Protect alternator in Lithium/FLA system

[smac999]

Originally Posted by tanglewood

If the two alternators are charging the same battery bank(s) and driven by the same engine, then one regulator works fine and eliminates the challenge of getting the settings the same and balanced between two regulators. I’ve run like this for years, and explain it in my blog.

He has 2 engines.

[john61ct]

The Starter batt circuits can (should) be combined while any charge source is active on either side

including either alternator.

Then the BB can feed off either side, doesn't matter which.

[rgleason]

Sterling BB DC-DC charger in between and leave the alt setup as is.

Sterling BB1260-12 Volt, 60 Amps - Pro Batt Ultra Battery to Battery Charger
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RKX5W2...l_huc_continue


https://sterling-power.com/collectio...ttery-chargers


Includes battery temperature sensor.

[john61ct]

Better to buy from Maine Sail to support his work for all of us,

or Alan at Bay Marine, directly rather than making him give the platforms his profits.

[Newcruiser311]

Sounds good. I'll check out Main sail and Bay Marine. Thanks fellas.

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Sterling BB1260-12 Volt, 60 Amps - Pro Batt Ultra Battery to Battery Charger
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RKX5W2...l_huc_continue


https://sterling-power.com/collectio...ttery-chargers


Includes battery temperature sensor.

I remain confused why you would do this which limits charging to 60A, when instead you could use two VSR regulators for half the cost and get the full 140A of alternator output.

[john61ct]

Again

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes, those with high-level DC electric skills and DIY experience with VR/alternators,

can easily optimize that one charge source category for their LFP bank at a pretty reasonable cost.

However, for those not so technical, who would need to hire those skills - if even reliably available nearby - such a project would cost **a lot**, for just those alts, on just that boat.

Of course getting up to speed on this tech can be a fun project, but most people just see it as means to an end and would rather pursue other hobbies.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by tanglewood

VSR regulators for half the cost and get the full 140A

And please recall that 140A is a theoretical maximum.

If the LFP are pulling anywhere over 100A of that, maybe even less, they could fry themselves.

That was the whole point of this thread, limiting current produced, as with Balmar's MC-614

Does thomasow's FOSS VR have the built-in ability to throttle back current produced based on alt body / diode temperature dynamically?

Or, if not, the built-in ability to throttle back current to a fixed level?

Or do those capabilities require a knowledgeable programmer to get in and code, test them & recompile?

[smac999]

Originally Posted by tanglewood

I remain confused why you would do this which limits charging to 60A, when instead you could use two VSR regulators for half the cost and get the full 140A of alternator output.

because then the OP would have single stage internal regulator alternators connected to a lifepo bank. which you do not want to do.

he should have a 60a model between each engine battery and house battery. 2 of them, one for each alt.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by smac999

because then the OP would have single stage internal regulator alternators connected to a lifepo bank. which you do not want to do.

He was specifically talking about thomasow's FOSS VR, sometimes called "VSR"

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/....php?p=2390188

Fully programmable, as in open-source code on GitHub, much more sophisticated than anything available commercially.

But for unsophisticated users, bit of a science project and some may fear not yet ready for production use for those cruising far from first-world shores.

Not talking about a VSR as in combiner / ACR

which is why that particular name is not suitable for the device.

The "Smart Alternator Regulator" project*or SAR is IMO only marginally better, certainly too generic to be effectively trademarked.

I can't seem to get to this topic anymore?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...or-194917.html

[john61ct]

Couple more

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2354601

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/....php?p=2387931

Al's actually been more active on trawlerforum, where I discovered his project a few years ago.

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by smac999

because then the OP would have single stage internal regulator alternators connected to a lifepo bank. which you do not want to do.

he should have a 60a model between each engine battery and house battery. 2 of them, one for each alt.

Yes, I understand that. Personally I’d buy and add a smart regulator rather than buy and add a DC/DC charger. Then you can get full power out of the alts, even if only until they heat up and the regulator’s throttling kicks in.

And I mention the vSR regulator only because it’s inexpensive. You could pick a Balmar or whatever.

[Newcruiser311]

Do you have to take apart the alternator ro install saregulator?

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by Newcruiser311

Do you have to take apart the alternator ro install saregulator?

Probably to some extent, yes. But some can be disconnected without disassembly. Depends on the alternator.

[rgleason]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

Al Thomason's Very Smart Regulator will source (or sink) 30A of field current, which is plenty to drive multiple alternators. But they may not share that field current equally, even if they're the same model. Also, if the alternators are on different engines, then an alternator on a non-running engine will get field current but won't be able to use it, so it will get hot. Yes, you can weave a web of switches & such to handle these situations, but at $125/reg, why bother? The regs talk to each other over the CAN-Bus when both alternators are running, so they don't argue. Redundancy is good, which is why the OP (& I) have multiple alternators & multiple start batteries.

Fully programmable,
Separate Voltage sense wires
Temperature sensors

Flexible feature-in port: One comm usage is to allow a BMS to signal "Stop-Charging" on LiFeP04 batteries.