If you could make your van, 4x4 or camper trailer charging and battery storage 4-times more efficient, why wouldn’t you?
Let me try to answer that for you . . .
● Because I don’t know how.
● If you’re talking about this mythical thing called 48V, it’s too complex and expensive.
Once valid, these are no longer sound reasons.
Enter the EGON DC-Hub 48V.
We are in the final stages of testing and will soon release the EGON Dc-Hub 48V. And like all Egon power distributor boards that massively simplify DC installations, the 48V hub also tames the complex issues of installation, 48V alternators, reliability, redundancy and perhaps best of all, the ability for the ordinary bush mechanic to understand it.
A world-first.
Yes! That’s what we are claiming. As AI has suggested we put this, “This is not evolution. Its revolution.”
It works like this:
Plug and play 48V. Literally. There is nothing left to figure out.
● The Egon Hub 48V is a single central component that distributes charge and discharge energy from alternator, start battery, alternator controller, car systems, house batteries and even the inverter.
● The Egon Hub 48V enables the connection of commonly-used digital measuring devices and apps.
● An alternator controller communicates with the battery in real time.
● Any 48V house battery can be set up, but approved 48V batteries are pre-programmed to tell the alternator controller how they need to be charged in real time.
● In-built fuses protect all circuits.
● Little expertise needed to wire it up. Follow simple instructions, no ferules, crimps, heat-shrink and lugs required.
● No need for a DC-DC charger. The alternator controller and BMS does its job.
● A 48V – 12V converter feeds the car and house 12V systems.
● None of the car’s electrics are changed, with the exception of the alternator. No OE cabling is breached.
● It just works.
Why is 48V such the game changer?
The answer starts with the inescapable fact that as electricity travels along a wire resistance causes loses in energy, which is converted into heat. This is minimised as much as possible by correct wire sizes and quality connectors but some is lost, no matter what. The result is a lower voltage from where it is generated or stored to its destination. The higher the amps (A) along a wire, the higher the potential losses. And since Voltage x Amperes = Energy (W), if you increase the Voltage by a factor of 4, it will reduce the Amperes by a factor of 4. And because losses affect the Voltage, not the Amps, if you increase the voltage, the percentage loss of energy drops off. This is why losses are reduced by mains power grids running at many thousands of volts crossing the country, then transformed down to 230V (110V in North America) for when it enters your home.
A Tesla operates at 350-400V for its primary power packs and high-current machinery such as the motors, and 16V for light accessories.
The most typical limitations of commonly used 12V systems are bottlenecks caused when charging a battery. The biggest 12V alternators are around 280A (3.36kW) capacity. In theory they can produce a 280A charge current to a start or house battery. But in the real world, things turn ugly. Even with extremely heavy copper wires, often two running together, by the time the energy reaches the battery it rarely exceeds 200A. That’s already a loss of over 20% and then the alternator output is limited because it gets too hot, which is again a result of losses spoken of. So on a hot day, this battery is lucky if it sees 150A (1.8kW).
But there is more . . The battery, now charged, needs to send energy to high-current accessories like inverters, where more losses occur, through equally heavy copper cables. From alternator to battery to inverter, losses can reach as much as 40% - and that is with wiring done properly - which is not always the case.
A direct comparison to 48V.
The biggest 48V alternators are around 150A. But let’s be sensible and compare one that is readily available for many cars and SUVs – one with a 100A (4,8kW) output capacity. In theory they can produce a 100A charge current @48V to a start or house battery. They require copper wires ¼ the diameter, and by the time the energy reaches the battery it ends up being a around 98A, (4,6kW). And now, when sent to high current items like inverters, through cables one quarter the diameter, cost and weight, total losses are less than 2,5%.
If heat losses were not an issue, alternator output capacity would be infinite. Here, even when the 48V alternator running at full output and gets hot, because ampere output is less than a half of the biggest 12V alternator, it doesn’t work as hard and therefore heats up less.
Charge times
12V
Charging a battery capable of delivering 4,8kWh or 400a/h@12V, while driving and running the largest 12V alternator and DC-DC charger available (100A), will take, in theory, 4 hours. Though, in the real world, because of losses, add another hour at least.
48V
Now charge the same capacity 4,8kWh or 100a/h@48V through the EGON 48V hub, while running a mid-range 48V alternator, in theory a drive time of 1 hour is required. Because no DC-DC charger is needed that bottleneck removed, with decreases in losses, our real world tests show that indeed, a 1 hour drive was all that was needed to charge our 5.3kWh, 105a/h@48V battery in one hour! Add to all this, the energy saved can be delivered at 48V, and 12V via an inexpensive 48-12V converter to the 12V systems.
Now, a full-size 48V alternator in a truck, dozer or plant, the charge from 0-100% is complete before the engine is warm.
This is a reality. And why the game is changing as you read this.
What about 12V alternators charging 48V batteries?
Converting voltage down is easy and efficient. Converting up is costly and extremely lossy.
Of the two loss scenarios spoken of, only when discharging using high-current appliances such as inverters larger than 1500W, is the reduction of losses on the battery side worth the effort. Because with low current appliances, (fridges, lights, etc.) losses are negligible. Because it’s only on the charging side where significant gains are realised. The faster one can charge a battery, the more energy is available. Which means, more appliances can be run for longer, or the footprint of the battery can be reduced. We feel that start with 48V at the charging point, or don’t bother. In our opinion, its just not worth the expense.
Cost
The costs differences comparing an advanced 12V system are still to be measured accurately. Our feel is that if you go the advanced 12V route using an enlarged alternator and a product like the Redarc Alfa100, then this will deliverer 4+times the performance for less. Maybe quite a lot less. A comparison with what we regard as a better option using Victron 12V systems and monitors, 48V will still produce 4+ times better efficiency at around 15% higher cost. These are rough estimates and we will be sharing with you detailed cost comparisons with all these options.
Summary
48V is nothing new. Military vehicles have been using it for decades. But that’s because of its efficiency. Complexity and cost isn’t the military’s biggest concern. But it is for the RV industry. Using our well-proven PCB board technology as the distribution hub, laying out the wiring, protection, redundancy into that board, this hub is bringing 48V to everyone. Requirements for an installation are a screwdriver and the ability to read.
Thank you for being with us at this exciting time.
Andrew and Heiner.
Co-founders. Egon.com.au