance

 

[gottdi]

My breaker is before every thing. Shuts down all power to every thing. Period. If I decide to let it sit awhile I will close the breaker.

Pete

 

[omonoid]

so what about after the breaker.

I'm thinking this order...

Traction pack, breaker, contactor, shunt, fuse, controller

Also can i attach a positive end of the the battery charger to the shunt along with the positive cable coming from the contactor so i can get an amp reading of the car when its on and when it is charging?

 

[gottdi]

I think that will work. I don't run my charger through my controller so be sure your connections for charging effectively bypass the controller. I see no reason for it not to work. I have my charger fused also. You could put in a breaker there too if you wanted just in case the charger needs shut down like right now.

Pete

 

[gottdi]

My old charger showed input amps. My new one does not. I am not really concerned about that with this charger.

Pete

 

[omonoid]

ok thanks. I'm gonna draw up what i hope to be my final schematics and post them tonight

 

[Anaerin]

I'm going to say "It depends".

If your shunt is for a full Ah tracking when charging and discharging, then something like:

Battery -> Shunt -> Charger -> Breaker -> Contactor -> Fuse -> Controller

If your shunt is only for power draw, then I'd go for something like:

Battery -> Charger -> Breaker -> Contactor -> Fuse -> Shunt -> Controller

Ideally, I'd have a second contactor for the charger, for something like this:

                  / Contactor -> Charger
Battery -> Shunt -
                  \ Contactor -> Breaker -> Fuse -> Controller

or

         / Contactor -> Charger
Battery -
         \ Breaker -> Contactor -> Fuse -> Shunt -> Controller

That way you can have most of the system isolated while charging. You'd have to have the charger up-stream of the breaker, so you're not trying to push the charging voltage through the breaker (Which will trip it).

 

[gottdi]

It can be isolated well enough if you put your shunt just on the other side of the breaker. I have mine set up.

Pack - Breaker - Shunt - Contactor - Controller. I actually have a shunt on the Neg side too. My charger is connected via a terminal directly to the pack and the charger is fused internally. I do not monitor my amps as I do not have my charger hooked up at the shunt to show amps in. Easy enough to do but I did not. I bypass every thing and go directly to the pack. Works perfect.

 

[gottdi]

Battery -
\ Breaker -> Contactor -> Fuse -> Shunt -> Controller

Set this way you must have your contactor on while charging and watching amps. . My setup you don't. Yours bypasses the controller but not the contactor.

 

[Anaerin]

Battery -
\ Breaker -> Contactor -> Fuse -> Shunt -> Controller

Set this way you must have your contactor on while charging and watching amps. . My setup you don't. Yours bypasses the controller but not the contactor.

I know. The first option:

                  / Contactor -> Charger
Battery -> Shunt -
                  \ Contactor -> Breaker -> Fuse -> Controller

Is for when you are monitoring amps in AND out, and the second option:

         / Contactor -> Charger
Battery -
         \ Breaker -> Contactor -> Fuse -> Shunt -> Controller

Is for when you're only monitoring power use when driving. Like the suggestions I made earlier in that very post. Sorry if this wasn't clear.

TBH, though, the breaker and fuse are kinda redundant, as they are both (supposed to) do the same thing.

 

[Overlander23]

Regarding the shunt, I know Xantrex instructs the user to setup the shunt on the negative side of the load for the LinkPRO.

I fuse on the positive side.

 

[gottdi]

Yes, negative side is fine for the shunt. Connect to the shunt and before the controller on the positive side to monitor both in and out. Could use the Xantrex to monitor both in and out I believe. That would be ideal as you get a recorded view of your in and out. Not sure how it saves or if it can be retrieved via a computer or not but it would monitor in and out for you. I agree that the shunt should be on the neg side.

Pete

 

[gottdi]

Having a Fuse and Breaker is fine. Redundancy is actually a good thing unless you do too much. A couple contactors too are fine.

Pete