The Sailing Brothersvideo
How We Installed a Lithium Battery Set Up On Our Sailing Boat / Sailing Around NZ Pt2 Ep 144
31 December 2023 · 27 min · 25K views · New Zealand
What this video covers
The crew of Atlas upgrades their electrical system from a dual-purpose lead-acid setup to a dedicated lithium house bank. The new configuration includes two 135-amp-hour lithium batteries, a separate lead-acid starter battery, a Balmar alternator with a dedicated voltage regulator and temperature sensor, and two 30-amp DC-to-DC chargers.0:56 This architecture prevents the alternator from overheating due to the low internal resistance of lithium batteries and protects the system if the lithium battery management system disconnects during a charge cycle.2:31 Installation challenges included an initial fitment issue with the Balmar alternator, which required custom stainless steel spacers and bracket modifications to clear the engine block.8:57 The team also installed positive and negative bus bars for improved cable management and a Victron 500-amp shunt for battery monitoring.11:50 Final testing confirmed a 64-amp charge rate to the lithium bank while the engine runs.24:56 Proper cable length matching is essential when wiring batteries in parallel to ensure balanced charging.21:39
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