Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Re: [Electric Boats] Re: battery bank upgrade

At least with solar chargers you have multiple live chargers connected
to the battery bank at the same time.

Steve Spence
Renewable energy and self sufficiency
http://www.green-trust.org
http://arduinotronics.blogspot.com/

On 08/30/2010 11:17 PM, Brian Holt wrote:
>
>
> Capt. Mike- Could you give me a diagram of how you have your system
> wired? I guess that you have two chargers hooked in to the same bank.
> Thus you must switch one on and the other off when using. Thanks.
> Brian
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>, "Capt. Mike" <biankablog@...>
> wrote:
>>
>> Brian
>>
>> I am using a 48 volt Zivan NG-1 battery charger with my Honda it
> provides a solid 16 amps DC. It basically connects across the 48 volt
> bank. I use it when I'll be doing extended motoring or bulk charging at
> anchor. It works real well for me. It is also a back up charger. Though
> it started out as my primary one.
>> You could also use a heavy duty power supply but, may need to be
> careful you don't cook the batteries.
>>
>> Capt. Mike
>> Sent from on board BIANKA
>> http://biankablog.blogspot.com
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: "Brian Holt" <drmsudo@...>
>> Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
>> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:55:19
>> To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>>
>> Reply-to: electricboats@...: [Electric Boats] Re: battery bank upgrade
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Just wondering how to use my honda with out running it though a
> battery bank? Has anyone used a ac-dc converter to run their dc motor? I
> like my dual pro charger in that it keeps my battery bank balanced. So,
> If I just decided to not add another bank and run the generator
> directly, how would I go about doing this? Thanks in advance for insight.
>> Brian
>>
>> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>, "Capt. Mike" <biankablog@> wrote:
>> >
>> > Myles
>> >
>> > Thanks for the info. While my Zivan will push the boat for hours
> very nicely. I'm still operating the Honda in eco mode. So there is
> still a few more amps I could tap if I had another power supply in the
> mix. I don't need a charger I've got the Zivan and the Dual Pro already
> on board. Just a small 48 volt supply that will not trip out the Honda
> when used with the Zivan. Something like you have with an output current
> adjustment sounds like it would fit in rather nicely. I have not looked
> at the numbers but, I expect some thing in the 500 watt range might be
> about right, I like you would only use it for extended motoring. Might
> be something I'll research over the winter. As it's sailing time now!
>> >
>> > Capt. Mike
>> > Sent from on board BIANKA
>> > http://biankablog.blogspot.com
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: "Myles Twete" <matwete@>
>> > Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
>> > Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:56:59
>> > To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>>
>> > Reply-to: electricboats@: RE: [Electric Boats] Re: battery bank upgrade
>> >
>> > The LESTER is a Lestermatic 36v/20a golf cart battery charger. It's a
>> > ferroresonant charger with built-in automatic controls that
> essentially make
>> > it a 2-stage CI/CV charger.steady 20amps until about 45.1v or so,
> then keeps
>> > charging while holding the voltage constant until charge current
> gets below
>> > 5amps or so, then it shuts down. This charger is my usual all purpose
>> > charger.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > The Vicor is simply a power supply unit. It's a Vicor Megapac unit
>> > (110v/220vAC in, 300vDC to a backplane) populated with 1 - 48v/4amp
> Driver
>> > module in parallel with 4 --- 48v/4amp Booster modules. These share the
>> > load between them and they're designed/built to have current limited
> outputs
>> > so that it will deliver 20amps max from 0v up to 48v (or whatever I
> tune it
>> > to), then the output will hold at constant voltage. So it acts as a
> CI/CV
>> > charger except that there's no provision to automatically shut down.
> I only
>> > use this charger if needing that extra 20amps of charge current while
>> > underway.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Both of these chargers are effectively in current limit when used
> underway
>> > since the voltage is always 37v or less while running.
>> >
>> > They each have fused outputs and being current limited I don't need
> to do
>> > any more than plug the Vicor into the battery bank with 50amp Anderson
>> > connectors and the Lester in with a standard Lester plug/jack. And I
> made
>> > sure that they're connected to the right side of the current shunt
> so that
>> > the Link10 keeps track of the charging power. Yes, they are effectively
>> > paralleled, but again, the Vicor is only ever used while underway
> with the
>> > generator. At the dock, it's just the Lester.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -Myles
