You state that you want it to do both, but you mention 3 charge requirements - when driving - when in sun - when you have electricity.

The BCDC can do the first two, but not the third, you will need a 240v mains charger for that.

You haven't stated what your load will be, for how long you will drive, or how much solar you will have, so it's a bit hard to give a definitive answer as to whether the BCDC will be able to keep your house battery sufficiently charged.

I assume that your crank battery set is 24v and the house is 12v. If this is the case, then that circuit will be good, the BCDC 1240 will charge the house from the vehicle alternator or from the solar.

Be aware that it won't do both at the same time as can be achieved with a separate solar controller.

From memory, the BCDC devices can't handle 24v panels due to their open circuit voltage being too high for it. You may want to check that point before getting your panels if you were intending to use anything higher than 12v ones.

Using one device to perform multiple tasks always carries the risk of redundancy in that if the device fails, you have lost all forms of charging. Separate engine and solar charge controllers would reduce this possibility as it is less likely for both devices to fail simultaneously.

With this in mind, you should make your decision based on your confidence in the device not to fail.

Hope this helps.

Brian you have brought up a very valid Point.. you can't use the one thing to do 2 thing's at once..

I now have to go back to the drawing board..[Which is a good thing, it still in the work's]

- bob have a Question... did you have to change the low voltage stuff in your setup..? or are you using a 24/12 convertor..?

Just by chance what batteries are you using.. and the configuration..

It will help me..

Juergen

SnowT wrote:

---

- bob have a Question... did you have to change the low voltage stuff in your setup..? or are you using a 24/12 convertor..?

Just by chance what batteries are you using.. and the configuration..

It will help me..

Juergen

---

 this is my setup and I am using a 12/24v controller/regulator.

 

http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t55628528/assembling-battery-bank-using-different-capacity-units/

 

There is also a photo of the setup a couple of posts down, I had to change both inverters from 12v to 24v input. but everything else stayed the same as the panels were putting out 32v..

 

SnowT wrote:

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Bob had a Look at your set up..

If I have it right your running 4 @ 12 v Batteries.. of 200ah range..

In a Series / Parallel configuration..

12v + 12v -- 24v
12v + 12v -- 24v

Your 24v 400Ah

If that is the setup are you running any Low voltage light's etc..?

I do like the setup..

Now to rework my cost's..

Juergen

---

 Yep off to the right of the controller I have a 24v to 12v converter that runs my 12v water pump and reversing camera, I also have another converter inside that I run some 12v LED lights from as I have run a 24v twin enclosed lead to a point inside the bus..

Apart from that everything in the bus is 240v ...

 

HI Snow

I believe your system is ALL 12V

If so I do not see ANY POINT IN even considering anything involving 24V

The Redarc BCD 1240 is a 12V unit

As others have said the Redarc unit will only select ONE source at ANY TIME

You would be better ,IMHO,to keep your solar seperate with it's own regulator & connected direct to the HOUSE batteries

Then use a DC to DC charger from the alternator,or possibly even just a direct charge connection via an isolating relay [VSR]

The MAINS charger can remain connected as well  

However, we would need to know the alternator output voltage before making a decision on THAT

l would  expect both the house batterries & the crank Batterries are close together?

So VOLTAGE drop should not be a problem if good sized cables are used!!

 

The above will give the  sources the abilty to work together

Especially when the house batterries are in a low state of charge [LOW S.O.C]

 

More details of solar capacity ,house battery bank ,Mains charger ,AND vehicle Alternator could help

 

 

PeterQ

 

-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Saturday 30th of November 2013 12:28:02 PM

-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Saturday 30th of November 2013 12:29:21 PM

Personally, I would not be using 24v house, simply due to the limited availability of 24v equipment as compared to 12v stuff. You are contemplating a DCDC charger anyway, so get a 24v to 12v one. Most MPPT controllers will easily handle 24v panels to 12v battery charging. Connect a couple of 12v batteries in series to get 24v, and one goes bung, you have no power. Connect a couple of 12v batteries in parallel and one goes bung, you still have power, albeit at less capacity. If you are going to do it like Bob, and simply use inverters to supply everything at 240v, then by all means, go the 24v route.

I know that Peter

SnowT wrote:

---

Peter

I'm a sparky by Trade..

Have been working in the trade for over 20yr's..

And Some of the stuff I have seen is scary.. Especially when it's in a Van that has Metal cladding..

It's also one of the reason.. I'm gob smacked with the cost of the Double Pole Switches and GPO's..

Juergen

---

 

Hi Snow

That's good to hear

If you cannot get access to, or  need any help with the requirements of AS 3001, just PM me 

I do not put THAT sort of info on an open forum

Some may think they know it all & try to do it themselves!!!

 

PeterQ

SnowT wrote:

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Hey Peter one of the main Reason's I'm being a Pain in the Butt in the Techie Forum's is, that I don't Know Everything.. I know enough to be down right Dangerous.[And would rather get it right than Screw up]

I'm always Learning new thing's, so I keep on asking/making some dumb question's..

Better to Learn the right way, than to be ignorant of the right way to do thing's..

Juergen

---

 

Hi Juergen

I rarely consider a genuine question, dumb

So ask away

Ps I for one, believe Myself or anyone else is EVER too old to learn

But am always cautious that what I post is well founded on known facts,& many, many years of experience across a very wide range  of the electrical & engineering fields.

PeterQ

What I have nutted out so far..

 

 

This is My Mud map so far of the DC Wiring..

It does Not include any DC appliance to be hooked up..

As a Note..

I'm sort of Leaning towards having 2 Heavy Duty Buses to Hook up Both the -ve and the +ve in the DC circuit's To Allow me to Have DC fuses in the Mix..

 

Hope this help's with the whole concept so far..

 

Juergen

Ok Peter..

If I have it correct from what your saying..  It should Look Like this..

 

 

Juergen

If I'm correct the cables are as shown..

I have gone over what I think I need.. Found a nice Page that spit's out the Cable size after you input the figure's..

Now let's see if I have it right..

Juergen

Hi J
we need the run lengths & MAX currents in the cables to CHECK
If you can show that ,, we can check it out

Brian's comments re panel arrangement is a valid question ,but I would expect you are going for parallelling
[ nominal12V] output??
It is has an advantage over shading with series connection .

When combining mulitple charge sources ,a mppt reg can ,at times be a disadvantage , It may have diificulities ,at times , in matching the MPP of the panels to the load,due to intereaction with the other connected charging sources
This is one of the reasons the Redarc Only runs on one source at any time

This will not be harmful to any of the equipment involved.
A simple solution, if it does become a limiting problem ,is to have an isolation means in the other charging sources OR simply use a PWM reg

PeterQ

What voltage panels are you contemplating? I had an idea from somewhere that you were going for 24v ones.