VETUS ALTERNATOR

[mrsmelly]

Right so I paid for the boat today fitted with vetus engine. I have had good info re some aspects of this unit already from amongst others Catweasel. Now its only fitted with one alternator which has to charge the starter battery, the domestic battery bank and a thruster thingy battery at the pointy end. This seems a hell of a task so my question is what would you all suggest. The bowthrusters will be isolated and not used but to keep them working I will still need to run them occasionaly and need to keep battery charged the battery bank and starter batt ery will be in use as normal so is it possible to fit a second alternator onto this unit or would you get a huge alternator in stead of the standard one or any other suggestions. I havnt used the boat yet so will try it first but methinks the one standard system may be a tad over stretched.

[mayalld]

Right so I paid for the boat today fitted with vetus engine. I have had good info re some aspects of this unit already from amongst others Catweasel. Now its only fitted with one alternator which has to charge the starter battery, the domestic battery bank and a thruster thingy battery at the pointy end. This seems a hell of a task so my question is what would you all suggest. The bowthrusters will be isolated and not used but to keep them working I will still need to run them occasionaly and need to keep battery charged the battery bank and starter batt ery will be in use as normal so is it possible to fit a second alternator onto this unit or would you get a huge alternator in stead of the standard one or any other suggestions. I havnt used the boat yet so will try it first but methinks the one standard system may be a tad over stretched.

 

What capacity alternator is fitted?

 

Vetus engines are quite often fitted with a 90/100 Amp alternator.

[by'eck]

Two alternators. Your existing one to charge starter & bowthruster batteries through the split charge system I'm guessing you have already, plus a new at least 100 amp one dedicated to charging service battery bank.

 

Twin belts or single polygroove will be needed to drive second alt, so check your engine pulley has spare grooves.

 

Check the charging cables to the bowthruster battery are oversized (say 25mm²) to minimise volt drop on the long cable run.

Edited August 9, 2011 by richardhula

[mrsmelly]

What capacity alternator is fitted?

 

Vetus engines are quite often fitted with a 90/100 Amp alternator.

 

Hi Dave

 

Yes thanks I will check it out size wise before I do anything

 

Two alternators. Your existing one to charge starter & bowthruster batteries through the split charge system I'm guessing you have already, plus a new at least 100 amp one dedicated to charging service battery bank.

 

Twin belts or single polygroove will be needed to drive second alt, so check your engine pulley has spare grooves.

 

Check the charging cables to the bowthruster battery are oversized (say 25mm²) to minimise volt drop on the long cable run.

 

Hi

 

Thanks for the input. Yes I will check the alt size but I was thinking along the lines of 2 as you say. The cable to the thrusty thingy is very heavy having been done only last year by it would appear someone who knew what they were doing.

 

Cheers

 

Tim

[WotEver]

Two alternators.

Have you ever looked at a Vetus installation?

 

I considered fitting a 2nd alternator to my M3.10 but after long consideration I couldn't see any way that it could possibly be done. It's simply all too compact to achieve it without some severe surgery.

 

Tony

[mrsmelly]

Have you ever looked at a Vetus installation?

 

I considered fitting a 2nd alternator to my M3.10 but after long consideration I couldn't see any way that it could possibly be done. It's simply all too compact to achieve it without some severe surgery.

 

Tony

 

Hi

 

You may well be right I havnt looked at it properly yet, though as a widebeam boat there is oodles of room alll around the engine so it would maybe make it possible ?

 

Tim

[WotEver]

Hi

 

You may well be right I havnt looked at it properly yet, though as a widebeam boat there is oodles of room alll around the engine so it would maybe make it possible ?

 

Tim

Seeing as no-one else has aked, how many domestic batteries do you have, and what's their total capacity? You can forget about the BT batteries as they'll take very little charging.

 

Tony

[mayalld]

Have you ever looked at a Vetus installation?

 

I considered fitting a 2nd alternator to my M3.10 but after long consideration I couldn't see any way that it could possibly be done. It's simply all too compact to achieve it without some severe surgery.

 

Tony

 

I think vetus actually have a standard installation on the 415/417

[mrsmelly]

Seeing as no-one else has aked, how many domestic batteries do you have, and what's their total capacity? You can forget about the BT batteries as they'll take very little charging.

 

Tony

 

Hi Tony

 

Just got back from the boat and it has batteries I have never seen before but they look bloody expensive. I will describe them they are see thro plastic about say a foot high there are six in number and they are 2 volt batteries to make the 12 volts I suppose.

