Battery Bank Equalizer/Balancer

[flboy]

I have 4 6v Golf car batteries in series/parallel configuration got 12V 430Ah of capacity and charge with 500W of solar through a 40A MPPT controller. Will the following device work to balance the charges? It says it is for 12V.. but some of that data suggest it will work much lower.

Anyone have any experience with this Golf Car Battery configuration and using a Battery Balancer to ensure an even charge? Any help appreciated..



Details:

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https://www.amazon.com/DPJ-Batteries-Eq ... y+Balancer

[John61CT]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14 ... 01841.html

[flboy]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14/6vdc-trojan-t105-225ah-equalization-201841.html

Not sure where the link was going? Nothing came up?

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[bdosborn]

Do you think you need a separate equalizer? Most battery chargers and PV controllers have it built in.


Bruce

[featherliteCT1]

Flboy appears to be asking about a battery balancer (for batteries wired in series) not an equalizer.

I had no idea about this subject until I read the article at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_balancing

My initial thought is that the “positive” type would be better than the “passive” type.

Per the article:

“In passive balancing, energy is drawn from the most charged cell and dissipated as heat, usually through resistors.

In active balancing, energy is drawn from the most charged cell and transferred to the least charged cells, usually through DC-DC converters.”

I wonder how the the unit flboy originally posted about works?

Given that I know so little about this subject matter, I am hoping flboy or somebody else can help figure this out.

[bdosborn]

I could see how it applies to lithium-ion batteries but I've never seen one on a lead acid battery bank. I wonder if it frees up stranded capacity or if it extends battery life?

Bruce

[John61CT]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14/6vdc-trojan-t105-225ah-equalization-201841.html

Not sure where the link was going? Nothing came up?

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odd
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14 ... ost2640525

[John61CT]

Balancing not usually needed for lead, just charge each pair in series to 100% then parallel

[MtnDon]

You do not need this if you are using flooded or AGM lead-acid batteries. I have used series-parallel and series only connected 2 volt and 6 volt flooded lead-acid batteries for yearsoff grid and in RV's and never had anything like a balancer. I replaced the 4S 2P lead-acid golf cart batteries at the cabin this summer. They were installed in July 2009. I think I got great service out of them. I've never got more than 4 years out of the same battery type in an RV but then they are usually discharged more deeply. But again, 4 years is good. Mobile vibration and summer heat take an extra toll on RV batteries.

As Bruce indicated, if you were working with lithium-ion cells you would likely want to have a balancer system. Tesla used active cell balancing with their thousands of cells in large parallel-connected blocks. Bad things can happen to lithium cells if some get too far out of balance compared to the others. Lead-acid does not have those problems.

[flboy]

Thanks all for replies. I am just learning about all the subtleties of proper battery maintenance as I go here.

I do believe the balancer unit I posted is the passive type for that price.

If not needed for SLA batteries I am probably all set then.

I will continue to read up on the topic, but I suspect the practical vs. theoretical sides may differ some and I am all about practical! :-)

I certainly cannot depend on brochures to steer me right either given they are designed to sell, whether needed or not.

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[flboy]

Balancing not usually needed for lead, just charge each pair in series to 100% then parallel

If I understand this correct, that does not seem practical in a series parallel configuration in a battery compartment in a trailer with one fixed Charge controller. Seems like you would be connecting and disconnecting 6V batteries in the bank daily to charge. I suppose this is why I was asking about the balancer in the first place.

Needs to be automatic and fixed for the application. I have 4 6V batteries in series/parallel so they get charged series and parallel simultaneously.


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[John61CT]

If I understand this correct, that does not seem practical in a series parallel configuration in a battery compartment in a trailer with one fixed Charge controller. Seems like you would be connecting and disconnecting 6V batteries in the bank daily to charge.

No.

You wire the battery bank up properly in S/P, and from then on in normal usage it functions as a single large battery.

Best not to parallel more than 3-4 strings / packs, or you can get imbalance issues, maybe you misinterpreted something in that arena? That is not something fixed with a cheap gadget used live while cycling.

You will isolate the bank and treat single units separately for testing / maintenance protocols only.

All you need for equalizing is a voltage adjustable PSU, DMM and ammeter.

An AH counting BM can help you track SoC properly.

[John61CT]

I certainly cannot depend on brochures to steer me right either given they are designed to sell, whether needed or not.

Very true. So what gave you the idea you need the functionality this device offers?

Can you describe that functionality in volts and amps, what problems IRL is it supposed to solve?

[flboy]

Very true. So what gave you the idea you need the functionality this device offers?

Can you describe that functionality in volts and amps, what problems IRL is it supposed to solve?

From the Description and at the bottom it says it is suitable for Lead Acid Batteries. The description does not talk specifics... but that was the purpose of my post and questions.

It is obviously a foreign translation with poor use of English. What caught my eye was the discussion on imbalance and the series configuration which I have moved to in my CTC.. Victron and others make versions of the same device.


*****************

Description

Specialized for keep up the voltage balance of batteries connected in series during the Charging and Discharging process, due to differences in the chemical composition and temperature of the battery cell that connected in series, It causes two battery charge and discharge differences even the battery is idle, also due to the different levels of self-discharge could lead to an imbalance between serially connected battery at charging process, because there are differences, it could make a battery excessive charge or discharge, and the other one insufficient charging or discharging.  

HA02 battery equalizer is suitable for Lead-acid Batteries(VRLA), Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries(LFP), Nickel Cadmium Secondary Batteries(Ni/CD), and Nickelmetal Hydride Secondary Batteries(Ni/MH). It starts work when the voltage higher than 2.4V, it means that this equalier can be used in a single cell battery range from 2.4V to 12V. One equalizer can connect 4 batteries once a time, if battery less than the 4, the extra cable can be vacant (positive and negative terminal should be avoided), does not affect the equilibrium effects. The equalizer is not affected with battery connection way,  no matter in series or in parallel, both can work.  



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[bdosborn]

I don't understand how it helps. You might be able to overcome the internal resistance of each battery and charge it to a bit higher level but not much since the batteries are still connected to each other and as such must all be at the same voltage. Then it seems to me that the batteries are going to discharge at different rates (per internal resistance) and equalize to the same voltage level across the array as soon as you apply a load. The unequal discharge rate would be compounded by any difference in resistance across the battery conductors due to different lengths. In short, the batteries are going to quickly seek their own charge level during use.

So how is it supposed to benefit your battery bank? Not trying to troll, I'm always on the look out for a new battery gadget.

Bruce