My setup: US 2016 Ford Explorer with Orion-Tr 12/12-30 installed with Vision Iron-V 12V LiFePO4 100Ah battery
Ford starter battery (+ and -) to Orion-Tr Smart non-isolated input, where (-) is a common ground.
Vision Iron-V LiFePO4 battery (+ and -) to Orion-Tr Smart non-isolated output, where (-) is a common ground. LiFePO4 battery (+ and -) connected to 600W Inverter (120VAC) to off-grid 100W cabin loads. Fuses on all + leads.
Issue: VictronConnect setup software allows Standard or Smart Alternator selection. The selections cause very different charging results, but I have not found documentation as to how these two settings actually differ. I have read that a standard alternator will always output a fixed voltage, while a smart alternator will output voltage desired to maintain the charge of the starter battery. The Ford Explorer starter battery voltage varies between +14.5 down to +12.5V during idle, so it appears to be a smart alternator.
Use: 30-60 minute recharging with car running at idle is used to recharge the LiFePO4 battery after over night use of 120VAC for powering remote cabin lights and frig.
For instance, for the default LiFePO4 settings with Standard Alternator setting, the Orion-Tr shows 13.3-13.5V input during low speed idle with the Starter battery at normal full charge. The Orion-Tr output voltage is generally in the 13.3-13.6V with the text display saying the LiFePO4 battery is being charged with maximum current. The Inverter displays the same DC voltage as the Orion-Tr.
Otherwise, with the Orion-Tr set for Smart Alternator, the input voltage to the Orion-Tr varies from +14.5V at engine startup down to +12.5V, and the Orion-Tr switches on and off when the input voltage drops below 12.8V, depending on the lower cutoff voltage setting. So, the Smart Alternator settings turn on and off and does not effectively recharge the LiFePO4 battery, as described above.
However, using the Standard Alternator setting does recharge the LiFePO4 battery (LiFePO4 DC voltage monitored on Inverter display) . My question is, why does the Orion-Tr, while set to Standard Alternator, seem to always have a 13.3-13.5V input which allows short term 30-60 minute charging at car idle, but when set to Smart Alternator, the input voltage to the Orion-Tr varies. It seems that the Orion-Tr is in some way affecting the alternator output voltage. Is that true? I do not understand how the reported input voltage changes depending on how the Orion-Tr is set for Standard or Smart Alternator.
My concern: Since using Standard Alternator setting seems to charge the LiFePO4 battery during short-term car idle, is this a bad practice, such as over-charging the LiFePO4 battery during driving long distances, or causing a negative impact on the Ford Explorer starter battery or alternator?
Thank you in advance.
