LiFePO4 Install

[dreadlocks]

I think thats probably it, as soon as I started hooking up big loads I was surprised by how much the voltage dropped and how hot the battery post got.. that was the first sign something was not right, but I didnt have any other reference points.

 

[john61ct]

Lots of counterfeit / substandard components out there from China, getting a trusted supply chain in place is a huge challenge.

BMS is always a weak link, why I'd always avoid an inaccessible one built into the pack.

Plus being able to balance / monitor / test at the cell level when needed.

But then these "drop-ins" are designed for those who don't wanna know from details

 

[dreadlocks]

oh so true, I used to cook flight controller boards (literally, in my oven) all the time for prototyping, so many fake components that are hard to avoid if you've not got Intel purchasing power and can deal directly with manufacturer.

Its hooked up and charging up, something interesting.. this 45A PD charger I got never ever saw >30A output w/old BattleBorn is now dumping 40A no problem and its cooling fan is screaming full blast.. I thought this charger was bad, because it'd drop down to under 20A alot of times in the field off the Genset.. looks like it was the battery all along.

Pardon the mess, its still in testing mode and aint been all buttoned up..

 

[dreadlocks]

Inverter Test w/Microwave..

5mins
Holding Voltage 12.58
Final Temp: 92F (ambient 70F)

This is much better than the original battery, the microwave has always triggered a LVD cutoff because voltage would drop below 12v and temps would usually be in the tripple digits after a run like that




from this its pretty easy for me to conclude the original battery was bunk out of the gate, but still performed well and I had no complaints until it failed.

 

[Alloy]

In July I was at a Victron/Magnum dealer. There was a used Lithium on the floor so I asked what was happening with it. It was junk and they mumbled that people think Lithium can be dropped in.

Yesterday I found this. Its gets more interesting at 10min.

 

[DaveInDenver]

oh so true, I used to cook flight controller boards (literally, in my oven) all the time for prototyping, so many fake components that are hard to avoid if you've not got Intel purchasing power and can deal directly with manufacturer.

It happens big and small or strictest DLA QPL. There's in the hundreds of suspected ones annually and some that aren't caught until test. Wouldn't surprise me if a few have gotten through and are sitting in something operating.

 

[pdxfrogdog]

Nice to hear that BB took care of you warranty wise and that you have a fresh battery for your trip. Have a great time and look forward to hearing how things perform in the field.

 

[dreadlocks]

It happens big and small or strictest DLA QPL. There's in the hundreds of suspected ones annually and some that aren't caught until test. Wouldn't surprise me if a few have gotten through and are sitting in something operating.

Yep, the time I got a fake we were testing a new 3D Gyro on the market.. a few people had gotten their hands on em and they were really good, just what we'd been looking for.. so I got my hands on one, soldered everything together then spent the next 2 weeks trying to figure out why I got no altitude data and nowhere near the performance of anyone else.. after getting some photos of everyone elses gyro and a bit further testing.. it seems like I got a knock off of the previous model gyro, that didnt have altitude capabilities, but had been printed to look like the new model.. glad I just had it in a test rig and it didnt lead to a crash and burn.

I spent way to much time reworking the board thinking I messed something up, it really threw my ass for a loop.. now I'm jaded and suspect of everything.

 

[dreadlocks]

So I was working out the next phase over this winter, was going to be mounting the genset and portable solar externally.. part of that is getting another solar charger and a more sophisticated AC charger.. being sad that victron dont make an AC charger of suitable size, I'm thinking of just getting a 600W 48v CCV Power Supply thats medical grade for pretty cheap really, putting a double pole relay on the solar input with NC connected to solar and NO to power supply, and have relay triggered by power supply's own AC power.. put a SmartSolar 100/50 on the job and I get all the Victron goodies on charging, setting current and voltages and profiles, syncing w/the fixed solar, bmv for temp and voltage yada yada yada..

Anyone wanna talk me out of that idea? Originally I was just gonna get a pronautic 40A but I'm starting to like this idea better.. if I've got the generator running or are on shore power, the portable solar controller is not needed in the least.

 

[hour]

So I was working out the next phase over this winter, was going to be mounting the genset and portable solar externally.. part of that is getting another solar charger and a more sophisticated AC charger.. being sad that victron dont make an AC charger of suitable size, I'm thinking of just getting a 600W 48v CCV Power Supply thats medical grade for pretty cheap really, putting a double pole relay on the solar input with NC connected to solar and NO to power supply, and have relay triggered by power supply's own AC power.. put a SmartSolar 100/50 on the job and I get all the Victron goodies on charging, setting current and voltages and profiles, syncing w/the fixed solar, bmv for temp and voltage yada yada yada..

Anyone wanna talk me out of that idea? Originally I was just gonna get a pronautic 40A but I'm starting to like this idea better.. if I've got the generator running or are on shore power, the portable solar controller is not needed in the least.

I'd do that. I've supplied many hundred amp hours in to my new build through the charge controller and the box hasn't been connected to panels yet. Just using a 24v 600w power supply and the small 75/15. Relay idea is slick, I might try to do that so I don't have to crawl in to the bed of the truck and swap cables every time I want to switch from solar to generator charging.

 

[luthj]

Sounds good to me. You may need to adjust your CC mppt search parameters to prevent weirdness.

 

[Alloy]

For redundancy I like to have seperate charging from the Victron system.

 

[dreadlocks]

I'll still have redundancy w/the Progressive Dynamics charger it has now.. I'd still keep it cuz its my fuse/circuit box but I'll hook it up to a switch thats normally off.. If for some reason my 48v psu goes down I can fail back to that..

I decided last night the shelf I have all my speakers/gauges and stuff on is gonna get rebuilt, to my specs.. I'll fix a touch screen display to a RPI running VenusOS, and mount my GMRS Repeater and radios and everything flush in it.. I just got my grandfather in law's router and bits, so now I can work formica and other laminates.

 

[Alloy]

I'll still have redundancy w/the Progressive Dynamics charger it has now.. I'd still keep it cuz its my fuse/circuit box but I'll hook it up to a switch thats normally off.. If for some reason my 48v psu goes down I can fail back to that..

I decided last night the shelf I have all my speakers/gauges and stuff on is gonna get rebuilt, to my specs.. I'll fix a touch screen display to a RPI running VenusOS, and mount my GMRS Repeater and radios and everything flush in it.. I just got my grandfather in law's router and bits, so now I can work formica and other laminates.

You might be able to swap things around in the 110V dist. panel so the PD has a dedicated breaker. By code is should already have a dedicated breaker but I've seen them combined with indoor receptacles.

 

[dreadlocks]

yeah its got a dedicated breaker and a dedicated output that you can put a switch between.. but I'll be wiring the 48v shore charger up to that same circuit (I'm out of circuit space).. I've also got a green 120v LED I installed into the panel and its wired into the shore charger circuit.. this is my indicator that the generator is running and isint out of gas or walking away.

With Victron SmartSolar handling all the charging I'm thinking I dont need a charge relay, since I can wire em both up so a switch or the rpi will be able to cut the charge sources.. that would be safer to just tell the smart solars to stop charging.



edit, here is first draft of new overhead cabinet, not really to scale yet.


Should be a pretty easy build really, I'm a surgeon w/a jig saw.. will be nice having microwave in a box and the gmrs/aprs radios on the side of the trailer w/the antenna.. I'll embed conduit into it running down to wiring compartment for easy expansion in the future.. not looking to change things dramatically from how it is now, just a few improvements for better space utilization.. Thinking of making switch panel custom out of aluminum and having it laser cut and engraved off a cad file.