Recent content by jdege

I'm using a Bluetti AC200MAX, as a temporary solution pending installation of a proper house bank. It was easy enough to install. It sits on a bench, and has a 12VDC output wired to the existing 12V distribution panel, so it'll power the bilge pumps if necessary. I have it's 120VAC charger...

For me, the critical issue might be the risk of unexpected shutdown. There really is no way to know when a BMS is likely to just turn off.

Battery Bank Management System (BBMS) Technology: A Proposed Standard for Managing an Off-Grid Electrical System with Both Lead and LiFePO4 Battery Banks

The "problem" is that none of the commercial LiFePO4 charging options follow the manufacturers' recommendations with regard to charging regimes, because they're designed to charge based on voltage levels, and LiFePO4 cannot be safely charged using voltage levels to determine battery state. Or so...

I claim no expertise, but if you're looking to create a mixed lead-acid/lithium system, you should take a look at Emily&Clark's Battery Bank Manager System. BankManager™ System You may not decide to get one, but reading through his explanations of why he designed it will probably help.

One thought - does your "12 V needs" include the bilge pumps? Maybe it's just me, but I want as few parts, and as few possible points of failure, on my bilge pump circuits as possible.

My electric razor's wall wart outputs 5V at 1.2A. That's typical for the stuff I have that isn't already USB. My phone, my tablet, and my laptop will all charge at higher voltages, but they negotiate USB-PD directly.

I've decided to replace most of my AC->DC wall warts with custom USB-PD cables. I'm moving onto a boat, and the idea of running my inverter just to provide 120V AC just so my electric razor's wall wart can produce 9V DC for my razor seems wastefully. USB-PD can provide power at various various...

I've been musing about some alternative approaches. I've not used either of these, and I'm not sure I'd choose either, but when I get to where I'm mounting panels, I'll certainly consider their approaches. FLINrail+ LightLeaf

In a marine environment, you'll want 316 SS, not 304.

On a boat you really need to look at battery chemistry. Most of the lithium chemistries are unsafe on a boat because they can spontaneously catch fire. A car fire you can walk away from, on a boat you don't have that choice. The only commercially available chemistry that is safe is LiFePO4 -...

Putting unmatched batteries into series doesn't work well. They won't charge and discharge together, so the combination won't allow you to access the full capacity of the two batteries. That said, they'll have the same problem in parallel. In both cases, you might get something less that 100Ah...

I'm building, in piecemeal fashion, the electrical systems for a liveaboard sailboat. What I have currently are two 48V, 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries, each powering a separate electric motor, and each with its own 120VAC->48VDC, 22A charger. And temporarily, I'm using a Bluetti AC200MAX for...

There will be a 12V house bank. A lot of people prefer separate standalone batteries for their bilge pumps, independent of the house bank. I may consider that, someday.

The boat is currently in a slip and the power station's charger is connected to shore power. All of this is temporary, I will be installing a proper house bank, with inverter, PV charging, etc. It's just not first on my list.