Generator Aux charger

mike95490
mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
I'm putting together a system, that will be heavy on batteries & load, and light on solar PV.
I'll need a supplemental generator to fire up for a couple of hours at midnight, and in the AM, to provide "bulk charging" and then rely on solar PV to top it off. This is going to be at least a 24V system, and likely 48V. I'm looking for a simple generator and charger to provide the Bulk charge only, an XW MPPT 60 A will handle the later stages of charging. Any DC generators out there ? (this is way beyond what a car or truck alternator can produce)
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 ,

Comments

  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    Mike, get a XW-6048 , has the charger built-in and split phase ac

    You can then use your GT3.3 as a charger should the need arise ( sync'ed backfeed )
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    This is an off - grid, stand alone trailer installation, no grid to deal with. I'm running a boatload of high power LED's (2KW of LEDs), no need for an inverter, just lots of DC.
    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 ,

  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    Do you need auto start? How long is the installation going to run? How many amps of charger?

    As I'm sure you know, the honda eu series run xantrex chargers quite well. Not industrial 24/7 use but pretty good reliabilty as well. The Chinese knock off Kipur runs just as well, but for how long?

    Icarus
  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    I would look at the iota DLS-54.4
    http://www.iotaengineering.com/dls5415.htm
    it will put out a solid 15 amps with just about any input from any genset about 1.5kw and over. If you want more amps you could go with four DLS 55-12's

    How much wattage are you looking to put in the batteries?
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger
    mike90045 wrote: »
    This is an off - grid, stand alone trailer installation, no grid to deal with. I'm running a boatload of high power LED's (2KW of LEDs), no need for an inverter, just lots of DC.

    you have my curiousity. who has need of 2kw of leds?:confused:
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    it's for a Burning Man art project, a couple semi-trailers joined into a grotto with a zillion strings of LEDs, and some outdoor stuff too, Uses the ultra bright LED's to be visible in sunlight.

    or is this for the Southern Border Optical Fence to stun tresspassers ?? Something like that.
    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 ,

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger
    Brock wrote: »
    I would look at the iota DLS-54.4
    http://www.iotaengineering.com/dls5415.htm
    it will put out a solid 15 amps with just about any input from any genset about 1.5kw and over. If you want more amps you could go with four DLS 55-12's

    How much wattage are you looking to put in the batteries?

    Well, this is a string of 8, 6V golfcart batteries, 48V. I guess it should not charge more than 30 A for very long.
    I'm still looking for a 48V 30A charger. The XW is a bit of overkill cost wise, and I don't want to have to build one from a old microwave transformer.

    The size of the solar array got cut, the vendor [sunelec] didn't come thru @ $2.60/W (non-UL), and waffled themselves out of time to ship. We're down to 600W of LED's, still running off a 48V battery bank. I've made a nifty DC-DC converter, based on an commercial 1/8 brick module @ 93% eff. to down-convert the 48V to 12V for the LED's. The drivers for the LED's were blowing out at an alarming rate, and it was related to cheap power supply voltage spikes frying them.
    So if anyone has need of a 48V - 12V converter, I have 3 bare boards left, and assorted support parts that I could sell at cost. Converters are 120W (10A) industrial parts, 2 yr guarantee. (If Wind-Sun needs a 48-12V converter {I didn't find one on the site} I could get a kit together)

    Converter: 120W - 12V 10A, 0.1% regulation
    http://www.powerconversion.com/products/websheet/365/AEO
    vendor: DigiKey $60 ea
    http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?PName?Name=454-1190-ND
    slideshow of boards:
    http://www.naturalstudies.org/Photo_galleries/LED_driver/
    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 ,

  • GreenerPower
    GreenerPower Solar Expert Posts: 264 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger
    mike90045 wrote: »
    ...I'm still looking for a 48V 30A charger.
    Look at this thread, using this DC supply to feed the CC for bulk charge.
    GP
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    Dang, the thing needs 220VAC

    > 3KW 48V I purchased here ($100) - http://www.weirdstuff.com/cgi-bin/item/22081#
    > connections: http://www.greener-power.com/images/3KW_PS.jpg
    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 ,

