I’m in the process of switching from my AGM 100AH to a Smart Lithium 100AH in my Land Cruiser.
Current setup:
Cyrix Ct
AGM 100AH
Smart Battery Sense
SmartSolar 75/10
100 W solar
Phoenix 250 inverter with Bluetooth dongle
All the loads are connected to the SmartSolar except the Phoenix inverter (which gets rarely used anyway). This allows me to see the consumption against the solar production.
Switching now to Lithium I’ve found this schematic:
Except the connection to the alternator isn’t limited and it would need a Orion XS (DC-DC and engine detection), correct? The Orion XS would need to be connected to the BMS using the H-pin to avoid over- and cold weather charging.
Could I keep all my loads on the SmartSolar and have charge and load dependent on the BMS?
Shopping List:
Orion XS
Smart BMS CL 12-100
SmartLithium 100AH
Optional:
SmartShunt
Is this correct? Or is there an easier way? Can the BMS communicate over Bluetooth with the Orion/Phoenix/SmartSolar like the SmartSolar does with Smart Battery Sense?
This BMS does limit the alternator charge current depending on the fuse chosen. From the product description.
The dedicated alternator input provides current limiting and one-way traffic from the alternator into the battery, this so any size alternator (and start battery) can be safely connected to the Smart Lithium battery or batteries.
Have a look on the product page and read the manual.
I do not know about having the loads on the MPPT as these may not be shut down, you may need to fit some form of isolation such as a cyrix relay on the loads. Hopefully someone else can answer this part of your question.
The only thing to be sure of is if you have a smart alternator that varies the charge vo!tage. You need to make sure your alternator delivers 14.5V or thereabouts to allow for some voltage drop in the BMS.
I’ve read about the current limiting, but what about engine detection and disconnect? I do not want to drain my starter battery.
My alternator is dumb (and old) and tops out at 14.3V in highway speeds, so it seems an Orion is needed anyway to keep the lithium battery topped up.
Toying with the Smart BMS in the demo mode of the Victron App I did not find the option to connect to a VE.Direct Network. So the wireless option seems not possible, will need to wire up the Phoenix/Orion/SmartSolar.
Checking the SmartSolar, I found the option for “Remote on/off” which I would assume disables solar charging and the load output?
From the manual, the start battery will not drain.
Current can flow to the lithium battery only if the input voltage (corresponds to the voltage of the starter battery) exceeds 13V.
The Smart BMS is not a VE direct device as you say so does not integrate.
On the solar I assume remote on/off disconnects load as you do. As a back up, the load does disconnect on low battery voltage so this can be set to act as a back up.
