Victron energy Blue Smart IP65 User manual

Manual
EN
Appendix
Blue Smart IP65 Charger 120V
12/7
12/10
12/15
24/8

1
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS – This manual contains
important safety and operating instructions for Blue Smart
Charger models.
2. Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by Victron
Energy may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to
persons.
3. To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cord, pull by
plug rather than cord when disconnecting charger.
4. An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely
necessary. Use of an improper extension cord could result
in a risk of fire and electric shock. If extension cord must be
used, make sure:
a) That pins on plug of extension cord are the same
number, size, and shape as those of plug on charger;
b) that extension cord is properly wired and in good
electrical condition; and
c) that wire size is large enough for ac ampère rating of
charger as specified in “Technical Specifications”
5. Do not operate the charger with damaged cord or plug;
contact your service agent or the manufacturer.
6. Do not operate the charger if it has received a sharp blow,
been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way; contact
your service agent or the manufacturer.
7. Do not disassemble the charger; contact your service agent
or the manufacturer when service or repair is required.
Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of electric shock or
fire.
8. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet
before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off
controls will not reduce this risk.
9. WARNING – RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES.
a) BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES
DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. FOR
THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE
THAT EACH TIME BEFORE USING YOUR
CHARGER, YOU READ THIS MANUAL AND
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY.

2
b) Follow these instructions and those published by the
battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any
equipment you intend to use in vicinity of the battery.
10. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS
a) Consider having someone close enough by to your
aid when you work near a lead-acid battery.
b) Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case
battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes.
c) Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection.
Avoid touching eyes while working near a battery.
d) If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash
immediately with soap and water. If acid enters eye,
immediately flood eye with running cold water for at
least 10 minutes and get medical attention
immediately.
e) NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of
a battery or engine.
f) Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal
tool onto battery. It might spark or short-circuit the
battery or an other electrical part that may cause
explosion.
g) Remove personal metal items such as rings,
bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with
a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a
short-circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the
like to metal, causing a severe burn.
h) Do not use the battery charger for charging dry-cell
batteries that are commonly used with home
appliances. These batteries may burst and cause
injury to persons and damage to property.
i) NEVER charge a frozen battery.
11. PREPARING TO CHARGE
a) If it is necessary to remove the battery from a vehicle
prior to charging, always remove the grounded
terminal from the battery first. Make sure all
accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause
an arc.
b) Be sure that the area around the battery is well
ventilated while the battery is being charged.

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c) Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion
from coming in contact with eyes.
d) Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid
reaches level specified by battery manufacturer. Do
not overfill. For a battery without cell caps, such as
valve regulated lead acid batteries, carefully follow the
charging instructions of the manufacturer.
e) Study all battery manufacturer’s specific precautions
while charging and recommended rates of charge.
f) Determine the nominal voltage of the battery by
referring to the owner’s manual of the vehicle and
make sure it matches the output rating of the battery
charger.
12. CHARGER LOCATION
a) Locate the charger as far away from the battery as
DC cables permit.
b) Never place charger directly above battery being
charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage
the charger.
c) Never allow battery acid to drip on the charger when
reading gravity or filling the battery.
d) Do not operate the charger in a closed-in area or
restrict ventilation in any way.
e) Do not set a battery on top of the charger.
13. DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS
a) Connect and disconnect the DC output clips only after
removing the AC cord from the electric outlet. Never
allow clips to touch each other.
b) Attach clips to battery and chassis as indicated in
14(e), 14(f), 15(b), and 15(d).

