FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

akamuzz
akamuzz Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Hi all,

I have a turbine through a midnite Classic 250 and 3kw of solar through a outback FM80.

How do I set this up so there is no doubling up on the three stages of charging? Bulk, Absorb, Float.






Outback Flexpower ONE, MidNite Classic 250,
48v 130ah Battery Bank,
3kw Solar, 1.5kw 96v Wind Turbine,
2kw Water Heater Dump Load
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  • gww1
    gww1 Solar Expert Posts: 963 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

    I may be totally wrong but I believe that naturally there will be no doubling up on charging. The mode that the charger is in is based on time and voltage and even if the cc is asleep it is going to know what the battery voltage is and how long it has been that.
    Cheers
    gww

    PS based on your set points per cc of course.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

    This is correct: there will be no 'duplication'. The charge controllers determine stage by battery Voltage, and do not care if extra current from another source is raising that Voltage.

    Program the two with identical set points for Absorb (Voltage and time) and Float and they should 'follow' one another with little discrepancy. You may have to adjust the Voltage reading of one or the other so they agree on what the battery Voltage is at any given point. This is most important at the start of Absorb, where Voltage and current are highest so inaccurate reading of battery Voltage due to wiring resistance is most likely to occur then.
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together
    akamuzz wrote: »
    I have a turbine through a midnite Classic 250 and 3kw of solar through a outback FM80.

    How do I set this up so there is no doubling up on the three stages of charging? Bulk, Absorb, Float.

    There will be "doubling up" of battery charging currents during bulk charging. Once you get to absorb, they will regulate. It is possible to exceed a safe charging current during bulk (depends on batteries).

    There is an outback solution... If you have a hub, a Mate3, and a Flexnet DC, you can set a global battery charging current maximum. The FM80 will throttle back its output so that it does not exceed the global charging maximum.

    read more here: http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?p=152925#post152925

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

    Hi akamuzz,

    Your Signature indicates that you have a 130 AH battery bank,

    "Outback Flexpower ONE, MidNite Classic 250,
    48v 130ah Battery Bank,
    3kw Solar, 1.5kw 96v Wind Turbine,
    2kw Water Heater Dump Load"

    Is this a TYPO?? ... Almost has to be.

    Back to the Topic at hand ..

    It is quite difficult to have different power sources, of any kind, share Absorb, Float, and EQ Currents equitably. Would think that due to the very variable nature of Wind power, it would be even more difficult.

    Good Luck, Vic

    Goo
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
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  • akamuzz
    akamuzz Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

    Ha no Vic, no TYPO

    It is an temporary measure ATM, and due to being a batch it does not require longer than 1-2 days battery storage.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

    130 Amp hours @ 48 Volts with 3kW of PV and 1.5kW of wind is asking for trouble.
    It is also too small a battery bank for the FX inverter to function properly with.

    At the moment you have about 3kW hours stored capacity. The PV alone can produce that in half a day. The rest of the day will be wasted, never mind the wind.

    vtMaps's concern is valid here as the combined current output from the two can exceed the maximum that size battery bank can handle:

    3000 Watts * 0.77 / 48 = 48 Amps (charge controller needs to have a maximum current limit set at about 25).

    1500 Watts / 48 (good luck getting a turbine to actually output its max rating) = theoretical 31 Amps. Again more than the batteries can take. Good thing you have that 2kW dump load.

    In the mean time if you try to load that inverter (probably a 3kW) it will flatten those batteries at about 1200 Watts. Do not rely on power coming from the PV/Wind to make up for a tiny battery bank.
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  • gww1
    gww1 Solar Expert Posts: 963 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: FM80 and Classic 250 Working together

    vtmaps
    Good eye,

    gww
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