TrailManor Owner's Forum  

Go Back   TrailManor Owner's Forum > TrailManor Technical Discussions > Electrical
Register FAQ Members List Calendar

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-14-2021, 02:59 PM   #1
rickst29
yes, they hunt lions.
 
rickst29's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,318
Default LiFePO4, a sort-of 'solution' to the cold weather charging problem

This scheme creates a new "phantom load" on the batteries at 3 watts (about 1/4 amp). You need to keep the PID powered from the batteries at all times, in order to make it keep its settings when you're not plugged in. That also means that you can't leave the batteries in the TM all Winter, without plugging them in at least a couple of times.

Within the containing box of a home-built LPF battery, or surrounding the battery case (for a pre-built "battery pack"), you will want to add a have a low-powered 12v warming pad. But, you don't use a warming pad which contains an RV "freeze protecting" thermostat. Rather, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084YXXM2P/ You also need to buy and program an external Temp Controller, in order to warm the battery pack to at least above 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) before charging it with a high rate of current.

A 5-pin Automotive Relay is switched by the On/Off Temp Controller Relay. At less than 40 degrees, Power Converter output goes into the Relay "Common" (with about +14.5 volts) gets sent out on the "switched" leg into a heating pad. When the Temp Controller turns off, at battery pack temperature of around 50 degrees, the Relay NC leg (closed when the Coil is NOT pulled in) becomes active. The same 14.5V Power Converter Input is now connected to charge battery string. You cannot use an automotive Relay BASE), because the charging current is too much for those socket bases (even so-called "high-current" ceramic ones). But these Relays do the job, with much bigger "power" pins for you to connect 9.5mm female push-on sockets without a base: https://www.amazon.com/Ehdis-JD2912-...dp/B01IX7NV0C/

In a cold campground with plugins, it works exactly like plugging within a cold garage - the heater will run as needed, and then the Power Converter will run until it is "satisfied". The heater will begin to run whenever the battery temperature falls "too low", which I will consider to be about 42 degrees, and stop running when it hits 50 degrees.

- - -

Solar Power, unfortunately, is more complicated. The battery must be connected to the Solar Power Controller at all times. A switch can be added on the Solar "PV +" input connection (or a circuit breaker can be switched off), to be left off during a cold night. A separate power wire from the battery could run through another switch to drive the battery heater directly from the battery. I will be using a bigger wire (#10 AWG) for the first "coil power" wire, and tap into that for the Direct-To-Heater switched link.

For me, those two solar-related switches will be a manual process. I can open up the "PV +" Circuit Breaker at bedtime, but there is no point in keeping the battery warm until after a while after sunrise has arrived, and the effective charging day begins.

The Temp controller is this one. It is not a PID, it is a simple On/Off switch for heating (or cooling, which we won't be using): https://www.amazon.com/bayite-Fahren...dp/B011VGAPOC/
__________________
TM='06 2619 w/5K axle, 15" Maxxis "E" tires. Plumbing protector. 630 watts solar. 450AH LiFePO4 batteries, 3500 watt inverter. CR-1110 E-F/S fridge (compressor).
TV = 2007 4runner sport, with a 36 volt "power boost".
rickst29 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2021, 02:16 PM   #2
rickst29
yes, they hunt lions.
 
rickst29's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,318
Default diagram.

The Power Relay must be wired with two BIG wires to handle the highest possible load from the batteries, out the load center, or to handle the full current of the Power Converter. That makes most automotive Replay socket bases unusable, because they cannot be connected to wires larger than #10 AWG (and even that is a major struggle). Otherwise, it's relatively simple. Parts arrive for my own Trailer tomorrow.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	LFP-Battery-heating-system-automatic.jpg
Views:	12
Size:	94.7 KB
ID:	19844  
__________________
TM='06 2619 w/5K axle, 15" Maxxis "E" tires. Plumbing protector. 630 watts solar. 450AH LiFePO4 batteries, 3500 watt inverter. CR-1110 E-F/S fridge (compressor).
TV = 2007 4runner sport, with a 36 volt "power boost".
rickst29 is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Opening/Closing in Cold Weather Factor Exterior 7 02-23-2020 09:27 PM
Help with cold weather tips chowder1974 Extreme Cold Weather Camping 6 11-05-2015 08:08 PM
Beds Hot and Cold weather spam4us Prospective Owner Questions 19 10-25-2010 08:00 PM
Cold weather camping in the TM Bill General TrailManor Topics 13 01-02-2010 03:00 PM
Lesson from cold weather camping Bill & Lisa Camping Stories 6 04-05-2006 03:07 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:28 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 2022 Trailmanor Owners Page.