Help required understanding Inverter settings

[Solarexploits]

I recently installed a Powland 4/5kW off grid inverter which charges my batteries & supplies around half of the household circuits. It's been working brilliantly, but I'm struggling slightly with the descriptions of some operations. It has a built in 48V charger & I have set the AC supply on a time switch to charge the batteries overnight on the off peak tariff.

 

In setting the actual voltage point up there is a setting, prog 12,described as "Setting voltage point back to utility source when selecting SBU priority or solar first in proghram01"

 

& a separate setting, prog 13 "setting voltage point back to battery mode when selecting SBU priority or Solar first in program 01"

 

I have SBU selected in prog 01 which is "Solar provides power to loads as fist priority, if insufficient, battery energy will supply power at same time. Utility provides power to the loads only when battery voltage drops to either low level warning or setting point in prog 12"

 

There is no mention of the second setting prog 13

 

So, I want the cheap leccy to charge the batteries for 4 hours unless they are already pretty full, prog 12 offers settings from 44V up to 51V, so if I set to 51 then unless battery voltage is already above 51 (unlikely after around 6 hours or more of batteries being on load) then it should charge them? Have I got that right & will it cease charging when it hits 51V? Or, is that what prog 13 as described above does,  which offers voltages from 48 up to 58, so, if I want it to charge until full then set for 58V?

 

I'm sure it's all obvious to those used to this, I just find the wording confusing & want to make sure I have it right!

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Edited October 5, 2022 by Solarexploits

[Solarexploits]

Bump!

 

Oh dear 39 views & no response, does everyone else find it as confusing as I do .....

 

[Temp]

On 05/10/2022 at 11:13, Solarexploits said:

& a separate setting, prog 13 "setting voltage point back to battery mode when selecting SBU priority or Solar first in program 01"

 

I have SBU selected in prog 01 which is "Solar provides power to loads as fist priority, if insufficient, battery energy will supply power at same time.

 

Utility provides power to the loads only when battery voltage drops to either low level warning or setting point in prog 12"

 

 

 

I'm an electronics engineer but not familiar with this system at all. My interpretation would be that setting 13 is the battery voltage at which it switches from utility back to the battery.

 

So let's say there is no Solar at all...

 

The battery will deliver power to the load until the voltage falls to setting 12 (eg battery nearly empty) then it switches to the utility/mains.

 

When the battery voltage recovers to setting 13 (nearly full?) it switches the load back to the battery.

 

Therefore I would expect setting 13 to be higher than setting 12. 

 

One problem with this theory is that the battery voltage isn't always a good indication of the state of charge. It works better for lead acid than lithium or similar technology 

 

12 and 13 probably shouldn't be two close together otherwise it might oscillate between battery and utility/mains. For example when the load is connected back to the battery the battery voltage will drop a bit even when it's full. That drop shouldn't take it below setting 12 or it will switch back to utility/mains, the battery voltage would then rise above setting 13 and it will switch it back to the battery.. repeat.

 

I might be totally wrong !

Edited October 7, 2022 by Temp

[Solarexploits]

Thanks, your interpretation is similar to mine. 

 

Difficult to check as my cheap leccy is 12.30am to 4.30am & I'm usually asleep!

 

However, cane home late on Saturday night/Sun morning & although in no fit state to check things out properly or accurately, the AC to the inverter was on & batteries were showing being charged by mains, which is the intention, saves voltages sinking too much overnight when no other input available

 

They are AGM batteries, so have set the max charge figure (if we're right that that's what it is!) to 55