Charging-Solar,Alternator,Converter/Charger - Do they play nice together?
Iโm curious what happens between the solar controller, converter/charger, and the vehicle alternator, whey they are all trying to control the charging of a battery. When boondocking, the solar controller is the only device charging the battery. But when I fire up the generator, both the solar controller and the converter/charger is attempting to charge the battery. Further, when driving, the alternator is charging as well as the solar controller.
Some of these devices have different settings, and I am wondering if that can cause damage to the battery over time from overcharging, etc.
Here are the specifics;
Renogy 100w panel (currently adding a second)
Renogy Rover 20amp MPPT controller
Progressive Dynamics PD4645 converter/charger
Vehicle alternator when engine running
Single sealed lead acid 84ahr battery
Rover MPPT: Boost (2hrs)=14.4v, Float=13.8v, Boost Return=13.2v, Equalization=14.6v (2 hours every 28 days)
PD4645: Boost=14.4v, Normal=13.6v, Storage=13.2v, Desulfation=14.4v (15 minutes, every 21 hours)
Alternator: ???
1. When stored, the RV is just sitting in the sun and the solar is the main charging source.
2. When in a campground, it may be on shore power for a few days to a week, then back to solar in storage.
3. When traveling long distances, the battery would be charged by the alternator 3 to 6 hours per day, solar all day, and for multiple days to a couple weeks.
4. When boondocking, it would primarily be solar, although on very hot days the PD4645 would also charge when running the generator for A/C use (maybe 4-8 hours a day).
Will these devices sort out the charging process under those circumstances above without changing these voltage settings? Or do I need to match the Rover controller which I can change individual parameters to match the PD4656 which I canโt change. And lastly, does the alternator run at a constant charge voltage, and if so how does that fit in?
