[RE-wrenches] Boot-strapping discharged lithium batteries.

Thu Dec 12 09:53:50 PST 2024

A DC power supply was recommended to me by a former SunPower field app engineer, but it’s about $1,600. Maybe justifiable if were are going be in the business of black starting lithium batteries now. Does anyone have good information about whether a regulated power supply is necessary versus just a battery charger?

Bruce Erickson
Mendocino Solar Service
707-937-1701 
PO Box 1252
Mendocino, CA 95460

"Serving the Solar System"

> On Dec 11, 2024, at 7:24 PM, Jay via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> On Dec 11, 2024, at 5:52 PM, Jay <jay.peltz at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> I’m going to try and fix a black start 4 x  fortress E flex tomorrow with a vevor 15 amp 48v charger the customer bought. $100. 
>> 
>> I’ll let you know how it goes. 
>> 
>> Jay
>> 
>>> On Dec 11, 2024, at 12:47 PM, Steve Higgins via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> William... 
>>> 
>>> I have found that the best way to do this is to get a regulated power supply... 
>>> 
>>> You can use a 60V-5A regulated power supply such as this. 
>>> 
>>> https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Switching-Regulated-Adjustments-Jesverty/dp/B0B7739SMN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=23FQP9GRXJN8V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8lw5oh09yqEulTUX5HEVIIDjBTKpHwzMunKsxWbirnjrTcbTeCRMpvBkvecHly3QdpCCneegdeFTlmca1113laVHIMZkY4Y_o01Ju1LnSLeXjKUPqLwojKzLHVlADneIPWCWsvCoWU9M6Fh4YCBs48kp4eECgcZz7yvdMMVVNHeJkxlFjdvtX9yVW3TGV_wq1BAeToAbxIpzVofasQZ96Ct8GRBLW1bVabcCc_RmAhs.4rbtHxDJBEfcDO734UIYkkHpTk6Cr64NgmGhT7Co2B4&dib_tag=se&keywords=60V+Regulated+power+supply&qid=1733945986&sprefix=60v+regulated+power+supply%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-3 <https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Switching-Regulated-Adjustments-Jesverty/dp/B0B7739SMN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=23FQP9GRXJN8V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8lw5oh09yqEulTUX5HEVIIDjBTKpHwzMunKsxWbirnjrTcbTeCRMpvBkvecHly3QdpCCneegdeFTlmca1113laVHIMZkY4Y_o01Ju1LnSLeXjKUPqLwojKzLHVlADneIPWCWsvCoWU9M6Fh4YCBs48kp4eECgcZz7yvdMMVVNHeJkxlFjdvtX9yVW3TGV_wq1BAeToAbxIpzVofasQZ96Ct8GRBLW1bVabcCc_RmAhs.4rbtHxDJBEfcDO734UIYkkHpTk6Cr64NgmGhT7Co2B4&dib_tag=se&keywords=60V+Regulated+power+supply&qid=1733945986&sprefix=60v+regulated+power+supply%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-3>
>>> 
>>> I have found that this is a great way to wake up LFP batteries that have gone into protection mode.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/> <http://www.rollsbattery.com/>Steve Higgins ⋅ Technical Services Manager
>>> t +1.902.597.4020  m +1.206.790.5840
>>> f +1.902.597.8447  e steve at surrette.com <mailto:steve at surrette.com>
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>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 11:22 AM William Miller via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>> wrote:
>>> Bruce:
>>> 
>>> There has been some correspondence here on boot-strapping low SOC lithium batteries in protect mode. Buying an outboard battery charger seems hard to accept when you are standing next to a sophisticated battery charger. 
>>> 
>>> We had a few occasions of a large E-vault system shutting down for low charge due to mis calibration of SOC. We restarted the system by disconnecting the closed loop data connection, reprogramming the inverters to think they were operating with a VRLA bank and restarting the system. The battery bank, when restarted came on line just long enough to accept battery charging. 
>>> 
>>> Once the SOC came up to acceptable levels we reset the system for a BMS battery and we were back running. 
>>> 
>>> Maybe this procedure might work for someone else. I have a step-by-step for doing this with a Sunny Island system if anyone wants to look it over. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> William Miller
>>> Miller Solar.com
>>> 805-438-5600
>>> www.millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 11:08 AM Bruce Erickson via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>> wrote:
>>> Recently one of our four now-orphaned SunVault systems failed to back up for our customer. On site we found the batteries discharged below cut-in voltage for unknown reasons (no more monitoring, no more tech support). Even though it had been sunny for a few days the system failed to retain a reserve to restart once sun returned. I’m looking for recommendations for 48 volt external chargers for this situation. We’re looking at Iota which only has a 13 amp charger at 48v but does have a plug-in module for controlling LiFePo charging. At 256 amphours of parallel batteries hopefully an 8 or 10 hour charge would get us up to cut-in. I’m also not sure how the Iota will play with any BMS the SunPower batteries might have. Any recommendations for this situation would be much appreciated.
>>> 
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>> Bruce
>>> 
>>> Bruce Erickson
>>> Mendocino Solar Service
>>> 707-937-1701 
>>> PO Box 1252
>>> Mendocino, CA 95460
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