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14. FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING STEPS WHEN THE BATTERY
IS INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE. A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY
MAY CAUSE A BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE RISK OF
A SPARK NEAR BATTERY:
a) Position AC and DC cords to reduce risk of damage by
hood, door, or moving engine part.
b) Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that
can cause injury to persons.
c) Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +)
battery post usually has larger diameter than NEGATIVE
(NEG, N,–) post.
d) Determine which post of battery is grounded (connected) to
the chassis. If the negative post is grounded to the chassis
(as in most vehicles), see (e). If the positive post is
grounded to the chassis, see (f).
e) In case of a negative-grounded vehicle, connect the
POSITIVE (RED) clip from the battery charger to the
POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of the battery.
Connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to the chassis or
engine block of the vehicle, away from battery. Do not
connect the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal
body parts. Connect to a heavy gage metal part of the
frame or the engine block. Connect the AC cord to the
socket.
f) In case of a positive-grounded vehicle, connect the
NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from the battery charger to the
NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) ungrounded post of the battery.
Connect the POSITIVE (RED) clip to the chassis or engine
block of the vehicle, away from the battery. Do not connect
the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body
parts. Connect to a heavy gage metal part of the frame or
the engine block. Connect the AC cord to the socket.
g) When disconnecting the charger, disconnect the AC cord,
remove the clip from the chassis of the vehicle, and finally
remove the clip from the battery terminal.
h) See “charge alogorithms” for length of charge information.

5
15. FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN THE BATTERY IS
OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY
MAY CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE RISK OF A
SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:
a) Check the polarity of the battery posts. The POSITIVE
(POS, P, +) battery post usually has a larger diameter than
the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) post.
b) Connect the POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to the POSITIVE
(POS, P, +) post of the battery.
c) Do not face the battery when making the final connection.
d) When disconnecting the charger, always do so in reverse
sequence of the connecting procedure and break the first
connection while as far away from battery as practical.
e) A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on
shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially
designed for marine use.

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1. Quick user guide
A. Connect the charger to the battery.
B. Connect the charger to the wall socket. The TEST LED will indicate that
the mains cable is connected to the wall socket.
All charge status LEDs will flash in case of reverse polarity connection,
short-circuit or if a 12V charger is connected to a 24V battery.
The TEST LED will flash as long as a charge pulse does not increase battery
voltage to more than 12.5V resp. 25V.
When the TEST LED is on continuously, proceed to C.
C. If required, press the MODE-button or use a Bluetooth Smart device to
select another charge program.
When RECONDITION is selected in combination with NORMAL or HIGH;
the RECONDITION LED will be on, and the RECONDITION LED will flash
during reconditioning.
The charger can be switched to low current mode (see technical
specifications) by pressing the MODE button during 3 seconds. The MODE
LED will blink when in low current mode.
The low current mode remains activated until the MODE button is pressed
again during 3 seconds.
D. The battery is about 80% charged and ready for use when the absorption
LED switches on.
E. The battery is fully charged when the FLOAT or STORAGE LED is on.
F. Stop charging at any time by disconnecting the mains cable from the wall
socket.
Explanation icons

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2. ‘Must know’ features and facts
2.1 Blue Smart version
Set-up, monitor and update the charger (add new features when
they become available) using Apple and Android smartphones,
tablets or other devices.
2.2 Ultra high efficiency “green” battery charger
With up to 95% efficiency, these chargers generate up to four
times less heat when compared to the industry standard.
And once the battery is fully charged, power consumption
reduces to 0.5 Watt, some five to ten times better than the
industry standard.
2.3 Durable, safe and silent
- Low thermal stress on the electronic components.
- Protection against ingress of dust, water and chemicals.
- Protection against overheating: the output current will
reduce as temperature increases up to 60°C (140°F), but
the charger will not fail.
- The chargers are totally silent: no cooling fan or any other
moving parts.
2.4 Reverse polarity protected
Once the battery is connected, the charger immediately detects
voltage and polarity. If the battery is connected incorrectly, all
status-LEDs will start blinking. No sparks will occur.
2.5 Recovery function for fully discharged batteries
Most reverse polarity protected chargers will not recognize, and
therefore not recharge a battery which has been discharged to
zero or nearly zero Volts. The Blue Power Charger however will
attempt to recharge a fully discharged battery with low current
and resume normal charging once sufficient voltage has
developed across the battery terminals.
2.6 Temperature compensated charging
The optimal charge voltage of a lead-acid battery varies inversely
with temperature. The Blue Power IP65 Charger measures

