Victron Orion XS 12/12-50 DC2DC Charger ERROR

[dhays]

I had installed a Victron Orion XS 12/12-50 DC2DC Charger to charge my house bank from my thruster/windlass bank while running the engine. The alternator is feeding the thruster bank. Testing at the dock at idle it worked fine. First sea trial, it seems to work OK initially but then as I was running solo I couldn't monitor it closely. At some point, it blew the 60 Amp fuse on the output side. Two days later, armed with new 75amp fuses, I once again was out on the water. This time the Orion gave me an error code, #28 Power Stage Issue. Victron documentation doesn't say much about this other than:

Error 28 - Power stage issue• This error will not auto-reset. Disconnect all wires, and then reconnect all wires. If the error persists the charger is probably faulty

So when I did as instructed and then the next day, I got the same error again. I also found that the 75amp fuse had blown on the output side of the charger. The charger is only supposed to have a max output of 50amps and it had been set to charge at no more than 45amps.

So, I think my Orion is defective. I'll try and call the vendor tomorrow, I must say I'm pretty disappointed. I really like everything about the Orion, other than not actually charging of course. I also am not crazy about blowing through a series of MRBF fuses either.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Sounds like an output transistor blew shorted.

 

[dhays]

Sounds like an output transistor blew shorted.

No idea, but could be. I'm hoping it isn't too much of a hassle to deal with getting it replaced. It really is a great charger for my application. If it works of course.

 

[tpbrady]

I am in the midst of planning an LFP switch and one of the things I identified was the need for 2 DC-DC chargers to boost the available amperage to the LFP bank while having redundancy. The only other option was to bypass a failed charger. Have you considered that?

One of the things I am learning is integrating an LFP battery bank into a 30 year old boat is about as complex a task as there is to be sure everything works. Good luck with the final steps.

Tom

 

[CharlieJ]

First step is to ensure that the output fuse isn’t just doing its job. Some basic troubleshooting on the load side needs to be done. After ensuring that there are no defects in the boat’s system, contact your Victron Dealer. Nearly all Victron equipment has a 5 year warranty that starts with the dealer that sold you the unit.

 

[dhays]

I am in the midst of planning an LFP switch and one of the things I identified was the need for 2 DC-DC chargers to boost the available amperage to the LFP bank while having redundancy. The only other option was to bypass a failed charger. Have you considered that?

One of the things I am learning is integrating an LFP battery bank into a 30 year old boat is about as complex a task as there is to be sure everything works. Good luck with the final steps.

I have considered it. Not so much for the redundancy issue but for being able to boost the amps into the house bank. I would be happier if the Orion was less expensive.

In my situation, there are three charge sources for the house bank. The solar is very anemic this time of year with our weather and latitude. However, I can fire up the generator and use the charger/inverter to charge the house.

 

[dhays]

First step is to ensure that the output fuse isn’t just doing its job. Some basic troubleshooting on the load side needs to be done. After ensuring that there are no defects in the boat’s system, contact your Victron Dealer. Nearly all Victron equipment has a 5 year warranty that starts with the dealer that sold you the unit.

Yeah, I contacted the dealer today and got a quick reply. I need to supply them with some additional information. Their reply said that Error #28 comes from the input or output terminals being too how and asked if I used a large enough gauge wire. I'm sure they know than I do (just about anyone knows more than I), but that is not what the Victron information implies at all.

FWIW, I used a 6 AWG wire is the largest wire the Orion can fit in the terminal and the wires have crimped ferrules on them. Furthermore, the terminals getting hot at the Orion would not cause the fuse on the wire (3' away) from blowing. Maybe a chicken and egg thing. If the Orion's internal amp regulation failed, it could easily have caused a higher amperage to pass through the unit, blowing the input and output fuses, and in the process could cause the terminals to heat up.

 

[SteveK]

First step is to ensure that the output fuse isn’t just doing its job. Some basic troubleshooting on the load side needs to be done. After ensuring that there are no defects in the boat’s system, contact your Victron Dealer. Nearly all Victron equipment has a 5 year warranty that starts with the dealer that sold you the unit.

Charlie,
loads should each have their own fuse/breaker. So if there is a load causing the fuse to blow then it may be wired direct to the battery, is this where you are thinking.

 

[CharlieJ]

@SteveK #8:
Not really. What I was thinking was the output from the Orion must be routed to bus bars and from those bus bars to branch loads. Yes, the branch loads should be protected by their individual OCPD but, that doesn’t always happen. So, if an unprotected branch load over loads or shorts or if the output from the Orion to the distribution bus bars is faulty, an overload or a short circuit could occur and the fuse in the Orion’s output is simply doing its job. Ocamm’s Razor applies.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, Ocamm. The charger is factory limited to 50A. The OP reduced it to 45A.

But yet, the 75A fuse on the output blows.

If nothing is between the victron and what else it is connected to except the fuse...

How does the 75A fuse blow with 45A on it?

 

[CharlieJ]

@Delta Riverat #10: How indeed. I am simply pointing out that he needs to make sure the installation is “by the book”. Looking the other way round: how can a short circuit internal to the Orion open a 75A fuse between the Orion and the loads.

 

[Delta Riverat]

That's an easy one. Output on Orion is shorted, no more current control.

These things typically work by pulse width modulating the output and monitoring the current. If the output is shorted or the pwm input to the output transistors is stuck on, no more current control is available. It's just like a wire from the input to the output.