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Old 20-06-2018, 09:17   #1
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Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

I have a catamaran with an original setup of two Balmar regulators and a centerfielder. It was a simple setup when I had AGM batteries but now I have Lithionic lithium batteries.

My question is this - I have one wire coming from the BMS that shuts off an alternator if it senses the voltage is too high. So my thought was to set this up with two relays - one for each ignition and have it loop around.

I've put a number of relays on the boat but unsure if this is the correct... or best way to do this. Unsure if I should have a diode as well or not. Any help wold be greatly appreciated! _steve
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Old 20-06-2018, 11:10   #2
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

Quote:
Originally Posted by solecollector View Post
I have a catamaran with an original setup of two Balmar regulators and a centerfielder. It was a simple setup when I had AGM batteries but now I have Lithionic lithium batteries.

My question is this - I have one wire coming from the BMS that shuts off an alternator if it senses the voltage is too high. So my thought was to set this up with two relays - one for each ignition and have it loop around.

I've put a number of relays on the boat but unsure if this is the correct... or best way to do this. Unsure if I should have a diode as well or not. Any help wold be greatly appreciated! _steve
I am not sure what you are talking about...
What ignition an loop?

You usually can switch more than one relay in parallel if the nominal output current of the signal wire is not exceeded. Otherwise you must amplify it either by electronics (transistor) or by cascading the relays (use one relay on the output with contacts than can handle the currens of the coils of the relays connected to it)

Using diodes for what? to prevent reverse currents on the coils when switching off to protect electronic outputs?
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Old 20-06-2018, 11:11   #3
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

I am not sure what you are talking about...
What ignition an loop?

You usually can switch more than one relay in parallel if the nominal output current of the signal wire is not exceeded. Otherwise you must amplify it either by electronics (transistor) or by cascading the relays (use one relay on the output with contacts than can handle the currens of the coils of the relays connected to it)

Using diodes for what? to prevent reverse currents on the coils when switching off to protect electronic outputs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by solecollector View Post
I have a catamaran with an original setup of two Balmar regulators and a centerfielder. It was a simple setup when I had AGM batteries but now I have Lithionic lithium batteries.

My question is this - I have one wire coming from the BMS that shuts off an alternator if it senses the voltage is too high. So my thought was to set this up with two relays - one for each ignition and have it loop around.

I've put a number of relays on the boat but unsure if this is the correct... or best way to do this. Unsure if I should have a diode as well or not. Any help wold be greatly appreciated! _steve
I am not sure what you are talking about...
What ignition an loop?

You usually can switch more than one relay in parallel if the nominal output current of the signal wire is not exceeded. Otherwise you must amplify it either by electronics (transistor) or by cascading the relays (use one relay on the output with contacts than can handle the currens of the coils of the relays connected to it)

Using diodes for what? to prevent reverse currents on the coils when switching off to protect electronic outputs?I am not sure what you are talking about...
What ignition an loop?

You usually can switch more than one relay in parallel if the nominal output current of the signal wire is not exceeded. Otherwise you must amplify it either by electronics (transistor) or by cascading the relays (use one relay on the output with contacts than can handle the currens of the coils of the relays connected to it)

Using diodes for what? to prevent reverse currents on the coils when switching off to protect electronic outputs?
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Old 20-06-2018, 11:12   #4
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

sorry for multiple post, crappy hanging forum app.
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Old 20-06-2018, 11:17   #5
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

Also there are relays ot there with more than one independent contact, so you can switch more than one device galvanically isolated from each other too.
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Old 20-06-2018, 19:09   #6
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

Quote:
Originally Posted by CatNewBee View Post
I am not sure what you are talking about...
What ignition an loop?

This has to do specifically with lithium batteries and the BMS (management) of the battery system. Lithium can only be charged at a certain voltage - just like other batteries - but they are way more sensitive to high voltages and bad things can happen...! So the Lithium batteries I have has one wire coming out to shut off the alternators (ignition wire) if the BMS is seeing a high voltage it cuts off the ignition. When this happens the Balmar regulator sees the ignition wire just went off and shuts down the alternator nicely. The problem is that I have two alternators - so I have to have a centerfielder controlling the two regulators. Each regulator wants to see an ignition wire and they feed back to the centerfielder.

So I was going to have the BMS ignition wire go to two relays which then go to the centerfielder / relays.

What I can't have is just one big loop because bad things could happen...! _steve
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Old 21-06-2018, 08:53   #7
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

Solecollector,

Do you have one BMS (two banks in parallel to one BMS), or two BMS's (separate independent systems but running in parallel)?

We typically use two or more independent banks, remove the Centerfielder, and set up the BMS control of the alt regs as per one of the attached diagrams.

Also, you should have additional switches on each IGN feed to the alt regs IGN input, to allow turning them off manually for full engine power.

If you have just one BMS, then you could drive one 2PST NO relay with the + side of the relay coil power through the BMS FCC. Then if the FCC opens, both alt regs shut off.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf FCC wiring for alt & inv-chrg 2 ignition.pdf (236.0 KB, 49 views)
File Type: pdf FCC wiring.pdf (217.6 KB, 46 views)
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Old 22-06-2018, 07:09   #8
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

Or one double pole relay. If a relay is what you need.
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Old 23-06-2018, 04:49   #9
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Re: Centerfielder - How to connect to single BMS ignition wire

Get Bruce at OceanPlanet to advise.
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