to equalize my system

kip martin

Hola

I have 8 large Trojan flooded batteries with an outback vfx3524 and an outback flexmax. These are hooked up to 4 solar panels. I have a Honda 2000 eu gen. I am trying to equalize my batteries but on equalization mode the generator is surging causing an error light on the invertor and an overload light on my gen.

what am I doing wrong? One other thing, the guy who installed all this wired the plug in for the generator while he was doing the install.

Thanks Kip

NorthGuy

Re: to equalize my system

Equalization doesn't take much power because when you do it batteries are already charged. If it overloads the generator, perhaps you're doing it when batteries are not charged?

What kind of big Trojan batteries do you have?

Blackcherry04

Re: to equalize my system

kip martin wrote: »

Hola

I have 8 large Trojan flooded batteries with an outback vfx3524 and an outback flexmax. These are hooked up to 4 solar panels. I have a Honda 2000 eu gen. I am trying to equalize my batteries but on equalization mode the generator is surging causing an error light on the invertor and an overload light on my gen.

what am I doing wrong? One other thing, the guy who installed all this wired the plug in for the generator while he was doing the install.

Thanks Kip

You need to go to the mate and set the input ACin Amps and go to the advanced settings and set charger limit settings to around 9 - 10 amps. While your in the charger settings set the Equalize volts to 31.5.

Doing a full charge before is ok, but anytime you raise the voltage from the last full charge voltage you are going to go through a Bulk charge to the set voltage and then a absorb as the current drops, be it at 27, 28, 29 30, or 31.5 volts..

Cariboocoot

Re: to equalize my system

Blackcherry04 wrote: »

You need to go to the mate and set the input ACin Amps and go to the advanced settings and set charger limit settings to around 9 - 10 amps. While your in the charger settings set the Equalize volts to 31.5.

Doing a full charge before is ok, but anytime you raise the voltage from the last full charge voltage you are going to go through a Bulk charge to the set voltage and then a absorb as the current drops, be it at 27, 28, 29 30, or 31.5 volts..

Caveat: charger Amps is in AC and needs to be adjusted to DC by a factor of 5 for a 24 Volt system.

Your EU2000i can manage 13 Amps AC total output, but you should set the gen limit a bit lower than this. Set the charger limit to around 10% of your battery Amp hour capacity. For example if your eight batteries are 320 Amp hours you have a 640 Amp hour battery bank. So you would be looking at 64 Amp / 5 = 12 Amps AC for the charge limit. That would "max out" your Honda and leave no room for running concurrent loads (the charger will adjust downward to accommodate them). As such you probably are not getting to full charge before EQ and that is not going to work.

Frankly you need a bigger generator.

Blackcherry04

Re: to equalize my system

Cariboocoot wrote: »

Caveat: charger Amps is in AC and needs to be adjusted to DC by a factor of 5 for a 24 Volt system.

Your EU2000i can manage 13 Amps AC total output, but you should set the gen limit a bit lower than this. Set the charger limit to around 10% of your battery Amp hour capacity. For example if your eight batteries are 320 Amp hours you have a 640 Amp hour battery bank. So you would be looking at 64 Amp / 5 = 12 Amps AC for the charge limit. That would "max out" your Honda and leave no room for running concurrent loads (the charger will adjust downward to accommodate them). As such you probably are not getting to full charge before EQ and that is not going to work.

Frankly you need a bigger generator.

You might getaway with 13 amps for awhile, you max it out hour after hour with a charger your looking for trouble, ask me what a new engine costs. 9-10 seems to be a sweet spot, set the ACin amps at 12 and the charger limit at 9-10 amps AC works the best.

Cariboocoot

Re: to equalize my system

Blackcherry04 wrote: »

You might getaway with 13 amps for awhile, you max it out hour after hour with a charger your looking for trouble, ask me what a new engine costs. 9-10 seems to be a sweet spot, set the ACin amps at 12 and the charger limit at 9-10 amps AC works the best.

Agreed. Several things can affect the real power available from a generator. For example my high elevation lowers the actual power output from my Honda. It's best to err on the side of caution.

kip martin

Re: to equalize my system

Hello / Thanks for the replies. I have 8 Trojan L-16-H 6 volts. I also have a Honda 6500 but it is not an eu and it is load and sucks a lot of gas. If I can get away with the 2000 I would rather do that. If not I can run the 6500 every 3 months or so for this purpose. The installer recommended equalizing the batts with the gen. every 3 months. I am in Costa Rica and quite isolated but the temp. variation is very small, it is usually about 25 degrees C where the batts. are. I am quite isolated and far from tech. support so I do not want to screw something up. Another question - Does Outback have videos for how to go into advanced mode etc. in order to set limits on draw etc?