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > From: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>]
>> > On Behalf Of Capt. Mike
>> > Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2010 4:18 PM
>> > To: ELECTRIC BOAT GROUP
>> > Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: battery bank upgrade
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Miles
>> >
>> > I'm curious. Were your Lester and Vicor chargers brute force
> chargers? By
>> > that I mean more like power supplies and not sophisticated multistep
>> > chargers like the zivan, elcon etc... Also how did you hook them to the
>> > battery bank? Did you simply parallel them or did you isolate them with
>> > things like diodes. Sounds Like you've got a good setup for lead acid
>> > batteries and using the Honda for extended motoring.
>> >
>> > Sent from on board BIANKA
>> > http://biankablog.blogspot.com
>> >
>> > _____
>> >
>> > From: "Myles Twete" <matwete@>
>> >
>> > Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
>> >
>> > Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:41:40 -0700
>> >
>> > To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>>
>> >
>> > ReplyTo: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
>> >
>> > Subject: RE: [Electric Boats] Re: battery bank upgrade
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Thanks---you got me. my observations did not include measuring AC
> power to
>> > the chargers. I did measure a steady 40amps DC into the nom. 36v battery
>> > bank however (Link10 meter measurements). Likely I was pushing the
> EU2000i
>> > past its rated 1600w steady AC output since I don't think the 20amp
> Lester
>> > and the 20amps from my Vicor Megapac were being generated with above 85%
>> > efficiency combined. I do know that the generator would not run
> continuous
>> > when I bumped the Megapac output up to 24amps for 44amps total---at
> 40amps,
>> > all was good for 17hours of 45-mile Columbia River upstream cruising
> over 2
>> > days.
>> >
>> > I suppose the genset was putting out about 1700w continuous on that
> trip.
>> >
>> > -mt
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > From: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>]
>> > On Behalf Of Eric
>> > Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 10:41 AM
>> > To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
>> > Subject: [Electric Boats] Re: battery bank upgrade
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Myles,
>> >
>> > While I'm not disputing your observations, I'd like to clarify some
> of the
>> > math. Assuming a maximum of 1600W in and 1440W out, the charger has to
>> > operate with at least 90% efficiency. There are some chargers that
> will do
>> > this, but many chargers like Zivans, Dual Pros and ProMariners are
> not that
>> > efficient.
>> >
>> > Since charging voltages are higher than resting voltages, I think that a
>> > conservative average would be 13.8V per 12V battery (charging
> voltages are
>> > often higher), so 1440W divided by 55V is closer to 26A. I know that
> it is
>> > only 4A difference, but that is 13% less than quoted.
>> >
>> > That said, I'm on your side. I think that a generator like a Honda
> EU2000i
>> > (mine is a Yamaha EF2000iS), matched with an appropriately sized
> efficient
>> > charger, is a reliable way to deliver between 20A and 25A into the
> batteries
>> > or drive system for as long as you've got fuel. Like you said, this
> can be
>> > used to "limp" home at slower speeds, or to extend the range of your
>> > existing battery capacity at somewhat higher speeds.
>> >
>> > For me, that is my backup to my auxilliary.
>> >
>> > Fair winds,
>> > Eric
>> > Marina del Rey, CA
>> >
>> > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>
>> > <mailto:electricboats%40yahoogroups.com> , "Myles Twete" <matwete@>
>> > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > DRMSUDO noted: "Yes, I own a honda 2000. In my experience the
> generator is
>> > > only good for charging. I have tried to use it to drive the dc
> motor and
>> > it
>> > > is just not powerful enough.. "
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > The Honda EU2000i can continuously output up to 1.6kw. With enough
> charger
>> > > onboard, I've successfully delivered 1.44kw into my pack for
> 17hours while
>> > > cruising against the current. With a 48v pack as you have, this
> would be
>> > > just about 30amps. This could double your range at 5knots or allow
> you to
>> > > cruise indefinitely at up to 4knots. Attempting to draw any more
> than this
>> > > power continuously will stop the generator, so you'd have to have a
>> > charger
>> > > that is either adjustable or otherwise limited in the energy it
> draws. So
>> > > YES, while the generator is only good for charging, that you can
> deliver
>> > up
>> > > to 30amps into your battery bank with it means that you can draw up to
>> > > 30amps less from your pack if you ran your generator and a
> properly sized
>> > > charger while in a pinch.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > -Myles
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > ._,___
>> > >
>> >
>>
>
>


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