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St Francis |
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New LiFePO4 Lithium House Bank |
Battery Charging System Philosophy |
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Trickle Charging Start Battery |
Solar Charging System |
| Alternator Repair | Lightning Issues |
| LiFePO4 Reference Sources | |
Last Updated: 06/23/2024
The electrical systems and issues on our previous boat, a 1980's CSY monohull, were quite different than those on our 2004 St. Francis Catamaran. For all the great stuff I did over the years on the CSY electrical system, go to this link: CSY Electrical Systems.
Future Additions:
Alternator-Regulator Engine Charging With a Wakespeed 500
The major components of our DC system (Click for a Larger Version)
Lithium LifePO4 Battery Upgrade
When we purchased our St. Francis 44 catamaran 7 years ago, the house bank consisted of six 6-volt Sonnenschein Solar Block 200 batteries, for a rated total of 600 Ahrs at 12 volts. They are very high quality German Gel batteries. In early 2020, locked down by COVID in the Philippines, and with our Gel battery bank then 13 years old, we decided it was a good opportunity to install new lithium technology. The Gels might have lasted several more years according to Gel literature and because of the quality charging equipment we had, but given our location in SE Asia, and the time we had available, this was a good opportunity to upgrade.
Our sealed lead acid start battery on left and original 390 lbs/175 kilos of
Gel batteries right.
TCB and Diode on aluminum heat sink are for trickle
charging start battery off the Gels.
Our installation is optimized for a catamaran cruising full time overseas. We have little tolerance for jury rigs, marginally safe practices and unnecessarily high cost equipment. We believe that if installing lithium on a cruising boat, it is worthwhile to develop the skills to install and make repairs ourselves with adequate spares and proper tools onboard.
Had we not had the time to study the technology, place the orders, and make the necessary electrical system changes, we would not have taken this on. It is not a project for those not willing to spend time learning how to do the installation properly.
Basics: LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries suitable for cruising boats consist of an appropriate number of individual prismatic 3.2 volt cells that operate safely within a narrow voltage range. Straying beyond this range can cause permanent cell damage.
For a Best Practices LFP battery system, a boat's electrical system should have separate charging and load busses wired to a single house bank through appropriate shunts and fuses. Each of the charging sources (solar, alternator, shore, etc.) should have a relay that allows a battery management system (BMS), monitoring individual cells, to shut it down, not just disconnect it from the battery. This should happen automatically if there is a problem beyond what the charging device does with its own onboard charge termination.
In normal operation, the charging sources, reading total battery voltage, will control the charging and charge termination using mainly the bulk phase with no or only minimal absorption. The BMS will act as a backup to terminate the charge (HVD) if a single cell's voltage gets too high and the charging source fails to terminate the charge in time. There should also be a relay or relays on the load buss for the BMS to disconnect loads (LVD) if the battery or cell reaches too low a state of charge.
Basic LiFePO4 battery wiring diagram with BMS and separate charging and load busses. Fuses, shunts, relays, etc not shown.
After significant research and living with the new technology now for over two years, below find our thoughts on how to choose equipment and complete a DIY LiFePO4 lithium cell installation on a cruising sailboat.First here are some cautions:
- The technology and supporting equipment are still evolving, with a multitude of choices available, some much better than others. Quality of equipment is an important issue, not only with lithium batteries, but with all equipment used on a boat.
- No serious cruiser should change from lead acid to lithium batteries unless they are willing to spend a substantial amount of time in research, effort, and money to do a proper installation.
- There are many opinions regarding how best to do this; even the experts' opinions differ. And, there are substantial differences in "best practices" for off-grid homes, RVs, electric vehicle (EV), and marine installations. But there are several trusted information sources. See the list at the end of this article, here.
- For a marine installation done by a professional installer, where you may have to perform adjustments or repair after he has left, it is crucial that the cruiser have intimate knowledge of the installation.
- Competition among sellers of lithium equipment is stiff, especially among cell and Battery Management System (BMS) producers. US and European distributors can be significantly more expensive than purchasing cells direct from the manufacturer, usually in China.
- Not everything you read on seller websites is true, and some important things that are not there are true. Having a close look at specifications and warranties is very worthwhile, especially if you have a problem.
- Communication with an online seller is important. Some are much better than others. See the lithium forums for real time experiences of those that have made recent purchases.
- In order to create a successful installation you must have an open mind and be curious about what has worked and not worked for others.
Replacing our LA Gels with blue LiFePO4 lithium prismatic cells. Only one of 8 LFP cells is shown.
Lead Acid (LA) vs Lithium (LFP) Differences: Because of the vast differences between these two types of batteries, great care must be taken to not make a mistake during planning and installation. A number of different lithium ion type cells are available now, but LifePO4 is the choice for cruiser batteries. It has significant advantages over the others, including being reasonably safe and stable in a marine environment. Even some of the electric vehicle companies are now changing to LFP.
Below are some differences between LFP and LA technologies:
- LFP cells do not require a full charge on a daily basis; in fact, charging to 90%, or even less, is perfectly acceptable and may give a slightly longer service life. This is a huge advantage.
- With LFP, no absorption or float charging is needed, only bulk. This means that once the bulk charge is completed, the charger can be turned off. But not all Lead Acid chargers can do this.
- LFP typically have fifty percent more usable capacity for the same overall rated capacity. 80-90% of LFP rated capacity is useable on a regular basis vs a maximum of 50% for LA under ideal conditions.
- LFP service life is typically 3-5000 full cycles vs 500-1000 cycles with LA.
- Cell level monitoring, balancing and disconnect control are required with LFP, whereas only those for the total battery are typically needed during charging with LA.
