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Jons Collasius avatar image
Jons Collasius asked

MultiPlus-II 48/5000/70-48 fan noise fixed (for me) without loss of warranty (external fan shroud)

The fan noise of my MultiPlus-II 48/5000/70-48 makes it impossible to charge batteries at night. However, turning off the internal fans via the fan wizard makes the unit too warm for my taste.

Since I didn't want to open the unit to void the warranty, I made an adapter to install two 120 mm fans on the bottom panel to force airflow through the unit while the internal fans are disabled via the fan assistant.

The Noctua fans used are virtually inaudible and simply run 24/7 and so far I am happy with the performance and noise of the unit. The device does not even get hand-warm at 4000 watts inverter power.

I use my Orion-Tr 48/12-9 to provide the 12 V for the fans.

Attached is a Photo Love Story of the installation.

.stl file to print yourself (or have printed) after the images.

I will gladly take feedback if the adapter also fits other devices like the MultiPlus-II 3000 or the Quadro-II. I have no other device to test here, unfortunately.


There is a conversion kit for the fan control of the internal fans of older devices. You might want to take a look here.

https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/108663/victron-multiplus-ii-noise-level-what-is-your-expe.html?childToView=191439#answer-191439

My device has the modification already from the factory, so I do not know the original noise level. But if the device is even louder without... God have mercy.

I built this adapter because even with the conversion kit, the volume of the internal fans is an intolerable.


Fresh from the Printer. PLA @ 220 °C, 70 °C bed, 0.4 mm layer hight and 40 % infill. Used support material for more than 60% overhang.



Ready to use.


Fan is inaudible even without dampeners.


Used 3x16 mm wood screws and 4.3 mm washers to install the fan shroud.

The wood screws are screwed directly into the 2.4 mm holes in the PLA.


Works as intended. Only a gentle 50 Hz hum can be heard when the MultiPlus-II is under full load.

the .stl file if you want to print this yourself

Multiplus-IIfandisable fans
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1234enough avatar image 1234enough commented ·

I like your solution, very neat, with the fans you have it must be a very good air flow.

I have arctic TC 80mm fans ( c/w flap actuators to stop back draughts)on supply air from external to bottom of multiplus 48/5000 + MPPT & extract to external at top of multiplus with the below temp controler(controler on all time supplied off multiplus-ii 12v aux supply / fans supplied from an old 240v - 12v adaptor which only comes on if controler relay comes on).

I also fitted 50k trim pots in parallel to the fans NTC temp sensors for adjusting the start of the fans ramp up speed, all temp sensors are cable tied to exhaust grill on top of multiplus. Works well so far, internal fan still comes on under very heavy load, TC fans are virtually inaudible.


120MM Arctic fans have slightly less air flow @ 95m3h, but are temp speed controlled.

screenshot-20230312-191909-chrome.jpg

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gdhondt avatar image gdhondt commented ·
Thanks for sharing. Just printed your STL file. Looks great.


Did you also turned off the internal fan with the assistant?

Or is the internal fan controlled by temperature. So with the external fans there is no need for the internal fan to start cooling?

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18 Answers
raymiller avatar image
raymiller answered ·

Nice solution and probably significantly better than the single fan fitted just on the FET heatsink. Though having the fans only activated when needed would be ideal.

I would add guards to the fans to stop unwanted objects (i.e. fingers) from interfering with the operation.

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Jons Collasius avatar image Jons Collasius commented ·

Thank you.

The Noctua NF-P12 redux-1300 fans draw 0.05 A of current each at 12 V voltage (0.6 W). At 1300 rpm the noise is only 19.8 dB/A and the blades do not seriously hurt, they are too slow and too weak.

Nevertheless, any fan grill for 120 mm fans would of course be able to be installed. However, this is not necessary in my equipment room.

With the low power consumption and volume of the fans, a fan controller would consume more power (and additional money on the purchase) than it would save, I guess.

The best solution would be proper and decoupled fans with a decent PWM management in the MultiPlus 2. Then a DIY solution would not be necessary at all.

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raymiller avatar image raymiller Jons Collasius commented ·
As the fans will be running continuously now and the passthrough air volume is significantly more than standard, I would strongly suggest adding a serviceable air filter to the fan inlets.

