Generator and Battery Charger

Zakarume
Zakarume Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
edited November 2015 in Solar Beginners Corner #1
1460 Watts Solar @24v. 675 AH Battery Bank using 12 6v Trojan T-105. 1 Midnite Classic 150. 1500 Watt 24v Samlex Pure Sine Inverter

Comments

  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    Zakarume said:
    No.  The Iota charger have huge start-up surges and low power factor.  You could not run that charger with a generator twice the size.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • Zakarume
    Zakarume Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
    Thanks vtmaps. Maybe if you are really a nice guy. You would give me your  Honda eu2000i.   LOL. Anyway how low of a wattage generator would be good for that charger on a budget
    1460 Watts Solar @24v. 675 AH Battery Bank using 12 6v Trojan T-105. 1 Midnite Classic 150. 1500 Watt 24v Samlex Pure Sine Inverter
  • oil pan 4
    oil pan 4 Solar Expert Posts: 767 ✭✭✭✭
    If you are going to use it regularly don't get a cheap generator.

    Solar hybrid gasoline generator, 7kw gas, 180 watts of solar, Morningstar 15 amp MPPT, group 31 AGM, 900 watt kisae inverter.

    Solar roof top GMC suburban, a normal 3/4 ton suburban with 180 watts of panels on the roof and 10 amp genasun MPPT, 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter, 12v gast and ARB air compressors.

  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    Zakarume said:
    Thanks vtmaps. Maybe if you are really a nice guy. You would give me your  Honda eu2000i.   LOL. Anyway how low of a wattage generator would be good for that charger on a budget
    I doubt the eu2000 could run that Iota.  If you don't need a big generator for any other reason than the Iota, I would look around for a different battery charger that is PF corrected.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    That is an 1,100 Watt charger--And you probably would want a 2,500 Watt AC Genset minimum to run it.You do not want to run a non-commercial genset at more than 80% capacity for hours on end--They can overheat if you do.
    • 27 volts * 40 Amps = 1,080 Watts
    • 1,080 Watts * 1/0.80 typically charger eff * 1/0.67 typical Power Factor for Iota * 1/0.80 genset derating = 2,519 VA rated minimum genset
    You can try a bit smaller genset--But charging battery banks are a difficult load for gensets... Most folks run some lights and power tools on their generator--Variable amounts of power, usually much less than the rating of the generator. However, with batteries and battery chargers, you can run near rated load for multiple hours on end--Lots of stress for a typical residential genset.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • oil pan 4
    oil pan 4 Solar Expert Posts: 767 ✭✭✭✭

    Yes there is a reason they rate their fuel consumption based on 50% load. That is the most the manufacture figures their product will run continuously. They don't post data for fuel consumption for 75% or 100% load because they know their product will never sustain it.

    My home made 240 volt battery charger idles at 0.65 power factor, then hits 0.7 power factor as soon as I put a 20 watt load on it (its built around a 500kva industrial control transformer). The hardest I have ran it was about 360kva but I do not know what the apparent power to true power ratio was. Power factor typically gets higher as the load increases. Only expect it to max out at about 0.8 if you are real lucky with out power factor correction. With power factor correction I get up to about 0.9pf.

    Solar hybrid gasoline generator, 7kw gas, 180 watts of solar, Morningstar 15 amp MPPT, group 31 AGM, 900 watt kisae inverter.

    Solar roof top GMC suburban, a normal 3/4 ton suburban with 180 watts of panels on the roof and 10 amp genasun MPPT, 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter, 12v gast and ARB air compressors.