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ambient temperature during the test phase and compensates for
temperature during the charge process. The temperature is
measured again when the charger is in low current mode during
float or storage. Special settings for a cold or hot environment are
therefore not needed.
2.7 Adaptive Battery Management
Lead-acid batteries should be charged in three stages, which are
[1] bulk or constant-current charge,
[2] absorption or topping
charge and [3] float charge.
Several hours of absorption charge are needed to fully charge the
battery and prevent early failure to sulfation¹.
The relatively high voltage during absorption does however
accelerate aging due to grid corrosion on the positive plates.
Adaptive Battery Management limits corrosion by reducing
absorption time when possible, that is: when charging a battery
that is already (nearly) fully charged.
2.8 Storage mode: less corrosion of the positive plates
Even the lower float charge voltage that follows the absorption
period will cause grid corrosion. It is therefore essential to reduce
the charge voltage even further when the battery remains
connected to the charger during more than 48 hours.
2.9 Reconditioning
A lead-acid battery that has been insufficiently charged or has
been left discharged during days or weeks will deteriorate due to
sulfation¹. If caught in time, sulfation can sometimes be partially
reversed by charging the battery with low current up to a higher
voltage.
Remarks:
a) Reconditioning should be applied only occasionally to flat plate VRLA
(gel and AGM) batteries because the resulting gassing will dry out the
electrolyte.
b) Cylindrical cell VRLA batteries build more internal pressure before
gassing and will therefore lose less water when subjected to
reconditioning. Some manufacturers of cylindrical cell batteries
therefore recommend the reconditioning setting in case of cyclic
application.
c) Reconditioning can be applied to flooded batteries to “equalise” the
cells and to prevent acid stratification.

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d) Some battery charger manufactures recommend pulse charging to
reverse sulfation. However, most battery experts agree that there is
no conclusive proof that pulse charging works any better than
constant voltage charging. This is confirmed by our own tests.
2.10 Lithium-ion (LiFePO₄) batteries
Li-ion batteries do not suffer from sulfation.
But Li-ion batteries are very sensitive to under voltage or over
voltage².
Li-ion batteries therefore often have integrated cell balancing and
under voltage protection (UVP) circuitry.
Some reverse polarity protected chargers will not recognize a
battery when the UVP has tripped.
The Blue Power Charger will however automatically reset the
UVP and start charging.
Important note:
NEVER attempt to charge a Li-ion battery when its
temperature is below 0°C (32°F).
2.11 Low current mode
Some lead acid batteries can overheat if charged with a current
exceeding 0.3C (C is the capacity in Ah. A 12Ah battery for
example should not be charged with a current exceeding
0.3 x 12 = 4A). The low current mode (charge current limited to
4A or less, see technical specifications) should therefore be used
to charge low capacity lead-acid batteries.
¹ For more information about batteries, please
refer to our book ‘Energy Unlimited’ (downloadable from
www.victronenergy.com),
or
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_pr
event_it
² For more information about Li-ion batteries please see
http://www.victronenergy.com/batteries/lithium-battery-12,8v/

