question

ulfertg avatar image
ulfertg asked

SmartSolar MPPT 100/20 in RV - ReBulk after every tunnel while traveling

Hello all,

I was recently traveling through Switzerland with my Motorhome.

I've noticed that the MPPT starts a rebulk cycle on a full Battery after every tunnel, even the shorter ones.

And since there where a lot of tunnels on my route the Voltage of my LiFePo4 Battery was above 14 Volts during the whole trip.

I assume the MPPT considers a Voltage drop at the solar input below a certain threshold for even a very short time a trigger for a rebulk cycle.

From my perspective I don't see the benefit of it - even if the LiFePo4 are full to the brim (Voltage above 14V), the MPPT starts a new rebulk if the voltage on the solar side drops.

In case I'm just blind to the logic behind it, I'd be grateful if someone could explain it.

But maybe this is something which has been overlooked in programming the charging logic and can be optimised?

For example by implementing a second condition which must be fulfilled before rebulk starts, for example the drop in Solar Voltage needs to be at least 60 Minutes or the rebulk settings (Voltage drop below Float Voltage) are taken into account even when the solar Voltage drops below the threshold.

Thank you!

victron products
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2 Answers
JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi @ulfertg

Johannes explains the reasons here.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTMVmW7GTus

I think there are time constraints to prevent it registering a new day when it rebulks. And a rebulk won't hurt if you have the settings tuned to suit.


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ulfertg avatar image
ulfertg answered ·

Hello @JohnC ,

if I'm not mistaken Johannes explains why the Victron Energy MPPT starts 5Vdc above the battery voltage, but not why it does a rebulk every time, even if the voltage drop lasted only for a couple of seconds?

LiFePo4 chemistry, unlike lead acid batteries shouldn't be kept at high voltages for prolonged time, they are usually only brought to over 14 Volts to let them balance.

So, while it's not a biggie, it's certainly something that could be improved.

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