Training - Lithium Battery Smart

Part 1 - The battery and the various BMS types

The Lithium Battery Smart
The Victron Lithium Battery Smart range
• Available in 12.8V and 25.6V models
• Capacity from 50Ah up to 330Ah
• Chemistry Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)
• See datasheet and manual for full
information on the: Lithium battery
12.8V & 25.6V Smart product page
Benefits of lithium compared to lead-acid
• Lithium has a higher energy density than lead-acid - more
capacity with less weight and less volume
• Lithium batteries can be deeper discharged
• Lithium batteries allows for larger charge and discharge currents
• The lifetime is longer - more charge cycles
• There is a high initial cost, but the cost of a cycle is half that of
lead-acid
• High round trip efficiency
• No gassing - can be used in the same enclosure as
inverter/chargers, other electronics or switchgear
The battery is made up of several cells
• A lithium battery consist out of 4 or 8 cells in series (or paralleled cells in series)
• The nominal voltage of each cell is 3.2V
• To create a 12.8V battery 4 cells are linked in series:
4 x 3.2 = 12.8V
cell cell cell cell

nk
Li
• The 25.6V battery has 8 cells linked in series:
8 x 3.2 = 25.6V
What is inside the battery?
• LPF cells
• Active and passive cell
balancing
• Cell voltage sensors
• Temperature sensor
• BMS communication
electronics
• BMS cables
• Bluetooth for the
VictronConnect app
The VictronConnect app
The battery can be monitored and set up via Bluetooth.
The VictronConnect app provides:
• Battery status
• Battery voltage
• Battery Temperature
• Last full charge
• Cell balancing status
• Cell voltages
• Battery settings
• Product information (firmware updates)
The BMS (Battery Management System)
• The BMS protects the battery
• The BMS is external to the battery
• There is a choice of several different BMS models
• See the BMS product page on our website for an overview of all
available models
• Choose a BMS that best matches the system that the battery is
going to be used in
BMS
• Never use a Lithium Battery Smart without a BMS!
The battery bank
Battery bank
• Multiple batteries can be connected together to form a
battery bank

• Before they are connected together do the following:

• Update the firmware of each individual battery
• Charge each individual battery, using a charge and a BMS

• Individual charging each battery before connecting

together
• This is especially important when batteries are going to
be connected in series
Charge each individual battery
• Lithium batteries are approximately 50 % charged when shipped
• ALWAYS charge each individual battery, before installation and
before series and/or parallel connection
• Use a charger that is controlled by a BMS
• Charge until all cells are balanced, see the VictronConnect app
• Be aware that this might take longer than expected and several
charger restarts might be needed
• After charging, wait until the battery voltage has dropped below
13.5V (27V) before connecting batteries in series

• See the Lithium Battery Smart manual for the exact procedure
Series battery bank
• 12, 24 or 48 V battery bank Fuse
12 V
Load

To BMS
• Up to four 12V (or two 24V) batteries can
be connected in series
Fuse
24 V
Load

• The BMS cables are daisy chained to each To BMS

other
Fuse
48 V
Load
• The first and last cable connects to the
BMS To BMS
Parallel battery bank
• 12, 24 or 48 V battery bank Fuse

• Up to 5 battery strings can be paralleled

24 V
Load

• Each string needs to be fused

Fuse

• The BMS cables are daisy chained to

each other
To BMS

• Do not connect midpoints

The BMS cables
• Daisy chain the BMS cables of all
batteries

• The first and the last cable connect

to the BMS

Male connector Female connector

BMS extension cables
• Use these cables in case the battery BMS cables are too short
• The are called “M8 circular connector Male/Female 3 pole cable (bag of 2)”
• They are available in 1, 2, 3 and 5m lengths

BMS
The BMS functionality
Under voltage protection
• Very deep discharge will cause unrecoverable cell damage
(loss of capacity)

• Low cell voltage can happen after the battery has been
too deeply discharged, but can also happen when the
battery cells are unbalanced

• To protect the battery, the BMS will turn all loads off as
soon as a cell voltage drops below 2.80V
• The low voltage threshold can be set with the
VictronConnect app between 2.60V to 2.80V
Pre-alarm
• The battery generates a pre-alarm prior to a low voltage alarm
• This warns the user of an imminent system shutdown
• The pre-alarm threshold can be set with VictronConnect between 2.80V to 3.15V
• There is at least a 30 seconds delay between pre alarm and low voltage alarm
• Set the pre alarm threshold to a higher voltage if this time needs to be longer

• The pre-alarm is available in newer batteries from approximately 2019 and up

• To check if the battery has this feature, check if it is mentioned in the VictronConnect
app battery settings
• In case of battery banks with a mix of batteries (with and without pre-alarm), the pre-
alarm feature will not be active
Over voltage protection
• Charging with a too high voltage will cause unrecoverable cell
damage (cells expand, ooze chemicals, melt or burn), but keep in
mind LFP is one of the safest lithium chemistries

• A too high cell voltage can occur when a charger is set wrongly or
the charger has developed a fault

• the BMS will turn all chargers off as soon as the cell voltage rises
above 3.75V
• This threshold cannot be changed with the VictronConnect app
Temperature protection
• Charging at low temperatures will cause cell damage (loss of capacity)
• When the battery temperature drops below 5°C, the BMS will turn all
chargers off
• The pre-alarm threshold can be set with the VictronConnect app
between -20°C and 20°C , but setting this below 5°C will void the
warranty

• Charging at very high temperatures will cause unrecoverable cell

damage (cells expand, ooze chemicals, melts or burns)
• The BMS turn chargers off when the battery temperature is above
75°C
The BMS needs to connect to all batteries
• The battery constantly monitors the cell voltages and the battery temperature
• In case one of these is outside the threshold, the battery will communicate this to the BMS

BMS

• In case of multiple batteries, all battery cell monitoring is connected in series to the BMS.

BMS
In case of a voltage or temperature alarm
The BMS physically connects or disconnects The BMS controls the load or
a load or a charge source from the battery charge source and turns it on or off
and/or

Load or Load or
charger charger

BMS
OFF
signal

BMS
The BMS models
SmallBMS
• For 12, 24 or 48V systems
• Sends a signal to turn loads off when the battery voltage is too
low (Allowed to discharge = ATD)
• It will send a signal to turn chargers off when battery voltage is Load
too high or temperature is too low or too high (Allowed to charge
= ATC)
• Generates a pre-alarm signal
Charger
• Has a remote on/off contact
• SmallBMS product web page

SmallBMS
VE.Bus BMS
• For 12, 24 or 48V systems
• Controls VE.Bus Inverters or inverter/chargers via VE.Bus
to reduce or stop charging or to stop inverting
• Sends ATD and ATC signals to the loads and chargers
Load
• Generates a pre-alarm signal
• The BMS assistant needs to be installed in the connected
inverter/charger(s) Charger

• The (included) mains detector is needed (not needed for

MultiPlus-II or inverters)
VE.Bus BMS
• VE.Bus BMS product web page
Smart BMS CL 12/100
• For 12V systems, 100A rating
• Bluetooth
• Wired in the positive supply
• Current limits the alternator supply to protect the alternator
• Disconnects the alternator to protect the battery
• Sends ATD and ATC signals to loads and chargers Alternator Load

• Generates a pre-alarm signal

Charger
• Remote on/off contact
Smart BMS CL 12/100
• Smart BMS CL 12/100 product web page
Smart BMS 12/200
• For 12V systems, 200A rating
• Bluetooth
• Wired in the positive supply Load

• Current limits the alternator supply to protect the alternator

• Disconnects the alternator to protect the battery Charger

• Disconnects DC system to protect the battery

Smart BMS 12/200
Alternator
• Sends ATD and ATC signals to loads and chargers
DC
• Generates a pre-alarm signal system

• Remote on/off contact

• Smart BMS 12/200 product web page
BMS 12/200
• For 12V systems, 200A rating
• Wired in the negative supply
• Disconnects DC system to protect the battery
• Current limits the alternator supply to protect the
Alternator
alternator
• Disconnects the alternator to protect the battery DC system

• Remote on/off contact BMS 12/200

• BMS 12/200 product web page
Lynx Smart BMS 500
• For 12, 24 or 48V systems, 500A rating
• Part of the Lynx DC distribution system
Load
• Bluetooth communication
• Wired in the positive and negative supply
Charger
• VE.Can communication to GX device
• Control via GX device over other Victron products
and DVCC
• Disconnects DC system to protect batteries Lynx Smart BMS

• Sends ATD and ATC signals to loads and chargers

• Generates a pre-alarm signal
• Remote on/off contact
• Measures battery state of charge
• Lynx Smart BMS product web page
 BMS range overview
VE.Bus BMS SmallBMS Lynx Smart BMS Smart BMS Smart BMS BMS 12/200
500 CL 12-100 12/200 (end of life)

System voltage 12,24 or 48V 12,24 or 48V 12, 24 or 48 12V 12V 12V
ATC and ATD
yes yes yes yes yes no
signals
Switches DC
no no 500A no 200A 200A
system

Alternator port no no no 100A 100A 80A

Bluetooth
Communication VE.Bus no Bluetooth Bluetooth no
VE.Can

Battery monitor no no yes no no no

See the BMS product page on our website for more information
Energy. Anytime. Anywhere.