Monitoring LiFePO4 Lithium Batteries

[OceanPlanet]

Originally Posted by Highland Fling

MORE Tinkering.

Today I reprogrammed my Heart Interface Freedom 25 Inverter/Battery charger.

I set it to cool gel cell which sets the Bulk /Acceptance charge voltage to 14.4V.

Sadly I cant reset the float charge voltage of 13.8V but I have also got the equalizing charge voltage at 14.4V.

I also set the remote to be the controlling device so by switching off the inverter/charger at the remote that resets the timer clocks for the three stages...three hours for B/A stage, Float is indefinite and Equalising is manually switched and lasts for eight hours.

So that is mostly all good, shame I cant just have single stage 14.4V or more charger.

I cant see me getting a single stage voltage adjustable charger with a 130A charge capability at sensible prices.

IF you know of one please advise me.

thanks

We have been using Victron Multiplus & Quattro inverter-chargers with Genasun GLI systems for many years. Easy to program as single stage using the Victron VE Connect software and the Victron interface Mk2 to USB adapter. I never even learned how to do the dip switches...;-)

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by OceanPlanet

We have been using Victron Multiplus & Quattro inverter-chargers with Genasun GLI systems for many years. Easy to program as single stage using the Victron VE Connect software and the Victron interface Mk2 to USB adapter. I never even learned how to do the dip switches...;-)

Bruce I know of these I/C's in fact a friend is just having his reprogrammed for LIFEPO4 today.

BUT I did say at sensible prices, you are woking with foks with deep pockets. I did a DIY sensible priced LIFPO4 installation that was cheaper than LA on an actual available Ah/$ basis.

Now I need to up my solar and yes I would love the flexi solar panels too but they are just too expensive vis a vis a solid (HEAVY )Kyocera panel and you need lots more of them as well , as they are not ultra powerful. I am looking at having around 840W of solar 6 x 140W

Also I need to add another 2000E SB controller and add (re-install) at least one WG to try recover the Ah we use making dinner in the evenings, so we wake up with a nice low A/h used figure. <30Ah would be awesome just now it is around 100Ah or more dependent on what we cook and when we cook.

I try to bulk cook around mid day when I have most solar available but then that food needs reheated from frozen and the veggies rice or pasta cooked at dinner time.

So there is NO MONEY LEFT for a lovely new and Expensive Programmable Inverter Charger

My ancient Old Technology Freedom 25 cost $50.00 as the inverter part is duff and my Xantrex Prosine handles all the A/C loads, I see it is 1800W and not 2000W with allegedly only 79A available but with a 2900A surge. It looks like after reading these specifications we might need another one in parallel......ooops maybe a Victron Energy I/C might just be a logical answer after all :-( That said the Xantrex 1800i seems to handle all the loads we throw at it when cooking, without complaint now we have the LIFEPO4 batteries..with the LA ones it was a total no no.

kindest regards

[OceanPlanet]

I hear what you are saying. Although I don't know of a lower cost inverter-charger than the Victron that can do AC load support while charging (reduce charging and/or use batteries to cover AC load spikes). Which, if you have Li batts is usually desirable. However if you don't need that feature then there are lower cost options....

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by OceanPlanet

I hear what you are saying. Although I don't know of a lower cost inverter-charger than the Victron that can do AC load support while charging (reduce charging and/or use batteries to cover AC load spikes). Which, if you have Li batts is usually desirable. However if you don't need that feature then there are lower cost options....

At the moment what I want or need is a GOOD INVERTER and a powerful A/C charger that can throw all the amps at my LIFEPO4 batteries that they want/need and can handle.

I really don't need all of that sophistry I did look at the cost of a 12V 3000W VE quad I/C and it was around $2,500 OUCH and that was an off island price.

I hope another BS SB 2000E will help big time and then changing my two 100W panels for 140W will be the next move. Then adding another two IF 4 x 140W is not enough.

Of course maybe I should spend my money in another way and rip our my standard Beneteau fridge freezer boxes and build or have built properly insulated ones. there si one B461 with the two boxes replaced with SS Front opening units looks great BUT will I suspect be both costly and being front opening not as good as even what we have now

My Seafrost BDXP with twin SS cold plates is great but is very A/h hungry and ATM we don't even have cold water on HF (ice cubes in the freezer though) as the water here in St Martin is really really warm....so the F/F and the BD 70 compressor are having a hard time.

Plus I am just about to add a 12V watermaker...... so having lots of spare A/h is I think the next first or first next step in making life easier on Highland Fling.

[alctel]

Originally Posted by Highland Fling

I have tweaked my Blue Sky 2000 solar boost controller to cut off at 14.7 volts.

Isn't that a bit high? I thought the max was around 13.8 - 14 volts.

I don't have a lithium install yet though, this is just what from what I've read so take it with a grain of salt.

How much solar do you have?

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by alctel

Isn't that a bit high? I thought the max was around 13.8 - 14 volts.

I don't have a lithium install yet though, this is just what from what I've read so take it with a grain of salt.

How much solar do you have?

Nope ideally 3.65V per cell (fully charged) AND / BUT I don't think I will see that voltage on the cells frequently or regularly until my solar is capable of replacing ALL the Ah's used and we have sunny cloudless days.

It would be nice to have 50A available from the solar as my F/F takes 7/8A when running. and I am about to install a 12V water-maker so there goes another 10A or more dependent on my feed pump. Today with the sun high in the sky we had 14A from the SB2000E and 8A from the MS MPPT controller BUT the MS MPPT controller stops charging at around 13.8V not that we got past 13.8v today.

I did answer the solar question read slowly presently 2 x 140W and 2x100W 480W I will be upgrading to 4X140W 560W if this is not enough then maybe 4x140W + 2x100W 760W or even 6x140W 840W that should theoretically give me the 50A I seek.

I wonder if the SB2000E would be happy with a mix of two 140W and one 100W panels in parallel. Probably not so I guess the 100W panels could stay on the MS MPPT controller and have the 4x140W panels on two SB 2000E controllers, two panels on each controller