800W Solar Powered Sprinter Conversion. (pics)
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great suggestion!<div>I actually did find some switches for 30 bucks a pop, but they're ugly as sin and your idea sounds much more efficient. </div><div> </div><div>Update on the EV chargers:</div><div>I looked into the guys chargers more and his system is set up with a J1772 adapter, which works for my application since there's one right up the block. I'd assume they're pretty common since this is the case.</div><div> </div><div>Charging the battery bank like this is more of a raw application, since he sets up cars with 30kWh LiFePO4 banks to power off them, and removes the engine completely. So maybe 15 years down the line when solar and battery technology is more efficient this charger could still be used.</div><div> </div><div>I'm also thinking about using the little space that is available on the roof for water collection to have a small sink for brushing my teeth and washing my face/hands. There will be some filteration on the faucet and probably a small pump to get some pressure for it. I don't think it will be much work for a big reduction in hand sanitizer and wipes, plus I don't want to have to use the term 'spit cup'.<br><br>ccbreder it's technically 13.5x 31.5 =425w, I don't think this will be an issue now that the EV chargers are an option. Plus it might run on a lower setting.<br>Still waiting for information about the rest.</div>
Please don't use collected water for brushing or drinking unless you sanitize beyond filtering. A sink with a drain is almost a necessity for personal hygiene. I use a jug with potable water. Municipal or bottled.<br><br><br>
I'm thinking of scratching that idea now that I've explored it more, it's simpler just to get a refillable 2 gallon jug and have a jerrican to drain into like you said. Either way that's going to be an issue regardless of where the water comes from, may as well have it cleaner.<br><br>for the switches I found these car battery switches that look like they are intended for this sort of application. <br>http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-CAR-BATTE...pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab0a6c07c<br><br>Won't really be a problem aside from the alternator and solar. For the EV charger and Inverter AC lines there won't be any live power unless they're connected. These things are made to cut the battery off for a car so for the alternator line it isn't really even a problem. Solar puts out considerably less than an alternator so that's fine too.<br><br>As long as they can handle up to 100a like they say they do, EV charging is really as powerful as it gets.<br><br>Got a response from trojan about why recombination voids warranty.<br>
<br>He replied with:<br><span class="quote">
</span><br><br>Pretty good answer I think. I'll still go with their batteries but I'll have to revert to a ventilation system. I did look around for LiFePO4 batteries and found some good cells here.<br><br>http://www.ev-power.eu/CALB-40Ah-400Ah/SE400AHA-Lithium-Cell-LiFePO4-3-2V-400Ah.html<br><br>The cost would be about $4200 (approx. 3-4x as much) at the same capacity, but they have the advantages of being maintenance free, safer, and live almost twice as long. Something else that's useful about them is that they're only 70mm thick and can be side orientated, so essentially they could fit under the floor and take up no noticeable space. It seems like the more responsible approach is LiFePO4, it's just not as cost-effective. There's no way I can afford that on top of everything else. It's something to consider further down the line, not so useful at this point and time.
<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Hey ickkii,</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">I know I'm off topic but I thought you might like these I snapped today while out riding in the big smoke.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Looks like the stealth one has air levelling suspension.<BR></SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Cheers Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>
offroad
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given the recent news about Boeng aircraft battery fires, even the best engineers dont know enough about battery cooling needs. glad you are watching that closely. also think about colision fires. if you stop short, will those batteries rip apart and start a fire. crash and burn? think of survivability of that system. more fuses? do they make break away acceleration fuses?
nice rokguy, looks like a 170" WB sprinter. I think I see 2 fantastic fans on the top - is more than one necessary for this kind of thing?<br><br>oh and offroad, boeing didn't use LiFePO4 on the dreamliners, they used a different lithium battery for more capacity without considering the heat, kind of like what ccbreder said. I don't think LFP batteries are in the budget right now, with the measures I have in place for the lead acid I think I may able to stretch them just as long. Maintenance is a drawback but one I can live with for the price. LiFePO4 would be sweet to have because they take up less space.
