ipanda x-plorer mppt input voltage/tracking issue

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Fabian
Fabian Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
I have a ipanda x-plorer mppt 60A. I notice that it has a input/tracking voltage issue.
I have (2) 24v 320watt panels in series giving me around 70volts on my input and i am charging a 24v SLA battery.

In full sun my input keeps on fluctuating between 50 to 60+ voltage at a fast pace and sometimes it drops to as low as 28volts and stays there for a very longtime before it goes back to fluctuating between 50 to 60+ voltage in full sun.

Is there a way to solve this issue by updating/flashing the firmware of the controller. If yes could you send me the file to update it or what else can i do?
I await your response anxiously. I really love this controller but the voltage issue is giving me a hard time . I am losing out on a lot of wattage most of the times due to the fact that the input voltage is not steady and keeps on running up on down even thou i am getting a steady full sunshine with no shading effect.

If i put a big 100v 15000uf Capacitor on the input would that solve the voltage sagging issue?
it appears to have a tracking issue within the firmware.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #2
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    What is the Amp*Hour rating of your battery bank?

    What is happening with the current flow to the battery bank (and from the solar panels?)?

    Check the connections from the solar panels to the charge controller Vpanel input... Is the voltage swinging wildly at the Vpanel input of the controller, and at the solar panel not nearly as much of a swing (bad electrical connections)?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Fabian
    Fabian Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭
    #3
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    there no bad connection. in fact i have a epever 40ampt mppt and when i disconnect the ipanda and connect the epever i am getting a steady 60 or 61volts coming in. and the current from the panels is basically steady also. when the ipanda is connected there is a constant up and down of the input voltage and the output wattage/current due to the faulty tracking algorithim within the ipanda mppt.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #4
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    I am sure you are correct... But can you measure the voltage at the Vbatt output terminals of the MPPT solar charge controller and see that the battery voltage is relatively stable?

    MPPT controllers typically draw as much current from the array in short burst so they can "solve" the Pmp=Vmp*Imp equation. If the battery connection is not stable, iti may confuse the MPPT tracking software.

    Otherwise, I am out of ideas other than contacting the seller/mfg and see what they say.

    In general, I would expect adding a very large capacitor to the solar panel will cause more problems than is solves. That "extra stored" energy will tend to confuse the tracking software (I would guess) and make it very hard for the controller to find Vmp for the array (which can occur in fractions of second, perhaps once every 5 minutes--Lots of different algorithms out there).

    In some cases, the large capacitance can damage the charge controller... Solar panels are Current sources and output a fixed (based on amount of solar energy hitting the panel at that moment). Adding a large capacitor bank means that a large amount of surge current is available which can overcurrent the input to the charge controller's transistor switches. And overheat/burn them out.

    And I believe the extra capacitance will just cause the tracking software to be "more unstable" (which is already unstable at the moment).

    I am just a volunteer here--And otherwise not in the solar business... Perhaps one of our members here has a contact for the Ipanda company/support line.

    Here is what I found (seems to have the online/telephone Ipanda support contact):

    https://www.solarcontroller-inverter.com/index.html
    https://www.solarcontroller-inverter.com/download.html

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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