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3. Charge algorithms
3.1 Smart charge algorithm with optional reconditioning for
lead-acid batteries
Charge voltages at room temperature:
MODE
ABS
V
FLOAT
V
STORAGE
V
RECONDITION
Max V@% of Inom
NORMAL
14.4
13.8
13.2
16.2@8%, max 1h
HIGH
14.7
13.8
13.2
16.5@8%, max 1h
LI-ION
14.2
13.5
13.5
n. a.
For 24V chargers: multiply all voltage values by 2.
NORMAL (14.4V): recommended for flooded flat plate lead
antimony batteries (starter batteries), flat plate gel and AGM
batteries.
HIGH (14.7V): recommended for flooded lead calcium batteries,
Optima spiral cell batteries and Odyssey batteries.
Eight step charge sequence for lead-acid batteries:
1. CHARGE/TEST
Tests if the battery can accept charge, even if the battery is
fully discharged (zero or nearly zero Volt across the
terminals).
All charge status LEDs will flash in case of reverse polarity
connection, short-circuit or if a 12V charger is connected to
a 24V battery.
The TEST LED will flash as long as a charge pulse does
not increase battery voltage to more than 12.5V resp. 25V..
If the flashing persists during several minutes the battery is
probably damaged (internal short-circuit): disconnect the
charger.
A false rejection may occur if a load is simultaneously
draining a very weak or fully discharged battery during the
test phase: disconnect the load and repeat the test.

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The charger can be switched to low current mode (see technical
specifications) by pressing the MODE button during 3 seconds. The
MODE LED will blink when in low current mode.
The low current mode remains activated until the MODE button is
pressed again during 3 seconds.
2. BULK
Charges the battery with maximum current until absorption
voltage is reached. The battery will then be about 80%
charged and is ready for use.
3. ABS - Absorption
Charges the battery at constant voltage and with
decreasing current until it is fully charged.
See table above for absorption voltage at room
temperature.
Adaptive battery management:
The absorption time is short (minimum 30 minutes) if the
battery was (nearly) fully charged and increases to 8 hours
in case of a deeply discharged battery.
4. RECONDITION
Optional reconditioning for deeply discharged lead-acid
batteries.
Reconditioning is applicable to the charge algorithms
NORMAL and HIGH and can be selected by pressing the
MODE button one more time after selection of the required
algorithm.
When in RECONDITION mode the battery will be charged
with low current up to a higher voltage at the end of the
absorption phase.
The RECONDITION LED will be on during charging, and
will blink during the reconditioning period.
During reconditioning the maximum current is equal to 8%
of the nominal current until the maximum voltage is
reached. Reconditioning is terminated after one hour or
when the maximum voltage is reached, whichever comes
first. See table.
Example:
For a 12/7 charger: the recondition current is
7 x 0.08 = 0.56A
5. FLOAT
Keeps the battery at constant voltage and fully charged.

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6. STORAGE
Keeps the battery at reduced constant voltage to limit
gassing and corrosion of the positive plates.
Slow self-discharge is prevented by an automatic weekly
refresh of the battery with a short absorption charge.
7. READY
The battery is fully charged when the FLOAT or STORAGE
LED is on.
8. REFRESH
Slow self-discharge is prevented by an automatic weekly
refresh of the battery with a short absorption charge.
3.2 Lithium-ion (LiFePO₄) batteries
When charging a Lithium-ion battery, the Blue Power Charger
uses a specific charging algorithm for Lithium-ion batteries, to
ensure optimum performance. Select LI-ION with the mode
button.
3.3 When a load is connected to the battery
A load can be applied to the battery while charging, as long as
the current draw is much lower than the rated output of the
battery charger.
Reconditioning is not possible when a load is connected to the
battery.
Remarks:
a) Disconnect all loads before attempting to recharge a very
weak or fully discharged lead-acid battery. Loads may be
reconnected once the bulk phase has started.
b) Disconnect all loads before attempting to recharge a Li-ion
battery when the under voltage protection (UVP) of the
Li˗ion battery has tripped. Loads may be reconnected once
the bulk phase has started.

