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Odd Charging While Under Way
- Midnightsun
- CYO Supporter
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- Vessel Info: The Midnight Sun
2007 41CMY
Volvo D6-370's - Location: Montreal, Canada
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Odd Charging While Under Way
That being said, as we started moving along I noticed my USB charger read out at 11.3v?? This is not normal while underway. I went down into the cabin and verified my SOC meter. in a minute or so, it would go from +62 amps which would be normal but then dropped to -45a or so. It kept on doing this for the next 45 minutes until I decided to start up the genny to get the shore power charger kicked on. Well this solved the issue and after about an hour or so I shut down the genny letting the alternator take over which at that point worked as they always did. I should also mention the other batteries were charging fine during the entire weird event floating around 13.9 to 14v while under way.
Another thing, I have dual 135 amp alternators, I would think with a large 435AH depleted house bank I should be charge quite a bit more than 60amps.
What happened? I am certainly at a loss. Only thing I can think of is the isolators do no like a severely low battery? Something is not right and am leaning towards the isolators. Any suggestions before I start discarding good stuff.
Are heading to a Marina today to do laundry and fill water and a much needed over night charge.
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
What type of isolator do you have; diode, solenoid, etc.? Battery voltage shouldn't matter with the diode type but if it's really low, it may not activate a solenoid, that would have to be pretty low voltage though. Really depends on the type of isolator you have and how it's hooked up, which bank it's sensing for a charge voltage in some cases, etc.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to check all connections, plugs, plug pins, etc. and ensure everything is clean, tight, free of corrosion.
- bud37
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
OH.... and how was Georgian bay.....you are back in one piece so I guess there are no rocks with your name on them up there now.....
- km1125
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
Did you have a 45A load on the house batteries at this time? If not, I'd want to know where that 45A was going.
If you did, then that means your total load on the alternators was 107A, because you were charging the batteries at ~62A and supplying ~45A to the other loads. If that's the case, then I'd also wonder what the voltage drop was on the entire wire circuit from the alternators to the isolator(s) to the house battery. I would guess/bet that you're dropping below the cut-off voltage of the isolator(s) if they are active units.
- Midnightsun
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2007 41CMY
Volvo D6-370's - Location: Montreal, Canada
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
I doubt it would be that much usage but possibly so as the 2 fridges plus and aux fridge plus an aux freezer but even so that would only be around 15a. It was day time so no lights or inverters or anything else going on.
Was planned for Georgian Bay however my wife elected out of doing locks so happy wife, happy life. Been simply enjoying the amazing islands of the 1000 islands region. Am parked at Confederation Basin Marina, Kingston right now for a couple of days.
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
- Midnightsun
- CYO Supporter
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2007 41CMY
Volvo D6-370's - Location: Montreal, Canada
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
I would still like to know what happened with that weird charging thing going on, never saw anything like that before.
In another thread I mentioned I want to go Lifepo4 house bank most likely this fall or early spring before I know exactly what I am doing. Part of the process will most likely be removing those 2 isolators and replacing them with sterling 60a dc to dc chargers as the plan to protect my alternators. https://www.sterling-power-usa.com/Ster ... arger.aspx
I am hoping that connecting one to port and the other to starboard start batteries with both of them connected to the Lifepo4 house bank I will be able to get a 120a charge while under way. Need to talk to Sterling about how exactly this works though and maybe they have a better solution. This would be the ideal setup I have thought of so far. An important part of my conversion is to be able to drop in wet cells in place of the Lifepo4 if things do not work out as planned or in an emergency as these types of batteries are simply not available at the marina in a bind.
- bud37
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
Anyway, I had some discussions with Blue Sea and Victron tech when I was trying to resolve the charging problem with the bow thruster, it was interesting to learn how these isolators actually work, in rush current is one of the criteria and voltage points also affect the correct selection or whether or not they will even work as you think. Their input helped a lot to resolve the issue. Good luck man, sounds like quite the project.
- Midnightsun
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
bud37 wrote:Source of the post When you speak to these people explain what happened and see if they have an explanation......something was switching there IMO, I have no idea what. Do you have ACR's in there somewhere ?
Anyway, I had some discussions with Blue Sea and Victron tech when I was trying to resolve the charging problem with the bow thruster, it was interesting to learn how these isolators actually work, in rush current is one of the criteria and voltage points also affect the correct selection or whether or not they will even work as you think. Their input helped a lot to resolve the issue. Good luck man, sounds like quite the project.
I agree 100%, something going on/off at a pretty fixed interval was my observation. Only way I could correct it was to start the shore power charger using the genny and after some charging, things were back to normal. Still trying to figure out what could draw over 60A? I have no big inverter, only a small 400w unit and nothing else capable of high draw except for refrigeration. Have been plugged into shore power for close to 24hrs now and according to the SOC monitor, things are looking great.
- km1125
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Re: Odd Charging While Under Way
When charging batteries, it's not the actual voltage (12.8 to 14.2 or whatever) that gets the charging done... it's the DIFFERENCE between the charging voltage and the depleted battery voltage. A battery that only has 25% capacity left still has a resting voltage of around 12.0VDC. When the charging system is active, say at 13.8VDC, then it's the 1.8V DIFFERENCE that's making current flow from the alternator to the battery. You have to add in the internal resistance of the battery and any resistance in the circuit that further limits the max amps that are flowing. NOW, take that alternator voltage and drop it by 0.7V and you've almost cut the charging capacity of the system IN HALF (dropping from 1.8V difference to only a 1.1V difference).
The DC-DC chargers are definitely a cool creature, as they can 'max out' a source while providing all the voltage and current necessary for a load.
I'm still wondering where that 45A load was going. If it was just those fridges, I would think maybe 20A max. Could there be something else running intermittently (vacuflush? macerator?)
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