- There usually are some significant electrical system modifications required for a proper lithium installation. These include purchase of a quality and reliable BMS, installing separate charge and load busses (connection points) and using separate inverters and chargers.
- Charging with an alternator requires some modifications, or you risk over heating your alternator internals. You must either make sure the alternator is externally controlled by a smart alternator regulator with temperature monitoring and reduced output control, or use battery-to-battery controlled charging, possibly with a lead acid battery also connected to the alternator. The externally regulated alternator is much preferred.
- Batteries made of LFP cells are about one third the weight and take up two thirds the space of LA batteries. They can be charged significantly faster and have little voltage drop when placed under a heavy load.
Our older Xantrex Link 2000 LA battery monitor that displays only total battery parameters.
Do It Yourself (DIY) LifePO4 Cells: After a great deal of research, we settled on prismatic-style aluminum-cased individual LifePO4 cells, purchased directly from RJ Lithium in China. There are a number of other Chinese cell companies we could have bought from, but other cruising friends locally had researched this and were buying from RJ. Their reputation was good, they offered documented Grade-A cells, the sales representatives were responsive, the website was informative, and they offered a 5 year warranty.
All eight of our cells with taped terminals and typical Grade-A labels, just out of the shipping boxes
Four of our prismatic cells with Grade A
testing stickers intact
tested capacity,
voltage, serial number and manufactured date.
We purchased eight 3.2 volt 271 amp hour (Ah) LFP cells, for about $150 each plus about $35 shipping each for a total house bank capacity of 542 Ah. (Note that the shipping cost was extremely high at the time, due to the peculiarities of shipping into the Philippines via Hong Kong).
Of that 542 Ah, more than 450 Ah are useable, so we increased our capacity by about 50% over our Gel bank's useful capacity. And we were able to remove 390 lbs of Gels and replace with only 100 lbs of lithium cells.
Later we discovered that we could have bought similar well-regarded EVE or Lishen cells for $100 USD each and modest shipping cost, sourced locally in the Philippines, but without the longer warranty. So our cost for the RJ cells was about $1500 US including shipping. Lishen or EVE cells would have been around $900 including shipping. The LFP cell market is constantly changing, and competition is fierce, so this pricing from China is now likely different. On the forums we often see these Grade A cells being shipped to the US and Europe at very reasonable prices. A cruising friend in our marina in the Philippines in early 2022 purchased 240 Ah Grade A EVE cells with a 2 year warranty and minimal shipping for about $100 US each.
Drop-In LifePO4 Batteries: We do not recommend installing what is commonly referred to as 'drop in lithium batteries' on a serious cruising boat. They are better suited to coastal power boats and outboards for the following reasons:
- The cells and BMS are often secured inside a sealed battery
box and may be inaccessible if there is a problem.
- Typically, the BMS provided uses small
internal MOSFET relay components that must control the high currents
usually found on cruising boats. If anything goes wrong, the owner
may have to replace the entire battery and BMS.
- There may be little adjustment available to the charging and
other control parameters which you may want to customize for your
installation and longer service life.
- External communications via Wifi or Bluetooth for monitoring and
control may be limited. This is a critical component of the system and
must be rock solid.
- Through a dealer they can be frightfully expensive compared to a DIY
installation using individual cells and separate quality BMS.
- You will still need to do many of the same modifications to
your electrical system as with a DIY system.
If you can't take the time to do a proper DIY installation yourself, or with help from a knowledgeable friend who will teach you the system, we recommend buying quality Gel batteries to install into your existing LA electrical system.
Four 3.2v LFP cells with MOSFET BMS, wired in series inside a 12v pre-assembled/drop in battery case. (source: RJ Energy)
Charging and Discharging: The LFP cell charging curve is very flat in the middle between 3.20-3.4 volts per cell (vpc). Then it goes nearly vertical (the knee) as the cell approaches full state of charge (SOC) at about 3.45 vpc and above. Because charging through the upper knee takes only a couple of minutes it represents very few Ahrs and may not be really necessary. Likewise, as the battery is discharging, the voltage stays very flat until dropping off rapidly below about 3.15 vpc as the battery reaches 10 percent SOC. The relatively high stable voltage and flat discharge curve are a big help when using high amp draw equipment like an inverter or windlass.
LFP Charge and Discharge Curve comparison
Graph courtesy of
Energie Panda, a
supplier of high quality LiFePO4 cells for DIY LiFePO4 batteries
Cell Matching and Balance: Factory matching of cell capacity and internal resistance are important for being able to maintain cell voltage balance. But it is a labor-intensive, and therefore expensive, process, so few companies selling cells at competitive pricing are able to do a perfect job.
Several companies, like Winston and a few others, do better matching work, but this is reflected in their significantly higher pricing. This is where a good balancer in the BMS (at lease 200 milliamps) or a separately purchased quality balancer earns its keep.
If the cells are not perfectly matched in capacity and internal resistance, when charging, one cell can get to 3.65 vpc well before the others. This is an over voltage situation that can destroy that cell before the total battery voltage reaches an alarm condition. Likewise, when discharging, if one cell is slightly more depleted than the others, its voltage can drop rapidly to below 2.5 vpc, a destructive under voltage situation, again while the overall battery voltage is still at a safe level. A quality BMS that can monitor cell voltages can control these situations through external relays and prevent cell damage.
Also, cells that are not well matched for internal resistance will have
slightly different charge curves that might cause an automatic balancer to
balance the wrong cells during charging. Our cells are not perfectly
matched, so their charge curves intertwine voltage levels as they are being
charged. Sometimes the low voltage cell at the start of charging becomes the
high voltage cell at charge termination. A good cell balancer can handle
this and keep cell balance levels within a reasonable delta.
