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ClampAmp here, with a off grid-ish 800 watts solar, with 3 battery banks.

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  • ClampAmp here, with a off grid-ish 800 watts solar, with 3 battery banks.

    100 miles East of Dallas.
    3X150 watt (in series), vmp~18 Imp~8.4, 30A MPPT CC 2X 12v FLA 8D type (240Ah) in series, 3000 watt Royal Power inverter msw(no load draw~30 watts), powering a 120 watt 4.5 cu ft refrigerator/freezer.
    1X100 watt vmp~17.6, Imp~5.7, 30 amp PWM CC, 2X 12v Deep cycle FLA Interstate batteries 88Ah each, in Parallell. powering all my lights and fans at 12v
    1X150 watt panel, vmp~18, Imp~8.4, 30 amp max, PWM, - 12v SLA deep cycle 110Ah, powering a cobra 2450 watt msw inverter

    Thanks,
    Colin

  • #2
    System 1 has an out of balance 24v bank when equalizing and probably all the time actually. with battery 1 at 13.7, and battery two at 14.9. I am not happy about this and am seeking some way to prevent further battery damage. I want these batteries to power my refrigerator for as long as they possibly can. Can I put some type of battery equalization monitor, bridge, shunt with controlled directional amp transfers, or even a battery lifesaver with desulfating radio frequencies blasting through the cells themselves?

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    • #3
      Sounds like you have a bad battery. Sure hope you have the three panels in series, otherwise it will not work

      Try this take your 24 volt batteries apart and rewire then for 12 volts. Place on 12 volt charge and run an Equalization charge for 24 hours. If that does not work you are SOL and in the market for new batteries.
      MSEE, PE

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      • #4
        The Problem is that my inverter is set for 24 v, I have a 12v inverter that will probably work, but the solar panels in series will only be able to transfer 85% of their rated wattage and through a MPPT CC none the less. (30 amp max CC, with battery bank at about 12.6, it would be only using 380 watts, (12.6vX30A=380)) when the panels in series get to 450 watts. I guess its worth a shot, as the continued imbalance is going to fry my higher capacity battery eventually. I hope that the CC dosnt have any problems although seeing that it is given around 450 watts and only going to be able to supply 380 watts??

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        • #5
          Originally posted by clampamp View Post
          The Problem is that my inverter is set for 24 v,
          Who cares? It is like saying your car is stuck in the middle of the freeway backing up traffic and you saying you cannot move it because it will not start. Get out and push it out of the way. You are trying to save your batteries. Your Inverter is not worth a crap without batteries.



          Originally posted by clampamp View Post
          I have a 12v inverter that will probably work, but the solar panels in series will only be able to transfer 85% of their rated wattage and through a MPPT CC none the less. (30 amp max CC, with battery bank at about 12.6, it would be only using 380 watts, (12.6vX30A=380)) when the panels in series get to 450 watts. I guess its worth a shot, as the continued imbalance is going to fry my higher capacity battery eventually. I hope that the CC dosnt have any problems although seeing that it is given around 450 watts and only going to be able to supply 380 watts??
          My 3-panels in series is in reference to your 24 volt battery setup using over priced 12 volt battery panels. They have to be all wired in series if using a 24 volt battery. Look connecting your two batteries in parallel is a trial to remedy your problem. As soon as you make the connection the batteries will start equalizing. I doubt it will work because your batteries are already to far gone. Break out the check book or credit card for new batteries. The battery with the abnormally high voltage capacity is much lower than the one with normal voltage.

          MSEE, PE

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Sunking View Post
            Who cares? It is like saying your car is stuck in the middle of the freeway backing up traffic and you saying you cannot move it because it will not start. Get out and push it out of the way. You are trying to save your batteries. Your Inverter is not worth a crap without batteries.





            My 3-panels in series is in reference to your 24 volt battery setup using over priced 12 volt battery panels. They have to be all wired in series if using a 24 volt battery. Look connecting your two batteries in parallel is a trial to remedy your problem. As soon as you make the connection the batteries will start equalizing. I doubt it will work because your batteries are already to far gone. Break out the check book or credit card for new batteries. The battery with the abnormally high voltage capacity is much lower than the one with normal voltage.
            I will get to doing that today, but should i only have 2 instead of 3 150 watt panels feeding the batteries, considering the 30 amp capacity of the charge controller? Or should i just use a basic 2 amp smart charger to try to get them equalized in parallell over the 24 hours, and then if they equalize put them back in either 12 or 24 config? I would be fine in leaving them in a 12v config if i could not damage my CC with the 3 X 150 watt panels in series. I just want them to power my small 'fridge even through a few cloudy days, and 2 X 150 watt panels will only give me 1500 Wh on a sunny day max, when the fridge and inverter will be pretty close to that in one day.

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            • #7
              You will have to look at your CC owners manual to see how much over wattage it can handle. Most will just clip at the specified capacity, in your case 30 amps. But there is limit and specified in watts.

              But your 3000 watt Inverter is a big no-no. Your Inverter size should be no larger than your panel wattage. There is no way your poor tired batteries can power a 3000 watt Inverter. Nothing you have is matched to support each other.

              If we work forward from your panel wattage of 450 watts on a 24 volt battery requires 20-Amp MPPT Controller so you are ok there with 30 - Amps. With just 19 amps of charge current can support a battery of 140 to 200 AH. So one thing that has hurt you is pumping a C/4 charge current into your 88 AH battery. Way to small for that much wattage. A 88 AH battery at best can only supply a C/6 discharge current and that is pushing them. C/6 on 88 AH is roughly 15 amps. That means the largest Inverter they can support is 24 volts x 15 amps = 360 watts. You have 3000 watts.

              If we work backwards from a 24 volt 3000 watt Inverter requires 150 amps. It would take at least a 1200 AH battery to support that and all you have is 88 AH. A 1200 AH battery requires at least 100 Amps of charge current. That would mean you need at least 2 very expensive 50+ amp MPPT Charge Controllers and a 2500 watts of panels.

              Asside from the mismatched equipment is really the least of my concern and what you most likely are not aware of is you have a Perfect Storm conditions for an electrical fire. It takes a very large cable between your batteries and Inverter to handle 150 amps. It takes some very special hydraulic tooling to terminate the 2/0 cable. Your Inverter terminals cannot support a 2/0 cable, not do you likely have the skills to terminate the cable you likely do not have anyway.

              When all that is laid out is no wonder your batteries are shot. They have been abused and pushed beyond their capability. Even if you replace them does not solve any problems. Just kicks the can down the road.
              MSEE, PE

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