Charging batteries when on anchor

[john61ct]

For high enough energy budgets, need both,

When Full is desired on a sunny day, run the ICE early in the morning long enough to get back to 80-90%, then let the solar finish the long tail to endAmps.

[Sailor 99]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

A little Honda 2000 is $1000 and can run a Charger at 100 amps continuously, the 2200 I’m sure ought to be able to run one at 120 amps continuously.

That $1000 will save a whole lot of hours on your main engine, that isn’t a $1000.

This ^^^^^^. Running auxiliaries to make power is expensive in fuel and engine wear.

[Mooseboat]

Install Solar.. it’s cheap enough and very easy to install. I keep my refrigeration, lights, auto bilge on all the time. No power issues now.

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by Mooseboat

Install Solar.. it’s cheap enough and very easy to install. I keep my refrigeration, lights, auto bilge on all the time. No power issues now.

It's also silent and doesn't pollute the anchorage with stinky diesel fumes.

Solar with maybe a wind generator as well.

I have 164 watts of solar on my boat and I can sit on the hook for 3 days without having to make a sound and still have nice cold beers. Assuming of course the sun is shining

[RobinScurr]

Here's an interesting comment about cylinder bore glazing:

Cylinder bore glazing results from prolonged light load running, particularly during the running-in process, and leads to the formation of a surface coating or skin derived from chemicals present in the oil and fuel. If glazed cylinder bores are examined, it is not unusual to see the honed crosshatch markings beneath a super-smooth, highly polished, varnish-like layer. Bore glazing occurs at low speed and light load operations, particularly resulting from blow-by in new engines. Exhaust gases passing piston rings in newly built or re-built bores can react with oil and wear products, forming a golden-coloured varnish glaze. Most engine manufacturers warn against the potential problem. Sabb and Lister-Petter are in surprising agreement on the subject, as shown in their operator’s handbooks. In each case the wording is identical: “Long periods of light or no-load running early in the engine’s life may lead to cylinder bore glazing and high lub oil consumption.” Cummins, Perkins and MAN all have issued directives limiting the run time at idle to prevent bore glazing.

Based upon my own studies and discussions with lubricant specialists I believe the fundamental cause of glazing to be the condensation of combustion products onto cold bores when the engine is first started. A slow increase in temperature, such as would be experienced when battery charging, would cause this condition to persist for a far longer period. Raw-water cooled engines are likely to be more affected by the problem, both generally and in particular when battery charging.

See Bore glazing and polishing in diesel engines – Cox Engineering for more info and graphics....

[john61ct]

Yes I've often read it's block temperature staying too low that causes the problems people blame on low loads and/or low rpm.

Do cooling systems ever restrict coolant flow until a minimum temp is reached?

[ignorabimus]

Originally Posted by Mooseboat

Install Solar.. it’s cheap enough and very easy to install. I keep my refrigeration, lights, auto bilge on all the time. No power issues now.

I agree solar covers our energy consumption. We also have a wind generator, but it usually does not contribute a lot. Solar is imho the best way to get energy when on anchor.

[RobinScurr]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes I've often read it's block temperature staying too low that causes the problems people blame on low loads and/or low rpm.

Do cooling systems ever restrict coolant flow until a minimum temp is reached?

Yup, that's exactly what the thermostat does ... restrict flow until the "open" temp is reached. If it fails, it CAN stick in the open position, leading to a chronically cool engine. I had a car with that problem. My feet were cold all winter long! Then I changed the thermostat, and suddenly I had heat!

Combine a failed-open thermostat and cool raw water (like what I see in the Great Lakes most of the year) and you get a cold engine most all of the time, if you're not careful.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by RobinScurr

Here's an interesting comment about cylinder bore glazing:

See Post #4.

[john61ct]

So can you rig an adjustable Open setpoint, to let it get to a higher temp, when you know that's needed?

[hamburking]

Or you could install some solar panels.