The filter is an attempt to reduce the amount of settled dust inside the MultiPlus, while the Multiplus PCBs are conformally coated, dust builds up over time tending to insulate the components which then get hotter and do not last as long. When humid air is introduced the moisture settles on the dust and usually is conductive, this can induce faults affecting the performance. While I do not have specific data for this application, a career in electronics has demonstrated keeping dust out as much as possible never does any harm. You would be surprised by the amount of dust that is deposited inside electronic equipment fan-cooled even with air filters fitted, without is usually extreme even is so-called clean environments.


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pau1phi11ips avatar image
pau1phi11ips answered ·

Awesome idea. This is the first thing I'm printing if I ever get around to getting a printer!

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Jons Collasius avatar image Jons Collasius commented ·

Shapeways charges €42 per fan shroud, Cloudcraft charges €13.39. The amount of material is about 2.8 m filament. The typical "bro with a 3d printer" probably prints for free and tells his wife how practical the purchase of the 3d printer has been. The mere material price is approximately 2 € per part.

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victronuser avatar image victronuser Jons Collasius commented ·

I once asked us in Berlin. Here you are also at about 60 euros the piece for the bracket.

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victronuser avatar image victronuser victronuser commented ·

But that would not be 3D printing but vacuum/injection injection so very high quality.

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michaelvh avatar image
michaelvh answered ·

This is nice. well done. Have you tested a cycle of full load? Does the MP start derating after a while? I have a MP3k and with the silent fan assistant they do derate after 15 minutes or so. So i am looking at a solution like yours.

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daryl avatar image
daryl answered ·

Thanks. I am using this with a JPF4826 fan controller (see aliexpress etc), controls up to 4 fans and has modbus RTU support to monitor the fans.

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solarbone avatar image solarbone commented ·

At warranty: I would keep the internal fan active - if the additional fans are efficient, the internal fan should not start and cause noise but would start cooling in case it is necessary. That would give feedback if the external solution is sufficient. The additional fans and theyr housing have the risk to reduce the air flow in case they are failing and that could influence the warranty!

Unfortunately I have seen the internal fan to be a (cheap ?) Chinese Jamicon JF1238B2HR and dought that that has the specified noise level of 43,5 dBA. I think the best solution is to replace it by a better one - the Noctua NF-F12 industrial PPC-24V-3000 fan might fulfill better the specifications and be more silent and efficient.


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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ solarbone commented ·
The internal fan operation is activated by load, not just temperature.

In any case, there is now a free retro fit controller that sorts the low rpm fan noise.

All newer inverters already have this fitted and are much, much quieter.

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larsea-dk avatar image larsea-dk nickdb ♦♦ commented ·
Is it possible to power the extra fans directly from same socket as the internal fan?? Would be easy!
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ojack avatar image
ojack answered ·

Did you try the original Victron Retrofit Fan Kit? It works very well.

https://meintechblog.de/download/18446/?tmstv=1684679042

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daryl avatar image daryl commented ·

Victron make them almost impossible to get :(

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gerard-van-seventer avatar image gerard-van-seventer daryl commented ·
No, they deliver very fast. Got mine within a week.
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daryl avatar image daryl gerard-van-seventer commented ·
How do I order one from victron directly? The place I that installed my 3 MP units haven't confirmed they can get them for me after a month of emails and phone calls.
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gerard-van-seventer avatar image gerard-van-seventer daryl commented ·
Your Victron dealer should take care of that. Not sure in what country you are but in mine the seller is responsible for the product (and warranty).
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daryl avatar image daryl gerard-van-seventer commented ·
This victron dealership models really lets the end-users down.
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remi-s avatar image
remi-s answered ·

Hello,

Really nice solution ! The noise of the FAN of my 3KVA is driving me crazy :-(

I would like to implement it on a Multiplus II 3KVA but the fan holder does not fit. The 5KVA is larger versus 3KVA (11 holes instead of 10).

Will it be possible for you to share the stp file so that I will update it for MPII 3K ?

I will (or you will) give access to the file to everyone that wants to print the fan holder for 3KVA version


Thanks


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sf777 avatar image sf777 commented ·

Did you make the file for Multiplus II 3KVA? Can you share it? thx

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larsea-dk avatar image
larsea-dk answered ·

Would it be possible to hook up the extra fans to the same socket as the internal fan? Could be great, since my system runs on up to 62-63volts at full charge, which just go above a normal 48v fan. I dont know how much power can be drawn from the internal fan "Power supply".

