You really should stop using silly terms like “Victron fanboys” and making out that aluminium windings (CCA) are somehow inferior to copper, when the reference you cited didn’t say that – what it said was that the tradeoffs are different, and that depending on requirements aluminium can be (not – not is…) better or worse than copper, but that its biggest advantage was lighter weight, which is exactly what I said earlier… ![]()
As pointed out, it is harder to work with because it’s more difficult to guarantee good joints, you need to use things like hydraulically-fitted compression ferrules, but if you do this reliability is fine, it’s what every single grid power line does. As also pointed out, aluminium is softer so if you’re going to use it in an application with massive g-forces/shock loads then copper is more robust, but this is not such an application.
AFAIK*** the only unit that Victron have said definitely uses CCA is the Multiplus 48/20000, which would have been pretty much unmanageable if they’d stayed with copper. Here are the sizes, weights and output powers (at 25C) of the biggest Multiplus and Quattros which – apart from the single massive CCA transformer in the Multiplus compared to two copper ones in the Quattro (these account for most of the weight) – are the same generation (aluminium case):
Multiplus 48/20000 : 80kg/20kW = 4kg/kW, 626mm x 433mm x 347mm = 94l = 4.7l/kw
Quattro 48/15000 : 72kg/12kW = 6kg/W, 572mm x 488mm x 344mm = 96l = 8l/kW
Victron said that the reason for going CCA was to reduce weight – with CCA they’ve managed to use one enormous CCA toroid, a single copper toroid would have been unmanageably heavy. Result is 50% higher output per kg and 70% more per liter, so I’d say they’ve succeeded. Note that the output power at higher temperatures (limited by transformer temperature) is better still, 20kW/40C and 15.5kW/65C for the Multiplus compared to 10kW/40C and 7kW/65C for the Quattro – which backs up the reference you cited saying that CCA was better for cooling, also as I said earlier… ![]()
You can post scathing posts about Victron all you like, but those are the actual facts… ![]()
*** I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve played the same CCA card on the MP II 4k5/6k5 because it’s the right engineering decision – and if it also delivers lighter weight/higher power density/lower cost to the customer, the right market decision. These also have the much better hot power rating compared to earlier units, which suggest CCA is being used.