question

shaned avatar image
shaned asked

Off grid Easysolar 48/5000 and BYD 13.8 and generator not charging batteries

Hi all

Looking for a bit of help. I have the Easysolar 48/5000 with the BYD 13.8 Lithium Batteries.

I have connected a generator to the system for charging the battery. I have two genets one is a 2000w and the other is an 8500w and both are AVR.

Here is my config on the Multi (the 26A is for the big genset i was using 6A for the small one):

TAB: General

System frequency 50Hz

Shore current 26.0 A

Overruled by remote unchecked

Dynamic current limiter unchecked

State of charge when Bulk finished 95.0 %

Battery capacity 270 Ah

Charge efficiency 0.95

TAB: Grid

Country / grid code standard None: (feeding energy from DC to grid not allowed)

Accept wide input frequency range (45-65 Hz) checked

AC low switch mains off 180 V

AC low switch mains on 187 V

AC high switch mains on 265 V

AC high switch mains off 270 V

UPS function unchecked

TAB: Inverter

PowerAssist checked

Assist current boost factor 2.0

Inverter output voltage 230 V

Ground relay checked

Inverter DC shut-down voltage 47.00 V

Inverter DC restart voltage 51.00 V

Low DC alarm level 53.00 V

Do not restart after short-circuit (VDE 4105-2 safety) unchecked

enable AES unchecked

TAB: Charger

Enable charger checked

Weak AC input checked

Stop after excessive bulk unchecked

Lithium batteries checked

Use equalization (tubular plate traction battery curve) unchecked

Charge curve Fixed

Absorption voltage 55.20 V

Float voltage 55.00 V

Charge current 26 A

Repeated absorption time 1.00 Hr

Repeated absorption interval 7.00 Days

Absorption time 1 Hr

TAB: Virtual switch

TAB: Usage

Virtual switch usage Do not use VS

TAB: Assistants

TAB: Assistant Configuration

Two-signal BMS support (size:139)

*) The battery is full when Auxiliary input 1 is open and

the battery is empty when Temperature sense input is open.

*) Force to float and set SOC to 100% when battery full and switch to charger

only when battery empty.

(note: I believe that the second part of the assistant needs to be changed as it would only use float while charging)

I set the config from this page on the Victron website HERE


Total size of all assistants including the required

(hidden) system assistants is: 198

so before I added the assistant the small genset would charge at 700w.

The big genset would charge at 1200w

After adding the Assistant and updating to the config above I got this.

Which is the same but seem to charge faster about 3-4% in 15 minutes.

Sorry could not get the images to rotate even turned one upside down but still uploaded upside down.

All firmware is compatible in the system.

My question is why does it take so long to charge the battery with the latest config and why am i only get 1500w and not 6000w? or is this normal?

Edit: Ok have just been talk to ALPS and noticed that SOC on the multi is switching from 100% to 67% for a second then back to 100%

Any info would be appreciated.


Lithium BatteryGeneratorEasySolar All-in-OneBYD
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4 Answers
shaned avatar image
shaned answered ·

Hi Everyone here are the results of today's test.

Current CONFIG:

TAB: General

System frequency 50Hz

Shore current 26.0 A This is for my 8500W Generator that is 141 hours OLD

Overruled by remote checked

Dynamic current limiter checked

State of charge when Bulk finished 95.0 %

Battery capacity 270 Ah

Charge efficiency 0.95

TAB: Grid

Country / grid code standard None: (feeding energy from DC to grid not allowed)