[RobinScurr]

Originally Posted by john61ct

So can you rig an adjustable Open setpoint, to let it get to a higher temp, when you know that's needed?

That seems like a bad idea - the thermostat adjusts the temperature of the water jacket, opening and closing, to hold it at about the set point. That is the design temperature. If you weren't very careful, you could easily overheat the engine by restricting water flow too much? My old boat only has a warning light, with no audible alarm for over-temp... and it's hard to see if you don't bend over to see it!

Allowing the engine to go even higher temps than design could be a disaster.

[wingless]

Originally Posted by wingless

Note that AGM batteries prefer lots of recharge current, Lifeline batteries specifies recharge at up to 5C, 500A for a 100Ah battery, so running a generator that powers a huge AC/DC battery charger would permit operation of equipment under normal conditions for a minimal time to properly recharge the batteries.


Lifeline Technical Manual

Originally Posted by conachair

Like John said, doesn't work like that unfortunately...

https://marinehowto.com/how-fast-can...ry-be-charged/

Thanks for the link.

Interesting article.

The article has two recharge tests on a Lifeline GPL-31T 105Ah battery.

Both tests use a BK Precision 1900 60A regulated DC power supply to provide the recharge current.

The test data has skewed test results. The article author noted those unusual / unexpected results.

The author also acknowledges the desired high recharge current for AGM batteries in the article: "For AGM batteries generally speaking the more charge current the better the longevity of the bank. It helps, not hinders, with overall longevity to charge at high rates. Higher charge rates in AGM batteries actually yields longer life not shorter life. Dave V. the lead engineer at Lifeline battery published a study supporting higher charge rates being good for AGM’s a long time ago but it still holds true today.. Odyssey battery, thin plate pure lead AGM batteries, wants to see a minimum of .4C in charge current and Lifeline wants to see a minimum of .2C as recommended charge current." and "In order to achieve the maximum cycle life from sealed lead acid batteries, (AGM) not only should the DOD be kept as low as possible, but the charge current limit should be as high as possible.”

On one recharge test, from 50% State of Charge, SOC, to 100% SOC at 0.4C charge rate, 42A for the 104Ah battery, the recharge took 5½ hours, instead of the calculated 4¼ hours from the Lifeline Technical Manual

On the other recharge test, also from 50% SOC to 100% SOC, but this time at a lower 0.2C, 21A recharge rate, the recharge took 5-3/4 hours, versus the calculated 5½ hourse from the Lifeline Technical Manual.

That data is interesting, but a sample of one test has VERY limited utility. Running this test two or three times would have been much better.

Also, these results are insignificantly different than the information provided by Lifeline.

The equipment on-hand by the author is limited to 60A, hence his selection of 42A for the faster recharge test.

A MUCH better test would be to have a DC supply capable of providing the specified 525A maximum current, to fully test the Lifeline documentation.

[Oceansailor]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

It's also silent and doesn't pollute the anchorage with stinky diesel fumes.



Solar with maybe a wind generator as well.



I have 164 watts of solar on my boat and I can sit on the hook for 3 days without having to make a sound and still have nice cold beers. Assuming of course the sun is shining

Well. I have 900W solar. As long as there is sun I have no problem. Unfortunately all days are not sunny.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by wingless

The test data has skewed test results. The article author noted those unusual / unexpected results.

No, these results are neither. They are just in the real world, as opposed to in the lab, or theoretical.

> A MUCH better test would be to have a DC supply capable of providing the specified 525A maximum current, to fully test the Lifeline documentation

Going much over 0.6C would be pointless,

and going to a multiple-C rate like that would just be insane. Just because a maximum rate is spec'd as not being harmful to the batt doesn't mean **you** could do so safely.

And again, they will not accept even a .6C rate for more than a few minutes.

Give them a call! Dave V, is usually not available, a top engineer in the worldwide battery industry. But maybe you can talk to Dave Godber, member of the family owns the Concorde company I believe.