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Questions on smart shunt and controllers

Newfiejeff

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Apr 12, 2022
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I am helping a friend with getting 4 victron charge controllers to be more in sync and not one being bulk another absorption and another in float.
He has 100/50, 100/30, 75/15,75/15 charge controllers with dongles and just installed a smart shunt.

All controller have all the same settings and the smart shunt is set .20 below float.


See attached. any advice is appreciated
 

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I swear this has been discussed...

First, there is almost no value in sync charging. It's not going to help you get more out of your array the vast majority of the time.

Second, VE.Direct to bluetooth dongles allow for SHARING data FROM the smartshunt TO the BlueSolars. It does not impart the ability to sync charge like a smartsolar.

Obviously, you should put them all in a VE.Smart network, so they use the shunt voltage, current and temperature if so equipped, but they will not speak with each other to coordinate phase of charge.


1.3. Limitations

There are a few limitations to be aware of:

  • The VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart Dongle is not compatible with Windows PC.
  • Synchronised charging is not possible with VE.Smart Networking.
  • Stored trends is not supported.
  • “Keep SOC” option is not supported for the Battery SOC on reset setting.
  • Bluetooth GATT service is not supported.
 
We did. Did you just not read it?


Did you think reality would bend to your will a month later?

Maybe refer your friend here, so we can finally put it to bed?
 
Thanks for your reply!!!

You did give me some information before which was appreciated, but with the smart shunt in the mix and all controllers in the network I would expect tgey be more in sync for a lack of better wording.
I didnt know if there was something else simple needed to be done.

Thanks again!!
 
Did you think reality would bend to your will a month later?
@Adam De Lay
Wow!!! How do I answer to that?

I appreciate all your knowledgeable answers and like a lot of people here we don’t have the same depth of knowledge. Regards of answering the same question more than once I apologize that you felt it necessary for you to reply like this or even reply!!!

Maybe I should have rephrased the question better than I did so it wasn’t the same question as it wasn’t meant to be the same question as before! I am not expecting synchronized charging which you explained why but thinking with a smart shunt it would make the controllers similar not one that is in bulk and another in float networked in to the same voltage source. In my mind one in bulk and another in float is a big difference from the same voltage!!!!

Since I have gotten only a few answers from Adam I must have been the topic of discussion behind the scenes here!!! WOO HOOO!!!

I wouldn’t refer my friend to this site for no money if that is the kind of answers that he would get!!! WOO HOO!!!

Still waiting for Adam to give his two cents worth!!!
 
Nah, no behind the scenes discussions. Sunshine is the go-to Victron guy so when he starts answering questions that I really don’t have answers to, I just bow out.

Just spit-balling here but what about adding a Cerbo/GX device and enabling DVCC or DCVV or “D…” something. Can’t think straight right now, but I wonder if having the GX device “manage” things will keep the SCC in better sync?
 
If you had a cerbogx and the batteries had BMS that integrated wouldn't it control all the mppts? Although cerbogx has 3 vedirect ports and you'd need 5 so would have to use usb adapters.
 
You wouldn’t have to have the BMSs integrated into the Cerbo, I don’t. I have a 450/100 and a 150/35 and from what I recall, they seem to stay in sync. Can’t say that I’m staring at them each time they switch stages though.
 
Nah, no behind the scenes discussions. Sunshine is the go-to Victron guy so when he starts answering questions that I really don’t have answers to, I just bow out.

Just spit-balling here but what about adding a Cerbo/GX device and enabling DVCC or DCVV or “D…” something. Can’t think straight right now, but I wonder if having the GX device “manage” things will keep the SCC in better sync?
Thanks for a sensible reply, but since Sunshine answered it multiple times I have my answer!!
You wouldn’t have to have the BMSs integrated into the Cerbo, I don’t. I have a 450/100 and a 150/35 and from what I recall, they seem to stay in sync. Can’t say that I’m staring at them each time they switch stages though.
it’s a small scale lead acid battery system so I doubt he will throw more money at it to not get anything in return!
 
