VSDR-200 Lithium Controller

Description

The VSDR-200 Lithium Controller is a Microprocessor controlled Latching Relay that is specially configured to disconnect and reconnect at pre-set voltages and is used in a Lead-Acid/Lithium Hybrid Battery Bank  (see the section “Hybrid Battery Bank – Introduction” on the website for more information).

Lithium Batteries charge at a much lower voltage then Lead-Acid batteries and installing the VSDR-200 is the key to allowing both Lithium and Lead Batteries to charge at an optimum rate to suit both technologies by taking advantage of their charging characteristics in the same way we take advantage of their different discharge styles in a paralleled Hybrid setup  (see “Hybrid Battery Bank – VSDR Lithium Controller“).

Our latest 2024 version of the VSDR will autosense the voltage system it is connected to – either 12V or 24V and self-adapt the operating thresholds without any user interaction required. If the initial voltage is >20V, it will assume a 24V system;  If below 16V, it will assume a 12V system.

Some info on how the VSDR-200 Operates:

VSDR stands for Voltage Sensing Disconnect Relay.  200 stands for the current draw/charge limit of the unit i.e. 200 Amps
This relay varies significantly from the standard VSR relay you may be familiar with and maybe used as a Split-Charge Relay…. Instead of connecting at a certain voltage threshold and then disconnecting when the voltage has dropped to another threshold, it actually works in the opposite manner, disconnecting at the higher voltage and reconnecting at the lower, and with a significantly greater precision and programmability.
It also does not get energised when closed and have to have a control signal present to keep active (and drawing current) as it is a latching relay. A ‘ON’ control pulse is sent to latch on and it will then just stay on until another ‘OFF’ control pulse is sent to latch off. This means that the relay itself uses no power whatsoever in operation and is expected to be far more reliable than a normal Coil-energised relay.
What does use some power however, is the Lithium Controller part of the unit. The VSDR Lithium Controller is a programmable device, and the electronics has a draw of under 2mA which is fairly minimal.
The Relay switches off when the SYSTEM Voltage hits 14.19V, and comes back on again when it drops down to 13.41V.   And there is a delay incorporated into the Switching On and Off. These presets suit the typical setup requirement in a Hybrid Battery Installation but can be altered on request before shipping
(note: when the VSDR is operating on 24V battery banks, the operating voltages are doubled from the above).

A key feature of this device is also that is it Uni-directional in operation. A typical VSR, which you might think could be comparable in some ways is bi-directional and is activated whenever EITHER side of the relay hits the voltage threshold. This would not be desirable for a Lithium Controller as you only want the unit controlled by the Habitation side and not the Lithium Battery side.

See this post for common Q&A if you have questions.   Please contact us if you would like to know more.

LATEST INFO!!  

We are now shipping as standard a new VSDR that features the ability to apply an remote override. This allows you the option to switch the VSDR on via a switch or control relay if you want to.  This could be useful if you are using it with your own built LiFePO4 battery bank and want to carry out periodic Top-Balancing routine, which might need the batteries held at a higher voltage for a longer duration.
When you don’t use the External override, the VSDR works just as normal, so this is just an extra tool in the box available for added versatility.

Our latest 2024 version of the VSDR will autosense the voltage system it is connected to – either 12V or 24V and self-adapt the operating thresholds without any user interaction required. If the initial voltage is >20V, it will assume a 24V system;  If below 16V, it will assume a 12V system.