Cell Grading: Well-regarded lithium factories produce thousands of individual cells a week. During initial testing, those that match advertised specifications are graded as A cells. Those that do not become grade B cells and could have a range of problems. Both are sold on the open market. Grade A cells are usually a bit more expensive, have QR and testing stickers intact and usually have warranties of a year or more. Grade B cells are often sold to off-grid applications that use hundreds of cells so that they can afford to have a few that have problems. Serious cruisers would do well to always buy Grade A cells as it helps ensure full usable bank capacity and makes balancing much easier.
Even after being assured we had Grade A cells, and doing exhaustive testing upon receipt, we ended up with one bad cell that would excessively self-discharge compared to the others. It lost a half millivolt (mv) at rest on a daily basis, which resulted in it quickly falling behind the others at charge termination. This is one symptom of a grade B cell.
After much testing and consultation with RJ to discover the source (checking contact integrity, remeasuring internal resistance and swapping cells around, etc), we determined it to be an internal problem. To their credit, RJ replaced the cell under warranty with us only paying the $20 US shipping cost. Meanwhile, we purchased two similar Grade B Lishen cells from an online source in Manila. They performed well, but we eventually went back to using all RJ cells in our house bank. The Lishen cells have been kept as spares. As we all know, cruisers can never have too many spares.
Configuration: Banks of lithium cells are typically connected in sets of four 3.2 volt cells in series for a nominal 12 volt battery system. If you have a 24 volt electrical system, connect 8 cells in series. For more capacity than 4 or 8 single cells will allow, first connect cells in equal parallel sets, then connect those sets in series. The parallel sets can be comprised of various capacity cells, but the series sets must all be of equal total capacity and voltage.
We originally planned to configure our 8 cells into two 4-cell "batteries", with a 1-2-Both selector switch so we could switch between batteries if we ran into a problem with one battery. However, once we started wiring up the two Electrodacus BMS's, we found that trying to control the separate loads, charging sources, 2 busses, and multiple external relays with two BMS's became too difficult. Some internal relay BMSs are able to do this, but with somewhat degraded reliability and battery balance problems. We also realized that if we ever ran into an extremely rare sudden cell problem, rearranging the cells with our spares to make repairs was a pretty simple temporary solution.
So we ended up with 4 sets of 2 cells in parallel to make 4 "supercells", then those 4 cells in series for a 542 Ah at 13.2v bank. This also had the advantage of requiring only one BMS instead of two. Since we had ordered two BMSs we now had a spare. And as all cruisers know, you can never have too many spares.
Whether our configuration is called 2P4S or 4S2P configuration depends on who you ask. It is written both ways all over lithium literature and the internet. So be mindful of this when asking questions on lithium forums. Sometimes it is preferable to better describe your configuration rather than using one of the above abbreviations.
Our 8 LifePO4 cells in their compression box in a
2P4S configuration. Two of the four threaded compression rods are visible in
place. Flexible connecting straps are made of multiple layers copper
carefully cleaned and firmly fastened to the terminals.
Small grey ribbon
cable wiring is for the BMS monitoring and balancing functions.
Cell Compression: Most literature and experts on LFP cells recommend using a 'compression box' to house the cells. This is more of a 'limitation box' that prevents the cells from chafing against each other and shorting, terminals being damaged by connector tension as a result of expansion during charging, and sliding around as a bank in rough weather. According to EVE Energy, one of the largest lithium cell manufacturers in China, their aluminum case cells require compression in order to reach their full service life. Many others agree.
So we built a compression box to store the cells using epoxy-coated 3/4-inch marine plywood and 3/8-inch Stainless Steel threaded rod. Between the cells we used 1 mm soft placemat material to prevent the cell sides from shorting together and provide somewhat of a cushion. The box has a polycarbonate cover and is strongly secured under our main cabin settee in the middle of the boat. It is only about 3 feet from the BMS, busses, regulators, relays and other major wiring. The addition of calibrated springs on the threaded rod would allow us to control the amount of compression, but we think that is overkill. With more effort/expense, the compression box could also be made of fiberglass, aluminum or steel.
Front of our battery box, with cover on and secured
under the settee seat. Four threaded compression rods are visible in place.
Red large cable is positive and brown negative.
Small gray wire is solar
MPPT sense. Thermal circuit breaker and diode on left are for trickle
charging the starter LA battery.
Battery Management System (BMS): A good BMS is a critical component of a LifePO4 system. Unlike most lead acid battery monitors that display overall battery voltages, a good BMS should monitor individual cell voltages. So a BMS can watch the voltage and state of charge of each cell, and make appropriate decisions regarding when to disconnect charge sources in case of an over voltage event (HVD) or disconnect loads in case of an under voltage event (LVD) in order to prevent cell damage.
There are two types of BMSs. One uses small internal MOSFET relays to turn on and off charging and loads when required. The other type of BMS can control much larger external relays. Since loads like inverters and windlasses and charging sources like alternators and generators might involve relatively high currents, cruising boat systems are better done with a BMS that uses high capacity external relays.
An important BMS feature is its ability to display externally what it is doing and important battery details such as voltage, current and SOC. Options include hard wiring to a display device such as a computer, wireless Wi-Fi, and wireless Bluetooth using an application. We are using Wi-Fi so that we can see what is happening with our system when on or off the boat.
