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battery bank question

Minimoose

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Jan 24, 2022
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Western Pennsylvania
I have two 200ah hooked up for my well pump inverter and four 100 ah batteries for my house inverter. Both are backup and not grid tied. They all have the same cycling and float voltages. Could I safely jumper one to the other to help out the other bank? Maybe when they are charged and in the 13.8 volt float mode? I origionally built the first one for the house and have since gotten an ecoflow delta 1300 and a bluetti ac200p. Batteries are all about the same age. The main difference is that the well batteries have 4/0awg and the house bank have 2/0 awg. They each have their own mppt chargers and panels. All AGM batteries also. I wouldn't be running both at the same time.
 
They can be combined into one bank. I would make sure that they are all at the same SOC, before doing so.
Thank you! I figured as much, but wanted to make sure. It may be easier to just move two of the 100ah over to pad the amperage for the well. Like I said it's only for back up in case the grid goes down. I can't see buying another 200ah battery if I can combine them.
 
One bank as long as you put a fuse between those banks!!

You're increasing the available fault current dramatically so the fuses or breakers, you should already have, can be overtaxed during any fault.

You also are increasing the likelihood of an internal cell fault in-system since you're connecting more cells together. A cell can fail shorted in which case ALL the batteries in the entire bank will go into major discharge into that shorted cell leading to some spectacular heating likely followed quickly by an intense fire. To completely avoid this scenario you put properly rated fuses between each battery and the main bus. If any battery has a cell short event that battery will be cut out of the herd by the fuse limiting current in or out of it.

You add up all the amps available from all the battery sets but the one for the battery being protected.
You look at the battery data sheets. One might be 4kAmps one might be 2kAmps and the other might be 3kA. Total 9kA.
Find a fuse type that can interrupt at least 9kA as that would be what's being contributed to a shorted cell in the fourth battery.

Next figure out how many amps your loads (inverters) can be expected to draw. Lets say it's a 3kW inverter. 24V batteries.
3kW/24V = 125A

Continuing the same example. You have four banks. 125A/4 = 31A each would be needed in a happily matched and shared setup. But to handle contingencies maybe double that 60A. Run 60A breakers or fuses from each battery bank. Breakers let you disconnect batteries more easily than fuses.

Of course you'd have to have 60A safe wire from each of these to the main bus.
An appropriate fuse or breaker to the inverter capable of running the inverter at it's maximum draw endlessly protected by that main bus fuse.
 
One bank as long as you put a fuse between those banks!!

You're increasing the available fault current dramatically so the fuses or breakers, you should already have, can be overtaxed during any fault.

You also are increasing the likelihood of an internal cell fault in-system since you're connecting more cells together. A cell can fail shorted in which case ALL the batteries in the entire bank will go into major discharge into that shorted cell leading to some spectacular heating likely followed quickly by an intense fire. To completely avoid this scenario you put properly rated fuses between each battery and the main bus. If any battery has a cell short event that battery will be cut out of the herd by the fuse limiting current in or out of it.

You add up all the amps available from all the battery sets but the one for the battery being protected.
You look at the battery data sheets. One might be 4kAmps one might be 2kAmps and the other might be 3kA. Total 9kA.
Find a fuse type that can interrupt at least 9kA as that would be what's being contributed to a shorted cell in the fourth battery.

Next figure out how many amps your loads (inverters) can be expected to draw. Lets say it's a 3kW inverter. 24V batteries.
3kW/24V = 125A

Continuing the same example. You have four banks. 125A/4 = 31A each would be needed in a happily matched and shared setup. But to handle contingencies maybe double that 60A. Run 60A breakers or fuses from each battery bank. Breakers let you disconnect batteries more easily than fuses.

Of course you'd have to have 60A safe wire from each of these to the main bus.
An appropriate fuse or breaker to the inverter capable of running the inverter at it's maximum draw endlessly protected by that main bus fuse.
I have a 500 amp fuse on the well inverter per AIMS recommendation 12 volt/4000 watts4/0awg cable and I have a 300 amp fuse on the 3000 watt inverter with 2/0 awg. That inverter will probably never see anything above 1500-2000 watts any ways. I have spare 250 and 300 watt fuses laying around so it would be easy to add one between the banks if needed. I'm not even sure I will bother connecting the two banks, but wanted some input so thank you! Since I have gotten the Ecoflow and the Bluetti the original battery bank setup is my 3rd option for running things at the house. I just thought it could be put to other use in an emergency.
 
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