8. Appendix
8.1. Initial charge procedure without BMS
If, for a specific reason, the initial charge procedure needs to be performed without a BMS, this is the procedure for it. Please note that this is not something we recommend because this process can be risky. A supervisor must be present, who will need to watch their phone continuously for hours as the battery cell voltages must be checked continuously to safeguard that the voltage of the highest cell never exceeds 4V.
Warning
Charging without BMS is not the preferred method. It can be risky, and a supervisor must be present at all times.
These are the charger or inverter/charger settings when the battery is charged without a BMS:
Recommended charger settings when performing an initial charge without a BMS WARNING: Use these settings only during the initial charge process | ||||||
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Battery model | Max. charge current | Charge profile | Absorption voltage | Absorption time | Float voltage | Storage voltage |
12.8V - 60Ah | 20A | Lithium, fixed | 13.8V | 12h | 14.2V | 13.5V |
12.8V - 100Ah | 30A | Lithium, fixed | 13.8V | 12h | 14.2V | 13.5V |
12.8V - 160Ah | 50A | Lithium, fixed | 13.8V | 12h | 14.2V | 13.5V |
12.8V - 200Ah | 60A | Lithium, fixed | 13.8V | 12h | 14.2V | 13.5V |
12.8V - 300Ah | 100A | Lithium, fixed | 13.8V | 12h | 14.2V | 13.5V |
25.6V - 200Ah | 60A | Lithium, fixed | 27.0V | 12h | 27.6V | 27.0V |
Initial charge without using a BMS
Charge procedure:
Use a battery charger that is suitable for Li-ion, such as a BluePower charger.
Set the charger to the charge profile as indicated in above table.
The supervisor connects with the VictronConnect app to the battery.
The supervisor monitors the individual cell voltages at all times.
The supervisor interrupts the battery charge process immediately should a battery cell voltage exceeds 4 Volt.
The process is complete when all cell voltages are between 3.5V and 3.6V
8.2. Micro-controller power-cycle procedure
Warning
Note that when the system is installed and operated correctly, it will never be necessary to carry out this procedure. Carrying out this procedure is only necessary when the battery has been discharged far too deeply. And even then, only sometimes. Before opening the battery, carefully follow below instructions, to make sure this procedure is needed. Only use this procedure as a last resort, after all other troubleshooting options have been exhausted!
Warning
This procedure involves opening the battery cover and temporary disconnecting the positive terminal of the battery's internal circuit board. It should only be performed by Victron Energy dealers or distributors, technicians or professional users. If in doubt about performing this procedure consult your Victron Energy dealer or distributor.
Introduction and when to use this procedure:
After a battery has been discharged far too deep, ie. terminal voltages below 8V for a 12V model and 16V for a 24V model, a special slow recharge procedure is required to try to recover the battery. This procedure is detailed in chapter Battery very low terminal voltage. Read that chapter carefully. After such a too deep discharge, it can happen that the microcontroller does not power up correctly. This chapter explains how to fix that by power cycling the micro-controller. Before opening the battery, first carefully follow below instructions to make sure that it's necessary.
Note, that when installed and operated correctly, batteries will never be discharged to that level. Make sure to understand why it happened, and amend the installation and/or the operation of the system accordingly.
Lastly, be informed that this chapter is added to the manual for the benefit of installers and technically qualified users – to help to recover from such a situation without having to ship the battery out for repair. This does not at all mean that it is required to carry out this procedure yourself. The Victron service points and repair centres are happy to carry out the procedure when that is preferred. And, again, do note that once discharged as deeply as described here (cell voltages below 2V), the battery will be damaged and its usable capacity will, at best, have been reduced. And in the worst case the battery needs to be replaced.
How to recognise a stuck microcontroller:
First, make sure the system is within operational parameters:
The battery needs to be charged and the battery voltage above 13V (26V).
The battery temperature needs to be above the low temperature cut-off (default is 5°C or 41°F).
The BMS cables between the battery and the BMS need to be connected and in good working condition.
Now, verify that the BMS still signals loads and chargers to disconnect. This table details how to do that for all available BMS-es:
The BMS is not allowing loads and chargers to operate when: | |
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SmallBMS | The blue "Load On" LED is off and the red "Temp or OVP" LED is on. |
VE.Bus BMS | The red LED is on, the blue LED is off and the MultiPlus/Quattro LED is on. |
Lynx Smart BMS | In VictronConnect (or a GX device IO tab) both the "Allow-to-charge" and the "Allow-to-discharge" parameters are disabled. |
Smart BMS CL 12/100 | The yellow and orange LEDs are off. |
Smart BMS 12/200 | The yellow and orange LEDs are off. |
BMS 12/200 | The "charge" and "output on" LEDs are off |
Lastly, check that the battery is not visible in the VictronConnect device list. If the battery shows, the micro-controller is running normally and a power cycling is not required.
Micro-controller reset procedure:
Warning
Opening the battery will expose 12Vdc (or 24Vdc) voltages that can not be isolated.
Always use insulated tools when working on batteries.
Prevent short circuits between the battery terminals, the battery cell terminals, the cell busbars and/or the internal circuit board. There is no fuse protection.
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NoticeThe electrical tape is a precaution to prevent a possible short-circuit between the positive battery terminal and the negative busbar. | |
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If the BMS is allowing loads and chargers, the procedure was successful. * Note that if the battery does not appear in the device list, this can be because Bluetooth has been disabled. See the VictronConnect issues chapter for more information. |