Also, a good BMS will have some sort of cell balancing capability. 200 milliamps are usually sufficient to keep most reasonably matched and balanced marine house banks in line. Although most BMSs use some form of low current passive balancing, and that is usually sufficient over time, larger active balancers are available. They work with large cell deltas more quickly, removing excess amp hours from high voltage cells and placing it in lower cells.
BMSs range in price from cheap/dumb $15 USD small open boards with no user interface, to high-quality programmable BMSs that will integrate seamlessly with existing proprietary equipment like smart Victron components, for about $600 USD. High price doesn't always give you equipment with features you may need, but better quality BMSs are usually priced over $100 US. Before purchasing a BMS you should look at the several internet sources for comparing BMSs, including user forums and YouTube videos. Just remember serious cruisers cannot afford unreliable gear, so paying for reasonable quality and reliability is worthwhile, but no need to go overboard for capabilities you don't need.
We chose a very smart programmable BMS, an Electrodacus SBMS0, made in Canada by a small well-regarded company. This one is targeted at the DIY Solar community and can control multiple external relays with many adjustable parameters. It has an included detailed monitor screen, a 200 milliamp balancer, excellent HVD/LVD protection capability, and an optional Wi-Fi interface. Just about every parameter for charging, discharging, balancing and HVD/LVD control is adjustable by the user. The HVD/LVD controls have 6 ways to set the control function. It has a very sophisticated logging capability. Finally, the developer and others provides significant help to users as needed via a forum and several beginners' guides.
Our Electrodacus SBMS0 and its main monitoring screen, one of about two dozen screens available for monitoring and parameter adjustment. This screen shows, among other things, cell and total voltages, charging and load amps, maximum cell delta and SOC.
The Electrodacus SBMS0 also has some built-in historical logging, and with the addition of the optional Wi-Fi module, can provide a wireless MQTT feed to integrate into any Internet-of-Things (IOT) system. The MQTT capability allowed us to build a custom monitoring and logging screen (below), running on our Nav Station Computer. With internet access, and a bit of free software, we can monitor our electrical system from anywhere in the world.
What our current monitoring screen looks like (click on the picture for an enlarged copy):
Our Battery Management monitoring screen,
using the MQTT feed
from the Electrodacus, and built using Mosquitto and
Node-Red.
This is under constant revision by our onboard IT person.
(More
about this)
We are pleased with our choice of BMS, but it has involved a steep learning curve. (LifePO4 in general is a big learning curve!) Considerable help is available from the detailed User Manual, an even more helpful user-built Beginner's Guide, two forums with experienced users and the developer, Dacian, answering questions. Dacian will even diagnose problems and fix them if necessary, sometimes at no charge, if you send the unit to him in Canada.
Wiring & Fuses: It is important to use proper wire sizes, quality terminals, and make good connections, because proper monitoring and balancing involve millivolts and milliamps (thousanths of volts and amps). Any weak connection will affect readings and function.
The display and balancing wires are typically 20 gauge or smaller, so you might need better crimping and stripping tools. For example, the ElectroDacus system uses twisted solid Cat 5 or 6 24 gauge wires for connections to the SBMS0. Common stripping tools won't strip those small wires. (See our tool recommendations below).
Fusing and circuit breakers must be of quality construction and function as advertised. These relatively small batteries can produce huge amounts of amps if shorted. Although fires are rare with LiFePO4 technology, a shorted cell can melt tools instantly and cause sparking that can ruin your day and your boat. Proper installation will also prevent disapproval of an insurance claim should something go wrong. It is worth checking your insurance information to see if there are any specific clauses about LFP batteries.
Relays & Shunts: When using a BMS capable of controlling external relays, care must be taken regarding which relays to use for which circuits. And quality shunts must be used in order to display accurate current flow and State of Charge (SOC). Below is a list of those we used:
- Solar charging: In case a High Voltage Disconnect (HVD)
event occurs, we used two of the ElectroDacus
DSSR20 relays for the SBMS0 BMS to disconnect the four 200 watt panels from the
Morningstar Tristar-60 MPPT solar controller.
The DSSR 20 relays can each handle up to 20 amps of current, so are perfect for our
800 watts of 24v solar panels. For now, the MPPT handles the daily
charging and charge termination based on total battery voltage of 13.8v
(3.45vpc). Our MPPT has a battery sense wire, so has a very
accurate measure of battery voltage (not all MPPT's have battery sense
wires).
The SBMS0 cuts off charging (via the DSSR20's) in case of a high cell voltage event at 3.55 vpc. The SBMS0 could handle both cutoffs, but we need the MPPT controller in this circuit anyway since it handles the voltage conversion from the 24v 72 cell panels to the boat's 12v electrical system. And the MPPT gives us an extra layer of independent disconnects.
If the panel voltage matched the boat's voltage there would be no need for the expensive solar controller, and the BMS could handle charge termination without any solar controller (one of the unique features of the Electrodacus design).
- Shore Power Charging: We have a Sterling Power Pro
60 Amp AC charger, which we bought specifically because it has a
"LifePO4" charge profile. Unfortunately, that charge profile is
unrealistic for LiFePO4 cells. The minimum absorb setting
is 60 minutes, and cannot be changed. So if it is controlling the charging it will have to be
manually shut off when the battery reaches charge termination, as the
experts recommend little or no absorb time for LFP batteries.
However, cutting off charging can be controlled by the BMS using a Fotek 40 amp AC-DC solid state relay (SSR) placed in the AC load wire between shore and the charger. This allows the BMS to control the charge termination of a high voltage event by disconnecting the AC, not the DC wiring. We rarely use shore power for charging, even at the dock, so for now we are just disconnecting the unit from the batteries using a large circuit breaker in the DC wiring.
