Charging main battery pack

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Hummingbird62, Sep 30, 2013.

  1. Hummingbird62

    Hummingbird62 New Member

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    I've changed a faulty module and put the battery pack back in the car. However, I had inadvertently allowed the pack to be drained such that it will not start the car. I have a 60v power supply to charge it with and have calculated it can charge, safely, 8 modules at a time. What I am unsure of is this. From which end of the pack do I begin charging and/or does it matter? I am out there, ready to go.
    So, I hope someone who knows will respond to this. I want to thank you so much for your help. You are doing a great service by passing along your knowledge.
     
    #1 Hummingbird62, Sep 30, 2013
  2. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    It won't matter which end of the pack is charged first. If you were to remove some bus bars and add jumper wires, you could charge all the module groups in parallel at once. Some who were balancing their repaired batteries have wired all the modules in parallel, and charged from a low voltage source.
     
    #2 nh7o, Sep 30, 2013
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  3. Hummingbird62

    Hummingbird62 New Member

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    Thanks so much for your reply to my question.
    I first want to be sure I completely understand the jargon involved here. I understand that the pack is actually split into two packs for safety sake. So, I must first determine where the split is exactly. Is the bus bar that which connects the two packs? Or something else?
    Secondly, is it safe to assume I could charge them all at once using 60 v and 1 amp? And, since the 28 modules are not fully drained, I would not need to charge them all the way, just enough to start the car. What would you recommend I do? Perhaps 60 v at .75 amps for say about 5-6 hours?
    I don't want to screw up my battery by doing it wrong. I would much rather have at least a second or more opinions.
    Thanks again,
    Phillip
     
    #3 Hummingbird62, Sep 30, 2013
  4. Hummingbird62

    Hummingbird62 New Member

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    Please forgive me if I am duplicating my message. I am not the most computer savvy, to say the least, and I am not sure if I responded properly.
    Thanks so much for your reply to my question.
    I first want to be sure I completely understand the jargon involved here. I understand that the pack is actually split into two packs for safety sake. So, I must first determine where the split is exactly. Is the bus bar that which connects the two packs? Or something else?
    Secondly, is it safe to assume I could charge them all at once using 60 v and 1 amp? And, since the 28 modules are not fully drained, I would not need to charge them all the way, just enough to start the car. What would you recommend I do? Perhaps 60 v at .75 amps for say about 5-6 hours?
    I don't want to screw up my battery by doing it wrong. I would much rather have at least a second or more opinions.
    Thanks again,
    Phillip
    ​
     
    #4 Hummingbird62, Sep 30, 2013
  5. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Bus bars are the copper interconnects that join each module to the next. The safety connector splits the pack. On one side of the split are 8 modules, the other side has 20 modules. It is strongly recommended that you disconnect all plugs to the battery ECU and any connections to the rest of the car before doing any charging. You can remove bus bars at modules 7, 14, and 21, and connect those groups in parallel with wires to allow charging all at once, given your supply. But that would require the safety plug to be in place. If it is an adjustable supply, that is good, but you will still need some sort of current limiting resistance to play it safe and keep the current under control. A 100w incandescent light bulb can do the job.

    Take a look at the other threads where the modules have been balanced properly, such as:
    Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat

    That will give you some idea of the charging protocol to follow. A few charge/discharge cycles are recommended. If this is out of your depths, get some expert helper in on the setup.
     
    #5 nh7o, Sep 30, 2013
  6. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Can the car be made ready and put into (D) drive. If so towing the car should make the MG's regen and charge the HV battery and when it has enough charge the engine will start.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #6 Britprius, Oct 1, 2013
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  7. Mad Hacker

    Mad Hacker Junior Member

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    you need to balance your pack, I would use the low voltage at about 1 amp, and bring the pack up slowly. then reassemble to the 206v configuration. Towing will charge the pack, BUT it will not be balanced and could cause another
    cell or two to fail, and during balance you can make checks on all the other cells and find weaker ones, Just my thoughts, (building a charger for 220VDC to make a PHEV- I am the mad hacker!)
     
    #7 Mad Hacker, Oct 2, 2013
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