I have a EV Charging stadion NS installed on 3 phase. Am I not able to charge single phase when needed using the software?
asked
Single phase charging on three phase setup
Hi, no, the contactor inside is a 3 phase one, so it is switching all 3 phases at once. What you can do, for low PV production periods, is to disconnect L2 and L3.
Is there no way for me to charge lower then 6A then? When the sun is not out, I am not able to make enough sun power to run 6A, but still some that I am sending back to the grid, which for me, does not make sense. Would be nice to put that in the car.
Also, do you plan to have some software update, that makes me able to make more then one schedule? I have this issue, that some days, I would just like to charge the car from my house battery, and then stop when it can not charge more from this. I can set a schedule for that, were I calculate approx. how much I can drain the battery.
However some days I would like to start charging at the evening from the house battery, and afterwards during the night, when the gridpower is cheap, take this power. However I am not able to make both schedule, and I need to manual start the charging and calculate when to start it, to hit the cheap grid power.
Or do you know of any 3 party software that can connect to you, and help with this?
First question – No, that a limitation on the vehicle side. But, next version allows consuming from the batteries in automatic mode. So it will discharge from the batteries a bit, and recharger when PV power increases. It's still in beta now, should be available in a few weeks.
#2 Schedule mode allows multiple programs, 5 if I remember correctly. 
#3 you can use Node Red to control the charging station. So you can create your own setup for it. EVCS has all the control nodes as part of the large VenusOS
I have just checked, you can create up to 30 scheduled programs. But it is not allowing those programs to overlap. So, what will be changed:
— Allowing overlapping programs as long as are not enabled
— Switching from enable to disable (or the opposite) easier with a simple click.
Thanks for your feedback, I hope my answers are helping!
Hi,
I have modbus switches that can support 25A AC. How would behave the EV Charging Station if I’d like to switch from 1-phase to 3-phases on the fly, and vice-versa?
Is there any protection also for the vehicule from transition current when switching between 1P to 3P?
Please no reply like, « it is not recommended to do that ». Please facts like, was or wasn’t it tested, or there is an internal protection that will temporary stop charging and resume, or in the norm for EV, on the fly switch between 1P and 3P is covered, etc.
I can program fully secured stop charging and resume upon phases switch, but I’d like to know if it worth the effort.
Hi, all the vehicles tested are not supporting switching on the fly.
But you don't need to program anything, our charging station already supports this (not officially). If you check on the PCB, there are 2 relays, one is controlling the main contactor. Replace that contactor with 2 x 2P contactors, each contactor coil connected to one relay on the PCB. The relay that was previously used for switching the 4P contactor, should take care of N and L1, the other relay is for L2 and L3.
To enable this feature, you can do it over Modbus TCP. After doing so, new options will be available on the webpage of the device.
Thanks a lot for the indication on what is possible with the EV Charging Station hardware and software.
I have a official Victron technical center near by, which has sold me the charging station, so it would be very convenient.
Sorry, there is no retrofit available
Hello
@Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) ,
this is really a great news, that it can be such easy to automatically switch between 1P and 3P. Would you mind to create a detailed manual of all required steps including a part list of supported contactors. Probably a video showing anyone performing the conversion ;-) ?
I would go and buy an EVCS immediately.
Cheers, luphi
@Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff) Can you please tell us what ModBus settings are required to enable this feature? Thanks!
5055 and 5056 Please check the link - https://www.victronenergy.com/ev-charging/ev-charging-station#technical-information
But remember, another contactor is necessary for L2 and L3. So it's not a simple software feature. And it is not fully tested and supported.
Does that mean, if I set them to 1 (1-phase), only relay 1 will be closed, if I set them to 0 (3-phase), both relays will be closed?
What happens, if I set 5056 (auto mode) to 2 (single+3 phase)? Will relay2 then only be closed, if surplus is bigger than a definable wattage?
Hello, thank you for your hints on that hidden (and useful) feature. Can you share with us how to set the needed Modbus register. It sounded lie to be a flow in the internal nodered of the GX device, but what would be the right command (flow) for doing so? My electrician managed to change the relays but fails on software skills (like me). Thank you very much!
@Lucian Popescu (Victron Energy Staff)
Thanks for the information and the instruction for switching between 1P and 3P. Is there a way to do this w/o voiding the warranty, like keeping the original contactor and add a 2nd one for L2 and L3 which is controlled by the 2nd relay. Or even put a 2nd contactor for L2 and L3 in the fuse box inside the house and control it depending on Modbus readings.
I really would like the switching ability without voiding the warranty.
Tanks again for your efforts
There is no seal inside, as long as you are not destroying something in there, you can modify it
