Sine Wave Performance

Mangas
Mangas Solar Expert Posts: 547 ✭✭✭✭
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
Do you guys know if the latest inverters carry a more "true" for the lack of a better description sine wave than those manufactured 10 years ago?

I recall reading somewhere the newer inverter iterations have a "cleaner" wave but I could be wrong.

Ranch Off Grid System & Custom Home: 2 x pair stacked Schneider XW 5548+ Plus inverters (4), 2 x Schneider MPPT 80-600 Charge Controllers, 2 Xanbus AGS Generator Start and Air Extraction System Controllers, 64 Trojan L16 REB 6v 375 AH Flooded Cel Batteries w/Water Miser Caps, 44 x 185 Sharp Solar Panels, Cummins Onan RS20 KW Propane Water Cooled Genset, ICF Custom House Construction, all appliances, Central A/C, 2 x High Efficiency Variable Speed three ton Central A/C 220v compressors, 2 x Propane furnaces, 2 x Variable Speed Air Handlers, 2 x HD WiFi HVAC Zoned System Controllers
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #2
    The specs on the older Trace sine waves use to advertize 35 - 54 steps per cycle. After Xantrex re - branded those units it probably went on for a while ( SW 5548 ) I'v never saw it mentioned in years, but I'd say they would be better, but maybe not.
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  • Mangas
    Mangas Solar Expert Posts: 547 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Square wave with 35-54 sounds right.

    I wonder if there is a technical summary of the new units available somewhere at Schneider or Outback. The spec downloads don't mention it.

    Ranch Off Grid System & Custom Home: 2 x pair stacked Schneider XW 5548+ Plus inverters (4), 2 x Schneider MPPT 80-600 Charge Controllers, 2 Xanbus AGS Generator Start and Air Extraction System Controllers, 64 Trojan L16 REB 6v 375 AH Flooded Cel Batteries w/Water Miser Caps, 44 x 185 Sharp Solar Panels, Cummins Onan RS20 KW Propane Water Cooled Genset, ICF Custom House Construction, all appliances, Central A/C, 2 x High Efficiency Variable Speed three ton Central A/C 220v compressors, 2 x Propane furnaces, 2 x Variable Speed Air Handlers, 2 x HD WiFi HVAC Zoned System Controllers
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Mangas wrote: »
    Square wave with 35-54 sounds right.

    I wonder if there is a technical summary of the new units available somewhere at Schneider or Outback. The spec downloads don't mention it.
    Here are a couple names in level 3 customer support that might be able to answer your question. This was posted a couple years ago.

    This is an update. For the past two weeks I have been in regular contact with a very nice and helpful lady at Schneider- Sandra H. She took my issue to her Engineering department and they developed a firmware revision for the Conext SW for the problem that I was experiencing. Apparently there was a bug existing in some models where the fans would come on and then would not turn off once certain temp set points were achieved(Ray Barbee told me this and not Sandra H).

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  • Mangas
    Mangas Solar Expert Posts: 547 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Thank you!
    Ranch Off Grid System & Custom Home: 2 x pair stacked Schneider XW 5548+ Plus inverters (4), 2 x Schneider MPPT 80-600 Charge Controllers, 2 Xanbus AGS Generator Start and Air Extraction System Controllers, 64 Trojan L16 REB 6v 375 AH Flooded Cel Batteries w/Water Miser Caps, 44 x 185 Sharp Solar Panels, Cummins Onan RS20 KW Propane Water Cooled Genset, ICF Custom House Construction, all appliances, Central A/C, 2 x High Efficiency Variable Speed three ton Central A/C 220v compressors, 2 x Propane furnaces, 2 x Variable Speed Air Handlers, 2 x HD WiFi HVAC Zoned System Controllers
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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Older thread, but others might find it useful.  The two 1800W Xantrex inverters I have are a true sine wave, and produce cleaner power than the grid.

    Here's the waveform from my Prowatt SW200 inverter:


    The waveform from the grid at my house.  Notice the slightly distorted shape:


    A square wave from an old Tripp-Lite UPS:


    The waveform from a 400W Vector MSW inverter:


    And finally, the waveform from my Yamaha EF2400iS generator:

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  • Mangas
    Mangas Solar Expert Posts: 547 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2016 #7
    Thank you! 

    Replaced the Trace units with four Schneider XW plus 5548s' last year.

    Interesting.  Wonder how the waveform of an Trace SW 5548 Plus compares with an XW 5548 Plus.
    Ranch Off Grid System & Custom Home: 2 x pair stacked Schneider XW 5548+ Plus inverters (4), 2 x Schneider MPPT 80-600 Charge Controllers, 2 Xanbus AGS Generator Start and Air Extraction System Controllers, 64 Trojan L16 REB 6v 375 AH Flooded Cel Batteries w/Water Miser Caps, 44 x 185 Sharp Solar Panels, Cummins Onan RS20 KW Propane Water Cooled Genset, ICF Custom House Construction, all appliances, Central A/C, 2 x High Efficiency Variable Speed three ton Central A/C 220v compressors, 2 x Propane furnaces, 2 x Variable Speed Air Handlers, 2 x HD WiFi HVAC Zoned System Controllers
    · Share on Twitter

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