ADD batteries?

[Willyboy]

I have
1850W array 5000 W Sun Gold all-in-one charge inverter
2- 48V 100Ah Sun Gold lithium batteries
4- 12 V 206Ah lithium batteries
Positive bus bar and negative bus bar

The 2 48V 100Ah batteries are already connected and I want to add 4-12V 206 Ah bank to the 2- 48 V server rack batteries
Thanks

 

[Supervstech]

I have
1850W array 5000 W Sun Gold all-in-one charge inverter
2- 48V 100Ah Sun Gold lithium batteries
4- 12 V 206Ah lithium batteries
Positive bus bar and negative bus bar

The 2 48V 100Ah batteries are already connected and I want to add 4-12V 206 Ah bank to the 2- 48 V server rack batteries
Thanks

It can be done, but you need to be careful.
The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync.
And you shouldn't connect the new bank until the voltages are the same.
If your SG bank is at 51V, you need to bring the 206's to the same level first.

The way you connect them is also quite important.

 

[Willyboy]

It can be done, but you need to be careful.
The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync.
And you shouldn't connect the new bank until the voltages are the same.
If your SG bank is at 51V, you need to bring the 206's to the same level first.

The way you connect them is also quite important.

Thanks, Supervstech

 

[Willyboy]

It can be done, but you need to be careful.
The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync.
And you shouldn't connect the new bank until the voltages are the same.
If your SG bank is at 51V, you need to bring the 206's to the same level first.

The way you connect them is also quite important.

Supervstech is this a balance controller you are talking about? Do you suggest something else?
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Equa...d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[Willyboy]

It can be done, but you need to be careful.
The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync.
And you shouldn't connect the new bank until the voltages are the same.
If your SG bank is at 51V, you need to bring the 206's to the same level first.

The way you connect them is also quite important.

So are you saying I need a separate charge controler on the 206 bank?

 

[Willyboy]

Supervstech is this a balance controller you are talking about? Do you suggest something else?
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Equalizer-48V-Voltage-Balancer/dp/B07L8WKKC3/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?hvadid=409960228213&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9023848&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=8062127766586646481&hvtargid=kwd-636415713&hydadcr=24659_11410797&keywords=battery+balancer&qid=1697800264&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

So are you saying I need a separate charge controler on the 206 bank?

 

[Supervstech]

Yes.
Otherwise the 12v batteries can get all out of whack.
Some could be at 11 and some at 14...

 

[Willyboy]

Yes.
Otherwise the 12v batteries can get all out of whack.
Some could be at 11 and some at 14...

Is this charger ok? Do I leave it connected all the time?

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Equalizer-48V-Voltage-Balancer/dp/B07L8WKKC3/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?hvadid=409960228213&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9023848&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=8062127766586646481&hvtargid=kwd-636415713&hydadcr=24659_11410797&keywords=battery+balancer&qid=1697800264&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[Willyboy]

It can be done, but you need to be careful.
The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync.
And you shouldn't connect the new bank until the voltages are the same.
If your SG bank is at 51V, you need to bring the 206's to the same level first.

It can be done, but you need to be careful.
The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync.
And you shouldn't connect the new bank until the voltages are the same.
If your SG bank is at 51V, you need to bring the 206's to the same level first.

The way you connect them is also quite important.

Is this charger ok? Do I leave it connected all the time?

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Equalizer-48V-Voltage-Balancer/dp/B07L8WKKC3/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?hvadid=409960228213&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9023848&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=8062127766586646481&hvtargid=kwd-636415713&hydadcr=24659_11410797&keywords=battery+balancer&qid=1697800264&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

I want to be sure that I connect the batteries correctly. I attached a diagram of 2 different ideas. How would you connect?
Also, you said that The batteries need a balance controller on them to keep all the 12V batteries in sync, does this need to be running all of the time?
For the balance controller is this what you are talking about? https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Equa...d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Thanks, Supervstech
I just want to be correct on this
Dan

 

[Willyboy]

Yes.
Otherwise the 12v batteries can get all out of whack.
Some could be at 11 and some at 14...

I made a rough diagram of ideas for how to connect my batteries. Would please check it out and let me know Your way
Was the for your approvable of the balance controller?https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Equa...d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[Vigo]

Yes, that balancer will work. I have 4x280ah 12v batteries wired in series with one of those and it's all going just fine.

As far as how its wired with your existing batteries, they should ideally both be hooked to a bus bar and then the inverter gets power from the bus bar. Even then there are minor issues with HOW you hook to the bus bars as far as wire lengths, sizes, location on the bus bar etc. But the goal is not perfection, it's 'good enough'.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Yes.
Otherwise the 12v batteries can get all out of whack.
Some could be at 11 and some at 14...

What’s the downside to using a balancer like this vs a 16s 48v battery, besides added cost and complexity? Is much energy lost in the balancing process?

 

[Willyboy]

Yes, that balancer will work. I have 4x280ah 12v batteries wired in series with one of those and it's all going just fine.

As far as how its wired with your existing batteries, they should ideally both be hooked to a bus bar and then the inverter gets power from the bus bar. Even then there are minor issues with HOW you hook to the bus bars as far as wire lengths, sizes, location on the bus bar etc. But the goal is not perfection, it's 'good enough'.

Thanks, Vigo

 

[Vigo]

What’s the downside to using a balancer like this vs a 16s 48v battery, besides added cost and complexity? Is much energy lost in the balancing process?

No real downside. It adds some failure points but less so than if you just didn't have one (then the failure point would be batteries going out of balance with each other). It's doing the same type of balancing as a built-in BMS does. The energy lost would be heat from all the minor resistances of the circuitry in the balancer, minor and 'worth it' for the benefit it gives.

The only reason they call them equalizers is so that you can find them easier vs balancer. Most 'balancers' are for cell-to-cell balancing and seem to have a max voltage per channel of like 5v. To balance from battery-to-battery you need something with a higher voltage limit. So, they get called equalizers just for purposes of searching them out of the sea of 'balancers'. But they really are just balancers by a different name, doing the same basic thing.