Anyone tried this or know if its possible.

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remi-s avatar image
remi-s answered ·

As stated by Jons "The Noctua NF-P12 redux-1300 fans draw 0.05 A of current each at 12 V voltage (0.6 W). At 1300 rpm the noise is only 19.8 dB/A"

I really don't see the benefit of trying to connect the external fan in the internal socket. You might loose the warranty by opening the MPII.

For me, just let them run continuously using a small 12v power supply... Could be even a small DC/DC converter with 80V input...

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pau1phi11ips avatar image pau1phi11ips commented ·
Totally agree, no need to bother hooking them up to inside the Multiplus
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cta007 avatar image
cta007 answered ·

Dear all,

Nice solution, I tried it but ...

I have Multiplus2 5k with Pylontech L2
I use ESS and limit charge current at 60A, discharge 3000W
I use fan silent assistant to avoid internal fan starting
I print adapter and install 2 noctua nf-P12 fans

The charging is rapidely decrease to 40A, I can charge continually at this rate (compare to 60A before)

When I discharge at full load, after a while I start receive Multiplus2 temperature alert.


img-1885.jpg


img-1885.jpg (59.2 KiB)
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gerard-van-seventer avatar image gerard-van-seventer commented ·
Well, it seems logical to me what happens. First you (kind of) disable the internal fan, which is mounted very close to the heatsinks, and then from (relatively) far away you blow some air in the entire box, not knowing what the result of the airflow is. Also a non running fan is quite an obstruction for the airflow.


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larsea-dk avatar image larsea-dk commented ·
I have heard that the fan silent assistant do make it quiet but also that it derates very fast and gets hot. So I would not recommend using this assistant.
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klaus78 avatar image klaus78 commented ·
I have the same setup and the same problems. Charging declines to about 40A when the internal fan is shut off.

I have now enabled the internal fan again and got 65 amps while charging.

As a conclusion I cannot recommend this solution. YMMV

Maybe I will replace the internal fan, but for this I have to dismantle all the cables.

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tazer avatar image
tazer answered ·

I designed a similar shroud for 92mm fans, which has some advantages over the original:
- prints without supports
- less material required
- can be attached/detached without removing the bottom cover
- smaller overall size but should provide similar airflow

Hardware required per fan:
- 4 6x3mm neodymium magnets
- 4 self tapping fan screws or silicone dampers
- 1 92mm PC fan

Press the magnets into the matching holes (use a drop of glue if they are loose) and screw the fan to the bottom of the shroud. The whole assembly can then be attached to the bottom of the MultiPlus. The alignment pins match the grill and prevent any movement.

Thank you @Jons Collasius for the inspiration! STEP for adjustments included.

fan_shroud_MP5000_92mm.zip

1686904733963.png


1686904733963.png (94.5 KiB)
fan-shroud-mp5000-92mm.zip (69.8 KiB)
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tuxedo0801 avatar image tuxedo0801 commented ·
Very nice. Do you have a fan recommendation? Which one did you use?
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tazer avatar image tazer tuxedo0801 commented ·

I bought the Arctic F9, because they are cheap here in Germany and available in packs of 5: https://www.arctic.de/F9/ACFAN00212A
Not the quietest type, but good airflow. There is also a silent version available with lower rpm.

I installed a Mean Well DDR-30L-12 with an inline fuse to my bus bars, so the fans run directly from the battery. I use one relay of my Cerbo to switch the fans on the 12V side, switching the whole PSU would exceed the rating of those relays.

Control can be implemented with either Node-RED flows or a python script, I chose to use an inverter load threshold, but using a temperature sensor is also possible. Make sure to use some sort of timeout before switching them off, otherwise they may cycle on and off rapidly, which kills the bearings.

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maxpd avatar image maxpd tazer commented ·
I wonder if there is also a solution to control the fan if you don't use a Cerbo but a raspberry. I assume I could also control a relay via the pinouts. But never did something like this.


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graham-willsher avatar image graham-willsher tazer commented ·
Hi @Tazer,

A great setup.

Would you be willing to share the Node-Red code that you use to control this via the inverter threshold?

Thanks Graham.

