Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBreeze
I was watching a solar video (9 parts). The guy wants to eventually go to 24v. I see why things are headed higher (efficiency) but if he has to step everything down (today), I struggle to understand. All he seems to be doing is to introduce another point of failure .......cut......
|
I would not personally consider 24V electrical system unless the vehicle and RV “house” was already set up for 24V. I’d keep it at 12V, or if making a change go up to 48V nominal (about 56V charging).
Regarding efficiency, keep in mind that in these new electrical systems the vast majority of stored energy is used at the higher 48 Volts to power inverter. Only a small amount of energy will have to be stepped down to 12V at present to power existing 12V items that are not yet available in 48V.
The DC-DC converter to step voltage down to 12V is mainly to keep a small battery charged. That small 12V battery will power lights, water pump, etc. The much larger 48V battery bank simply keeps the 12V battery topped off, for now. In time 12V water pumps, lights, and the like should be available in 48V models so they can run directly from high-capacity battery bank. The auto industry is going through similar issue with 48V electrical.
I’m not sure the benefits of any “Volta-like” system are worth the cost as a retrofit. It is really expensive to have it installed by others after the motorhome is built. Even from RV manufacturers, it adds a lot of cost. In the Winnebago Travato B, it’s about $20,000 more.
Thor Forums
