Anyone w/ Lithium LifePO4 House Battery Bank Conversion Experience

[rgleason]

@bgallinger

We like Canadians, even if we aren't allowed to drive through Canada to MI this year.
Do you know how reliable this company is? It is new to me.

https://www.canbat.com/
https://www.canbat.com/lithium-battery/

3 x Canbat CLI100-12 12V 100Ah deep cycle lithium batteries PDF
224mm H x 166mm W x 305mm L 8.82" H x 6.5" W x 12" L
11.79 kg = 25.11 lbs

How are you protecting your 100a Balmar from BMS cutoff spikes until the Alternator Protection Module comes out?

- Alt and Battery Temp Sensors?
- Belt Manager setting?
- AGM battery paralleled?

How do you like these batteries so far?
The Cold Weather LiFePo version certainly solves the winter storage problem but the 100a are light anyway.

[kmacdonald]

If you insist on drop ins these would be a good choice at a reasonable cost:
https://www.sokbattery.com/?ref=fgama3kwh7

[bstreep]

2 8D AGMs to 5 100ah Battleborn batteries. Also added Victron 120amp charger inverter, Victron 30 amp 12v-12v charger (for alternator charging of house bank), Victron battery monitor. I'd go with Battleborn again. Support was awesome.


BTW, they are made in Nevada, USA, and I'd STRONGLY urge folks to avoid lower-end solutions. The amount of counterfeit stuff online is insane. Even Amazon.

[bgallinger]

Originally Posted by rgleason

@bgallinger

We like Canadians, even if we aren't allowed to drive through Canada to MI this year.
Do you know how reliable this company is? It is new to me.

https://www.canbat.com/
https://www.canbat.com/lithium-battery/

3 x Canbat CLI100-12 12V 100Ah deep cycle lithium batteries PDF
224mm H x 166mm W x 305mm L 8.82" H x 6.5" W x 12" L
11.79 kg = 25.11 lbs

How are you protecting your 100a Balmar from BMS cutoff spikes until the Alternator Protection Module comes out?

- Alt and Battery Temp Sensors?
- Belt Manager setting?
- AGM battery paralleled?

How do you like these batteries so far?
The Cold Weather LiFePo version certainly solves the winter storage problem but the 100a are light anyway.

I use the Alt. and Battery Temp sensors.
I tried a Belt Manager setting of B-4 as per suggestion by Balmar, but went back to B-0 setting
I think max. charging value for BULK was 14.2 The values for the AGM battery are similar to Lithium (but confirm with someone)
I use an AGM battery in parallel as an engine start battery
The best advice for charging was from Adam at Nations Starter & Alternator. Balmar was very reluctant to offer up any suggestions for charging other than the Belt Manager setting. And especially in writing!
Sorry I can't offer more help, but my boat is currently 300 miles away!

[rgleason]

Originally Posted by bgallinger

I use the Alt. and Battery Temp sensors.
I tried a Belt Manager setting of B-4 as per suggestion by Balmar, but went back to B-0 setting
I think max. charging value for BULK was 14.2 The values for the AGM battery are similar to Lithium (but confirm with someone)
I use an AGM battery in parallel as an engine start battery
The best advice for charging was from Adam at Nations Starter & Alternator. Balmar was very reluctant to offer up any suggestions for charging other than the Belt Manager setting. And especially in writing!
Sorry I can't offer more help, but my boat is currently 300 miles away!

bgallinger

Thanks, so to understand completely your setup: Your AGM start battery is in parallel with your lifepo batteries (and not separated from them by a switch, or if you do have a 3-way, it it set on "both" house and start to join them) thus the AGM battery acts as a load dump protecting your 100a alternator if the BMS cuts out?