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3.4 Triggering a new charge cycle
A new charge cycle will start when:
a) The charger has reached float or storage, and, due to a
load, current increases up to maximum current during more
than four seconds.
b) The MODE button is pressed during charging.
c) The AC supply has been disconnected and reconnected.
3.5 Estimating charge time
A lead-acid battery is about 80% charged at the beginning of the
absorption period.
The time Tto 80% charged can be calculated as follows:
T = Ah / I
Where:
Iis the charge current (= charger output minus load current).
Ah is the amount of Ah to be charged.
A full absorption period of up to 8 hours is needed to charge the
battery to 100%.
Example:
Charge time to 80% of a fully discharged 100Ah battery when
charged with a 10A Blue Power Charger: T = 100 / 10 = 10 hours
Charge time to 100%: 10 + 8 = 18 hours.
A Li-ion battery is more than 95% charged at the beginning of the
absorption period, and reaches 100% charge after approximately
30 minutes absorption charge.
3.6 High internal resistance
When a battery reaches the end of its cycle- or float life, or when
it dies prematurely due to sulfation or corrosion, capacity will
dramatically drop and internal resistance will increase. The
charger will not recognise such a battery during the test phase (it
could as well be a nearly fully charged battery).
A very short bulk phase when charging a supposedly discharged
battery does however indicate that the battery has reached the
end of its useful life.

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Remark: sulfation can sometimes be partially reversed by
repeated application of the RECONDITION MODE.
3.7 Can be used as a power supply
The charger will supply DC loads when no battery is connected.

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4. Technical specifications
Blue Smart IP65 Charger 120V
12V 7/10/15A
24V 8A
Input voltage range 110-130 VAC
Efficiency 94% 95%
Standby power consumption 0.5W
Minimum battery voltage Starts charging from down to 0V
Charge voltage 'absorption'
Normal: 14.4V
High: 14.7V
Li-ion: 14.2V
Normal: 28,8V
High: 29,4V
Li-ion: 28,4V
Charge voltage 'float'
Normal: 13.8V
High: 13.8V
Li-ion: 13.5V
Normal: 27,6V
High: 27,6V
Li-ion: 27,0V
Charge voltage 'storage'
Normal: 13.2V
High: 13.2V
Li-ion: 13.5V
Normal: 26,4V
High: 26,4V
Li-ion: 27,0V
Charge current 7 / 10 / 15A 8A
Charge current in low current mode 2 / 3 / 4A 3A
Temperature compensation
(lead-acid batteries only) 16 mV/°C (9mV/°F) 32 mV/°C (18mV/°F)
Can be used as power supply Yes
Back current drain 0.7Ah/month (1mA)
Protection
Reverse polarity Output short circuit
Over temperature
Operating temp. range
-20 to +60°C (full rated output up to 30°C)
0 to + 140°F (full rated output up to 90°F)
Humidity (non condensing)
Max 95%
ENCLOSURE
Battery-connection Black and red cable of 1.5 meter (4.9 feet)
120 V AC-connection Cable of 1.8 meter (5.9 feet) with US NEMA 1-15 plug
Protection category IP65 (splash and dust proof, and ignition protected)
Weight 0.9kg (2lbs) 0,9kg (2lbs)
Dimensions (h x w x d)
12/7: 47x95x190mm
1.8x3.7x7.5 inches
0ther: 60x105x190mm
24/8: 60x105x190mm
2.3x4.1x7.5 inches
STANDARDS
Safety EN 60335-1, EN 60335-2-29 (UL certification pending)
Emission EN 55014-1, EN 61000-6-3, EN 61000-3-2
Immunity EN 55014-2, EN 61000-6-1, EN 61000-6-2, EN 61000-3-3

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Five year limited warranty
This limited warranty covers defects in materials and
workmanship in this product, and lasts for five years from the date
of original purchase of this product. The customer must return the
product together with the receipt of purchase to the point of
purchase.
This limited warranty does not cover damage, deterioration or
malfunction resulting from alteration, modification, improper or
unreasonable use or misuse, neglect, exposure to excess
moisture, fire, improper packing, lightning, power surges, or other
acts of nature.
This limited warranty does not cover damage, deterioration or
malfunction resulting from repairs attempted by anyone
unauthorized by Victron Energy to make such repairs.
Victron Energy is not liable for any consequential damages
arising from the use of this product.
The maximum liability of Victron Energy under this limited
warranty shall not exceed the actual purchase price of the
product.