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combatdiver avatar image
combatdiver asked

2 Smart Orion non-isolated 30A 12/12, in parallel, what happens if one alternator fails?

Hi.

I am planing to set 2 Orions 30A dc/dc in parallel, to be fed with 2 70A Alternators each. I have 2 alternators already in my engine, so I need 2 orions to have an input of 60A, to my new LiFePo big bank.


I have a isolator between orions and alternators. The two Orions are feeding (out) to 800Ah LifePo bank, and there is a AGM 230Ah battery bank (bow battery) in their in (out of the islolator and in of the orions).. That's means both alternators are giving power to the 2 isolator outputs, one will be conected to both Orions, the other, to the crank batery.


So any alternator is giving power to either the crank batery or the bow battery, and with this last, both alternators are giving power to the 2 orions.


I wonder what would happen if one of the alternators could fail, so the scenario could led to have the surviving alternator of 70A, connected to 2 Orions, each one demanding at maximun 30A, plus the crank battery of course. Could this situation led to a breakdown of the remaining alternator, as both orions are demanding almost the 30A , plus crank battery, almost the maximum 70A?

thanks a lot




orion-tr smartorion dc-dcalternator
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3 Answers
kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

From your description, it sounds as if there's a good chance of cooking the remaining alternator.

Might be an idea to discuss this with a Victron dealer, there are some things in your design that could probably be optimised.

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combatdiver avatar image combatdiver commented ·
Hi. I will send an original design schema , to be study. If there is something to be optimized, Im willing to hear about it.

About the Victron dealer here, I launch this question here because Im not confident they can deal with this question...


The only answer I guess is to only set 1 DC/DC not 2. But I have only 30A to charge the large 800Ah lifepo, so it will be a while to charge them....Maybe this could be a second "deviation" question.


Meanwhile, Im only going to buy one


Thanks!

BR//

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combatdiver avatar image
combatdiver answered ·

esquema-nuevo-set-bat-lfp.jpeg


This is my design. Briefy, there are 2 relays commanded by relay integrated in BMV700, which will be close when V service batery Vsb, will be above from 13.5 as progremmed, and disconected when Vsb < 13.2, or engine is in ignition or is running. Also there is a manual switch for emergency, to active the relays in case the crank batery is bad.


In this schema, then, the engine battery is isolated for everthing. It is like use cyrics relays but improved, and with relays of 200A without pay the cost a cyric for this amperage cost


About the the Dc/Dc orion, you can see there is one , and other parallel foreseen.

So the question, reformulated, is : what is the best, set only one Orion, preventing the issue of one fail alternator, or set 2 orions, and improve the schema to avoid the issue of one alternator failure which leads both orions to suck the one remaining. Maybe I can change some parameter in the Orions to avoid this?


Thanks

BR


esquema-nuevo-set-bat-lfp.jpeg (39.2 KiB)
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combatdiver avatar image combatdiver commented ·
by the way BATERIA PROA is Bow Battery, and BATERIA ARRANQUE, is crank or starter engine battery. ARRANQUE is the electric crank for start the engine


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combatdiver avatar image
combatdiver answered ·

Hi.

Victron indicates that the Orion can disabled using H/L port for remote control with 4 options


Maybe this is the auto-answert:


1º Connect the H pin of an Orion (A)with the output of 1 Alternator. And do the same with the other peer Orion B - ALternator 2. In the manual,


2º Or put a relay on/off the H-L pins , and the coil of this relay will be commanded by the output of the corresponding alternator.


Im pretty sure the 2º is going to work, but requires 2 relays and cabling.


I wonder if 1º option is also possible, thinking that the alternator output will work to the pin H, ( V> 3v ).


Thanks

BR

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