- Alternator Charging: We have two small 60 amp
externally regulated alternators, one on each engine. Our Very
Smart Regulators (VSR) can be easily configured to handle LiFePO4
charging with both time and tail current regulation and temperature and
voltage sensors. (Our VSR's are the predecessor to the popular Wakespeed
500 Smart Alternator Regulator). They also have an output throttle
which we have set to curtail amps out to 75% of maximum possible.
The SBMS0 controls the alternator HVD by disconnecting the ignition/enable wire from the regulator using 10 amp Fotek DC-DC solid state relays (SSRs). This is preferable to disconnecting the alternator field wire from the regulator because it safely turns off both the alternator and regulator. Since we don't normally use the alternators for charging, we also have a simple on off switch in the ignition wire so charging can be shut down when the engine is running. We are still refining this system.
- Switches and Resistors: Most of these relays are a little larger than a matchbox and use about 5 milliamps or less when energized. Because we rarely need to use the AC charger or alternators, we also have small on-off switches in their control circuits from the BMS to turn the relays off when not in use. These relays require a small resistor in the circuit to prevent excess current getting to the SBMS0 in case of a short.
- Buss Disconnects: As a second line of defense in case of over/under voltage problems, the SBMS0 also controls two high capacity Victron Battery Protect relays. These are placed between the shunts and busses. They can to separately disconnect the entire charge or load busses from the battery in case of a problem that wasn't handled by the charging sources or other relays. Their HVD/LVD voltages are set at cell voltage maximum/minimums of 3.65 and 2.50 vpc.
- Shunts: In order to be able to sense current and calculate SOC shunts are required. If one is used for the battery and one for the charging sources, charge, battery, and load currents can all be displayed. In the ElectroDacus system, both shunts are mounted on the positive battery cable. We used quality 100 amp 100 mV shunts from Reidon properly sized for our equipment.
Initial Testing and Balancing: Not everyone will have the time or want to do the initial testing that we did. We had purchased the cells with an electrical engineer friend--a total of 24 prismatic 271 Ah cells. Our friend had the proper large load and bench power supply equipment available, and we wanted to fully test that the capacity of the cells we received matched the manufacturer specs. This may be the only way to discover early on a cell lacking capacity or with a high internal resistance.
We started by charging all cells up individually to 3.6 volts per cell (vpc). Then we discharged them individually to 2.8 vpc and graphed the resulting discharge curve and capacity. Finally, we made a graph of the charge curves taking them back up to 3.6 vpc. (see graphs earlier)
After removing the charge, each cell fell back to a rest voltage of about 3.35 vpc. All capacities were within a few amp hours just below 271, since we did not fully charge or discharge them. The charge and discharge curves were similar, but not exactly the same. Internal resistance for all cells was measured to be .076 ohm at 3.0 vpc.
Top Balancing: Later we did what is referred to in the literature as a 'top balance'. That is taking all cells in parallel to some voltage above 3.5 vpc--in our case to 3.62 vpc--and letting them absorb to about 5 amp or less tail current. This should get them all balanced to within a few millivolts of each other at charge termination.
Although we did this a second time to less than 1 amp tail current, we did not find it to be very effective at getting the cells closer than about 100 mv apart at charge termination of 3.45 vpc. It probably would have been better to take them only to our charge termination voltage and let them absorb there to an absolute minimum tail current. There are a number of opinions on the internet as to exactly how best to do this.
We found the most effective balancing technique to be using our bench power supply and adjustable load equipment to manually get the cell voltages closer at charge termination. This consists of attaching the equipment to individual or a group of cells to raise or lower their voltage by adding or subtracting milliamps over time.
Regardless of how the cell voltages look at rest, they will always have a much higher delta when the voltage reaches the knee. After a week or so of adding and subtracting mA, cell voltage deltas can be reduced to an acceptable 10-20 mV.
Then the small passive automatic balancer in the SBMS0 can be used to keep them in balance, despite our not-well-matched cells.
The balancing mechanism on our BMS uses resistors that are latched in during charging, when the cell voltage delta goes above the minimum balancing setpoint, to suppress charging the highest cell(s). So the lowest cells receive full charge current, while the highest cell(s) receive less.
Our cells are now resting with a 7 mV delta and 20-30 mV delta at charge termination. These figures are entirely adequate for cell balance.
Tools and Equipment: We purchased the following equipment to help us better do the installation:
- Long Wei PS1310F DC bench power supply. [Amazon Link]
- 20 amp 180 watt adjustable load [Amazon Link]
- ISDT BattGo BG-8S 2 ea monitor balancer [Amazon Link] (used for cell voltage monitoring prior to receiving ElectroDacus)
- UNI-T UT-61E very accurate multimeter with logging [Amazon Link]
- UNi-T UT-210E clamp multimeter [Amazon Link]
- Titan 11477 ratcheting terminal crimper, yellow and black handles [Amazon Link]
- Klein Katapult 11063W wire stripper [Amazon Link]
- Klein 11074 blade for 16-26 ga (Cat 6) wire [Amazon Link]
- Manual large terminal crimper for #8 to 2/0 terminals
- Various wire terminals from 2/0 to 24 ga, heat shrink tubing, Cat 6 cable
- Assortment of 1 watt resistors
- Fotek AC-DC 40 amp SSR w/ cover and heat sink [Amazon Link] [Heat Sinks]
- Fotek DC-DC 10 amp SSR -3 each with clear plastic covers and heat sinks
- Reidon 100 amp 100 mv shunts- 2 each [Reidon] [Amazon Equivalent]
- Victron BP-100 Battery Protect (100 amp for charge side) [PKYS]
- Victron BP-220 Battery Protect (220 amp for load side) [PKYS]
- ElectroDacus SBMS0 BMS with Wifi [Electrodacus]
- ElectroDacus DSSR20 relays- 2 each [Electrodacus]
- RJ 271 Ah prismatic aluminum case cells- 8 each [RJ Lithium]
- Also spares: We have 2 spare cells, a spare BMS, spare DSSR20's, and spare SSR's.