  • GreenerPower
    GreenerPower Solar Expert Posts: 264 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger
    mike90045 wrote: »
    Dang, the thing needs 220VAC

    > 3KW 48V I purchased here ($100) - http://www.weirdstuff.com/cgi-bin/item/22081#
    > connections: http://www.greener-power.com/images/3KW_PS.jpg
    Look like your hands are tied. For a short term project like this, you can go with this and pick an AC gen that has 220VAC output. Or if you have 120VAC available only, then you need to add a X-240 et al. step up xformer. The last choice which is probably more expensive is to go with a real DC gen.
    GP
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    Followup notes

    Well, the verdict is in, and the system was a success !
    Photos of the "Garden and Grotto of Manifest Destiny" ? :
    edited by niel no link, so you will have to do a Google Search for
    "Garden and Grotto of Manifest Destiny"

    Since not all the internal lighting was installed (only 800W), there was no generator run time needed, and there was surplus power to run (via lampcord!) several other night lighted displays. It was reported to me that all ran perfectly for 2 weeks. The PV system will be re-installed on a off-grid house in Joshua Tree, for 11 months, and then it will be replaced onto the trailer.
    Based on a 48V battery system, of series connected 6V golf cart batteries, and down converted to 11.5V with 15, DC-DC converters (48V - 12V, 95% eff), solar charging matched loading well. The trailer has been towed with the PV array deployed (I was not the engineer for that)

    Update:
    The PV array & battery system is now powering a weekend house, and will be on tha road again. NYT article about the house.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/garden/09joshua.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1
    from the bottom of page 2
    “The Garden and Grotto of Manifest Destiny,” an installation of Mr. Polumbo’s that features glowing festoons of * set inside a 1980s-era military vehicle. If you don’t get too close, its “blossoms” look like a fantastic Martian garden. (It is fitted with 6,000 L.E.D.’s, and powered by solar panels.) The “Grotto” has been a hard-working art piece: it traveled to the Burning Man festival in August and to Art Basel Miami Beach in December. Now it is powering Mr. Polumbo’s house through an extension cord.


    note: My artistic medium is electronics, not what it was lighting.
    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 ,

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    mike,
    though i personally don't care, i don't think it to be appropriate for this site to be linked to some of the pics i saw and as such i have edited the link.
  • jimskau
    jimskau Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    Coul not help wondering about the IOTA DSL-55/12V charger with the IQ4 chip. I just imported 2 x 220VAC units to Spain for backup charge purposes on solar batteries. One bank is 500Ah (6x2Vcells) the other 1000, (4X250Ah mono bloc)
    The manual clearly states that the IQ4 initially checks the number of cells in the BATTERY! (note the singular!)
    Well both systems are of course wired diagonally, so any idea whether this would present a problem? I would expect to connect the chargers to the two far end termnals on the systems and get going, next time the clouds hit us.
    8 x 250Wp Suntech (wife insisted on a dish washer), Outback VFX 3024, Midnite Classic 150, 4 Rolls 6CS25p. Solar installer in Southern Spain. 
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    if i read them right, that would be just to verify you aren't trying to charge a 6v or 24v battery bank when there's 12v outputted, so to speak. the only problems with your using them would be if there's any bad interconnections or wires that would hamper a proper charge or cause the charge to be distributed unevenly, but then that applies to any charge source connected to the batteries and not just the iotas.
  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Generator Aux charger

    The iq charger works on 12, 24, 36 and 48v banks. It is the same iq for any of the DLS chargers, pretty neat little device.

    I have two DLS 55's and really like them. I also just got a DLS 54.4-15, set up to charge my 48 volt bank from an idling car and cheap Xantrex pro 1800w inverter. I know it sounds goofy, but it works like a charm as a backup.

    The nice thing about iota's is they accept a huge range of inputs I heard 45 to 65 hz and 80 vac to 200 vac. I even heard rumor they worked with DC input power, but haven't tried it. I know it doesn't bat an eye using mod sine wave as input.
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI