Iterative testing can be very informative, if you understand the results.
I am trying to understand how my BlueSmart charger configuration and the outcome are related. I’d appreciate some feedback on my conclusions.
I had a brief power outage (go figure) so the charger was reset and started bulk again, so I didn’t get to see what the end result of the above test would have been. I hypothesize that eventually, one of three things would have happened:
1. It would have hit the default (if no rebulk current is specifically configured) rebulk threshold of 15A for 4 seconds.
2. It would have fully charged the battery back up as the charger continued to pump more current into the battery to try to keep it at 13.2V. I don’t think this is likely, since I *think* that Storage mode would just try to keep it at 13.2V, not charge it fully.
3. I would have hit my low voltage shutdown threshold.
My Conclusions
I think that in disabling Float, the charger went from Bulk to Absorption and then straight to Storage mode. Once in Storage mode, the battery serviced all loads exclusively until the battery’s SoC hit the 13.2V threshold for the Storage setting, at which point the charger started to send current back into the battery to try to keep it at 13.2V. As load continued to draw the battery down, the current into the battery in Storage mode ramped up.
I suspect the charger may never have gone back into bulk, unless one of several external factors occurred: power to the charger is interrupted, a mode switch is pressed, or I forced it.
Once a week, the charger would run an absorption charge, which would fully charge the battery and balance the cells.
If I had had Float configured, the battery would have serviced all loads exclusively until the battery’s SoC hit whatever I configured the Float threshold to be, at which point the charger would have started to send current back into the battery to try to keep it at the configured Float voltage. Again, without a rebulk current configured, I’d be waiting for the default to trigger.
Scenario 1 - Some Battery Cycling
I think that if I want the battery to draw down to, say 50% SoC and then start a full charge cycle, I would set the Float voltage at a voltage approximating 50% SoC under load, keep Storage at 13.2V and set rebulk current to something like .2A or .3A. It should never hit Storage in this case. Alternatively, I could keep Float disabled, and set Storage to a voltage approximating 50% SoC under load.
I do understand that SoC is generally measured at rest, and that a measurement taken under load will not be accurate, so it will be an approximation.
Scenario 2 - No Significant Battery Cycling
Since y'all are telling me that cycling the battery isn't a meaningful exercise, I could just abandon any attempts to do so altogether, and configure Float to be 13.6V, Storage to be 13.2V and set a rebulk current of somewhere in the .2A to .5A range.
In either scenario, I probably need to observe what happens with different rebulk current settings to dial in getting bulk to start when I want it to.
Do I understand the charge process correctly? What is wrong with my conclusions and my understanding?
I am trying to understand how my BlueSmart charger configuration and the outcome are related. I’d appreciate some feedback on my conclusions.
I had a brief power outage (go figure) so the charger was reset and started bulk again, so I didn’t get to see what the end result of the above test would have been. I hypothesize that eventually, one of three things would have happened:
1. It would have hit the default (if no rebulk current is specifically configured) rebulk threshold of 15A for 4 seconds.
2. It would have fully charged the battery back up as the charger continued to pump more current into the battery to try to keep it at 13.2V. I don’t think this is likely, since I *think* that Storage mode would just try to keep it at 13.2V, not charge it fully.
3. I would have hit my low voltage shutdown threshold.
My Conclusions
I think that in disabling Float, the charger went from Bulk to Absorption and then straight to Storage mode. Once in Storage mode, the battery serviced all loads exclusively until the battery’s SoC hit the 13.2V threshold for the Storage setting, at which point the charger started to send current back into the battery to try to keep it at 13.2V. As load continued to draw the battery down, the current into the battery in Storage mode ramped up.
I suspect the charger may never have gone back into bulk, unless one of several external factors occurred: power to the charger is interrupted, a mode switch is pressed, or I forced it.
Once a week, the charger would run an absorption charge, which would fully charge the battery and balance the cells.
If I had had Float configured, the battery would have serviced all loads exclusively until the battery’s SoC hit whatever I configured the Float threshold to be, at which point the charger would have started to send current back into the battery to try to keep it at the configured Float voltage. Again, without a rebulk current configured, I’d be waiting for the default to trigger.
Scenario 1 - Some Battery Cycling
I think that if I want the battery to draw down to, say 50% SoC and then start a full charge cycle, I would set the Float voltage at a voltage approximating 50% SoC under load, keep Storage at 13.2V and set rebulk current to something like .2A or .3A. It should never hit Storage in this case. Alternatively, I could keep Float disabled, and set Storage to a voltage approximating 50% SoC under load.
I do understand that SoC is generally measured at rest, and that a measurement taken under load will not be accurate, so it will be an approximation.
Scenario 2 - No Significant Battery Cycling
Since y'all are telling me that cycling the battery isn't a meaningful exercise, I could just abandon any attempts to do so altogether, and configure Float to be 13.6V, Storage to be 13.2V and set a rebulk current of somewhere in the .2A to .5A range.
In either scenario, I probably need to observe what happens with different rebulk current settings to dial in getting bulk to start when I want it to.
Do I understand the charge process correctly? What is wrong with my conclusions and my understanding?