🤔 Question of the Day: Have you faced any overheating issues with your Victron (or other) DCDC Charger? How did you handle it?

@nordic5490

11 ай бұрын

My Redarc 50A DCDC overheated in about 10mins in 15°c ambient, no airflow, and then its themrla protection dropped the charge current form 50A to 42A. Not happy Jan ! So.... i fitted a Jaycar 80mm fan over the case using 12mm pcb standoffs and a zip tie (dont forget to buy the fan finger guard). The zip tie goes over the top. I tried 4 different 80mm fans. The Jaycar 80mm low noise mag lev bearing cat # YX2580 works great. You will just barely hear this fan in a quiet house, and cannot hear it with the engine running. 50A continous charge current for 4.5hrs until nearly full charge of my 240ah lfp. Works great. Happy again. I also fitted a very quiet 80mm fan to a 40 Kings dcdc (these are actually 38A below 1/2 charge, then twaer of to 35a near full charge) but it didnt need it - I just had a spare fan. The Kings dcdc runs much cooler, almost dead cold, compared to the Redarc. The Redarc: 54A input at 13.5V gives 50A charge out @ eg 13.5V. 729W in, but only 675W out. 54W is being lost as heat in the case. No wonder the Redarc is roasting. That 54w of heat has to go somewhere I speculate that the Redarc isonly meant to be mounted in the airflow on front of the radiator (as per instructions). Redarc do sell an in cab 40A unit, but, I suspect it is actually the same circuit, but at 40A it can survive witbout airflow. Anyhow, I have been testing in my kitchen for a couple of weeks, at least 10 full cycles of my 2x 120A Kings LFP. Using a 2000W inverter and a 2000W inverter as a load. 40mins at 178A is a good way to stress test your crimps and cable size choice.

@TheAussiebloke87

10 ай бұрын

How did you wire the fan up please, I'm having the same issue @@nordic5490

Thanks Simon I feel a little bit more educated. The graphs always help you know that. You have the best toys ever

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

Thanks mate, the graphs have almost become mandatory now! I'm not sure I could integrate them into a trip video, but I'll give it a go... Maybe the weather? Or the altitude? Lol

ok, my head hurts.......😂

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

😂😂😂

Your completely over thinking this! Ignition wire (relay if required) to the fan! Start the car & the fan turns on! Done, finish, no more to it!😂

@LockyourHubs4WDing

3 ай бұрын

That would work most of the time, but not all of the time!

I have the same Victron, with the same problem. I have attached a small laptop van to Cool it down. Works perfectly. Before I start driving and know that my lithium needs so TLC, I just switch the smaal fan on, and when I stop driving, switch of. My DCDC also have a switch, if my solar is not keeping up, just switch my DCDC on. Saving my alternator. Solar keeps the 300 ah lithium topped up most of the time. Good video.

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

While a manual switch would work fine, there will come a time where I'll forget it! Automation has the benefit that it never forgets.

@filla5019

11 ай бұрын

@@LockyourHubs4WDing agree, but what you did is just above my pay grade 😄. On eBay there is a guy that sells that fan and kit for about $100 , for exactly this situation.

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

@@filla5019 Tim, yeah, he's a top bloke, very knowledgeable.

My Redarc 50A DCDC overheated in about 10mins in 15°c ambient, no airflow, and then its themrla protection dropped the charge current form 50A to 42A. Not happy Jan ! So.... i fitted a Jaycar 80mm fan over the case using 12mm pcb standoffs and a zip tie (dont forget to buy the fan finger guard). The zip tie goes over the top. I tried 4 different 80mm fans. The Jaycar 80mm low noise mag lev bearing cat # YX2580 works great. You will just barely hear this fan in a quiet house, and cannot hear it with the engine running. 50A continous charge current for 4.5hrs until nearly full charge of my 240ah lfp. Works great. Happy again. I also fitted a very quiet 80mm fan to a 40 Kings dcdc (these are actually 38A below 1/2 charge, then twaer of to 35a near full charge) but it didnt need it - I just had a spare fan. The Kings dcdc runs much cooler, almost dead cold, compared to the Redarc. The Redarc: 54A input at 13.5V gives 50A charge out @ eg 13.5V. 729W in, but only 675W out. 54W is being lost as heat in the case. No wonder the Redarc is roasting. That 54w of heat has to go somewhere I speculate that the Redarc isonly meant to be mounted in the airflow on front of the radiator (as per instructions). Redarc do sell an in cab 40A unit, but, I suspect it is actually the same circuit, but at 40A it can survive witbout airflow. Anyhow, I have been testing in my kitchen for a couple of weeks, at least 10 full cycles of my 2x 120A Kings LFP. Using a 2000W inverter and a 2000W inverter as a load. 40mins at 178A is a good way to stress test your crimps and cable size choice.

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

Sounds like you're sorting it out properly before the install, great to hear! Thermal throttling is common in electronic design to handle additional thermal loads, and your right to use forced convective heat transfer to get your performance back rather than rely on passive convection to move the heat. 93% efficiency for the redarc isn't actually all that bad, Victron quotes 87% for their 12 12 30 DCDC charger, both suffer from thermal throttling though in use. I suspect you're right, that the 40a inside unit is just a 50a derated. And you're right, nearly 200a of load will sort out any undersized wires or dodgy crimps!

Thank you. Cheers

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

No worries!

Awesome thank you

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

No problem!

Got the same dc-dc charger , best I’ve seen it do is 20 amp . Not sure if it’s the settings or heat . Thanks for another educational video 🍻

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

Pretty sure it's the heat, though testing will tell!

@filla5019

11 ай бұрын

My best is 26 amps, until I learned the Orion is a 360w output. 26x13.8v= around 360 w. Depends on lithium battery state.

@auandrewd

11 ай бұрын

@@LockyourHubs4WDing Looking forward to your next video.

These out put 25% more at 25c... so in my mind to would want max fan at no more then 28c

@LockyourHubs4WDing

6 ай бұрын

I've got an enclosed 3D printer here where I can vary the temperature, I should map it!

Great idea. What do you recommend for hooking up the fan to power it?

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

The input should work just fine.

@tahosrfr

11 ай бұрын

@@LockyourHubs4WDing which input? The dc charger input?

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

@@tahosrfr yes, the DCDC charger input should work.

Is there a way to have the fan at zero rpm (i.e. - TU of say 20 degrees celsius) and the fan then start as temp increases to say 50 degrees? If so, i think this could be a great idea for the upright compressor fridge in my caravan, which I think is 1. a very snug fit and 2. I could possibly remove one vent to the exterior - decrease that bloody red dust in outback Oz.

@LockyourHubs4WDing

10 ай бұрын

Hmmmm, not just using this unit alone. Though in combination with a simple temperature activated relay, you could interrupt the PWM signal to the fan until the programmed temperature was reached and then turn it on.

@michaelsullivan5641

10 ай бұрын

@@LockyourHubs4WDing Thank you for replying. In that case it's probably just as easy to use the relay by itself, which would turn the fan off when the temp drops. Again thx for the reply

Revolutions per MINUTE, not second! Said several times near beginning of video. Good video otherwise 😊

@LockyourHubs4WDing

11 ай бұрын

I know, I know ...... Will be referring to them as "repmmmss" from here on in!