Wind, solar, vsr and battery banks

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Focused1

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I currently have 3 battery banks. 1 is in the bow for windlass and bow thruster and is connected to the house bank via a vsr and has its own isolation switch.
The house bank and start battery are seperated by a 1-2-both switch.
Currently charging is via a ctek charger connected to the house bank and im using the 1-2-both switch to combine the banks when i feel the starter needs charging.
I also have a rutland wind charger and hrdi controller, the controller has 2 outputs and is currently connected to both the house bank and the start battery.
This year i am going to add 2x80w solar panels and connect them to the hrdi controller.
I like simplicity, so baring that in mind what is the best way to put this all together?
My plan is to do away with the 1-2-both and seperate the house bank from start battery with a vsr. Have the alternator conected to the start battery leave the wind and solar charger as it is. Connect the windlass bow thruster battery to the start battery via a second vsr. Have the battery charger connected to the big house bank.
Is 2 vsr’s in the system going to cause me problems?
does this all sound ok?
Thanks
 
You need a clear idea of what current your thruster is going to draw, and how much of it might flow through bits like VSRs.

Sometimes this can get scary if the bow battery is getting old and/or flat, when the thruster will draw a lot from the other battery and alternator.
Will you have breakers to protect in that sort of situation?
 
But when the thruster or windlass is operated the vsr will break the connection because of the voltage drop. So will only draw from the battery in the bow. Or am i missing something?
 
Focused1 said:
But when the thruster or windlass is operated the vsr will break the connection because of the voltage drop. So will only draw from the battery in the bow. Or am i missing something?
Click to expand...

You need to check the VSR spec to be sure of that.
 
Any vsr i have ever looked at cuts out at 12.7-12.8 volts. So operation of the windlass or thruster is going to cause the system to instantly drop below that fresh hold and so the vsr will cut out. Obviously when using the thruster the vsr is going to be switching in and out every time i press the thrust button. So is my idea flawed or is it a go?
 
The VSR will probaby delay cutting out for a few seconds. They do this to avoid disconnecting during engine start.
Then it will cut out.
Then after another delay it will cut back in again, as the main bettery will be high.
You need to check that the timing are consistent with your thruster usage and that the current flowing through the VSR is within its breaking capacity.

VSRs are not all the same, I expect there are VSRs optimum for exactly this job, but it's a different world from the fridge battery of a caravan.
 
I would suggest that you fit heavy cables up to the bow. Then connect the bow battery to the domestic battery hard wired to form a very big domestic battery charged by VSR from engine alternator and engine battery. This may have a disadvantage of dropping domestic voltage down on thrusting to cause nav instruments to drop out but perhaps not. Most current will still go out of bow battery for thrusting depending on size of the cables to the bow.
The other problem is that with so many batteries in parallel you need to be able to isolate each when and if they get old and tired.
As said make sure VSR can take full charge current from the alternator when thrusting but then it seems like that is present system and OK. simple is good olewill
 
I would do it slightly differently. I would have all the primary charging going to the house/domestic bank, this is where most of your draw/use is and needs the most charging. Use the VSR to charge the engine battery from the domestic - this(start/engine battery) will almost always be fully charged. If you have a second output on your solar/wind controller connect this to the engine battery for good measure. Use the second vsr from the domestics to the bow thruster battery.
 
Temptress, are you suggesting this to prevent overcharging of the start battery? If this is considered the way to go then its the way i will go but then that means running 2 sets of heavy cables to the engine. The engine is quite away from the battery compartment and at the moment the charging/starting leads are obviously one and the same thing.
 
The amount of time the VSR is open while the alternator is charging is probably going to be negligible?
So it makes little difference which battery the alternator feeds?
 
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