Interconnecting/Bus Bar Battery Cable Lengths - Some Closure

[msponer]

Oh, wait, I am wrong. I have half the capacity of you. The most I've ever seen from our panels is ~50 amps, which is not enough to equalize your ginormous bank, if it really needs 12% charging current to do that... But 12% -- really? When we equalize there's plenty of bubbling (our propane alarm even goes off from the hydrogen), but our BMS is only showing +10-15 amps...?

Also, in case you haven't realized this -- in St Martin, at least, I was not able to find a marine fuse or breaker rated for the high DC voltage and low current of a big solar array in series. My three 250 watt Kyocera panels, in series, need a 15 amp breaker at something like 110 volts DC. Breakers I found in chandleries were rated for something less than 48 volts DC, and the fuses that could handle > 100 volts were also > 50 amps. The only appropriate breaker I could find was a DIN rail mounted one at an electrical supplier, as pictured below.

I'm a bit paranoid about high voltage DC, especially on a metal boat, and so wired the panels with the duplex wire that comes in the thick round cover, and then sleeved it with that black netting stuff.

[smac999]

Only read part of it but 1/0 wire,250mrbf's and a 3000w inverter isn't going to work...

You're need all 4/0 and the inverter alone is probably a 400a class t on its own

Ate you putting dual battery's monitors in?

[mitiempo]

While it is actually a bit less I figure 10% for inverter draw - 3000 watts = 300 amps at max output.

4/0 would be my choice as well and I would try to keep the wire run short.

I would fuse at 350 amps either T-class or Anl.

[Moonos]

Has anyone wired things up for 24v, but make things easy to switch to 12 volt as a backup.

I am looking at installing a 24 volt victron inverter/charger but would like to make it quick and easy to switch the bank to 12 volt if the inverter/charger had a problem and use a small backup inverter.

I feel the extra hassle to enable quick/easy change to 12 volt would not be worth the hassle and a 12 volt system (with very short,thick 12 supply cables) would be the best solution.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Moonos

Has anyone wired things up for 24v, but make things easy to switch to 12 volt as a backup.

I am looking at installing a 24 volt victron inverter/charger but would like to make it quick and easy to switch the bank to 12 volt if the inverter/charger had a problem and use a small backup inverter.

I feel the extra hassle to enable quick/easy change to 12 volt would not be worth the hassle and a 12 volt system (with very short,thick 12 supply cables) would be the best solution.

either design a 24v solution or a 12v one. don't mix them its a nightmare.

in practice today , 24v has died away to leave 12v the primary voltage. stick with that

dave