I've just purchased an IP67 Blue Smart Charger, and on the Product Page it clearly states:
All settings of the charger can be configured with the VictronConnect app.
On that basis I purchased it with the expectation that I could use it to charge an LTO battery, and adapt the charging settings as required. Only now I find this is not the case. Disappointing.
Can you advise if or when the this charger will be fully configurable, ie "all settings", as clearly advertised?
For what you want the Phoenix Smart Charger maybe is what you need.
Just take a look at the demo library within VictronConnect.
@PhilipW, I suspect that this is just an unfortunate incidence of "it depends how you read it". While I understand your point, I personally read "all settings of the charger can be configured" to mean "every setting that this charger has is configurable"... which it is. It has (if I recall correctly) about 6 different settings, and you can configure them over bluetooth... as advertised. The description does not say that it has customizable charge profiles or anything of that nature... but I see how, in reading that description, one might make the assumption.
Given the vast complexity of adding the hardware and software to be able to customize the charge profiles of this device, however, I strongly suspect that the viable solution here will be to rewrite the product description to more clearly describe the product's actual features rather than trying to reinvent the product to match the slightly vague description.
Thanks for the answer. I have some background in software development; I suspect the task of developing the interfaces necessary to get the product to match it's 'Smart' description is not as hard as you think.
All I want is the ability to set the voltage setpoints and the time durations in the charge profiles. These must already exist in the firmware now, exposing them to the end user should be very doable. I would be very surprised if any hardware changes were needed.
And with so many new battery chemistries available now I don't think I'm asking for anything that more and more people will want. It's a very nice product in every other respect ... I just feel very letdown by this one massive roadblock.
From a quick look at specs for LTO they say cc/cv @ 2.85v so a 5s that is 14.25v cc/cv.
The Li-ion setting on that charger is 14,2V anyway so that would be an acceptable charge voltage for a 5s.
The charger specs suggest it then drops to 13.5v float. Going on other Lithium chemistry if the same rules apply then that would also be fine to use. The voltage is dropping below the cells charged resting voltage.
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I'm using a 6P11S system with the Yinlong 40AH 66160 cells. Ideally I'd like to charge at around 2.65v per cell to avoid the need for aggressive top balancing. For 11S that works out at 29.15v. The 24v version of the charger specifies it's LiOn charging voltage as 28.4v.
Also I'd like to set the absorption time to zero as LTO cells simply don't need it.
There are two ways to get "enough" charge into a Li-Ion battery.
One way is to terminate charging when a certain high voltage is reached. Charge to 2.8V, no absorbtion. The high-voltage might accelerate cell imbalance, however.
Another way would be to charge to a lower level Absorbtion voltage of 2.6V, and terminate Absorbtion when current drops below a certain level (also called Tail Current in Victron's MPPT products). The cutoff level should be typically around 0.05 C.
It would be really great if all charger-type Victron products would get the Tail Current absorbtion termination feature implemented.
And another nice-to-have: give me an option to select what to do after Absorbtion termination: switch to Float or cut-off charger.
Thanks again, a very helpful answer. Lithium batteries are rapidly becoming more popular especially in marine or RV applications and most charging products don't get it quite right yet.
Your second option is the approach I am taking. I deliberately oversized my bank (240AH at 24v) so that I didn't need to push the fully charged or discharged limits. Unlike FLA's Lithiums actually prefer to be part charged. And LiFePo's in particular do not like being left on a float charge; because their self discharge is so low it's just not necessary.
I want a 100% blue box Victron system ... but even they are falling just short of the mark when it comes to these applications.