 The ElectroDacus SBMS0 with polycarbonate cover and control wiring mounted near Nav Station |
 Smart alternator regulators and solid state selays (for HVD) |
 2 ElectroDacus DSSR20 Solid State Relays to Provide High Voltage Disconnect for Solar Panels |
 Solid State Relay for HVD for AC Charger |
 Victron Battery Protect for Controlling Busses |
|
Lithium Safety and The Insurance Issue
- I suspect that most underwriters are suspicious of Chinese lithium batteries (where almost all of these are made) and BMSs. However, even most 'US' branded 'drop in' lithium batteries use Chinese cells and BMSs.
- LifePO4 technology is different from, and safer than, Lithium batteries used in electronic devices like cell phones, and those in cars.
- A year after installation the danger from a cell problem is minimal, but danger from a poor installation or equipment continues. So a cruiser must be very familiar with his/her installation.
- Quality of equipment is a big problem not only with lithium batteries but with all equipment used on a boat. The competition for lithium battery market share is fierce and all sorts of claims are being made by unscrupulous dealers.
- There are several ways to do a lithium installation, including for off grid homes and electric vehicles where a failure is not such a big problem. Not all are suitable for a cruising boat, especially one travelling overseas, where failed equipment or poor installation techniques can spell disaster.
- Not all installers, though 'certified', will be as familiar as you might like with your marine installation. If using an installer, you must be familiar with your boat's electrical system and what will be required for a 'best practices' installation. Make sure the installer is also, and that you both agree with the installation details, especially the equipment.
- Watch the installation very closely and double check the installer's wiring and terminations. This will further familiarize you with the system and hopefully allow you to effectively troubleshoot a problem in the future.
- If you have done the research, know what you are doing, and are willing to do the installation yourself, you can save a considerable amount of money and ensure a proper installation. It is not rocket science. If we can do it properly, so can you.
- A lithium battery installation is not for everyone. If lithium installation challenges are insurmountable, our experience with high quality Gel batteries has convinced us that they are the best lead acid technology for cruisers.
And a couple of thoughts on insurance coverage:
- Insurance coverage is all based on risk. Underwriters want to reduce their risk to match the premium charged. There is a lot of risk insuring US boats including legal challenges, tropical cyclones, inept owners, and now faulty lithium battery installations.
- Insurers are much more careful now than before. Getting any marine insurance has become significantly more difficult. Boat location and age and owner qualifications, experience and claims history all matter now.
- Weather related losses in the Carib and US have been high over the past few years due to huge numbers of boats left in marinas, yards and mooring fields during exceptionally strong hurricanes.
- One possibility for a cruiser installing lithium might be to negotiate with the underwriter exempting losses from a lithium battery problem. If successful, that would present the opportunity do your own work and personally ensure a proper marine installation.
- Finally, a cruiser might delay a lithium installation until leaving for overseas where insurance coverage might be easier to obtain. For us, SE Asia during Covid was a great place and time to do the installation ourselves.
Have fun learning about this new technology, but remember that not everything you read is true, and the experts don't all agree. The forums, especially, are full of inaccurate opinions. So study carefully, and subscribe as we did, to the preponderance of evidence from the trusted sources below.
A good way to start, as a minimum, is to watch some of Will Prouse's YouTube videos, then graduate to some of those from Andy's Off Grid Garage, and finally read the detailed articles at MarineHowTo, NordkynDesign, and FilterGuy's Summary of BMS Functions. Once finished you will be ready to start your LFP project. Links to these resources are below.
YouTube Videos
Will Prowse's DIY Lithium and Solar on YouTube [link]
Andy's Off Grid Garage [link]
Bussed_As NZ's DIY Lithium and Solar on YouTube [link]
Articles
MarineHowTo.com's
LifePO4 on a Boat
This is an excellent beginner's guide that has
recently been updated by expert Rod Collins. Rod is a frequent
contributor to the forums.
NordkynDesign.com's Lithium Pages
This is a much more detailed and technical discussion, divided into
seven segments, recently updated. If your questions can't be answered here,
then there is no answer.
Stan Honey's Thoughts on LifePO4 Batteries on Boats (PDF) Somewhat dated and not updated. [link] or [alt link]
FilterGuy's excellent summary of BMS features is provided in this document on DIY Solar. All beginners should read and understand this before purchasing a BMS.
Beginner's Summary of BMS Functions, Types, and Features
More DIY Solar Forum "Beginner's Resources" [link]
Forums
Lithium batteries on a boat Facebook Group
Electrodacus Google Group (not boat-specific)
ElectroDacus-Specific Information
We have consolidated all of our current knowledge and experience (with contributions from others) for the ElectroDacus SBMS0 BMS on a separate ElectroDacus page. However, we continue to follow many of the links above, especially the forums, for new ideas and updates to the technology and equipment.
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Battery Charging System Philosophy
This is a big subject and it is always interesting to see how others are set up also. Much of how you set up the boat depends on how you plan to use it. If you are dockside most of the time you will want a different system than if you are cruising and away from docks. We are currently cruising, often away from docks and also away from good (expensive) repair facilities.
It has taken me several years to get my new catamaran set up the way I wanted it... with all charging systems wired to the House bank and a trickle charge arrangement for the Start battery. On the catamaran it is a little more complicated because we now have 2 engines and 2 alternators to worry about.