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tazer avatar image tazer graham-willsher commented ·

Hi @graham Willsher,

unfortunately I don't use Node-RED, I wrote my own ESS in Go (currently in alpha testing), which also takes care of the fans. As a starting point:
https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/161161/little-help-with-node-red-total-grid-power.html
Maybe a Node-RED expert on here could help you out?

@maxpd:
Direct control from the Pi is possible, for example with a MOSFET or a relay module. Those are very common for 3D printers, just connect the switch input to a GPIO pin and a common ground:
https://raspberrypi-guide.github.io/electronics/control-electronics-with-a-relay

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graham-willsher avatar image graham-willsher tazer commented ·

Hi @Tazer,

Thanks for the reply.

Like others on here I was just looking for a solution to reduce the noise/vibration from the Victron inverters. The use of external fans and sound absorption rubber grommets will go some of the way.

The better solution, as mentioned by others, would be if Vicron would invest a little time in re-desiging the parts of the existing inverters that cause the actual issue (which appears to be the quality of the fan used). They could also supply sound insulation grommets to be used to isolate the inverter from the object that it is attached to.

Maybe @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) can help with this.

If they could do that as an upgrade kit (even if we have to purchase it) to keep the product under warrenty. I would imagine a number of people would be very happy.

It would also assist Victron when they bring out another version of their inverters which will have the electrical noise suppression designed in from the beginning, making them the quality product that we want, and show that they are interested in their customes feedback on improving their products.

Thanks Graham.

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sunny-777 avatar image
sunny-777 answered ·

Thanks @Jons Collasius for the design and the file!

Wanted to secure my fans and designed some fan guard as I could find one that I liked ;-).
The spacers can be used to fix the fan mounts on the Multis with 3,5mm spax screws.


https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6143339

noctua-12-fan-guard.png


victron-multiplus-fan-mount-spacer.png


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ramsesiii avatar image
ramsesiii answered · 
Many thanks to @Tazer  and @sunny_777  for the models. I have now also built a prototype with Arctic F9 silent fans in 92mm and will test it before I equip my 6 MP2 with it. The magnetic holder works perfectly, the first prototype runs silently. Let's see what the MP2 will do at full load.

img-1914.jpg
img-1915.jpg
greetings from Austria
RamsesIII

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gerard-van-seventer avatar image
gerard-van-seventer answered ·

@RamsesIII Beautiful and dangerous at the same time. The extra fan has to run always. If the fan is not running you essentially block the designed airflow.

I prefer hanging the extra fan's with tie-raps with sufficient space between the fan and the MP so that the airflow with and without the fan running is never blocked. Less beautiful than your design though.

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tazer avatar image tazer commented ·

I have tested my design with 2 fans installed on a single multi, and the multi still got enough air to run at full load normally with both external fans turned off. Pretty loud and case got noticeably warm, but nothing alarming.

I recommend to check the fans regularly or install some kind of rpm monitoring to be extra safe, but I expect the multi to limit its output before taking damage.

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h2009 avatar image h2009 tazer commented ·
HI @Tazer Any chance you can do a custom file for me and my 10kva units? Happy to pay as I don't have the ability to do it myself. Thanks
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tazer avatar image tazer h2009 commented ·

Hello @h2009, I found a 3D view of the 10kVA variant and adapted my design. Should be possible to fit 2 fans next to each other, please test and let me know if it needs adjustments.

screenshot-2024-05-04-001946.png

FanShroud-MultiPlus-10kVA-92mm.zip

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fanshroud-multiplus-10kva-92mm.zip (49.9 KiB)
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h2009 avatar image
h2009 answered ·

Has anyone yet tested the difference between high air flow fans and high static pressure fans?

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sf777 avatar image
sf777 answered ·

Does anyone have a 3D file for Victron Multiplus II 48/3000? Can you share it?
well thank you

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remi-s avatar image
remi-s answered ·

I made an update of the one for MPII 5KVA with 92mm fan for the MPII 3KVA, let me find the file and post it there if still needed

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h2009 avatar image
h2009 answered ·

Just bumping this old thread - has anyone got a file for the MP2 10KVA units?

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patrickr avatar image
patrickr answered ·

Thank you very much for your solution and the STL file. Worked perfectly.

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Related Resources

MultiPlus-II Product page 

MultiPlus-II Manual

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VE.Bus Error codes

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