Pytes V Series LFP Battery User Manual

Introduction

Dear valued customer,

Thank you for purchasing our Pytes V series LFP battery for home energy storage system. Our V series battery pack is designed to provide safe, high-performance energy storage solutions for a variety of applications. The compact and easy-to-install battery pack can be used as a basic building block in an energy storage system by connecting in parallel. It is widely used in residential, small commercial, and industrial energy storage systems, as well as telecommunication stations.

We strongly recommend that you carefully read this manual before using the product. This manual provides all the necessary information on installation, usage of the V series battery pack. Please be advised that only qualified personnel (such as an electrician) should install and perform maintenance on the battery pack.

It is important to keep in mind the boundaries of use, as described in this manual. The V series battery pack is not intended for use in medical or aviation-related applications, and should only be used for its intended purpose as described in this manual. Improper use of the battery pack will void the warranty of the product, and Pytes cannot be held responsible for any damage caused by improper or incorrect use of the product.

For your safety and the safety of others, please follow all user safety instructions during the use of this product. This manual is intended for the installers and users of the V series battery pack.

Please keep this manual in a safe location, as it is the original manual. For the latest version of all manuals, please visit our website at http://www.pytesgroup.com.

Thank you again for choosing Pytes, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about your V series battery pack.

Best regards,
Pytes

Shanghai PYTES Energy Co., Ltd.
Factory Address: No. 3492 Jinqian Road, Fengxian District, 201406 Shanghai, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Website: http://www.pytesgroup.com
Email: ess_support@pytesgroup.com

Before Using

Please read and follow these instructions carefully:

⚠️ Warning

This equipment should only be installed, operated by qualified personnel (electricians). The local safety regulations and relevant operating procedures must be followed during the installation, operation and maintenance of the equipment, otherwise the equipment may be damaged. The safety precautions mentioned in this manual are supplementary to the local safety regulations.

? Caution

• Do not short-circuit the Li-ion battery.
• Follow the positive (➕) and negative (➖) marks on the Li-ion battery and equipment and ensure correct use. Do not reverse the Li-ion battery.
• Do not dismantle, crush, puncture, open, or shred the Li-ion battery.
• Before removing or reconnecting with the running system, make sure to turn off the power and shut down the system to avoid the risk of electric shock.
• Do not expose the Li-ion battery to heat or fire. In case of fire, use a dry powder fire extinguisher (?).
• Do not dismantle any part of the system without contacting PYTES or PYTES authorized technical engineers. System failure caused by such actions will not be covered by the warranty.
• Before operating the inverter, ensure that all batteries have been started up.

The following precautions should be taken when working on batteries:

1. Shut down the power and loads before connecting or disconnecting battery terminals.
2. Do not wear any metal objects such as watches and rings.
3. Use tools with insulated handles (?️).
4. Do not lay tools or metal parts on top of batteries.
5. Wear personal protective equipment.
6. Make sure the battery is well grounded. Contact with any part of a poorly grounded or ungrounded battery can cause electric shock (⚡) and burns by high short-circuit current.

The battery should be charged within 12 hours when it's fully discharged or over-discharging protection mode is activated. Fail to follow this instruction will damage the battery and is not covered by warranty.

? Danger

• Do not dispose of batteries in fire (?❌), as the batteries may explode.
• Keep the Li-ion battery away from water (?), dust (?), and contamination to avoid explosion or other harmful conditions that may even lead to personal injury.
• Do not open or mutilate batteries. Released electrolyte can be harmful to the skin and eyes and may be toxic.
• A battery can pose a risk of electric shock (⚡) and burns due to high short-circuit current.
• A malfunctioning battery can reach temperatures that exceed the safe contact level.

Symbols

Specifications

Table 1-1 Battery Pack Specifications

[1], [2]: The recommended and Max continuous charge and discharge current is for a battery cell temperature within 10°C~40°C(50°F~104°F) to consider. It will result in a derating on current if out of the temperature range.