My system keeps the House and Start batteries physically isolated from each other in the normal use/charging situation. It allows multi step charging for the house bank and trickle charging for the start battery.
First, connect all your charging sources (alternator, 120v charger, solar, etc) on one "charge bus" and connect that directly to the house bank.
Run your charging sense and temperature wires to the house bank.
Connect your starting battery direct to the starter. Then connect the house bank to terminal 1 of the battery selector switch and the start battery to terminal 2.
Next connect all your loads to
the common terminal of your battery selector switch. Add cutout switches
and/or fuses as desired in the battery cables within 18" of the batteries, if
you want to comply with ABYC specs.
Finally, connect the positive posts of the house and starting batteries
together with 12 ga wire and a thermal circuit breaker and diode.
See Trickle Charging the Start Battery,
for details, below.
So, if you leave the battery selector switch on 1--the normal situation--the
starting battery starts the engine, and the house bank runs all the loads.
And the two batteries/banks are isolated. If the start battery fails, you
can temporarily place
the switch on Both to combine them for starting.
Also, keep your house batteries away from heat while charging, as it is a killer. If in the engine room, for example, with temps over 115 degrees F you will lose 75% of your cycle life! And if you are using Lead Acid technology for your house bank, don't forget to equalize!
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Start Battery Trickle Charging
At the 1998 SSCA Gam the Four Winds/Everfair owner, Bill Owra, gave what I thought was a very well thought out and much better wiring diagram for a house bank and a starting battery setup. It featured, among other things, hands off trickle charging of the start battery off the house bank, an anti theft switch in the starter/starter battery cable, using the battery selector switch to normally control only battery loads, rather than charging and loading, emergency cross connect for starting and house loads, and routing all charging source cables directly to the house bank so there's no possibility of an alternator or other disconnect problem while charging. It was the best layout I've seen and I've looked at many in the past 20 years of boat ownership.
I thought that the best feature was the automatic trickle charging of the starting battery from the house bank through a short 12 gauge wire with a diode (one way current flow) and thermal circuit breaker.
The idea is that when the house bank is being charged from any charging source the diode will keep the voltage to the starting battery about 1/2 volt below the house bank voltage, and the thermal circuit breaker will break the charging circuit off if the charging amperage get too high.
The starting battery can take up to about 15 amps if it needs it but with this system it normally just takes small float current. I've never seen more than about 2 amps going into my starting battery from the house bank.
This circuit provides a reasonable float charge to keep the starting battery always at 100 percent, just like in your car. A true starting battery with thin, large surface area plates and a high CCA/MCA rating is great for starting your engine and will last as long as your house bank if kept this way.
And it's all automatic with no risk of inadvertently disconnecting the house bank from its alternator charging source. I also keep a couple of spare diodes and thermal circuit breakers aboard just in case.
I used this electrical layout on our CSY, and have just (2018) installed it on our new catamaran. Here are the components required:
And links to online sources:
60amp 35v Schottky Diode (MBR6035)
And a picture of ours, installed. I just mounted it on a piece of scrap aluminum, near the battery box:
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For the
evolution of our solar system on Soggy Paws the CSY, see this page.
CSY Solar Charging Evolution
When we bought the catamaran, I sold off the old system that came with the boat and installed 4 new 200 watt 36v panels, and a new Morningstar MPPT solar regulator. Though we really liked the Outback MPPT regulator that we had on the CSY, the Morningstar offered a way to monitor the system via computer connection.
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Though the catamaran mounting doesn't allow rotation of the panels fore and aft, as we had on the CSY, we made up for it by adding another 200 watts of solar capacity.
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As with the CSY system, on a good solar day, we are cranking out the amps, and our batteries are fully charged at mid-day on a sunny day, even if we're wantonly charging computers and stuff. With the excess watts, we can handle several days worth of overcast days before we have to think about charging with other means. Also, in the wintertime, when the solar days are much shorter and the sun angle is not directly overhead even at midday, we have enough power to run the boat at anchor without running any other charging system.
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I have taken apart and rebuilt my own alternators ever since
I paid about $100 for a rebuild down in the islands that did not work. The
problem was that the shop installed 30a diodes in my 150a alternator that
needed 50a diodes. Back then I was still trusting third world mechanics with
some of the work on my boat. They are real simple to take apart, test and
replace parts. See
Nigel Calder's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. You certainly don't
need to send them anywhere for repair if you have basic tools, electrical
skills and first time instructions. If you have one of the older Delco,
Balmar or Powerlines, it is fairly simple.
The older Balmar and Powerline alternators look the same, are both based on
Delco alternators and most of the parts are the same including the cases.
Parts are available many places in the US including some Alternator/Starter
parts stores like Royal Battery in Florida and elsewhere. Used parts are
available at auto junk yards and alternator shops everywhere. The small case
alternators are built with capacities up to 150 amps, over that they use
large cases.
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Here is a bit of
interesting info on lightning, its cause, prevention and cure from a
discussion on an SSCA forum:
"Actually, lightning is very well understood in the scientific community.
How it forms and how it reacts is also understood. The University of
Illinois and others have many detailed scientific papers available on the
subject. Exactly where and when lightning will strike is a variable as it is
part of Mother Nature and there is a reason she is called "Mother Nature"
and not "Father Nature."
As to lightning and boats, the issue comes in two parts - 1. Prior to the
strike; and 2. During the strike.
Part 1. concerns how to reduce the probabilities of a lightning strike.
