Quote:
Originally Posted by bennelson
Jyanof,
What range of voltages does your current charger setup allow for?
Lower voltage chargers are not that expensive, but above 72V is. An open source charger that could do 72-144V would be ideal.
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My current charger is a quickcharge model - 20A and set for 144V. I find it adequate as a stand-alone charger that sits in the garage. I think it lacks input flexibility (240 only), accurate charge termination (doesn't detect a minimum constant current at end of charge), and is outrageously bulky and heavy at 60 lbs and the size of a large over-stuffed backpack.
Obviously, I'm moving forward with the intent of being able to charge higher voltage packs like mine, but that doesn't mean the charger would be limited to such high voltage packs. It'd be easy to adjust the settings - either in software or externally with knobs - to allow the controller to sense different pack voltages. I think the only question would be if the system is stable enough at different pack voltages to allow the controller to maintain current control during bulk charge or voltage control during the constant voltage phase.
I suspect that 72-144V would be doable, but we'll see!