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ab53 avatar image
ab53 asked

Very Hot Battery Charger !

G’day & thanks for your help. I have just installed a new Blue Smart IP22 12volt 30 Amp battery charger but i’m very concerned with the heat of the metal base plate. I literally cannot hold my fingers on it for longer then a few seconds while bulk charging a single 12v 100 amp/h lithium LiFePO battery.

It’s installed flat but with a 20 mm air gap underneath in a well ventilated cupboard (door open & top vent). The cables to the battery are only just warm to the touch, the unit seems to operate just fine otherwise. The AC supply is from a Honda EU 20i generator. Should it get THAT hot ?

charger
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supermanbaja avatar image supermanbaja commented ·
mine does the same. 64c after running for 20 min. this doesn't seam normal to me.
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cpt-pat avatar image cpt-pat commented ·

I have the same issue with two of these chargers. The case is VERY hot even when running at 50% charge current (15 amps setting with 30 amp charger) and HOTTER when running at full output (30 amps). At full output (30 amps), I don't hear a fan or feel any airflow. The case is alarmingly hot.

How hot should the case be in a 20 C ambient environment? Are both units defective? Do I need to add an external fan and epoxy some heatsinks to the case?

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drdiesel avatar image drdiesel commented ·
I'm not disagreeing they run hot, but they are designed to handle the heat and will self throttle on high temps. I own several 250/100s and I installed them on an aluminum plate each with a 140mm fan blowing toward the heatsinks, problem solved.



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cpt-pat avatar image cpt-pat drdiesel commented ·
I believe you are referring to MPPT charge controllers. I am referring to shore power chargers. But I am considering duplicating your setup: installing a thermostatically controlled fan to ventilate the charger cases.


Most semiconductors fail at junction temperatures of 125 C, and if the cases are 60 C, the internal components are very hot. Also, I intend to measure the charger input power because, with so much heat being dissipated, I don't trust the "95 percent efficiency" claims from VE. When the charger is outputting 14 volts at 15 amps (210 watts) I can't believe the case is getting that hot while only dissipating 10.5 watts!

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1 Answer
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n-dee answered ·

I've got smart-solar chargers but same here - they have over 60c

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