question

jabdy avatar image
jabdy asked

Charging amps, reducing,

I am on a boat, I have 2 quattros charging by a 11kva generator. The battery bank is 1800A lifeline AGM. When I start it up at say 68% usually they go straight into absorption mode rarely into Bulk. It starts with an output of 400A if in bulk it will stay there 395A+-. But it drops out of bulk within 5/10 mins. In absorption it drops very quickly, after 30 mins output is 160+- A, and 75%. After 1.5 hours or will be around 79/80% charged and the output will be down to 110A. The point of these batteries is that they should have a high charge, and like this I'm having to charge too often which is not good for them. Please can someone help. I have tried to contact Victron but had no luck so far. The installer has left the boat yard and his replacement does not have the experience to help, I have been on what's app and team viewer for hours with him last year.

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

13 Answers
matt1309 avatar image
matt1309 answered ·

Hi @Jabdy


What you described is what I imagine you'd want to happen it's just happening too early if that makes sense.

tldr: check you absorption voltages are what is suggested for your battery, my guess is they're too low for your battery.

(Ignore this if you already know it but just in case you dont):

When your battery is almost full you want the voltage to stay constant and amps ramp down (absorption phase), however it sounds like that is happening, it's just happening too early or at the very least not for long enough.

Your battery will likely have come with information about suggested absorption voltages. My first guess would be to check those are correct, it sounds like they might be a bit low if it's happening at 68% state of charge (assuming you're confident that the SoC is correct and it's not infact higher).

If however the absorption voltage settings are correct and you're not reaching 100% then that suggests that the absorption phase isn't lasting long enough and the battery is going into float too early. If that's occurring you need to extend the absorption period setting (or decrease the tail current setting) so battery stays in absorption phase longer.



1 comment
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image jabdy commented ·
Thank you, please see my reply below.
0 Likes 0 ·
Alexandra avatar image
Alexandra answered ·

@Jabdy

The 80% is probably where the internal monitor is set to finish bulk.

Lead acid typically needs a long absorption charge.

See energy unlimited.

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

I agree and understand but they are not going into bulk. Even at 68% and if they do it's for a matter of minutes.

I want to know how to tell them to go into bulk. I have been in the quick config. And the parameters seem correct. Absorption 14..41, float 13.38. 4 hour time.

They never reach 14.41.

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

matt1309 avatar image
matt1309 answered ·

Bulk is the default way to charge until abroption voltage is hit. So you can't tell them to go into bulk, you just stop it going into absorption by adjusting absorption voltage if that makes sense.


I thought for the quatro to go into absorption phase the absorption voltage had to be hit so I thought it must be hitting 14.41.

How do you know its not reaching 14.41 are you measuring during charging (as voltage will be higher during charging). That's the only thing I can think of sorry.

1 comment
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image jabdy commented ·

screenshot-20230306-133531.pngThank you, I monitor the charges through my victron colour control and VRM.screenshot-20230306-133404.png

0 Likes 0 ·
jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

I'm sorry I thought I had answered with some photos.

I monitor the voltages etc through my colour control and the VRM portal.

I will try and send images of this in next message

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

I'm sorry I thought I had answered with some photos.

I monitor the voltages etc through my colour control and the VRM portal.

I will try and send images of this in next messagescreenshot-20230306-133531.png


2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

screenshot-20230306-133531.pngI'm sorry I thought I had answered with some photos.

I monitor the voltages etc through my colour control and the VRM portal.

I will try and send images of this in next message


2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

I have just changed my charging from fixed to adaptive, maybe that will help?

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

Started in bulk @ 366A for 2 mins then went to Absorption and now@ 266A after 9 mins and dropping like a stone.

Such a nightmare and impossible to get hold of someone at Victron to help. Costs a fortune and no official back up.

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

You have an error, bulk time limit exceeded.

This is possibly coming from the bulk protection setting.

But... It should not be dropping like this. So early. Try switching off completely and isolating the batteries for a couple of minutes. This should clear the error. Then bring the system up and restart t he charge. Let us know what happens.

Can you measure the DC voltage at the charger with a meter?. If it does not agree with the screen shots, probably high resistance between charger and batteries.

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi @Jabdy

You don't say where your SOC is coming from, but all your symptoms are typical of a true SOC maybe 20% higher than what you've quoted. And I think that's your issue, a bad SOC.

With experience you'll learn from how much charge your batts can accept when they're closing in on full. It's just not worth running a genset to top off the last 2 or 3% because the Amps drop so low.

Depends on batt temperature too and the particular batts, but a wild guess your 110A will actually be up around 96% SOC or better.


2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

Thank you for your advice. I presume color control is getting the SOC and other info from the BMV 713 smart. I have one for each bank and one for the 2 together.

I can see how to alter the amount of annoys the batteries are set to receive through the quick config app. But how do I make the quattro obey this.

That I think is my problem.

2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

jabdy avatar image
jabdy answered ·

You were be very helpful last year with this issue and ended because I was not on the boat. I am now, I wonder if you could have a relook at this problem.

@snoobler


2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.