question

linky avatar image
linky asked

Intermittent fault with Smart Battery Protect

I have a Smart Battery Protect 12/24 100A being used as part of a lithium system with a VE.Bus BMS and an Orion 24/12- 70. Basically, I am using the Smart Battery Protect in Li-ion mode which is controlled by the load disconnect on the VE.Bus BMS, this circuit is the supply for the DC House panel.

The problem I am having is that there is an intermittent fault where the Smart Battery Protect gets stuck on “Attempting to activate” (in Victron connect) and causes the RV interior lights to constantly flash on and off. Occasionally after being stuck on “Attempting to activate” for a while, it will display an E1- Short circuit error (both on the unit and in Victron connect); however, I am 100% certain that there is no short circuit. Sometimes it will work fine for hours, and then if the breaker for the house panel is switched on and off it will then get stuck in this fault and it is nearly impossible to get it working again.

So far, we have tried a second DC-DC Converter, a second working battery protect and are still getting the same fault. The cable runs to the input and from the output of the battery protect are appropriately sized, and the BMS is in the same compartment so the ground wire and the load disconnect to Remote H on the battery protect are only approximately 0.5m. We have since discovered that we can trick the battery protect into working every time it gets stuck in this fault by briefly touching a 24V supply on the output of the battery protect.

Has anyone experienced this problem before and discovered a solution?

Lithium BatteryBattery ProtectOrion DC-DC Converters not smart
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

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

5 Answers
Matthias Lange - DE avatar image
Matthias Lange - DE answered ·

Maybe there is something with a high inrush current, this can cause this problem.

1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

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

linky avatar image linky commented ·

This was discussed as a possible problem, but the RV is in the process of being fitted out and at the moment the only loads really being powered off this circuit are lights and a fusion entertainment unit. We also tried with all breakers on the house panel off and got the same result

0 Likes 0 ·
Justin Cook avatar image
Justin Cook answered ·

@linky, do you have any diagrams or photos of your system layout that you can post? I'm particularly interested in the relationship of the DC-DC converter, the battery bank, the Smart BatteryProtect, and any/all charging sources (for instance, do you have a charge source connected to your DC panel that, when charging, runs current back through the SBP to your batteries, that kind of thing?).

Generally when I see these failures it's either because of a forbidden connection somewhere along the line or a component that isn't playing nice with the SBP's delicate logic, thus why a diagram of your layout would be super helpful.

1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

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

linky avatar image linky commented ·

No wiring diagrams as such but there are definitely no charge sources going back to that house panel. The SBP gets its input from a DC distribution panel, the output of the SBP goes straight to the Orion and then the output of the Orion to the house panel.

There is the Multiplus, two solar controllers, and a Cyrix for engine cross charging but they all go back to the DC distribution panel. During testing the engine has not been running, we haven't had the multi connected to mains and we have also had both the battery protects for the solar controllers turned off as well, so I am pretty sure we can rule out the charging theory. It is only DC house loads that are coming off the panel and as I mentioned previously as it is still being fitted out there is not much being powered off it at all. We have also had all loads on the house panel turned off to test if it could possibly be a load on that panel causing the fault but so far all we get is the same result.

0 Likes 0 ·
spasq0712 avatar image
spasq0712 answered ·

We are having the same issue. Did you ever find the cause?

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

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

nick-peck avatar image
nick-peck answered ·

same problem, no solution, will be returning.

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

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

Bruno avatar image
Bruno answered ·

Hi, same problem here: when I restore power, the BP100 connects the load a a few ms and disconnects, displaying E1 error and short-circuit protection in the app.

When I do the same but disconnecting a DC-DC converter connected to it, it powers up correctly, and reconnecter the converter works perfectly. It just won't start with the usual loads connected.

Any suggestion ?

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

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

Related Resources

Victron BatteryProtect product page

Additional resources still need to be added for this topic

Battery Compatibility

Did You Know - How to create a battery profile for non-Victron batteries?

Additional resources still need to be added for this topic