On the side it says RAYLITE ZCP 29 2V 375 Ah

Now I havnt a clue how that converts to standard 12v jobbies has anyone any idea ?

Gibbo ?

Anyone ?

 

 

I have just found these batteries ontinternet and they supposedly have a life of 20 plus years !! ?

It says the positive plates in the batteries are solid lead and 8mm thick !!

Blimey what the hell are they ?

Edited August 9, 2011 by mrsmelly

[steelaway]

Hi Tony

 

Just got back from the boat and it has batteries I have never seen before but they look bloody expensive. I will describe them they are see thro plastic about say a foot high there are six in number and they are 2 volt batteries to make the 12 volts I suppose.

On the side it says RAYLITE ZCP 29 2V 375 Ah

Now I havnt a clue how that converts to standard 12v jobbies has anyone any idea ?

Gibbo ?

Anyone ?

 

 

I have just found these batteries ontinternet and they supposedly have a life of 20 plus years !! ?

It says the positive plates in the batteries are solid lead and 8mm thick !!

Blimey what the hell are they ?

 

 

 

 

Milk float type traction battery's - last forever?

 

No good for starting engines though

 

 

Alex

Edited August 9, 2011 by steelaway

[mrsmelly]

Milk float type traction battery's - last forever?

 

No good for starting engines though

 

 

Alex

 

Ahhh, thanks for that they are domestic only the starter battery is the usual 12v jobby. Would these batteries have been expensive ? are they good for the job ? they were new in 2008 ?

[Guest]

I think vetus actually have a standard installation on the 415/417

You are quite right Dave. There was a 417 with twin alts. in Nantwhich Marina last year. They use a second pulley bolted to the original via the three screws meant for a puller, the extra pulley being the size of a dinner plate. The second alt. is a fair beast sat above the existing one. The existing belt has a hard time with the standard 90Amp unit, so I would suggest not adding any further load to same. I did start to add a second one to mine, even turned a pulley ready, but alas too many other irons in yon fire.

 

I dare say Vetus would supply a kit, but methinks you would need to re-mortgage the house and/or boat.

 

I must say the standard 90 Amp Vetus alt. (Hitachi I think?) is an excellent piece of kit. Ours keeps a fairly large battery bank well serviced without the addition of any battery boilers or similar. We do use a genny when long term moored, mainly because I hate running engines off load.

[WotEver]

Blimey what the hell are they ?

Bloody expensive

 

So, you have 375Ah domestics, plus a starter batt, plus a rarely used thruster batt. I'd say your standard Vetus alt would be fine for keeping up with that.

 

Tony

[mrsmelly]

Bloody expensive

 

So, you have 375Ah domestics, plus a starter batt, plus a rarely used thruster batt. I'd say your standard Vetus alt would be fine for keeping up with that.

 

Tony

 

[Guest]

Bloody expensive

 

So, you have 375Ah domestics, plus a starter batt, plus a rarely used thruster batt. I'd say your standard Vetus alt would be fine for keeping up with that.

 

Tony

I would have thought it would be OK, but of course it depends on how many hours you run the engine, and of course how much domestic power you consume. Even with the 90Amp alt, I have rarely seen it kick out anywhere near 90A (it does sometimes get close when we are running, and SWMBO puts the washer on, although we have found a way of easing that considerably.)

[WotEver]

Even with the 90Amp alt, I have rarely seen it kick out anywhere near 90A...

If your batts ain't very low, then it won't, will it? Hence my comment about it being big enough (probably).

 

T

[Guest]

If your batts ain't very low, then it won't, will it? Hence my comment about it being big enough (probably).

 

T

True enough. I was thinking more on the lines of the poor ratios found on canal engines. Even so I take your point;I recall spending an evening in the pub trying to explain to a boat owner why his new 100Amp alternator was not putting more current into the battery bank than his 50Amp one was yesterday (he thought he had been ripped off.). After 8 pints of Guinness I gave up.

[steelaway]

Ahhh, thanks for that they are domestic only the starter battery is the usual 12v jobby. Would these batteries have been expensive ? are they good for the job ? they were new in 2008 ?

 

 

See EBay

 

Alex

[mrsmelly]

See EBay

 

Alex

 

Bloody norah

 

it would appear they are good batteries then. Methinks if they go duff I will be rewiring and buying my usual cheapo 12volt jobbies..

[WotEver]

After 8 pints of Guinness I gave up.

After 8 pints of Guinness I'd have been fast asleep on the floor