Discovered 4 Delta LA 602 DC Lightning Arrestors in my stuff.

softdown
softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,896 ✭✭✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
A little research indicates that these are almost made for solar applications. Not as good as the Midnite products....but I have four. What should I do with them? Lightning prone areas warrant four arrestors. This area isn't bad for lightning.

Would imagine that most arrestors are on the AC side of electrical systems.

Each arrestor has two black wires and a single white wire. Sometimes things can be modified to work electrically. Sometimes this is not a great idea.
First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Use them and the Midnight ones. They operate on different principles.  Solar expert / guru John Wiles recommends using both;  CYA well.  Direct hits will win regardless. One of our Delta's had the end blown right out of it. I replaced all them and added MN.  Both AC and DC sides. And lots of air terminals, cables, ground rods and plates. I hope we never go through that again. 
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Midnights cover the low voltage, low power stuff, the Deltas cover much higher voltages and higher power.  2 very different beasts, use both, if you have them
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,896 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    I don't see how an AC arrestor would differ from a DC arrestor.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2015 #5

    The MidNite SPD use Metal Oxide Varistors.  They can take short duration, and multiple fairly short duration surges.

    The Delta units are Arc Gaps,  in a sand quencher.  The Deltas have something like a 7 KV threshold.  Many think that the Deltas are junk.  There are several different models of Deltas,  as is the case with the MN SPDs.

    The following IS a Link to a MN Video:

    http://midnitesolar.com/video/videoPlay.php?video_ID=85&videoCat_ID=8


    AND,  on this page on the MidNite Solar site are a number of videos ...  scroll down to the SPD videos if you are interested this is also a Link:

    http://midnitesolar.com/videoDisplay.php


    Since you have some Deltas,  why not use them,  while you are installing the correct MN SPDs for your system.

    If one has roof mounted PVs  SPDs on the input to and out from the CC would probably be a good idea.

    Wind turbines are also good lightning attractors,  so SPDs and possibly Deltas on those leads provably a good idea.

    Vic

    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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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,896 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Three have: 1 green wire....1 black wire...1 red wire
        One has: 2 black wires....1 white wire

    My instincts tell me that maybe it doesn't matter. The principle appears to be that the potted material will absorb and diffuse a moderate spike in energy. It would take a LOT to absorb and diffuse a large, direct hit.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    #7
    They should have model numbers.  

    Link to Delta on NAWS
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,896 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2015 #8
    They are all Model LA 602DC. Someone made a mistake with the wiring. I suspect that it doesn't matter. Energy goes to the potted material which can absorb a certain amount of energy.....thats my theory.

    EDIT: My mistake. The unit missing the green wire is simply Model LA 602.....so it is an AC unit.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • DanS26
    DanS26 Solar Expert Posts: 269 ✭✭✭
    #9
    About 20 years ago I lost a great deal of equipment to a side strike at my property. 

    Since then I have installed numerous SPD's on both the AC and DC side of things. Starting at the transformer a SPD installed by local POCO up on the pole, then a SPD under the meter, then two SPD's in the main distribution panel, a SPD in each of four sub-panels. Now onto the solar system where no less than six SPD's on the AC side and another six on the DC side.

    Of the twenty SPD's installed, nine are Midnite models, six are Delta models, the rest a mix. 

    I also protect sensitive equipment at point of use.  I don't think you can install too many of these devices. 


    23.16kW Kyocera panels; 2 Fronius 7.5kW inverters; Nyle hot water; Steffes ETS; Great Lakes RO; Generac 10kW w/ATS, TED Pro System monitoring
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,896 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Man...you have of solar gear.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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