INCREASE YOUR CUSTOMERS’ CHARGING CAPABILITIES

With REDARC’s range of BCDC DC-DC Chargers

With bigger batteries and larger battery banks, many customers are wanting to take increasingly powerhungry accessories on the road, meaning more and more auto electricians are needing to configure complex systems with increased performance to keep these systems powered.

REDARC says its trusted DC-DC charging range, the BCDC, has been developed with these needs in mind. Up to four BCDC chargers can be run in parallel to increase the total charge available to charge larger battery banks and support increased power consumption.

Considerations before installation

When designing a power system with the ability to push large amounts of power into batteries, there are several things that need to be considered before installing multiple BCDC chargers.

As with the development of any power system, the initial considerations remain the same; how much power is required, and will the batteries support the loads being drawn?

From here, it needs to be determined that the selected batteries can handle the high input current, as all batteries have a specified maximum charge rate and not all will be appropriate for this application.

You will need to ensure your customer’s battery can accept the combined maximum charge current from all chargers while they’re operating at temperature. Lastly, and most importantly, the vehicle’s alternator will need to be assessed to ensure that it can provide enough available power to charge the batteries while driving.

In normal operating conditions where the vehicle electrical loads, start battery, accessories and engine management demands are relatively low, the alternator will have some surplus capability when engine speed is above an idle.

This capacity will need to be assessed to ensure it is large enough to handle the power draw of additional chargers to support the auxiliary electrical system. REDARC’s BCDC range is able to adapt its input current draw to deliver more power to the auxiliary battery.

Using adaptive technology, the BCDC ensures that, under all vehicle operating conditions, auxiliary battery systems are receiving the optimal charge available from the vehicle without compromising its safety and reliability.

Installation specifications

To install BCDC’s in parallel, all charger inputs (red wires) will need to be connected to the start battery positive terminal through their own dedicated fuses. This can also be done through wiring a single input wire from the start battery and splicing it off to each individual charger. This installation method will