[3] For battery modules, they can only be used indoors.

[4] Battery with cabinet, it can be used indoors or outdoors. If used outdoors, it can withstand direct sunlight and rain.

[5]: Test conditions 0.2C Charging/Discharging, @25°C(77°F), 90% DOD.

Working with some inverters, heating system may consume energy from battery when there's voltage difference among system modules, between 0°C/32°F to 5°C/41°F. Follow 5.3.3 of this manual for multiple batteries power cable connection to minimize influence of the circular current, thus decrease battery energy loss.

Product Standard Configuration

V5° Version

V5°a Version

V5°a Plus Version

BMS Functions

Interface and Protection Functions

2.1 Battery Front Panel Schematic

The front panel of the Pytes V Series batteries includes various indicators, buttons, and ports for operation and monitoring. The layout varies slightly between models (V5°, V5°a, V5°a Plus).

V5° Model:

• Indicators: Running Light (RUN), Alarm Indicator (ALM), SOC Indicator (light bar).
• Buttons: Power Button, Start Switch.
• Ports: Ground, DIP Switch, IoT Port, Console communication Port, CAN/RS485 communication Port.
• Terminals: Negative Power Terminal (➖), Positive Power Terminal (➕).

V5°a Model:

• Indicators: POWER, ALM, RUN, SOC.
• Buttons: (Implied by indicators/ports)
• Ports: CONSOLE, CAN, RS485, PORT 1, PORT 0.
• Terminals: Negative Power Terminal (➖), Positive Power Terminal (➕).

V5°a Plus Model:

• Indicators: POWER, ALM, RUN, SOC.
• Buttons: (Implied by indicators/ports)
• Ports: CONSOLE, CAN, RS485, PORT 1, PORT 0.
• Terminals: Negative Power Terminal (➖), Positive Power Terminal (➕).
• Protection: 125V / 125A DC Breaker.

2.2 Components

[1]: During the initial setting, professionals wearing insulating gloves should set the dial. After setting, customers are not allowed to change the dial without authorization during the battery use. If the setting needs to be changed, please contact professional maintenance personnel for operation. If used outdoors, the cabinet for installing the battery modules can be locked to prevent the dip switches from being switched on/off during operation.

Warning: 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 are DVC-A circuits, they shall not be connected to DVC-B/C circuit when installed, or hazard shock will occur.

Operating Environment & Maintenance

Operating Environment

Battery operating environment requirements:

• Operating Temperature: Charge: 2°C ~ 57°C / 35.6°F ~134.6°F; Discharge: -18°C~57°C / -0.4°F~134.6°F.
• Relative Humidity: 20%-80%, no condensation
• Altitude: <4000m
• Site environment requirements: Away from heat source, avoid direct sunlight, no corrosive gases, no explosive gases, no insulating gases, no insulating conductive dust.
• Install in cabinet which shall not be opened without dedicated tools.
• Install in a restricted access area.

Maintenance

Every month, please check whether the components are in good condition, whether the circuits are intact and connected normally, whether the wiring harness connections are damaged or rusty. If this happens, please contact the maintenance personnel in time to assist in replacement. Please use an insulating cleaning cloth to wipe the dust on the surface of the battery and the circuit connection every week to ensure the cleanliness of the use environment. And every month, please check whether the system operation information interface shows that the various communications are normal, whether the current, voltage, temperature and other parameters are within a reasonable range and there are no alarm reminders. If this happens, please contact the maintenance personnel in time for assistance.

Packaging, Transportation, Storage Requirements

4.1 Transportation

Always check all applicable local, national, and international regulations before transporting Li-ion Batteries.

During transportation, protect the battery from severe vibration, shock or squeezing, and from exposure to sunlight and rain.

During the loading and unloading process, the battery should be handled gently to prevent it from falling, rolling and being subjected to heavy pressure.

4.2 Storage

• Relative humidity: 20%-80%, no condensation.
• Altitude: <4000m
• Store the battery in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources and no direct sunlight.
• Keep away from conductive substances such as conductive dust.
• For long-term storage (>6 months), charge the LFP battery to more than 90% of its rated capacity. The battery needs to be charged to more than 90% of its rated capacity every 6 months.
• Keep the SOC of the battery at 40%-60% during storage. The Self-discharge of the LFP battery pack is 1-2% per month. If there is no power left when checking the LFP battery, do not charge or use it without permission, contact your installer for the next step.

Follow the storage instructions in this section and refer to Table 1-1 Battery Pack Specifications for storage temperature to optimize the battery lifespan during storage. Any failure or damage to the battery caused by failure of following these instructions is not covered by the warranty.

For LFP batteries that have been stored for a long time (more than 6 months), they should be charged to more than 90% of the rated capacity every 6 months by a professional maintenance technician approved by Pytes. Keep them in a well-ventilated state for a long time to ensure that the concentration of hydrogen does not exceed 25%, and regularly check whether the connectors and plugs are loose. During the maintenance cycle, check whether the battery is intact and whether there are any safety hazards.

4.3 Disposal

Disposal of the batteries should be in accordance with local laws and regulations and should be carried out by an expert with specialized knowledge and experience in electrical and environmental safety, at designated waste disposal facilities using safe and appropriate method.

Installation and Configuration

5.1 Installation Preparation

5.1.1 Safety Requirements

Only those who have received training in the power system and possess a comprehensive understanding of the same are allowed to install the equipment. It is imperative to follow the safety regulations defined by local authorities and adhere to the safety requirements listed below during the installation process.

Before installation and configuration, make sure that battery SOC shouldn't be less than 30%. Before installing or removing the battery, make sure that the system is disconnected from any power source and that the battery system is turned off. Distribution cabling needs to be handled carefully with essential protective measures to avoid any safety hazards during the maintenance and operation.

5.1.2 Checking the Operation Environment

The operation environment must comply with the requirements outlined in Chapter 3, "Operation Environment." If not, necessary adjustments must be made and subsequently reevaluated.

5.1.3 Tools

The tools that may be used are shown in Table 5-1.

Table 5-1 Tools

5.1.4 Technical Preparation

Electrical Interface Settings:

If the battery is directly connected to the energy storage inverter or DC charger, please verify: if the operating voltage, current, and power of the equipment align with the battery parameters listed in "Table 1-1 Battery Pack Specifications".

Safety Inspection:

The exposed positive and negative insulated terminals may be charged, so you must wear insulating gloves when operating.

5.3 Installation

5.3.1 Install the Battery

The V series can be installed either vertically or horizontally. The instructions in this chapter are only for horizontal installation, while vertical installation follows a similar process. All equipment must be placed steadily after installation.

1) Place the V5°a Plus along the wall. The vertical distance between batteries should be no less than 102mm, the horizontal distance should be no less than 102mm, the horizontal wall distance should be no less than 102mm, and the vertical wall distance should be no less than 25.4mm. The distance between battery and heat source (hot water system, gas heaters etc) shouldn't be less than 500mm.

[Diagram: Shows a V5°a Plus battery unit mounted on a wall with required clearance dimensions indicated: ≥102mm between batteries horizontally and vertically, ≥102mm from the horizontal wall, ≥25.4mm from the vertical wall, and ≥500mm from heat sources. An arrow indicates the 'Front' direction.]

5.3.2 Connect Ground Cable

Loosen the screw on the grounding position of the front panel of the battery and attach the lug of the ground cable over the screw. Use a screwdriver to tighten the screw and connect the other end of the ground cable to a reliable grounding point. The ground wire of multiple batteries after cascading is directly connected to the ground electrode interface of the distribution box.

? Note: The grounding resistance should be less than 0.1Ω.

5.3.3 Connecting the Power Cable

Before connecting the power cable, connect and disconnect the cable to identify the positive and negative terminals, then make a mark respectively. After the cable is connected, measure whether there is short-circuit or reverse connection.

Select the correct cable based on your loads by referencing to the table below:

Please select suitable power cable according to maximum current that may pass through the circuit. If you need advice, please contact your installer for help.

Connecting the power cables:

1)Power cable connection instructions of Single-Rack:

• Single battery: Connect the positive (➕) and negative (➖) terminals of the battery to the battery port of the energy storage inverter with power cables.
• Multiple batteries (Max number 16): The connection of multiple batteries is only permitted in parallel. Firstly, connect the positive (➕) and negative (➖) terminals of the batteries in parallel with the supplied flexible busbar (for up to three batteries, no additional accessories are required). Next, connect the positive (➕) and negative (➖) terminals of the battery port of energy storage inverter to one of the batteries with power cables. But due to limitations in battery communication and power cables, a maximum of 16 batteries can be connected in parallel, and a busbar or junction box should be used for convergence.

The purpose of parallel connection: 1. To expand the capacity. 2. To increase the output current and power.

Regardless of the number of batteries in parallel, the standard charging and discharging current for a single battery remains the same, please refer to "Table 1-1". The capacity can be increased by connecting the batteries in parallel, but due to the limitations of BMS and power cable, a maximum of 16 batteries can be connected in parallel and a busbar or junction box should be used for confluence.

Warning: Connecting batteries in series is forbidden, as it can create a high voltage that poses a hazardous shock risk.

[Diagram: Shows schematic diagrams of power cable connections for multiple battery racks (Multi-Rack) and single battery units.]

? Note: When multiple batteries are connected in parallel, in order to minimize the influence of the circular current, each battery can be connected to a busbar with power cable. The length, thickness, material, and resistance of the cables connected in parallel must be the same.

Warning: Batteries connected in series are forbidden, high voltage would lead to hazard shock.

2)Power cable connection instructions of Multi-Rack:

Connect the overall power cables of each rack to the convergence bus bar (or junction box) in parallel, then connect them to the energy storage inverter. It is recommended to add a circuit breaker for protection between battery system and inverter. Rated voltage U≥60V DC; Rated current to consider maximum DC current on inverter side.

5.3.4 Connecting Communication Cables

1)Communication cable connection instructions of Single-Rack:

• Single battery: Select the corresponding port based on the communication protocol between the battery and energy storage inverter (RS485/CAN), and then insert the communication cable into the port.
• Multiple batteries (Max number 16): The communication between the master and the slaves is carried out in a cascade mode, wherein one battery acts as the master while the others are slaves. Please refer to the picture below for the cascade connection. Users need to insert the communication cables into the relevant link ports between the batteries and keep in mind that:
  1. Keep the master Port 0 free;
  2. Keep the end slave Port 1 free;
  The cascade communication line used to connect port0 and port1 does not need to set a terminal resistor.

[Diagram: Shows schematic diagrams of communication cable connections for multiple battery racks (Multi-Rack) and single battery units, illustrating cascade connections.]

2)Communication cable connection instructions of Multi-Rack:

Connect the master battery of each rack to a hub with a standard communication cable. A Hub is required for to build up the communication between inverter and battery (more than 16 batteries or more than one rack).

? Note: The system may not be able to communicate if not followed the instruction.

5.3.5 WIFI Connection

The battery provides a WiFi port for data collection and upload to the monitoring cloud platform, which supports remote viewing of battery data and enables remote firmware upgrades. This product can be purchased separately from PYTES authorized resellers/distributors/installers.

[Diagram: Shows steps for WiFi connection: 1. Insert WiFi stick into LoT Port. 2. Create cloud account and bind WiFi stick. 3. Pair WiFi stick with wireless network.]

5.3.6 System Diagram

[Diagram: Illustrates the overall system setup, showing the V5°a Plus battery connected to an Inverter, with connections to a Router and the Cloud. Power cables and communication cables are depicted.]

