Motor/Battery log

Chart for July: (I haven’t put up charts for a while, so some are missing. I have the data and will chart it soon)

Chart for Feb and March:

Here is the graph for Dec/Jan.

The red bars show how much energy, in amphours, is in the battery pack at end of day. The blue bars show how much energy used by the motor for that day. The yellow bar shows energy from the genset.

The genset is emergency backup so it’d be nice if it stays in the bilge, and we never see the yellow bars. And as yet I don’t have the charger designed for LFP batteries.  So even if I do use the genset now it doesn’t contribute much.

The pattern of the red bars creeping to the right shows recovery of power from the sun.  Each day the main energy demand is the house load, and as well as the usual stuff I’ve commissioned the watermaker, to save me having to cart water from shore.

Long dinghy runs also steal the power – the little Torqeedo has its own battery and I charge that using the inverter.

31 Dec 2009
Run genset overnight, can only chage with dc-dc converter. -112ah
Out through Gold Coast Seaway. -120ah

30 Dec 2009

Estimated battery charge level 150ah.

Leaving Monty’s. Motor down Caboolture River, light wind on the nose. Top of tide, little or no current. -58ah
On charge from sun, recover to -51 ah.
Motoring through shallows at Macleay Island. -63ah
Motoring through shallows around Jacobs Well. -112ah
Motoring against headwind, Broadwater. -118ah

28 Dec 2009
manual dc-dc charger. 9.6 ah
cells #1 to #7  (oddly, 8 is off)  10,11,15
pack voltage 60.8

11 Dec 2009

draw down test continues.

quiesecent readings:    52.5v 3.344v -39.4 ah
5.28am 540 watt 9.9a 52.4v 3.333v -39.7 ah
5.37am 1000 watt 18.9a 52.1v 3.317v -41.1 ah
5.43 stop (loo break) 52.4v 3.325-42.7 ah
5.58am 1000 watt 19a  52.1v 3.313v -43.3 ah
6.46am 1000 watt 19a  51.8v 3.282v -58.4 ah
7.10am 1000 watt 19.9a 51.7v 3.278v  -66.0ah
7.15am reverse. 1000w 20a 51.8v 3.279v #2 -67.4ah
7.43am 1000w 20.5a 51.6v 3.273v -76.5ah
8.34am 1000w 20.9a 51.5v 3.267v -94ah
8.35am 1500w -28.4a 51.2v 3.258 -94.8ah  (Battery monitor Link 10: One red)
cavitation begins at this power. probably would reduce if the boat was moving.
9.16am 1500w 29a 50.7v 3.241v -114.3 ah (Link 10: one red flashing)
pack voltage dropping – 49.9v maybe one cell is over the edge
9.50am low voltage alarm. cell #16 (cell at the negative cable connection)
9.51am low cell reading 2.6 volts  pack 50.6  -129.7ah
9.55am solar charger on – 2.67v#16
9.57am 1.8 amp 50.7v 2.69v#16 -129.6ah
10.05am 1.9a 50.8v 2.71v#16 -129.5ah
10.27am 1.9a 51.1v 2.81v#16 -128.9ah
12.29am 2.2a 51.6v 3.02v#16 -125.4ah

10 Dec 2009 Most of the charge recovered now. Only down 4 ah now and the suspect cell is showing red on its cell protector. I’m hoping this is because it discharged less than the others due to high resistance connections. Fingers crossed – will test soon.

approx 11.55am begin discharge test
2200 watt  45 amp  voltage of sus cell 3.337  -4.8 ah
3100 watt  60 amp              3.305v        -6.6 ah
3600 watt  72 amp  51.8v (pack)       3.283v        -9.0 ah
4000 watt    81 a    51.7v        3.27v        -11 ah
12.13pm 4500 watt 89a  51.51.5v 3.258        -15.5 ah
12.17pm flashing thermometer on remote control
power dropped back to 4000 watt automatically
manually reduced power to 2700 watts
12.18 2700w 53a 51.8v 3.28v -20.6 ah thermometer icon flashing
top of motor feels warm to touch – not hot
hot day little breeze tied to dock
12.20pm 2700 watt 54 amp 51.7v 3.28v -22.6 ah
all terminal posts cold. cables from batteries cold.
12.23pm thermometer icon gone away.
12.24 2700 watt 54 amp 51.7v 3.27v -26 ah
12.27 2700 watt 54 amp 51.6v 3.276v -29.6 ah
12.29 3000 watt  60 amp 51.6v 3.27v -30.5 ah
12.32pm    3000 watt 59 amp 51.6v 3.266 -34.2 ah
12.35pm 3000 watt 59 amp 51.4v 3.264v -38.5 ah
12.39pm 0 watt 0 amp 52.3v 3.313v 39.2 ah terminate test due to other commitments.

9 Dec 2009 Batteries all replaced again and on charge. Pack would be further out of balance due to some cells having protectors connected and some not. (protectors draw a very small quiesent current which gradually depletes a cell).  The suspect battery moved to position at end of a group so that it can easily be bypassed if proven faulty. Sixteen cells give a pack voltage of 53 and removal of one will drop that to 50 which is still fine for nominal 48v Torqeedo. Charge recovered today – 14 ah.

5 to 8 Dec Remove all batteries and clean terminals. Silver coat all contact surfaces.

4 Dec 2009 Up river for discharge test. After half hour low voltage warning on cell #15. After docking total power used was 28ah. On charge cell voltage rises quickly to 3.4v which is higher than others at 3.3. More info.

3 Dec 2009 At end of day charge state reading +15 ah. One cell protector (#15) on red (fully charged and bypassing current).

27 Nov 2009 On jetty and charging by excess solar. Recovered 4.8 ah. Flexible panels not used.

26 Nov 2009 Launch after repair to stem and other projects. Motoring for approx 5min upstream and then down to tie up on jetty. Battery not fully charged – estimate 90%. Discharge by 5.4 ah.

10-25 Nov 2009 Battery had been at about 15%  (30ah) discharge when put on the blocks. Cell protectors were on most of the time and drawing a small discharge from the pack. Sporadically from 10 -25 Nov charged by excess solar to recover about 45ah. Pack not fully charged – reading about 53v.