Voltage drop, low charge power

Started by Jose Miranda, September 04, 2018, 10:10:30 PM

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Jose Miranda

I am a complete beginner. And this is my first post here. I bought a pre-wired Midnite 150+Schneider 4048 combo. I already have the batteries and panels connected to it. I noticed that when the charger is not charging (I turn off the charging) the input voltage is higher than 100 volts (it was overcast). When I turn the charging on the voltage goes down to around 50 to 60 volts and the charging power is around 80 watts... That doesn't sound right to me. Maybe I am wrong. Is this the controller lowering the voltage in order to not overload the batteries? There is currently no load on the inverter (waiting for the electrician to come). The inverter is reporting the batteries are about 75% full, voltage around 50V. The inverter is currently set to 377 Ah battery capacity.
Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.

ClassicCrazy

#1
When you say you turn off the charging does that mean  you shut off the breaker for the solar panels ? 

It is kind of hard to tell what is going on when you don't have any loads on the system.

The other info needed to know what is going on is you need to read the MNGP display and see what state of charge it is in when you are charging and also when you shut off the solar.
You also need to tell us what the charging parameters are set for - Absorb Voltage Absorb Time  Float , etc.

Since you don't have any load on your system the batteries are probably in Float .  The inverter on will be something of a load - though depending on how that is programmed it could be drawing very little current and sleeping waiting for a load.

An MPPT controller can adjust the voltage to find the point where the current is at it's maximum. Since your batteries are full and don't need to be charged then it might do things that don't seem right. And if the battery are new  they usually need to be cycled before they will start showing their capacity and may not seem like they are acting normal either. Not sure what kind of batteries you have.

Okay -- I didn't see your photos when I wrote this . I am looking at them now

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

ClassicCrazy

I looked at your photos - I never use the Classic to turn the Solar off like you did there.
But everything looks like it probably should .
You really can't tell what is going on until you get some loads on your system and cycle your batteries .
Also still need to know what kind of batteries and the charging set points.

One thing I don't understand - not related to your questions - is that when I try to post photos on the group it will say photos limited to certain size and I often have to shrink them. Your photos when I click on them fill not just the whole screen on my laptop but about four times my laptop screen. I just don't  get how some photos like yours are so huge but the ones I always have to post are so much smaller. Anyone know the answer to that?

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

Jose Miranda

Sorry about the photos. This forum takes ages to load. It took me 30 minutes to load those photos... I'm going to try again with some new ones.

When I say I turn off the charging I mean turn it off in the menu.
Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.

Jose Miranda

I added some photos with the voltage settings. I have 8 Trojan Premium 06 415 batteries, 377 Ah bank.

About the photos, I am using an Android app that reduces the size without reducing the resolution. It's quite good.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tappuma.reduce.photo.size
Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.

ClassicCrazy

For the photos -  change the setting on the photo size in the camera to take a smaller photo - less megapixels.  The other option is to use a photo editor like Irfanview to resize the photos to something smaller.

Can't comment on your setpoints - you need to see what your battery manufacturer recommends. Also what they say for the proper break in if they are new batteries.

Leave your Classic in Solar and if you want to shut of PV input use the breaker for them instead.

Better wait until you get some loads on your system and start cycling those batteries and charging them - and then you can start to figure out how the system works .

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

ClassicCrazy

Oh okay on the photos - I will look up the app - but it seems to do the opposite of what I would want it to - makes the photo so big I have hard time seeing it and have to do a lot of scrolling around to even find the screen.

Regarding the batteries - look up Trojan specs as I mentioned in my last reply .

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

Vic

One of the pics shows that Mode = Off.   So the Classic is Resting.   This means that there is NO loading on the PVs.   This makes the PV voltage rise  --  it is essentially at a Voc for the temperature of the PVs,   and for that amount of sun.   This IS normal.

The pics are so huge that it is nearly impossible to find the info on the MNGP screen.

If you could shrink the pics,   they would load much faster,   and would allow many of us to actually see what is on the screens.

Vic
Off Grid - Sys 1: 2ea SW+ 5548, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH, 5.25 KW PV, Classic 150,WB, Beta Barcelona, Beta KID
Sys 2: SW+ 5548s, 4KS25s, 5.88 KW PV, 2 ea. Classic 150, WB, HB CC-needs remote Monitoring/Control, site=remote.
 MN Bkrs/Bxs/Combiners. Thanks MN for Great Products/Svc/Support&This Forum!!

ClassicCrazy

#8
Regarding your app - which option did you choose to use on your photos - reduce size or resize image ?

Which ever one you used - try the other one ! - ha ha .



Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

Jose Miranda

Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.

Jose Miranda

And for some reason the forum is loading fine now.
Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.

Jose Miranda

Quote from: ClassicCrazy on September 04, 2018, 11:03:58 PM
Regarding your app - which option did you choose to use on your photos - reduce size or resize image ?

Which ever one you used - try the other one ! - ha ha .

Larry

Oh! Is it too big? I just reduced the size because of the file size limit. I like big photos. :P
Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.

Vic

Jose,

What is the rated string voltage for your PVs,   or what brand and model of PVs,   and how many of these PVs in each string?

From  your first post,   it looks like there may not be high enough input voltage to the Classic.

Here is a Link to the Classic String Sizing Tool:
http://www.midnitesolar.com/sizingTool/displaySizing.php

This will help you choose the string configuration,   etc.

Vic
Off Grid - Sys 1: 2ea SW+ 5548, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH, 5.25 KW PV, Classic 150,WB, Beta Barcelona, Beta KID
Sys 2: SW+ 5548s, 4KS25s, 5.88 KW PV, 2 ea. Classic 150, WB, HB CC-needs remote Monitoring/Control, site=remote.
 MN Bkrs/Bxs/Combiners. Thanks MN for Great Products/Svc/Support&This Forum!!

ClassicCrazy

#13
Quote from: Jose Miranda on September 04, 2018, 11:07:08 PM
Reduce size, 40%.

Yeah next time try resize image a lot smaller ! That other option must just keep the same size photo but make the file size seem smaller .
Way too big ! At least I know how that is done now .

This is what your photo size says  4608x2592 - no wonder it is so big on my laptop screen !

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

Jose Miranda

Quote from: Vic on September 04, 2018, 11:22:13 PM
Jose,

What is the rated string voltage for your PVs,   or what brand and model of PVs,   and how many of these PVs in each string?

From  your first post,   it looks like there may not be high enough input voltage to the Classic.

Here is a Link to the Classic String Sizing Tool:

I have 3 strings of 3 SolarWorld 295W, total Vmpp of 119 V.
Jose

Classic 150, Schneider SW4048, Combox, Raspberry Pi 4.