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  • Calcuim batteries

    Hi,
    I was recently given a 12 volt calcium battery. I hooked it up to my portable solar unit which had a 10A MPPT & it melted the wires right off it! I have since read that these batteries draw a lot more power when they charge. I've also read that they are going to be the 'common' battery. My instant reaction was that I didn't want the battery, but I have a very low income & was wondering if a higher amp (if that's the right term) controller would fix the problem. I didn't have anything attached to the system, as I only use the portable system (which is a 130w I believe, 2 panels that fold out) to pump (with a 12V pump) from one water tank to another when necessary & was just trying to keep the battery charged. I would appreciate any advice, I am obviously not very technically minded and am trying to learn as I go.

    Thank-you.
    Bj.

  • #2
    It sounds more like a Polarity error than a problem with the battery alloy chemistry. The ( +, positive, red ) and the (-, negative, black ) will cause the problem you describe if mixed up and connected to the wrong teminal. You also should hook up the Charge Controller first to the battery before you hook up the PV panels to the controller. Some dual voltage controllers can get confused and supply the wrong voltage to the output. It could also be wire size or a bad connection or a internally shorted battery. This also why it a good idea to have a protected output ( fuse / breaker) on a charge controller

    It's a guess with the information supplied.

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    • #3
      The problem could also have been just a short circuit in the built-in CC in your portable panel.
      There is usually no way that the available current from a portable sized panel could fry wires that quickly regardless of the load provided.
      SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

      Comment


      • #4
        The batteries had nothing to do with it with respect to what you think happened A solar panel can only generate a very limited small amount of power. It was operator error meaning you screwed up. You most like reversed polarity and shorted the battery out. The major mallfunction was you.
        MSEE, PE

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Xentrith View Post
          Hi,
          I was recently given a 12 volt calcium battery. I hooked it up to my portable solar unit which had a 10A MPPT & it melted the wires right off it! I have since read that these batteries draw a lot more power when they charge. I've also read that they are going to be the 'common' battery. My instant reaction was that I didn't want the battery, but I have a very low income & was wondering if a higher amp (if that's the right term) controller would fix the problem. I didn't have anything attached to the system, as I only use the portable system (which is a 130w I believe, 2 panels that fold out) to pump (with a 12V pump) from one water tank to another when necessary & was just trying to keep the battery charged. I would appreciate any advice, I am obviously not very technically minded and am trying to learn as I go.

          Thank-you.
          Bj.
          The current shouldn't be more than 10A. Unless you used undersized wire orthe wire was damaged (partially nicked), the wire should not have "smoked" with current from the CC.

          My guess is it is more likely there was a condition by which the battery smoked the wire, such as a short on the CC side of the "smoked" area, or as Sunking suggested the polarity was reversed.

          Edit If you say "any advice appreciated" you have to be prepared for all kinds of stuff to come your way. Just saying... I use Thick Skin in a Bottle.

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          • #6
            Thanks for advice.

            Hi,
            Thank-you to everyone who replied. I do know that the red wire goes to the positive and the black to the negitave & don't
            think I had them reversed. I was unable to hook up to the controller first before the panels, because the controller was
            molded/fixed to one of the panels (But I didn't know that) & being sealed, I don't think it had any fuses. I also don't
            know what size wires are used, they came already fixed to the unit. I have ordered a 10A digital controller (I wasn't sure
            if I could use a higher rated one, so I got the same size) It is a sun YOBA, advertised as a maximum power point tracker
            but stating it is also a pulse width modulater for charging mode. It has battery reverse discharge & polarity protection
            plus battery under voltage, overload and short circuit protection & automatic temperature compensation - but I don't see
            any fuses. The solar unit was the cheapest that I could find & that does mean 'made in China'. I had had no problems
            charging the old lead acid car battery that I had used before recieving the calcium one, which is what led me to believe
            the battery drew to much power for the controller. I am now thinking that the controller was faulty or that there was a
            kink in a wire. I am also going to get a multi-function battery charger that will test if the battery is faulty. I do
            appreciate all of the advice, even that of Sunking who really didn't add any knowledge to the thread.

            Fingers crossed I don't melt another one!
            Bj.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Xentrith View Post
              I do appreciate all of the advice, even that of Sunking who really didn't add any knowledge to the thread.
              Thick Skin in a Bottle is available by the case.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Xentrith View Post
                Hi,
                I was recently given a 12 volt calcium battery. I hooked it up to my portable solar unit which had a 10A MPPT & it melted the wires right off it! I have since read that these batteries draw a lot more power when they charge. I've also read that they are going to be the 'common' battery.
                The problem with a true calcium battery is not the fact that they draw more power to charge, but need a higher voltage than a standard lead-calcium during absorb phase.

                That is about 15.15v, which most non-programmable solar controllers won't accommodate.

                Thus your battery is not getting fully charged, and was also likely a poor choice for the previous owner unless they had a calcium-specific charger.

                Personally, I'd trade that battery in as a core-exchange for a more conventional lead-acid that has a lower absorb requirement, like 14.5v or so, which your controller should handle.

                I am also going to get a multi-function battery charger that will test if the battery is faulty.
                If you are going to go that route, understand that you will also need a programmable controller that can go as high as 15.15v in absorb. A Xantrex C12 might be able to do that at the relatively inexpensive end. (check the specs first to see).

                One charger that will do that charging and testing of a calcium is a BatteryMinder 2012-CAL.

                Personally, I'd spend the money on a core-exchange for a standard lead-acid.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Xentrith View Post
                  Hi,
                  Thank-you to everyone who replied. I do know that the red wire goes to the positive and the black to the negative & don't
                  think I had them reversed.
                  Wrong, dead wrong. Red does not mean positive polarity. Red means Hot Conductor and black means neutral in a DC circuit. AC is exact opposite where Black is Hot. It is done that way to confuse communist and DIY types so they blow themselves up. A battery system can be either positive or negative grounded. If you ground the positive buss the color is black or white. Negative will be Hot Red.

                  Where you went wrong is assuming the polarity rather than verifying it with a volt meter, and checking for short circuits before connecting. You can get away with that sometimes, but eventually it will bite you in the ass. You got bit.
                  MSEE, PE

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Update

                    Hello Everyone,

                    Just wanted to give an update. I received the digital controller & connected it to the panels . . . & it worked! I like being able to see that it's doing so, with the led display. I hooked up a 6ooW inverter and plugged in a house pedestal fan (54W continuous draw) & it charged the battery (calcium, I realize it won't charge properly) & ran the fan all afternoon! . . . without melting a thing Thank-you to everyone for your help, even Sunking who led me to check that the red wire has a + sign embedded in the material of the controller box and the panel, as the black wire has a - sign embedded in the same materials, & even led me to discover that some imported vehicles do use a black wire as positive, but usually the positive wire in those situations have a stripe running along them. I have decided that I will get the multi function charger, I need it for my deep cycle batteries (particularly in winter) that I use on my house system & that way if I ever end up with a calcium battery in my car & I leave the lights on or something, I won't get slugged up to $50 for a mechanic to put it on their charger overnight.

                    Bj.

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