I am interested in upgrading my house bank from AGM to Lithium. I have a sailboat with four (4) 100AH group 27 AGM batteries for the house bank (12Volt System) and a separate AGM engine start battery. The engine is equipped with a 100 amp Balmar dual output alternator (50 A per leg, one lead to the house bank and the second lead to the start battery) with a MAX charge regulator. The boat has both shore power and an onboard 120v output diesel generator. There is a battery charger aboard that is connected to shore power and generator and this will be replaced with a 2000W inverter / charger). The wire size is 1/0 AWG copper for the line and load side of the battery bank and the connections from the alternator are also 1/0 AWG. I will eventually add solar, but for now I wish to use shore power, generator, and engine alternator to charge the house bank.
* I am keeping the lead acid AGM starter battery for the engine and generator. I believe I need a DC-DC charger for the house bank, which one would normally connect the alternator and regulator to the AGM starter battery, then from the starter battery to the DC-DC charger, then from DC-DC charger to the lithium house bank. However, what do I do with the existing second 1/0 AWG lead from the alternator to the house bank? Is the lead abandoned and the I just use ½ of the alternator? Is there an alternative to a DC-DC charger for dual output alternators?
Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you
Ty