You wouldn’t have to have the BMSs integrated into the Cerbo, I don’t. I have a 450/100 and a 150/35 and from what I recall, they seem to stay in sync. Can’t say that I’m staring at them each time they switch stages though.
Yeah I think DVCC does that, and IIRC you set the smartshunt as the default voltage.

I only have 1 mppt on each cerbo but also have inverters and I just noticed over the weekend when I had my genset running it shut off my solar because must have been running max charge.
 
@Adam De Lay
Wow!!! How do I answer to that?

I appreciate all your knowledgeable answers and like a lot of people here we don’t have the same depth of knowledge. Regards of answering the same question more than once I apologize that you felt it necessary for you to reply like this or even reply!!!

Every once in awhile, it's very discouraging when you invest time in somebody else, and it seems like they didn't listen or learn anything at all.

Maybe I should have rephrased the question better than I did so it wasn’t the same question as it wasn’t meant to be the same question as before! I am not expecting synchronized charging which you explained why but thinking with a smart shunt it would make the controllers similar not one that is in bulk and another in float networked in to the same voltage source. In my mind one in bulk and another in float is a big difference from the same voltage!!!!

You're missing a key concept. See the link and italics portion at the bottom.

Since I have gotten only a few answers from Adam I must have been the topic of discussion behind the scenes here!!! WOO HOOO!!!

Nope. He was simply the other party who posted in your prior thread.

I wouldn’t refer my friend to this site for no money if that is the kind of answers that he would get!!! WOO HOO!!!

While you may perceive a difference, everything was addressed and in more detail in the last thread. You had no reasonable basis to expect sync when it's impossible for them to do so.

Just spit-balling here but what about adding a Cerbo/GX device and enabling DVCC or DCVV or “D…” something. Can’t think straight right now, but I wonder if having the GX device “manage” things will keep the SCC in better sync?

See below.

If you had a cerbogx and the batteries had BMS that integrated wouldn't it control all the mppts? Although cerbogx has 3 vedirect ports and you'd need 5 so would have to use usb adapters.

That's classified as external control. There is no bulk/absorption or phase designation. MPPT under BMS control report "External control" and are charging to CVL (charge voltage limit) and CCL (charge current limit) values from the BMS similar in concept to when you enable charge and current control those in DVCC.

You wouldn’t have to have the BMSs integrated into the Cerbo, I don’t. I have a 450/100 and a 150/35 and from what I recall, they seem to stay in sync. Can’t say that I’m staring at them each time they switch stages though.

FWIW, the internal trackers on the RS450 units are supposed to sync, but Victron isn't super clear on this.

Could you generate a custom widget or at least place the two MPPT state charts above and below to compare?
1708400511910.png



GX devices do not sync chargers. They can issue global limits, e.g., with DVCC, you can set voltage and current limits that the GX will pass through to all GX connected charge sources, but those are just numbers. It won't influence charge phase.

MPPT sync charging happens two ways:
  1. VE.Smart networking of Smartsolars capable of sync charging (a few old ones aren't).
  2. VE.CAN capable Smartsolar MPPT daisy chained together whether connected to a GX device or not. Up to 25 MPPT can be on the same chain.
GX does not provide MPPT sync even with DVCC enabled unless ESS and/or BMS control are active.

Per https://www.victronenergy.com/media...tml#UUID-5e22b3c7-bb17-e103-9f5d-50a8f4147ad6

Even when DVCC is enabled, chargers are managed by their own internal algorithms.

Blatherings:

When all sources are very nearly equal power, there is a slight tendency to stay in sync.

When all sources are using the same voltage/current data, there is a slight tendency to stay in sync.

LFP battery absorption periods can be so short, you just never notice they're out of sync.

Lastly,


Note:
Multiple chargers only offer benefit when the battery is below the absorption voltage. Once the absorption voltage is hit, it is now a voltage limited charge and thus current will be lower than the sum of all sources. The battery bank will only accept as much current as it needs to maintain the absorption voltage. As the battery bank fills, current is reduced and chargers can no longer deliver current at the absorption voltage. They will drop out and go to float. Typically, the highest current charging source will always be the last source charging while all others are at 0A and likely in float mode.

