How to recharging batteries in 0.26beta?

[btruwo]

I am playing new beta version released yesterday. Do anyone know how to recharging batteries? I've already understand how to make batteries drive motors

[devnull]

I don’t know if it’s the correct or recommended way, but here’s what I’ve worked out after a lot of trial and error. Following this should allow you to charge without tripping any breakers. It’s important to note, you can only go up to half speed (340 RPM on the propeller shaft) while also charging. This probably means charging while running one or both engines on half speed is the most common use case, so I’ll describe the procedure for that scenario.

1. Make sure electric engine motor power switch is set to off.
2. Set diesel engine a little under great speed, which is 435 RPM on the prop shaft. So, I usually do about 400, to give a little buffer.
3. Set motor direction to forward.
4. Set motor switch to parallel.
5. Set battery switch to series.
6. Set speed control dial full right / low power.
7. Turn motor power to on.
8. Go look at the motor current gauge on the speed control area. You should see the needle move to the left toward the red line, but not cross it, and not trip the breaker. If the breaker trips, double check everything, and possibly reduce diesel a bit to give more buffer.
9. Adjust the speed control wheel toward higher power, until you reach 340 on the shaft rotation guage. Always keep an eye on motor current to ensure you don’t redline it.
10. If the propeller shaft is turning slower than 340, go tune the cylinders and carefully bring up power on the diesel. Note that there’s also a motor current guage for each engine in the overhead guage panel by the diesels. Keep an eye on that whenever making any adjustments, including tubing cylinders, to make sure you don’t exceed redline.

Procedure is essentially the same for charging at speeds lower than half, except the settings on the series/parallel switch need to be adjusted.
Half speed: diesel full speed, motor parallel, battery series
Slow speed: diesel half speed, motor parallel, battery series
Dead slow: diesel slow, motor parallel, battery parallel
Diesel not propelling boat: diesel dead slow, motor series, battery parallel.

[devnull]

One last thing I forgot to mention, if you are charging while at a dead stop, you also need to decouple the propeller from the emotor. Note that this is not the clutch which decouples the diesel from the electric motor.

[btruwo]

Thank you very much for explicit explanation,devnull. It sounds complicated, but I will try your method when I play wolfpack next time.

[Fidd]

There is another technique which I think explains more how to avoid the trips blowing, which generally occurs if the motor-current either spikes suddenly, or reaches 800 amps:

From on electric motor - eg just surfaced:

1 Ensure diesel-clutches are disengaged.
2. Reduce e-motor rheostat to halfway position
3. Start diesels, (set compressor running) and warm diesels
4. Set e-motor direction to off
5. Set Parallel/Series (left to right)
6. Engage diesel clutch and bring to 350 rpm or so
7. Balance motor VOLTAGE and battery VOLTAGE using rheostat
8. Bring e-motor direction to forward
9. Adjust rheostat SLOWLY to full left (full charge direction) until Motor CURRENT remains below red line
10. If it does not reach the red-line, line, very slowly raise the diesel rpm. watching the relevant motor-current gauge on the over-head cluster, adjusting motor-current to the red line.

Notes (on similarly numbered points above):
1. Prevents too high an diesel rpm causing a transient spike in motor-current
2. Prevents the diesels causing a spike in (charging) motor-current, or a too rapid spike in motor-current as the slow relative shaft rpm of the emotor is suddenly asked to accelerate - which can cause a trip to blow even if the amperage doesn't reach 800.
3. Warming diesels before charging reduces likelihood of increased power as diesels warm of exceeding 800amps accidentally.
4. This allows you to balance motor and battery voltage (nil difference in voltage = nil current) before connecting the two
5. Needed for max rate charge
6. Prevents too much rpm causing spike in motor-current
7. ditto
8. Now you are charging - a bit
9. Now you are maxing motor-current to best possible charge rate for a given rpm
10. (may not be necessary, unless diesel rpm insufficient to make max charge)

If you want to develop a slow charge rate, but a better top speed, simply decide on a lower maximum motor-current limit, and adjust the rheostat in step 9 to that lower value. Now you are charging at a lower rate, but with a higher top speed. If you want an even higher top speed, consider an even lower maximum motor-current, or just charging on one engine. Probably best to warn the helm if you do that latter as it will play havoc with him holding a heading!

[Flubbo]

Charging batteries in .26 Open Beta
"Half Speed" 340 RPM 1.8kA Charge

1. Get the Diesel up to a stable RPM of ~340+60 -> ~400 RPM
2. Set Motor Direction OFF*
3. Set Motor Power ON*
4. Set Motor Parallel & Battery Series
5. Set Speed Control Voltage to Low
6. Set Motor Direction forward*
7. Adjust Speed Control Voltage so the RPM Matches 340 while not exceeding 800 Motor current.
8. Verify Battery charge current is 1.8kA -> if not adjust the throttle and Speed Control Regulator to meet the ordered 340 RPM while charging at 1.8kA

"Slow Speed" 255 RPM 1.8kA Charge

1. Get the Diesel up to a stable RPM of ~255+70 -> ~325 RPM
2. Set Motor Direction OFF*
3. Set Motor Power ON*
4. Set Motor Parallel & Battery Series
5. Set Speed Control Voltage to Low
6. Set Motor Direction forward*
7. Adjust Speed Control Voltage so the RPM Matches 255 while not exceeding 800 Motor current.
8. Verify Battery charge current is 1.8kA -> if not adjust the throttle and Speed Control Regulator to meet the ordered 255 RPM while charging at 1.8kA

"Dead Slow" 255 RPM 1.4kA Charge

1. Get the Diesel up to a stable RPM of ~180+80 -> ~260 RPM
2. Set Motor Direction OFF*
3. Set Motor Power ON*
4. Set Motor Parallel & Battery Parallel
5. Set Speed Control Voltage to Low
6. Set Motor Direction forward*
7. Adjust Speed Control Voltage so the RPM Matches 180 while not exceeding 800 Motor current.
8. Verify Battery charge current is 1.4kA -> if not adjust the throttle and Speed Control Regulator to meet the ordered 180 RPM while charging at 1.4kA

While stopped 1.8kA Charge

1. Get the Diesel to idle at minimum throttle
2. Decuple screw
3. Set Motor Direction OFF*
4. Set Motor Power ON*
5. Set Motor Parallel & Battery Series
6. Set Speed Control Voltage to Low
7. Set Motor Direction forward*
8. Raise the throttle to maintain high cylinder temp for later use while not exceeding 800 Motor current.

* Turning motor direction off is optional and can be skipped if it is set to motor direction forward and turning on Motor Power is held off as one of the last steps.