check out the new remote control Jockey Wheel SmartBar Canegrowers rearview170 Cobb Grill Skid Row Recovery Gear Caravan Industry Association of Australia
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: 2 ways lithium can kill your alternator


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 432
Date:
2 ways lithium can kill your alternator


This video is targeted for sailors and power boats but I expect it could apply to motor homes and camper-vans that have upgraded to lithium batteries. Apparently under certain conditions the BMS shuts down during charging thereby causing an open circuit to the alternator which can fry the diodes.

 



__________________


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 46
Date:

In the meantime our 300Ah 4 cell Sinopoly LiFePO4 battery has survived 9 years of fulltime travel being charged by our Canter 100A rated alternator at 70-80A. The battery also starts our 3.9l turbo diesel engine often multiple times a day. No smoke yet.

I knew there was a reason for omitting any inbuilt BMS. biggrin



__________________

Neville
Mitsi Fuso MH 6.8m 3.9 TD. 180l fresh/grey - 600Ah LiFePO4 for truck/house - 800W solar - Victron electronics - 6kW Webasto diesel/electric water/air heater - 255l Samsung 230VAC fridge/freezer. Full-time travelling NZ.



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3984
Date:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this guy didn't mention "load dump". That's the term that everyone uses to describe the phenomenon where an alternator is abruptly disconnected from its load(s).

__________________

"No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full."

Lucius Cornelius Sulla - died 78 BC 

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1933
Date:

I will look at that in detail later but I suspect it is alarmist BS.
In a vehicle all sorts of high amp loads switch on and off all the time and the alternator just does its job. Indeed all modern alternators have zenner type main diodes for years so any higher voltage peaks will be dissipated by the main diodes which are in heatsinks any way so handle any power dumps ok. Then the alternator regulator will turn down the excitation to reduce voltage to normal and power output to what is required.

Well coming back to this video my opinion has not changed. He has a whole grab bag of ideas that sound possible but not much evidence to back up the problem scenarios. But surprise surprise he does have a little white box to help, for sale I guess ? Also I do not think his marine engine alternator will be affected the same as a MH or similar vehicle use. It is true that running an alternator at high output at low revs is not good for the alternator heat dissipation. If I need to top up my batteries I always run the engine at about 2000-2500 revs by something on the accelerator and open the bonnet. 

I think we can all rest easy in our beds and sleep well. I for one would convert to lithium and not be concerned if I have applied common sense to my selection. The built in BMS might be a stumbling point in cheap low amp rated batteries but do not buy that type anyway, do your home work first.

jaahn



-- Edited by Jaahn on Thursday 7th of December 2023 09:04:01 PM

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1859
Date:

I suspect its a stunt to sell his gizmo.

In my boating days the cranking battery was direct feed from alternator, and the Deep Cycle Battery was feed via a VSR, and both batteries had isolations switches.

No need for DC-DC chargers, a simple protection is to use an MPPT solar charge controller between the VSR and BMS.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 7317
Date:

Some useful reading material in this thread:

 

https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t67732755/lithium-batteries-charging-discharging-balancing/



__________________

Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1933
Date:

Whenarewethere wrote:

Some useful reading material in this thread:

 https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t67732755/lithium-batteries-charging-discharging-balancing/


click here for that link.

https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t67732755/lithium-batteries-charging-discharging-balancing/ 

jaahn



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 654
Date:

Marine setup can be different as there may not be any lead acid (or non-bms lithium) in the circuit to act as a sink, so overvoltage spikes can occur.

__________________


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 229
Date:

Mumbo Jumbo. If what he says is a problem then the battery makers would incorporate a solution in the management system. Or a suitable sized resistor or capacitor across the alternator output to bleed off the self induced voltage caused by the collapsing magnetic field in the wiring.

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
Purchase Grey Nomad bumper stickers Read our daily column, the Nomad News The Grey Nomad's Guidebook