oldmancharlie
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2021
- Messages
- 12
Hey everyone,
So I've ordered a Bluetti AC200P for the main component of my cabin micro-system. Our electricity consumption is so low that I mostly plan to charge it with a gas generator every few days (I anticipate the unit's battery lasting 3-6 days depending). Looks like the extra AC adapters just sold out, but I'll be getting one so I can 'fast charge' which sounds great, 2-2.5 hours of generator run-time for days of power
But what is on the other side of this second DC input? I'm a noob but I'm guessing some sort of charge controller that is capable of accepting solar at max 700W/35-150V, or a second ac/dc adapter at 400W/ 58.8V at 8.5 A (which is the 'same' as if PV was coming in at the same strength?), or from a vehicle (roughly 13-15V? not sure what the alternator would put out or the Bluetti would draw but I think I read roughly ten hours to fully charge from a vehicle? Does the Bluetti somehow 'boost' the 13-15V to somewhere between 35-150V like required from a PV array? Or is 13-15V at like 10A produces 140W and that is somehow fine?
And somehow all of this makes it to a 48V battery?
Another question about the ac/dc adapter, I've seen someone's post about wiring it to a 48V LifePO battery bank, and it properly charged it in all the stages... On the Bluetti, the 'normal' DC input for the adapter, does that go 'straight' to the batteries letting the adapter/charger do its thing? Is this the same/different when it is plugged into the second DC input? I suppose either the charger or whatever the second input goes to would charge quickly and then slow down to top off the batteries regardless, but again I'm curious about how this second DC input works with various inputs.
I'm curious because I'd like to know if I can charge the Bluetti with a woodstove thermoelectric generator. This air-cooled model has a peak rating of 30W, comes set at 13.8-14.2V (so 2A?), but can be adjusted to 24V (but then the amps would drop to 1A?). Wow as I'm writing this I'm realizing how little power that is...
But, whatever power I get from a TEG would be constant; our woodstove runs from soon until March non-stop, and even 15W over 24 hours is 360W hours, right? Which is like a 60W laptop running for 6 hours?
Eventually I'd like a PV array, a liquid cooled TEG generator, and maybe wind generator, and all hooked up at the same time, but I'm guessing that's more complicated than I think (splicing the wires together, hahaha...) and I may have graduated from the Bluetti at that point anyway. Or will have expanded the battery bank as other folks have done, then maybe a separate charge controller to that battery bank from each source?
Anyway, hopefully someone knows or can help me surmise what's going on in there! And if ANYONE has experience ordering or using a pre-built TEG unit I would love to hear from you! The websites all seem dodgy and I can't find anyone's first hand experience with one!
Thanks everyone,
Charles.
So I've ordered a Bluetti AC200P for the main component of my cabin micro-system. Our electricity consumption is so low that I mostly plan to charge it with a gas generator every few days (I anticipate the unit's battery lasting 3-6 days depending). Looks like the extra AC adapters just sold out, but I'll be getting one so I can 'fast charge' which sounds great, 2-2.5 hours of generator run-time for days of power
But what is on the other side of this second DC input? I'm a noob but I'm guessing some sort of charge controller that is capable of accepting solar at max 700W/35-150V, or a second ac/dc adapter at 400W/ 58.8V at 8.5 A (which is the 'same' as if PV was coming in at the same strength?), or from a vehicle (roughly 13-15V? not sure what the alternator would put out or the Bluetti would draw but I think I read roughly ten hours to fully charge from a vehicle? Does the Bluetti somehow 'boost' the 13-15V to somewhere between 35-150V like required from a PV array? Or is 13-15V at like 10A produces 140W and that is somehow fine?
And somehow all of this makes it to a 48V battery?
Another question about the ac/dc adapter, I've seen someone's post about wiring it to a 48V LifePO battery bank, and it properly charged it in all the stages... On the Bluetti, the 'normal' DC input for the adapter, does that go 'straight' to the batteries letting the adapter/charger do its thing? Is this the same/different when it is plugged into the second DC input? I suppose either the charger or whatever the second input goes to would charge quickly and then slow down to top off the batteries regardless, but again I'm curious about how this second DC input works with various inputs.
I'm curious because I'd like to know if I can charge the Bluetti with a woodstove thermoelectric generator. This air-cooled model has a peak rating of 30W, comes set at 13.8-14.2V (so 2A?), but can be adjusted to 24V (but then the amps would drop to 1A?). Wow as I'm writing this I'm realizing how little power that is...
But, whatever power I get from a TEG would be constant; our woodstove runs from soon until March non-stop, and even 15W over 24 hours is 360W hours, right? Which is like a 60W laptop running for 6 hours?
Eventually I'd like a PV array, a liquid cooled TEG generator, and maybe wind generator, and all hooked up at the same time, but I'm guessing that's more complicated than I think (splicing the wires together, hahaha...) and I may have graduated from the Bluetti at that point anyway. Or will have expanded the battery bank as other folks have done, then maybe a separate charge controller to that battery bank from each source?
Anyway, hopefully someone knows or can help me surmise what's going on in there! And if ANYONE has experience ordering or using a pre-built TEG unit I would love to hear from you! The websites all seem dodgy and I can't find anyone's first hand experience with one!
Thanks everyone,
Charles.
