Brammo Owners Forum

Brammo Empulse Discussion => Brammo Empulse => Topic started by: Athlon on November 04, 2014, 07:17:40 PM

Title: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on November 04, 2014, 07:17:40 PM
Still waiting for my Empluse R to arrive but i'm already thinking about some modification to do at the bike.

First I'm really afraid abuto the charging plug facing up , It really look dangerous if you think about charging under heavy rain (very common where i live), anyone here already soved in some way this problem ?


Second I would like to change form Yazaky to T2 (VDE-AR-E 2623-2-2 ) charging plug , here is much more common to find T2 , so if I forget my cable at home I can borrow from some friend.
I already checked the IEC 62196 and looks like the SAE J1772 (yazaki) use the same protocol so switching to T2 shudnt be a problem from a software point of view.


The T2 allows me to use more than one phase so I can install a second Eltek on the bike , I need to duplicate the BMS packet for the second charger (I prefer to sniff the bike canbus and duplicate the bms command on a separate canbus just for the add-on charger ).

There are any issue for the battery for charghing at higher speed ( still under 1C charge so is not actualli fast charging but I don't have the cell datasheet so I cannot be sure)

Thanks Simone
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: kingcharles on November 05, 2014, 01:24:21 PM
My bike is always outside and I have charged in the (heavy) rain many, many times.
No problem at all!

If only the indicators and dashboard were just as waterproof...
(yes, even the 2014 dashboard fogs up on the inside after some rain)

I live in the Netherlands which is one of the wetter climates :'(
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: MaxTemplar on November 12, 2014, 04:20:49 AM
Hi Simon,
   I am very interested in this project you, I would have the same idea, I'm Italian and here Type2 is widespread and I have other cars that use the stations in the office so it would be nice to avoid cables, etc ..

My colleague has a BMWi3 with type2, even if it is wet is not a problem. the connector is often wet when using it.

keep us informed about this mod, parts are originial?

Thanks
Max
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on November 15, 2014, 04:53:30 PM
the Eltek is the same charger used in the original bike , so the charger is the same , I just want to use two charger instead of one.

the difference are in the plug to allow the 3 phase and use 2 phase ( as Teslas with double charger do) to power 2 charger.

Also I need to duplicate the canbus packet to allow the bike BMS to control both charger ( the Eltek cannot charge if is not controlled by a BMS).

I think my bike will arrive at OMT garage soon and as soon the bike arrive I will start working on the mod.

 
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: frodus on November 16, 2014, 02:56:23 PM
From what I've heard, the Eltek packets are the same, and you can parallel two chargers using the same CAN packet. Double check with Elcon, but I remember them saying something like that.
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on November 16, 2014, 08:21:59 PM
first packet required by an Eltek is a "login to charger" and contains the charger serial number and ID. after the logi you can control an Eltek by regular packet but you need to specify the charger Id
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: frodus on November 16, 2014, 09:04:47 PM
Must've been the elcon. I couldn't remember.

Could use a microcontroller to send the can messages. Not too hard. I did so for a controller with an mbed.
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: helixpteron on February 11, 2015, 02:11:17 AM
Hello Simone,

did you end up realising the double charger setup ?

Cheers, Rob.
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on February 12, 2015, 06:24:40 PM
the charger is here ... stil waiting for the bike  ;D

also I just ordered a BMS to make a small add-on battery pack , I will try to fit it under the passenger seat , from my measurement even at maximum compression still some room free between the wheel and the bike
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: helixpteron on February 12, 2015, 09:43:45 PM
Wow - you're serious about this. I am just now finding out if there is a bike left for me in Europe. There is one Demo model I could get. I am not educated in electrics, but if you're willing to share how you wired it - I'd be VERY interested in fitting another charger to mine.

How much did the charger cost ?
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on February 13, 2015, 05:07:42 PM
Eltek charger are now a little harder to find in the wild because now they try to sell on OEM only , minimum order is 16 charger for about 900 euros each.

Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: helixpteron on February 13, 2015, 09:13:21 PM
Woohoo - I find 900 Euro's alone a bit steep, but I surely won't order 16 of them :).

