Good Day Guys

Please look at my inverter settings. Do they seem correct specifically the battery voltage charge.

The system is running normal I do however see that when the batteries are 100% themaintenance looks weird.

There will be no charge for a while and then there will be a big charge of ie 40Amps. I would expect the charge to be kept at 100% with a small charge of ie 2Amps.

I've got 3 of the following batteries.

Looking forward to some input.

Greetings

Albert

 

Hi Albert, 

Where did you buy the batteries if I may ask? They look similar to mine but with different specs as attached. Do you have a lable on the side?

LiT58120.pdf

I got them with my installation from https://dddappliances.co.za

Will look but cant remember seeing a sticker on the side. Feel to me the performance of the batteries are fair.

Thing that is lacking is no Battery level indicator on the individual batteries. No easy way to see the state of the individual batteries.

Greetings

 

1 hour ago, SnoopySniper said:

settings. Do they seem correct specifically the battery voltage charge.

No, the bulk/CV (really absorb) charging voltage (56.4 V) is too high. That's equivalent to 3.76 VPC; LiFePO₄ should never go over 3.6 VPC, and preferably not much over 3.55 VPC.

So I'd reduce the float voltage to say 53.0 V, and the bulk/CV/absorb setting to the manufacturer's figure of 53.5 V. For longer life, you could knock half a volt or more off both of those.

Edit: the inverter (and therefore also Watchpower) won't let you set the bulk/CV/absorb setting lower than the current float setting. Hence my suggestion to change the float voltage down first.

Edited May 14, 20197 yr by Coulomb

2 hours ago, Coulomb said:

No, the bulk/CV (really absorb) charging voltage (56.4 V) is too high. That's equivalent to 3.76 VPC; LiFePO₄ should never go over 3.6 VPC, and preferably not much over 3.55 VPC.

So I'd reduce the float voltage to say 53.0 V, and the bulk/CV/absorb setting to the manufacturer's figure of 53.5 V. For longer life, you could knock half a volt or more off both of those.

Edit: the inverter (and therefore also Watchpower) won't let you set the bulk/CV/absorb setting lower than the current float setting. Hence my suggestion to change the float voltage down first.

Thank for the recommendations. 

Ill make the adjustments and monitor. 

Thanks again. 

Greetings

Albert

Hi

I’ve been using these settings for a while now. All was well. Batteries get to 100% and then gets maintained with a small charge. 

Something has however happened recently which I cant explain. While the panels are providing power for charge it looks like they just go offline and then stay offline.  Nothing tripped, no fuses blown. Only once i reset the inverter. The charge returns to normal. 

Any explanation for this? The

Fortgot to attach the files

19 minutes ago, SnoopySniper said:

While the panels are providing power for charge it looks like they just go offline and then stay offline.

It sounds like you are experiencing the dreaded panel dip and freeze problem, as described here:

https://powerforum.co.za/topic/3675-axpert-strange-behaviour-potential-mppt-issue/

Your inverter is probably the same as Peter's; Jaco has an Axpert King.

Sorry, this is a total mystery so far. All I can say is complain to your supplier, and hope that a firmware update will become available to fix the problem.

Good day all

@SnoopySniper try to only switch off the PV feed to the inverter for about 60 seconds the next time it freeze.

The freeze has something to do with the PV feed.

I know of four people including you that is experiencing this now. Older units is not doing it at all.

Hope the manufacturer get the message from the customers buying from them. I tried to contact Voltronics directly but without any luck.

 

Thank for the replies. 

Obviously need to solve the issue as ons is not always around to reset the system or disconnect the pv supply. 

This afternoon I made a small change to bulk charge and float charge voltage and it seems the system returned to normal. Ill evaluate over the following days. 

Thanks again for the inputs. 

Appreciate it. 

8 hours ago, SnoopySniper said:

I made a small change to bulk charge and float charge voltage and it seems the system returned to normal.

Any changes to settings that involve the SCC will cause a reset command to be sent to the SCC. So those will have the same effect as turning off the PV power, unless the SCC is totally crashed.

At least, that's how the older models behaved. I have no access to recent firmware.

@SnoopySniper if you say you made small changes, what did you change?

I changed my Bulk Charging voltage from 53.5 to 54.1 this afternoon and it seems to have made a positive difference.

Looking forward to hear from you soon.

Hi

Made a similar change to 54 v bulk charge

and to 53V float charge. Also seems to have helped. Froze once around 11am. 

Then changed float to 53.1 to get solar panels going again. Thereafter it worked normal for the rest of the day. 

Will monitor again tomorrow. 

I've joined the other thread of people experiencing this problem and will follow any progress there.

Thanks

Hi

I’ve been using these settings for a while now. All was well. Batteries get to 100% and then gets maintained with a small charge. 

Something has however happened recently which I cant explain. While the panels are providing power for charge it looks like they just go offline and then stay offline.  Nothing tripped, no fuses blown. Only once i reset the inverter. The charge returns to normal. 

Any explanation for this? The

Out of interest what firmware versions are people with this issue running? I ask because I recently acquired two Kings from FCS and the firmware appears quite outdated (perhaps Coulomb can confirm)? I'm still getting my ducks in a row with regards to monitoring, but I'll report back if I experience the same issues as Jaco, Peter and co.

8 hours ago, miles said:

the firmware appears quite outdated

Actually, 71.70 is the most recent I've heard of for Axpert Kings. 71.50 seems to have the issue, and 71.61 seems not to.

If you're worried that 71.70 is less than say 72.20, don't be; the Kings run totally different main firmware to the other Axpert models.

Thanks very much Coulomb

Hallo @miles

Where is FCS based?

Would like to get hold of updated firmware as currently running on 71.50 and it is a disaster!!!!

 

On 2019/05/27 at 7:59 PM, SnoopySniper said:

Hi

Made a similar change to 54 v bulk charge

and to 53V float charge. Also seems to have helped. Froze once around 11am. 

Then changed float to 53.1 to get solar panels going again. Thereafter it worked normal for the rest of the day. 

Will monitor again tomorrow. 

Hi 

    I recently set up my ICC system and realized that I have the same situation. Batteries fully charged then PV disconnects, sometimes early in the day and   during night time the Utility Power is used to recharge batteries.

 I've just made the similar changes as you and Jaco and immediately the PV connects and taking the load.

Will monitor to see what the results are tommorrow.