Accept wide input frequency range (45-65 Hz) unchecked

AC low switch mains off 180 V

AC low switch mains on 187 V

AC high switch mains on 265 V

AC high switch mains off 270 V

UPS function unchecked

TAB: Inverter

PowerAssist checked

Assist current boost factor 2.0

Inverter output voltage 230 V

Ground relay checked

Inverter DC shut-down voltage 46.00 V

Inverter DC restart voltage 50.00 V

Low DC alarm level 48.00 V

Do not restart after short-circuit (VDE 4105-2 safety) unchecked

enable AES unchecked

TAB: Charger

Enable charger checked

Weak AC input unchecked

Stop after excessive bulk unchecked

Lithium batteries checked

Use equalization (tubular plate traction battery curve) unchecked

Charge curve Fixed

Absorption voltage 55.20 V

Float voltage 55.00 V

Charge current 70 A This is the Mutli's chanrging limit

Repeated absorption time 1.00 Hr

Repeated absorption interval 7.00 Days

Absorption time 1 Hr

TAB: Virtual switch

TAB: Usage

Virtual switch usage Do not use VS

TAB: Assistants

TAB: Assistant Configuration

Assistants not used

Using the settings as advised by you guys I started the genset @ 6A input current and worked my way up to 28A input current. This did not change anything as before. I spoke to a friend who has experience with Victron equipment and we noticed that the DC Charge Current was only 26A. This is were the issue was as the Multi can charge at 70A DC. We change this setting and this is the results.


As you can see an increase in charging. As a result I have gone from 66% SoC @ 13:20 to 99% SoC @ 15.20.

This is what I was expecting originally.

Thanks again for all your help JohnC, Daniël and Al. Al I hope this will help you as well. Please feel free to ask me any questions if need be. I am more that happy to try and help.


Thanks Again everryone



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JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi Shane. I suspect your issue is 'Weak AC input checked'. I suffer this too, but for me it will allow ~2000W (from a 6kVA genny), no matter whether charging batts or feeding loads. The literature does somewhere mention efficiency loss in this state, but that much 'loss' seems unlikely. But it does apply a limit somehows, which for me is about what I'd set anyway for my Pb's, so I can live with it.

Will your Multi accept the gennies with that box unticked? My avr won't accept, so I'm stuck with it.

There's an offchance for you that an ac input limit is set within the CCGX, and VE.Config set to accept it. Just a maybe?

Please come back with your experiences. My genny is worn out (burning bulk oil), and the choice of a newey to avoid this is like a dark cloud following me..


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shaned avatar image shaned commented ·

Hi John

Thanks for the info. I will try this tomorrow and let you know what happens. The big genny is a new one only 141 hours on it.

Not sure if you notice my edit about the SoC on the multi going from 100% and changing to 67% for a second (which is what the battery says its SoC is) then back to 100%. I know the SoC can be inaccurate but wondering if this could cause the low wattage from the genny or what the Multi would except.

Anyway thanks again, will let you know what happens tomorrow.

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ shaned commented ·

Yeh I saw your edit before posting. I run the same Easy box (without BYD or assistants), and ran with an inverter genny until it died. Weak ac box unchecked, no rejection, no limit applied (apart from my own to keep the smaller genny happy). Revert to the big avr, had to tick the box needed, and a lower limit was applied from within. Repeatable, and unwanted.

So please don't shrug it off as unlikely. Take a hard look before dismissing. Good luck too.. :)

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image
Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) answered ·

Hi @ShaneD

Pleas use the CANbus connection between your battery and Color Control

Do not use an assistant, but enable DVCC in the Color Control

All this is described in the document you linked to:

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:byd_b-box

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shaned avatar image shaned commented ·

Hi Daniël

Thanks for that I thought it needed one must have read it wrong will delete the assistant tomorrow and test.

Thanks for the input

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Alistair Warburton avatar image
Alistair Warburton answered ·

The week AC and and wide input tollerence seems to force the charger to attempt power conditioning, despite the best efforts of the AVR, great if you need it but produces a horrible power factor at the generator.

I am NOT an expert but I have just set all this up and ran into the same issue, all be it less sevier as my genny is inverter based.

Make sure you follow the guide, ensure SOC is being derived from the BYD box and that shared voltage sense, SVS, is off with DVCC On.

I ran my genny on Mon at about 2.65kW and chargeed from 32% at 13:00 to 99% at 20:00 before backing out and tipping off to 100% 0ver the next hour.

Charge was well below what I expected for the first hour untill I got my head around the settings

Happy to compare notes and setup files if it will help you as it will almost cirtenly help me.

Al

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shaned avatar image shaned commented ·

Hi Al

Have a few things try this afternoon and will share my finding and config then. Thanks for your thoughts I hope we can both get something out of my testing.

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