Do you plan to commercialise the product / mod, or did you get hold of a single one ?
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on March 18, 2015, 06:26:43 PM
while waiting for the bike I did some testing with some spare battery with same layout /chemestry of Empulse Battery.

of course I have to keep current down because battery are much smaller than the bike's batery (5 Ah vs 90Ah )

anyway it worked perfectly

first pictures , the batteries 7 group of 4s cells

second pictures , complete pictures , Eltek 3kw charger , Current clamp meter , Voltage monitor on weakest cells , computer and Canbus interface
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on March 18, 2015, 06:31:29 PM
third pictures , some can packet flying in the wires

last pictures , 1,93 Amps charging ( with canbus you can really fine control the charging current)
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: helixpteron on March 18, 2015, 08:40:30 PM
I'm glad to see you're still going ahead. I didn't realise you don't have the bike yet and thought you you are not doing it. I will get my Brammo in about 5 weeks, and I'm looking forward to replicate your results ! My charging will be almost exclusively done with park & charge L2 chargers. Cheers, Rob.
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on May 01, 2015, 03:33:11 PM
bike spotted on Europe ... crossing the ocean went from a yellow Empulse R to a black  Empluse Basic .. but maybe after 8 month of waiting I will finally get the bike

time to get back on coding
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: nunux59 on July 01, 2015, 08:38:14 AM
Hi there,

Just get my Empulse R last Saturday in Europe (Bought in Belgium, live in France) and I am also interested in faster charge on my bike. Did you get your bike since your last post and did any progression?

I read some guys owning a Zero S putting two or three Meanwell PSU to charge their bike. I was thinking of using two of them in addition to the on-board charger to charge at 9-10kw using three phases on public stations.

Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: Athlon on July 02, 2015, 03:46:02 PM
The bike is at the store , I was out all the month so no progress ( before I did the Wave http://www.wavetrophy.com/ (http://www.wavetrophy.com/)  after I was in UK for the Formula E race and to follow some other project).

Anyway I have everything I need to do it.

But before doing the charger I will add the batteries because with original batteries I cannot do my favorite ride , so I definitly need some more kwh on board.

So the work schedule will be:

1) remove yazaki plug and instal T2 plug inside left passenger footrest
- better water protection , smaller wire to carry around , 3 phase connection , free up space in the tank to host additional bms monitor.


2) install 10p28s 18650 LG battery pack to add 3,2 kwh of energy.  BMS module in the battery , BMS master and monitor in the tank space where the Yazaki plug was . Battery case will also work as structural element with passenger footrest struts for rear top case probably a red Givi V47


3) later I will add charger , depending on bike Canbus setting I will add a canbus repeater to control packet or if the bike use broadcast packet I will just attache the charger on existing canbus line


Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: nunux59 on July 03, 2015, 09:29:17 AM
Thank you for your answer.

1) remove yazaki plug and instal T2 plug inside left passenger footrest
- better water protection , smaller wire to carry around , 3 phase connection , free up space in the tank to host additional bms monitor.

Eheh, I am also thinking of this solution since in Europe standard is type 2.

2) install 10p28s 18650 LG battery pack to add 3,2 kwh of energy.  BMS module in the battery , BMS master and monitor in the tank space where the Yazaki plug was . Battery case will also work as structural element with passenger footrest struts for rear top case probably a red Givi V47

Nice upgrade, cool! Do you plan to travel a lot or race the bike?

3) later I will add charger , depending on bike Canbus setting I will add a canbus repeater to control packet or if the bike use broadcast packet I will just attache the charger on existing canbus line

I see. Do you think that using a charger that do not need canbus line, in addition to the embedded one, is just a matter of connecting it in parallel to the Eltek or may be more complicated? My goal would be to use three phases of the type 2 connector : one to feed the Eltek embedded charger and the two others to feed two Meanwell rsp-3000-48. I would stop the two additional chargers as soon as the constant current charge phase is over (by monitoring battery voltage or measuring current consumed by the Eltek).

I will record a charging session soon while logging current consumed in order to know how much time of charging I can win.
Title: Re: Empulse R charging at 7,7 Kw ( not fast but better ) and T2 plug waterproof
Post by: mike on October 26, 2016, 10:51:00 AM
Any progress?