Its for charging more than one battery from a single alternator. The alternaotor needs to be below 200A output. The alternator is connected to the input of the argofet and each battery is connected to 1,2,3. They are isolated from each other.
You may need another product what are you trying to do?
Thank you! I’m actually trying to create something I have trouble finding a solution for. I want two active Lithium battery banks totally individual charging from the same sources and servicing the same loads. If one cell in one bank crash (short circuits itself) it will only have the result that the single battery bank disconnects itself without pulling any power from the other battery bank in the process. Hence I will use the ArgoFets both by separating batteries from charging devices (as they are intended) and also by separating the battery banks from each other by reversing ArgoFets on the load side, one ArgoFet per battery bank, where I short the outputs to hopefully lower voltage drop on high loads. That creates batteries with single way in to charge and single way out to loads. I attach a schematic (but schematic is not important for this question).
I’m interested in much more detail and data on Victron ArgoFets than is available online and from resellers of this device. Hopefully someone at Victron can share something? Or if anyone has done some testing on their own device? Cavatina.elöversikt.Litium.07.pdf (8.0 MB)
Hello again.
I bought a ArgoFet 200-3 and I’m now going to reply to my own post with the measurements for any future reference.
First: On the bottom of the device there is a schematic indicating that all ports can be pulling 200A irrespectively of each other. This schematic leads me to believe I can load the device with a maximum of 600A
I did some tests with running winches and bow prop. See results below:
Load: 0A. Single: 0.02V Shared (3): 0.02V
Load: 65A. Single: 0.07V. Shared (3): 0.03V
Load: 100A Single: 0.10V Shared (3): 0.03V
Load: 165A. Single: 0.17 V Shared (3): 0.05V
Load: 355A. Shared (3): 0.12V
What I take away from this is that the outputs are separate and if you want to use the device as a single one way diode for use with only one output and optimize for maximum load and minimal voltage drop you should buy the ArgoFet 200-3 rather than 200-2 - the load is divided between the outputs as any parallel load and dividing a high load over multiple outputs is beneficiary and results in a lower voltage drop.
During my tests I ran the loads for 10 seconds (repeatedly) and could not tell that the ArgoFet became warm at all.
I have made additional tests and I can now share the following.
As long as Energize is not used, there is no current flowing between outputs or from output to input. Voltage supplied to input: 12.8V and voltage supplied to output 1: 15V. Reading on input still about 12.8 and reading on output 2 is about 12:77V
Test: https://youtu.be/sDWB8nn3f3Y?si=2J12gn8qSuPZfzGX
However: When utilizing Energize, the battery banks are no longer totally separated. If I supply 12.8V to input and I supply 14.4V to output 1 and Energize, current not only flows to the input, showing as 13.7, but also to output 2 also showing as 13.7V.
Test: https://youtu.be/pBsKkQJjUmc?si=AhdmpFxeXcM26QYu
So, unfortunately, battery banks are not totally separated and I guess the ArgoFet could break if potential between battery banks are over 0.7V in difference and the battery with the higher potential is supplying Energize.
It would be really interesting to have some input from Victron on this.