Lightning is a two part event. The ionized "leader" sweeps an area below the
generating cloud and an opposite "leader" sweeps back and forth up from the
surface of the earth. When they connect a pathway is opened and the energy
is discharged. To a boat the ground/earth "leader" is of most interest. As
this "leader" oscillates around it reaches up "x" distance into the
atmosphere. Whenever this leader encounters a vertical object like a tree,
house, telephone/power pole, or the mast of a boat it can reach further up
into the atmosphere and has a better chance of making a "connection." [same
thing as tall men in a bar full of good looking women].
So reducing the "electrical" apparent height of your boat is good. This can
be done with static dissipators such as the Forespar Lightning Master.
(Which is a copy of the static wick principle used on airplanes and
airliners). The sharp small "spikes" of the device "bleeds" off ions as they
build up and electrically reduces your mast height to equal that of the
ocean. However, to do this it must have a "significant" and good ground to
the ocean. That translates to 4 square feet of flat plate copper in contact
with the ocean and 2/0 welding cable between the mast and the plates
submerged in the ocean. A static dissipator will not dissipate if it is not
connected with the ocean.
So the result of part 1. is to electrically make your boat height equal to
the ocean. If you are anchored close to shore or in the close vicinity of
other "unprotected" masts/boats your probability of being hit is
significantly lower than theirs. If you are out in the middle of
no-where/ocean by yourself you are now "even-steven" with the ocean as to
getting a hit.
Part 2. is what can you do to prevent/minimize damage to the boat and its
contents during a strike. Again, the 4 sq ft. of copper joined with
significant sized welding cable to the mast(s) will provide a highly
desirable pathway for the lightning's energy to get directly to its only
objective - earth ground. If the mast(s) are not sufficiently well-grounded
then the lightning energy will try to find an alternate path to the ocean.
If the mast is not available to the lightning, then it will travel down the
shrouds/stays to the bonding system and set up a "field" inside the boat
that will "fry" most electronics and has been known to heat metal thru-hulls
sufficiently enough to melt them out of the hull and you are left with 1.5"
holes for the ocean to enter. Lack of any grounding to the ocean and you can
end up with holes blown through the hull.
Side note: while your boat is floating in the water it is grounded. When you
boat is "on the hard" (out of the water) it is not grounded and any
lightning strike to your boat or to a neighbors boat will fry your
electronics or other fine metal objects or more serious damage. It is
advisable if you are going to leave your boat on the hard, in an area with
probable lightning, to drive a copper or steel grounding stake into the
ground beneath your boat and hook up a significant sized wire from it to
your masts or boat grounding system.
There are many other esoteric factors available to folks wanting to get the
"whole story" such as positive versus negative forms of lightning, high
frequency vs low frequency lightning, etc. but for the boater I think the
primary interest is minimizing damage to the boat, contents, and not curling
the crew's hair. This is done by dealing with the before and during aspects
of protecting/guarding your boat from the energy in lightning.
Exactly where and when a strike will occurs is not determinable - the same
as the actual path of a hurricane or tropical storm is not totally
predicable as there are too many variables in nature for even the powerful
human built computer to input and resolve. So you can only do what you think
is cost-effective to "lower the odds" that you will be the target".
Here is a link with a
good discussion of lightning protection systems and the ABYC rules from a
custom yacht designer dated 2007-09:
www.kastenmarine.com/Lightning.htm
Here's what he says (comparing a 12'
strip to a 1 sf plate):
"The ABYC suggests the use of a grounding strip, rather than a plate. The
ABYC rule states: 'A grounding strip shall have a minimum thickness of 3/ 16
inch (5 mm), and a minimum width of 3/4 inch (19 mm).' A strip approximately
one inch (25 mm) wide and 12 feet long (3.7 m) has nearly six times the
amount of edge area exposed to the water, which will improve the dissipation
of charges. 'The grounding strip, if used, shall extend from a point
directly below the lightning protection mast, toward the aft end of the
boat, where a direct connection can be made to the boat's engine'.
A grounding plate, if used instead, should be solid, rather than the
sintered bronze type often used as radio grounds. The sponge-like structure
of the sintered bronze plates may, in the event of a strike, allow the
instant formation of steam, which could blow the plate apart, resulting in
possible severe damage to the surrounding hull".
An excellent discussion on Marine Grounding
issues (lightning grounds vs radio grounds vs electrical grounds) can be
found in Stan Honey's article on
Marine Grounding Systems.
My copper bar on the CSY was thru bolted to the hull on the port side running from about
the forward main cabin bulkhead aft into the engine room. Two of the 3/8"
bolts are nearly even with the mast so that I could get short runs of 2/0
wire to each from the mast without much bend. The connections need to be
really solid, so I did the mast thru bolted connections while the mast was
out of the boat.
If you Google boat lightning
grounds/protection you will find much more info on this, including this
useful tidbit on Kasten's site:
"The top-most end, or air terminal, should be a sharply pointed spike.
Alternately, a wire 'brush' type terminal can be placed at the masthead,
with the bristles pointed upward. There are several claims that a single
spike is more effective than a brush for dissipating the charge built up by
the boat".
We took both the spike and the bottle brush from the top of the mast on the
CSY when we sold it, and mounted it on our catamaran mast.
My spike is 5/8" aluminum, about 18" long. I threaded the bottom so I could
bolt it through a web in the mast cap. Some pics of the CSY setup
here:
http://www.svsoggypaws.com/CSY/hull.htm
Of all the scary things about cruising and boat ownership, lightning scares
me the most. Not only because of the potential for huge repair expenses, but
also because of the very real threat of loss of life. It is a serious
subject worth careful consideration by anyone using a boat.
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