5.4 Procedure of Starting/Shutting Down the Whole System

Make sure that all batteries have been powered on prior to running the inverter. This is to avoid battery shock by the in-rush current of the large capacitors of the inverter.

Power on Procedure

1. Turn on DC Breaker of all batteries (V5°a Plus).
2. Turn on all power buttons.
3. Press only the master battery SW button for one second. Please ensure that all batteries have been activated before turning on the inverter.

This will help prevent battery shock caused by the inrush current of the large capacitors in the inverter.

Shut down Procedure

1. Press and hold the SW button of the master battery for three seconds.
2. Turn off all power buttons. Please wait for all battery lights to go out before turning off the power buttons.
3. Turn off the DC Breaker (V5°a Plus).

? Note: Batteries must be placed in a locked cabinet or room with a 25mm/1inch horizontal gap for ventilation between them. The battery cabinet needs to support the total weight of the batteries and necessary accessories.

? Note: For V5°a Plus, if short-circuit happens for 3 times to the product, please contact PYTES to replace the DC Breaker.

Communication

The battery features RS-232C, RS-485, and CAN communication ports. The battery status can be obtained.

• CAN: The CAN communication terminal (RJ45 port) follows CAN protocol, to output batteries information.
• RS485: The RS485 communication terminal (RJ45 port) follows RS485 protocol, to output batteries information.
• RS232: The RS232 communication terminal (RJ45 port) follows RS232 protocol, to upgrade the software and to communicate with your PC.
• Link Port 0,1: The Port 0 and Port 1 communication terminals (RJ45 ports) follow the CAN/RS485 protocol for cascade communication between multiple parallel batteries.
• LoT Port: 4 Pin Circular Connector for connecting with WiFi sticks.

6.1 RS232 Port

Default baud rate of RS-232C ports: 115200bps.

6.2 RS485 Port and CAN Port

Default baud rate of RS-485 port: 9600bps
Default baud rate of CAN port: 500K

Troubleshooting

Please refer to the troubleshooting methods mentioned below. Please read the "Table 7-1 LED indication" of this manual before troubleshooting to avoid false operations.

For example, the blinking or constant red light of the ALM alarm on the front panel does not necessarily indicate a faulty battery. In most cases, the "alarm" indication signifies normal operation and requires no troubleshooting. Furthermore, if the battery indicates "protection," it will resume normal operation automatically once the "protection" status is released.

Table 7-1 LED Indications

Note: The blinking descriptions: Blink 1"0.3s on/3.7s off"; Blink 2 "0.5s on /0.5s off"; Blink 3"0.5s on / 1.5s off"; Blink 4"0.7s on / 9.3s off".

7.1 Unable to Start

7.2 Unable to Charge

7.3 Unable to Discharge

7.4 ALM Indicator (Alarm) Constantly On

When the ALM indicator is constantly red and the other indicators are off, the battery is in the "Protection" state. Once the condition that triggered protection is released, the battery will automatically return to normal operation. However, there are a few issues requiring immediate measures.

Warning: Do not repair the battery if no authorization from Pytes! Battery cell cover can be removed without the use of a tool. However, the battery cover itself is prohibited to be removed after installation to access internal components.

Warranty Card

This section contains fields for recording customer, product, and installer information, as well as a description of the problem and photos of wiring for warranty claims.

Customer Information

• Contact Name:
• Phone Number:
• Email:
• Address:

Product Information

• Battery Model:
• Battery Quantity:
• Purchase Date:
• Serial Number:
• Inverter Brand/Model:
• Inverter Quantity:
• Inverter Using Time:
• On/off Grid:

Installer Information

• Installer Name:
• Installation Date:

Problem Description

[Space for detailed problem description]

Photos of Battery Wiring

[Space for photos of battery wiring]

Photos of Inverter Wiring and Panels

[Space for photos of inverter wiring and panels]