That seems to be a reasonably straight forward arrangement, which permits the alternator to charge the batteries at its continuous hot capacity, rather than the popular alternative that seems to be preferred using 1 or 2 Victron DC-DC chargers of 30a between the alt and the lifepo which restricts output and requires more devices and cost.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by rgleason

bgallinger

Thanks, so to understand completely your setup: Your AGM start battery is in parallel with your lifepo batteries (and not separated from them by a switch, or if you do have a 3-way, it it set on "both" house and start to join them) thus the AGM battery acts as a load dump protecting your 100a alternator if the BMS cuts out?


That seems to be a reasonably straight forward arrangement, which permits the alternator to charge the batteries at its continuous hot capacity, rather than the popular alternative that seems to be preferred using 1 or 2 Victron DC-DC chargers of 30a between the alt and the lifepo which restricts output and requires more devices and cost.

Hmmm, I inferred that he is charging his LFP battery from the alternators (hence the comment about the charge profiles being similar (not true!!!!) and protecting the alternator with belt manager, etc. If that is so, then he is charging his start batteries via DC-DC chargers.

That is how we have set up our system - the alternators charge the DC charge bus connected to the LFP battery. We have Balmar 614 external regulators and a Balmar Centerfielder. The AGM start batteries are charged from the LFP battery via DC-DC chargers that engage when the LFP battery voltage is >13.4V - this is generally when some sort of charging is taking place). Note that our regulators’ maximum charge voltage is set to 13.8V for our LFP battery - much lower than for an AGM or other lead acid battery.

The BMS high voltage cutoff warning relay (0.1V per cell lower than the separate high voltage cutoff relay) interrupts the 614s’ ignition feeds - this shuts down the alternators normally. This method is recommended by Balmar (via email at least).

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Hmmm, I inferred that he is charging his LFP battery from the alternators (hence the comment about the charge profiles being similar (not true!!!!) and protecting the alternator with belt manager, etc. If that is so, then he is charging his start batteries via DC-DC chargers.

That is how we have set up our system - the alternators charge the DC charge bus connected to the LFP battery. We have Balmar 614 external regulators and a Balmar Centerfielder. The AGM start batteries are charged from the LFP battery via DC-DC chargers that engage when the LFP battery voltage is >13.4V - this is generally when some sort of charging is taking place). Note that our regulators’ maximum charge voltage is set to 13.8V for our LFP battery - much lower than for an AGM or other lead acid battery.

The BMS high voltage cutoff warning relay (0.1V per cell lower than the separate high voltage cutoff relay) interrupts the 614s’ ignition feeds - this shuts down the alternators normally. This method is recommended by Balmar (via email at least).

I run my 75 amp alternator to my fla start bank then via a 50 amp b2b charger isolator to my LFP house bank.
No fancy alternators or external regulators . The dc to dc is adjustable to .1vdc setting to 13.6v for my lfp . my solar is at 13.8v

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by newhaul

I run my 75 amp alternator to my fla start bank then via a 50 amp b2b charger isolator to my LFP house bank.
No fancy alternators or external regulators . The dc to dc is adjustable to .1vdc setting to 13.6v for my lfp . my solar is at 13.8v

Yes. That's a great way to do it. No crazy expensive alternator or regulator. Good adjustability with the B to B charger.

[bgallinger]

Originally Posted by rgleason

bgallinger

Thanks, so to understand completely your setup: Your AGM start battery is in parallel with your lifepo batteries (and not separated from them by a switch, or if you do have a 3-way, it it set on "both" house and start to join them) thus the AGM battery acts as a load dump protecting your 100a alternator if the BMS cuts out?


That seems to be a reasonably straight forward arrangement, which permits the alternator to charge the batteries at its continuous hot capacity, rather than the popular alternative that seems to be preferred using 1 or 2 Victron DC-DC chargers of 30a between the alt and the lifepo which restricts output and requires more devices and cost.

rgleason
You have it right. My engine start battery is connected to the house batteries by means of a 3 way switch. The BOTH setting connects all the batteries in parallel. The technician at Balmar stated that in a sense, my AGM battery (engine start) takes the load dumping and could in fact over time be "sacrificial". In the past, the DC-DC chargers have been the standard for charging Lithium batteries (as I understand it).
Good luck!