trimetric issue?

animatt

Have a trimetric setup on a 24 battery array. 2 strings of 24v at 235ah each so total of 470ah at 24v 20hr rate. The system is in a motor home.

I set trimetric battery size to half the size of the battery array. So 0 percent on battery gauge would be roughly 50% discharge.

Anyway I have had battery meter setup for maybe a month now. and I have usually only pulled batteries down on the trimetric gauge to something like 75%. So not below 85% soc

Wanting to work out the batteries I put on the air conditioner for several hours probably around 4-5. This was during sunny weather so panels were helping a bit.(464w thin film panels)

I pull heavy charge(~1000w avg but near 1300w at the end) from batts until trimetric gauge reads 21% Which would roughly equate to 60% battery capacity remaining. Under air conditioning loads meter was reading 23.8volts at the end. When load shut off immediately bounced back to 24.3-24.4v This was maybe 6:30pm with now a very small load on the batteries. but definitely more than the panels were producing. Main point being panels were not increasing the value seen by the trimetric.

Went into house for the evening. Came out next day mid day and see how the panels and system is doing. Battery voltage looked fine. Close to 26v mppt charging. But when I flipped through display options now on the trimetric to go to battery % gauge it just displays "---" I thought this was weird but maybe it glitched and might reset when battery bank gets full.

At roughly 40% from full =470x24x.4= roughly 4512wh deficit that I need to put back into the batteries. So I knew my panels (464w) were not going to fill the battery that first sunny day so decided to check the following day. The first day charging in mppt all day I got 3340wh. Day 2 of charging/ yesterday was a nice sunny day. At the end of the day I go check and about 1700wh were collected. So I figure now the batteries are full. But trimetric still reads "---" on battery gauge.

Anyone have this issue before??
Also I know my solar array is small for this battery bank. 2 things.
I have 4 190w panels in a different location that will become a part of this system in the future ~5-6 months.
and Secondly the system does not get used terribly much right now. IF there was a time where the system is getting used harder I plan to use a generator to give the batteries a nicer charge every so often. Charger working from generator will give roughly 30a charge. Which gets into a more reasonable charge rate.

ANy way ... any ideas about the change in the trimetric display. Battery voltage display matches morningstar controller display. Power usage set in watts is showing consistency in its display as well. Just the % of battery charge is a little weird .

Thanks
Matthew

icarus

Re: trimetric issue?

Try reconfiguring the gauge as though it were a new install?

Tony

BB.

Re: trimetric issue?

It sounds like the DC power was cut to the controller. Bad wiring, a really heavy starting load (heavy starting load does not sound likely, battery voltage would have to fall below 10 volts--I think--However, make sure the + lead for the Trimetric goes directly to the battery bus and is not connected to an inverter terminal or will pump switch where it may get "spiked").

-Bill "just guessing" B.

animatt

Re: trimetric issue?

I have yet to try and reconfigure. While that would get it back on track I rather get to the bottom of the issue and not have it happen again.


My batteries are 24v bank. Main starting batteries are 12v(different bank not center tapped or converter run). Right now battery banks do not share any energy. Going to setup where the 24v could give the 12v a quick charge in case of a dead starting battery. Point being the only draw the batteries had on them was the morningstar mppt controller. other breakers for 24v to 12v converter and inverter were in off position. I will check the + lead to the trimetric. It is wired directly to the positive terminal post. It is wired with just cat5 cable. One twisted pair is used for the + terminal. Other cables go to other terminals. I know cat5 is pretty thin so I will make sure cable is intact in good condition. What kind of throws me is it is still working and is just a batt % thing. Did not know if that was a possible issue with these.

Anyway thanks for the responses. Will reconfigure and recheck connections. Also will report here if I find anything that maybe an issue.

matthew

animatt

Re: trimetric issue?

also forgot.

when everything is shut off and it is just the trimetric connected it reads about - .9 to 1.0 watts coming out of batteries if I remember correctly. I just assumed this was trimetric self consumption. I just state this as maybe it is a clue to poor wiring. And if it is poor wiring its mine.

Matthew