wagoneer
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WOW being super ignorant ( not stupid) about the math and logistics My plan is to use less power consuming devices less things I need to cool like for example better beer can be consumed at room temperatures beans and rice only need clean dry storage pick up veggies and small amount of dairy consume asap May try cooking a chicken under the hood while driving, this diesel gets hot. get used to the heat and cold wool blankets and thermals warm sleeping and a memory foam mattress makes the next day very welcome, I am learning and following your plans just do not want to engineer<br>such a project,, Keep it up, Wagoneer
Okay so here's the updated schematic. <br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br><br>I'm removing the battery demister from the original post soon. This stuff is just too risky to use in batteries and I feel like a ventilation system is the safest bet. I've tried to take shortcuts around the ventilation and have come to realize that this is just something one has to deal with when using lead acid batteries. I've also removed the desulfators after some tips from the guys over on the wind-sun forums. <br><br>What isn't included in this schematic is busbars, those will be for grounding and everything on the positive dc line out of the batteries needs to be properly fused or connected to a circuit breaker. After that there needs to be a junction box on the panels with 8 appropriately sizes fuses on the leads in. The junction box is in between the charge controller and solar panels. <br><br>I'll be updating a blog soon with all of this information including links. I have a spreadsheet as well.
wrcsixeight
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The pic of your battery isolator above shows a diode based isolator.<br><br>These are notorious for dropping charging voltages from the alternator .4 to .7 volts. Avoid.<br><br>latching relays or continuous duty solenoids have very little voltage drop.
Critique time....<br>I wouldn't fuse the batteries separately. Lets say you blow one of the fuses or its defective. Would you even know? Everything will still function just on a partial battery bank.<br><br>Dont know if it was discussed earlier but when I was shopping around ANL fuses and holders seem to be the cheapest and if you need to buy them you can get them at stereo stores.<br><br>Edit* Also remember that fuses are put as close to power sources as possible. So the fuse for the solar panels would be next to the panels not by the controller.
Will change the isolator thanks for the tip.<br>bee the fuses I'm using have an LED indicator if the fuse has been blown. They're anl fuses like you mentioned so there's not many ways for them to be defective unless it's out of the box, pretty low tech yea know? If the fuse blows then it's doing it's job because 180a is the max that the bank can handle. When I wire it the fuse for the charger controller will be next to the junction box near the panels.
<img rel="lightbox" src="http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk98/russellbeyman/Untitled_zpsefae7e15.jpg" class="bbc_img"> <strong>I made some notes on the picture.</strong><br><br><br><br>
0 gauge for that line, oversizing it because it's the most important cable in the van.<br><br>also this goes where the inverter with, along with another bus for grounding.<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img">
You have the 4 battery fuses in parallel. If each fuse is rated at 180amps it will take (180amps X 4) 720amps before one of the fuses blows. That means that if the wire that I highlighted in blue is shorted to ground it will take720amps before the fuses blow.<br>In other words you need to use much smaller fuses <strong>or</strong> cabling and connections that can withstand 700+amps before they get so hot that they catch fire.<br><br><br>The sole purpose of catastrophe fusing is to protect the wires going to and from high amp loads. They are supposed to be rated so that if a short occurs the wire will not melt and catch on fire.
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">"On the positive battery terminal feeding the inverter you need to insert a fuse of an appropriate size - 25% larger amperage than your largest load (or possible load) but also within the ampacity of the cable"<br>Quote taken from this link</span></span></span> http://www.jackdanmayer.com/rv_electrical_and_solar.htm<br><br>
I was confused at first but this is what I figured out.<br>they're not "between" the batteries, they're before the batteries.<br><br>Think of it this way<br>Power Source > Fuse > Bank 1 (2x 6v 225ah)<br>Power Source > Fuse > Bank 2 (2x 6v 225ah)<br>Power Source > Fuse > Bank 3 (2x 6v 225ah)<br>Power Source > Fuse > Bank 4 (2x 6v 225ah)<br><br>Not like 8 batteries connected together, it's just 4 sets of 2 batteries connected together. Each set is separate, but share a power source. If the current on the line leading in from that power source ever reaches 180 amps, the fuse blows before it touches the battery. So before the batteries even come into the picture or the power is distributed among them, the current must first go through the cable and fuse. <br><br>The current the batteries can take is restricting the size of the fuse. 180A.<br>For the power source, solar is at 50, EV at up to 100, and alternator at a 160a MAX, but I don't see the alternator going much over 90-100a considering the rest of the vehicle's power needs.
You are talking about current entering the battery. It is the other way around. Those fuses are their to protect from excessive current leaving the battery. If any of the spray painted line touches ground the batteries will send out energy. This will be split between each battery bank evenly.<br><br>The fuses aren't supposed to protect the batteries, they are protecting the wires. Any spot along the spray painted wires will see over 700 amps before a fuse blows. That is to high. The wire will get hot and possibly catch something on fire before the fuse or fuses blow.<br><br>By having the fuses in parrallel you are adding the fuse ratings together, they are sharing the amp load. Your four 180 amp fuses is equal to one 720 amp fuse.<br><br>
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