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alex-2 avatar image
alex-2 asked

Alternator charging lithium

Sorry if this is already covered somewhere but I can’t seem to find a simple answer. Maybe there isn’t one?

I have a hitachi 80A alternator and want to charge my bank of 400A Victron lithium batteries. (I also have 4 x 175w solar panels running through 4 independent smart solar MPPT).

Is there a regulator I can add to the alternator or what is the best way to set this up?


I also have a Fischer Panda AGT4000 12v generator which I would like to add in to the mix.

(Starter battery is a standard lead acid battery)


any help really appreciated


many thanks


alex

battery charging
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5 Answers
wkirby avatar image
wkirby answered ·

I presume that your 400Ah battery bank is also 12V?
You could use Orion 12-12 30A DC-DC chargers to control the charge from your vehicle 12V system to the 400Ah battery bank when the engine is running.

https://www.victronenergy.com/dc-dc-converters/orion-tr-smart

As for the generator, that might be more of a question for Fischer-Panda themselves to find out how it interfaces or works with a lithium battery bank.

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bathnm avatar image
bathnm answered ·

Hi Alex,

As you have the Victron Energy batteries, you have several options. In addition to the already suggested DC/DC, there are also BMS designed by Victron for their batteries that will help. Take a look at https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-management-systems

Especially the Smart BMS CL 12/100, Smarty BMS 12/200 and Battery Management System BMS12/200. Each of these products have manuals and schematics available.

You could also go as far as the Lynx Smart BMS, with something like the WakeSpeed 500 alternator controller, but that is not as much of a plug and play as you would need to get the alternator converted for external control. However, it will soon integrate into the VenusOS and provide details of what the alternator is doing.

If you have an Inverter (Victron) then maybe go for the 12/200; if not then the CL 12/100

In terms of battery charging from the Generator, then something like the Phoenix Smart IP43 is a good option.

However with a 400Ah bank one of the multiPlus inverter chargers and a Cerbo is a good solution s well. Really depends what you are trying to achieve.

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hjohnson avatar image
hjohnson answered ·

This is pretty much the design I'm doing. I'm building out a 460AHr LiFePO4 bank, though my battery is DIY with a REC ABMS.

For the alternator, I bought a Wakespeed WS500, which will communicate with my VIctron system, and the REC, via CAN Bus, and also work to protect the alternator.

The alternator I have right now is the same 80A Hitachi as you have. I'm planning to take it to a local alternator shop to see about getting it modified for external regulation, and also expose a tach output. I'm also going to ask about moving to external rectification, as that's a major source of heat in these things.

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Sarah avatar image Sarah commented ·
Hi @hjohnson did you have any luck getting your Hitachi convertered for external regulation? If not what did you decide on ?
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hjohnson avatar image hjohnson Sarah commented ·

@Sarah Yep, we had it converted at a local alternator and starter shop. They rebuilt it for us for a very reasonable price; replaced the bearings, deleted the internal regulator, and put in the diode pack from a 150A alternator. The unit works like a treat, and can easily deliver the full rated 80A almost continuously. (We normally operate it at 45A).

They also rebuilt the starter motor for our Yanmar, and it works great too.

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Robert avatar image Robert commented ·
Hello, did you have news about a isolated ground in your alternator?

No company that I ask can do this with my Bosch alternator Nr. 0986046590

Best regards Robert

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Nev avatar image
Nev answered ·

Despite the many doomsayers that suggested alternator burnout and smoke would have destroyed it years ago we have been successfully charging our 4 cell 300Ah Sinopoly battery for the last 10 years of full time travel in our motorhome direct from the Canter 100A rated alternator.

The inbuilt regulator output is obviously voltage regulated to 14.5V and temperature controlled.

It had absolutely no issues delivering 80-90A into the battery until full but I was not happy with the end 14.5V so I added a Victron ArgoDiode battery isolator in series that has the benefit of lowering the almost constant current to nearer 70A and the terminal voltage to 14.1V.

The battery also starts the 3.9l turbo engine often multiple times a day.

I recently paralleled a 4 cell 280Ah EVE battery pack.

All "BMS" circuitry is external.

No excess smoke from the alternator and it is all still performing perfectly.


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bathnm avatar image bathnm commented ·
You have temperature control, so as the alternator heats up it will protect itself. It is the heat that causes the issue so if that can be managed you are protecting the alternator.
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dc4me avatar image
dc4me answered ·

Or you could use the external regulator by Balmar. The mc-618 which has other features of monitoring and output control. https://balmar.net/mc-618-voltage-regulator/

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bathnm avatar image bathnm commented ·
While that works. In a Victron environment one of the regulators that does current control is far better and then integrates fully into the Victron ecosystem and can be monitored and controlled from a GX device. Something the the Wakespeed, which now also supports DVCC as well as monitoring or gen Zeus is a far better option. However if people have the Balmar regulator already then it will work.
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