Hi, looking for some advice please. We have a barge and are upgrading to lifepo4. The leisure side is 24v. The engine has 2 alternators one 70a 12v for the starter battery which is 12v and completely separate to the leisure bank. The second alternator is 120a 24v for the leisure bank. Can we connect the 24v alternator directly to an Orion Xs 1400? I’ve seen conflicting advice and replies on a similar query so would appreciate your input. Many thanks
Answered many times, a search for Orion buffer battery would show this.
The Victron Orion units are battery to battery units and the alternator output must have a battery. Look in all the install manuals, they show the alternator charging the starter battery and the Orion charging the house battery.
When people have connected an Orion direct to an alternator they have reported voltage swings as the alternator voltage regulator interacts with the voltage control on the Orion input. Both controllers are trying to control the same voltage by varying the same current. Not saying this will definitely happen but it is seen frequently. A battery decouples supply and demand current and buffers the voltage / current response. An alternator to battery charger has extra circuitry and control in to stop this interaction.
Consider using an external alternator controller like a Wakespeed WS500 or Arco Zeus.
Yes, as already mentioned above, use an external regulator. I would still install the XS 1400, as it provides an additional safety benefit (starter battery charging, to be available soon following a software release).
Especially if you want to use lithium batteries on the 24 V side, you must also protect the alternators against overheating and possibly be able to control or regulate the load during operation (beware of load shedding if the battery goes into OVP because it has been configured incorrectly or has an unsuitable BMS! Make provision for a BMS with a CAN controller!).
Another point is the alternator’s drive side. Is the power transmission to the engine suitable for withstanding prolonged full-load operation (e.g. drive belt, mounting)?
Thank you both for reply, if opting for an arco Zeus will that negate the need for the Orion xs (given that the 12v starter is completely separate)? Thanks in advance
Thank you both for reply, if opting for an arco Zeus will that negate the need for the Orion xs (given that the 12v starter is completely separate)? Thanks in advance
Yes and no.
The alternator is controlled via the Argo (the battery must always remain connected to the alternator), but on a watercraft it’s nice to have a backup for extra peace of mind.
The XS will soon receive a software update that will allow charging the starter battery as well. This would make emergency charging between the two circuits possible.