---


Going off equipment ratings, 50, 30, 15 and 15A, those are presumably proportional to the actual current each is capable of delivering...

Source 1: 3.3X min
Source 2: 2X min
Sources 3 and 4: min

In most cases, clear skies, all panels facing the same direction (i.e., all panels are experiencing the exact same solar intensity with no shading) 3 and 4 are likely to end up in float FAST, 2 is likely next and 1 will finish the charge.
 
Could you generate a custom widget or at least place the two MPPT state charts above and below to compare?
1708438472699.png
I'm assuming that the fact that the voltage syncs between the two charge controllers from DVCC (SVS and STS) that it gives the illusion that things are in sync because it has the same data and "should" switch modes at the same time. Of course I'm not sure what would be different between SVS and the VE Smart Network cause it should sync all the same data.

I do recall seeing some of Andy's videos from Off Grid Garage where he had his charge controllers in different modes at the same time as well. I guess if there's some bug in the VE Smart Network, the charge controlers would fall back on their own detected voltage.
 
FYI- On my MotorHome I have two solar arrays:
100/50 & 100/30.

Because I reused the OEM wiring for the 100/30 (the wire from the SCC to the battery is very long), that caused voltage differences.

When I was using the Bluetooth VE.Network, the 100/30 would enter absorbing mode too early, then (because it was on the Bluetooth smart network) it would force the he other SCC into absorbing mode too. (That was a bad thing).

Once I enabled DVCC in my CCGX(older unit comparable to a Cerbo), it got much better. The DVCC keeps the 100/30’s voltage more in line with the BMV712, so they enter absorbing mode closer together.

It is no big deal if they are in “sync” in the transitions or not. You are practically full at that time.

If one SCC is hitting absorbing mode too early (and float early), you may want to do a detailed study into the question of “Why is that SCC’s voltage being read higher that the other units?”. The answer is voltage drop, somewhere, somehow, there is more voltage losses on that line. It could be longer wire, a wire sized too small, a “more” poor electrical connection, a fuse, etc.

Good Luck
 
FYI- On my MotorHome I have two solar arrays:
100/50 & 100/30.

Because I reused the OEM wiring for the 100/30 (the wire from the SCC to the battery is very long), that caused voltage differences.

When I was using the Bluetooth VE.Network, the 100/30 would enter absorbing mode too early, then (because it was on the Bluetooth smart network) it would force the he other SCC into absorbing mode too. (That was a bad thing).

Once I enabled DVCC in my CCGX(older unit comparable to a Cerbo), it got much better. The DVCC keeps the 100/30’s voltage more in line with the BMV712, so they enter absorbing mode closer together.

It is no big deal if they are in “sync” in the transitions or not. You are practically full at that time.

If one SCC is hitting absorbing mode too early (and float early), you may want to do a detailed study into the question of “Why is that SCC’s voltage being read higher that the other units?”. The answer is voltage drop, somewhere, somehow, there is more voltage losses on that line. It could be longer wire, a wire sized too small, a “more” poor electrical connection, a fuse, etc.

Good Luck
But if you're using the VE smart bt network, shouldn't you be able to to set it to use the shunt's voltage for all the MPPTs? I thought this was the only real point for vesmart.

On my cargo trailer I put the smart battery sense on the battery then the mppt 10+ feet away and use the vesmart so it'll use that voltage instead.
 
Good question…

There is a software limit how much the Bluetooth network can adjust the voltage- my voltage drop straddled that line. Sometimes-some days it was fine other days it was not.

The DVCC has a much larger range - so it works much better in my setup.

My guess is that for 99% of the voltage drops the Bluetooth is fine - it figures I was straddling that 1% line.
 
Thank you guys and very much appreciated!

I wasn’t expecting synchronized charging at all as you explained but I was expecting something a little more close than one in bulk and one in float but if that is the capabilities of the units and how they can work then that’s it.
I really do appreciate your help @sunshine_eggo and sometimes what is asked and what is interpreted is two different things when it’s not in person!
 
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