Has anyone seen this problem

Chuck46
Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
Hello, My system is a unusual one to say the least. But here goes,

2- VFX3524 run house loads
2- Trace 4024SW's runs garage and well pumps
1- 11KW Kolar gen set
2500 watts solar panels
20- S460 @ 24 volts
1- Bergey XL1 wind gen

Here is the problem,
The generator is wire to the Trace inverters, it starts (the gen) batteries start charging. All 120 volt loads operate but no 220 loads work.
Each leg to the 220 loads shows 120.9 volts.

I have rewired eveything. Checked the gen set its good checked all I can think of and still cant figure out what.

Any ideas?
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Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    You did not say if the L1/L2 connections showed a stable 240 vac or not...

    Is the ISC (Inverter Stacking Cable connected and working--no bent pins)? If the cable missing/broken, I presume that the two inverters will not be exactly 180 degrees out of phase and any 240 volt load will see variable voltage as the inverters "beat" against each other (each has a slightly different frequency output sometimes 240 VAC output when the inverters are 180 out of phase, other times 0 vac output when in phase).

    Do you have the neutral wires from the output of the inverters properly interconnected together?

    Do the 240 VAC loads work when the generator is running and stop working properly when the generator is off? If true, then either the inverters are not syncing via the ISC cable, or possibly the output neutrals are not properly connected together (try placing your volt meter across the two inverters' neutrals--neutral to neutral measurement with some 120 VAC loads on both inverters--you should never see more than a few volts difference between them.

    All I can think of...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    Assuming this only happens when the genset is running.
    If you read 120 across each leg and 0 when connecting to both then the gen set probably has one leg out of phase by 180 deg. Some gensets will allow you to wire both lines in phase and supply 120 at twice the current. You need to check the configuration on the genset. Bruce
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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #4
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    Well L1 to L2 on the inverter is 238.9 volts, neutral to neutral is 0.006 volts.neutral to ground is 0 volts. Gen set is the last thing I need to check and I wont be able to do it until sat. Thanks for the repliews any other things I should look at on sat.?
    Chuck
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #5
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    Can you put a pure resistive load (like 2x series 120 VAC 20-100 watt filament lamps) across L1/L2... Do they light? And what is the voltage?

    If you are reading 240 VAC at the inverter L1/L2, what does L1/L2/LN look like at one of the "failing" 240 VAC loads? Although, I am guessing that L1-LN and L2-LN was the 120.9 volts you mentioned in your first post. Can you put your "lamp loads" across one of your 240 VAC loads and measure the voltage?

    You did not say anything, but I assume that you don't trip breakers and you don't have any (failing/tripping) Ground Fault Interrupters (GFIs) either...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #6
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    BB.
    No breakers are tripping, no GFI problems. Nothing that indicatesa wiring problem or ground fault. On Saturday I will be able to check the gen set and see what my voltages are on it. The unusual thing is the Outback inverters wont even pass the gens AC through when I tried to use them. This with some of your thoughts are leading me to feel this is a gen problem and not an inverter problem.

    What the VFX3524's do when the gen was hooked to them was the lighht would blink, the relay would click and with in less then a second the relay would click again the mate would say drop for AC in amd the lights would continue to blink. This would repeat its self until I turned the Gen off.

    So on Saturday its check out the gen set again and find what I missed.
    Chuck
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    You do have the Genny with a netrual? as the outback/xantrex are 120V inverters and feeding 240 to a stacked pair without a netural won't work.
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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #8
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    Solar Guppy,
    Will check that as I did not wire the gen set in it was something I had not considered. Thanks
    Chuck
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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #9
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    well its saturday and I check things out genny has neutral and volt drops are at 0 on the N's. Genny running and voltage check across gennys L1 and L2 gives me 2.516 volts:confused:

    Voltade check at inverter with genny running zcross L1 and L2 2.01 volts:confused:

    Inverter check with genny off 239.8 volt:D

    Time to get the genny manual out
    Chuck
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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #10
    Re: Has anyone seen this problem

    Well got it fixed. The expert genny installer wire the gen set for 120 output so a quick rewire and all is good. Thanks to all who responed and gave me the help needed

    Chuck
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