Thanks/ you guys are great

Cariboocoot

Re: to equalize my system

Outback has videos: http://www.outbackpower.com/index.php/outback-resources/videos
They also have manuals: http://www.outbackpower.com/index.php/outback-resources/documents

L16's can be various Amp hour capacity. 320 and 390 are two of the most common. If the EQ cycle is taking too much current @ Voltage it will overload the generator. A 24 Volt system is typically equalized at 31 Volts, and without the limits set it would overload the gen around 50 Amps.

A couple of notes:

Make sure the batteries actually need equalization. If there's no difference between cells greater than 0.010 I wouldn't bother.

You are in a hot climate. Your SG may be specifically lower than standard because of this. Also a remote temperature sensor is a must, but it has no effect on Outback's equalization function. As such you may want to lower the EQ Voltage to 30 to avoid excess water loss.

The MATE should allow you to program the VFX's generator parameters easily. It isn't a matter of Advanced Mode as with the MX/FM controllers.

NorthGuy

Re: to equalize my system

kip martin wrote: »

Hello / Thanks for the replies. I have 8 Trojan L-16-H 6 volts.

These aren't really big

You equalize after your batteries are fully charged. At this point, with reasonable voltage you cannot put more than 20-25A into your batteries. This is 1.5kW. This cannot possibly overload the generator unless you have huge side loads. I would try to disconnect all the extrenal loads that I can and would try again. Before generator gets disqualified, try to see how many amps the inverter draws from the generator?

Can you run your generator independently? Plug some loads into its outlet and see if it works?

Have you tried doing regular charging from the generator?

Cariboocoot

Re: to equalize my system

Programming manual for the FX series inverters: http://www.outbackpower.com/downloads/documents/fx_vfx_series/fx_series_programing_manual.pdf

Charger info starts on page 13.
Generator info starts on page 16.

Vic

Re: to equalize my system

Hi kip,

OK, looks like you have two strings of L-16 batteries -- rated at 435 Ah each string, for about 870 Ah total:
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/FloorMachine.aspx

Do not know the details of the four PVs that you are using to charge these batteries, or your daily discharge from the batteries, BUT, it might be very difficult to use the Eu 2000 generator to get on top to EQ this battery bank.

These batteries fall into the Floor Scrubber category, and as such, would normally expect a fairly high charge rate (fairly large current charge).

It might be just fine to use these batteries for PV charged off-grid use, but, guessing, you may not have enough PV power to recharge this fairly large bank.

Suggest that you use the 6500 generator to get these batteries EQed soon. Generally, the more a battery bank needs to be EQed, the harder it is to get up to the EQ voltage, and maintain it in the first portion of EQ. It is possible that the last half of EQ might, possible be completed with the Eu 2000 generator.

You will want a good Hydrometer to measure the SG of EACH CELL, and to monitor the progress of the EQ.

Please familiarize yourself with the manuals for the OB inverter and the Mate. This will help you to know just how to set the correct EQ VOLTAGE, and the current limits for the genset (and the AC loads from all things using AC power at the time of the EQ). I have not used OB Inverters, so am of no use in this regard (and many others, too).
Good Luck, Vic

vtmaps

Re: to equalize my system

Cariboocoot wrote: »

If the EQ cycle is taking too much current @ Voltage it will overload the generator. A 24 Volt system is typically equalized at 31 Volts, and without the limits set it would overload the gen around 50 Amps.

NorthGuy wrote: »

You equalize after your batteries are fully charged. At this point, with reasonable voltage you cannot put more than 20-25A into your batteries.

I'm with NorthGuy on the numbers... The key is that the batteries be fully charged before you start the equalization. If you begin EQ before you have achieved full charge, then Cariboocoot is correct... you will overload your generator.

--vtMaps

Blackcherry04

Re: to equalize my system

vtmaps wrote: »

I'm with NorthGuy on the numbers... The key is that the batteries be fully charged before you start the equalization. If you begin EQ before you have achieved full charge, then Cariboocoot is correct... you will overload your generator.

--vtMaps

This overload happens because of what ?? Does the Inverter / Charger disregard the ACin amps limit and the charging limits ?? If I do a full charge to 27 volts and the EQ is set to 31 volts doesn't it bulk to that voltage then absorb down to maintain that voltage ??

Cariboocoot

Re: to equalize my system

Blackcherry04 wrote: »

This overload happens because of what ?? Does the Inverter / Charger disregard the ACin amps limit and the charging limits ?? If I do a full charge to 27 volts and the EQ is set to 31 volts doesn't it bulk to that voltage then absorb down to maintain that voltage ??

We think the problem is that the AC IN Amps limit is still at default: well above the capacity of the generator. Apparently he isn't charging with the gen (which would also fault right away) but trying to EQ without a full charge first, so in combination the load demand on the generator exceeds its capacity.

Not so easy to diagnose things "by remote control". :roll: