Battery Load modes

[thanasis]

On page 25  the KID manual lists the "Battery connected load modes" (Manual, Night Light, Day light,PWM Divert, Float On, Float Off, Diversion and Toggle), each of which can be set to OFF or AUTO.


Could someone please help me understand
1. what is the purpose of setting up these modes
2. what do they mean,
3. how do I determine which ones I should be turning on,
4. can more than one can be turned on.


( actually if I get an answer to #1, I may able to figure out the others)

I run a search on "load modes" but did not return anything helpful.


My only load is a DC refrigerator which is connected to the battery.


Thanks

[thanasis]

No replies yet ... I guess I will have to bring this up to MidNite Solar's tech support.

[Halfcrazy]

On page 25  the KID manual lists the "Battery connected load modes" (Manual, Night Light, Day light,PWM Divert, Float On, Float Off, Diversion and Toggle), each of which can be set to OFF or AUTO.


Could someone please help me understand
1. what is the purpose of setting up these modes
2. what do they mean,
3. how do I determine which ones I should be turning on,
4. can more than one can be turned on.


( actually if I get an answer to #1, I may able to figure out the others)

I run a search on "load modes" but did not return anything helpful.


My only load is a DC refrigerator which is connected to the battery.


Thanks

1- The purpose of setting one of these modes up is to use the Kids Load circuit to do something usefull for you. For example I have a Kid that is on my boiler building and it is always dark out there so I set up Night Light mode and put a 12v light outside the building. Now anytime the battery has enough juice and it is dark the light is on.

2- Most are explanatory:
Manual= Manually turns the load circuit on or off
Night Light = On when it is dark out
Day Light = On when it is light out
PWM Divert = Diversion mode that does Pulse Width Modulation to burn off any extra power not needed for the batteries
Float on = On when in float
Float off = off when in float
Diversion = Ob above a set voltage (You set the voltage)
Toggle = test mode it toggles on and off so you can test your load circuit

3- You would only use one and you would have to determine that one based on what you are trying to do with the loads

4- No

[Free Energy Freak]

2- Most are explanatory:
Manual= Manually turns the load circuit on or off
Night Light = On when it is dark out
Day Light = On when it is light out
PWM Divert = Diversion mode that does Pulse Width Modulation to burn off any extra power not needed for the batteries
Float on = On when in float
Float off = off when in float
Diversion = Ob above a set voltage (You set the voltage)
Toggle = test mode it toggles on and off so you can test your load circuit

So, would PWM Divert automatically enable at absorb, or float? It wouldn't be enabled during Bulk, would it?

[tecnodave]

Free Energy Freak,

I have been experimenting with PWM divert mode, that is exactly what it does, first priority....charge battery banks.......when batteries charged and voltage rises to set point then diversion happens. I am in my yearly coastal fog time now so I can't do it full time , results are totally dependent on mother nature.

PWM divert is not enabled at bulk in a normal setup. The divert set point would have to be set too low to top up the batteries, diverting will pull the voltage down to where you will not get to adsorb if the set point is too low. I guess that will depend on diversion load and panel size.

I have done diversion with a Classic 150, Trace C-40 and now with the Kid,  10 gallon GE water heater from Home Depot with the element and thermostat swapped out for 24 volt ones from Missouri Wind and Solar.  About $90. For the heater and ~$65.00 for the element and thermostat.......free hot water without taxing batteries or running inverter. Heater is 600 watt 24 volt.  There are a few small water heaters out there less than 20 gallons that have dual elements that would be better  for this but I don't have that much extra space.

td

[Halfcrazy]

2- Most are explanatory:
Manual= Manually turns the load circuit on or off
Night Light = On when it is dark out
Day Light = On when it is light out
PWM Divert = Diversion mode that does Pulse Width Modulation to burn off any extra power not needed for the batteries
Float on = On when in float
Float off = off when in float
Diversion = Ob above a set voltage (You set the voltage)
Toggle = test mode it toggles on and off so you can test your load circuit

So, would PWM Divert automatically enable at absorb, or float? It wouldn't be enabled during Bulk, would it?

PWM divert would be enabled anytime you are near the target voltage. it uses a negative offset (-0.2 for example) and any time the offset is reached in relation to whatever charge stage it is in it starts to PWM the load to maintain that voltage.

[thanasis]

1- The purpose of setting one of these modes up is to use the Kids Load circuit to do something usefull for you. For example I have a Kid that is on my boiler building and it is always dark out there so I set up Night Light mode and put a 12v light outside the building. Now anytime the battery has enough juice and it is dark the light is on.

2- Most are explanatory:
Manual= Manually turns the load circuit on or off
Night Light = On when it is dark out
Day Light = On when it is light out
PWM Divert = Diversion mode that does Pulse Width Modulation to burn off any extra power not needed for the batteries
Float on = On when in float
Float off = off when in float
Diversion = Ob above a set voltage (You set the voltage)
Toggle = test mode it toggles on and off so you can test your load circuit

3- You would only use one and you would have to determine that one based on what you are trying to do with the loads

4- No

Thank you Halfcrazy for detailed explanation.
I was under the impression that the KID's load terminals receive current ONLY from the PVs bypassing the battery. If I understand correctly, this is not the case, instead, the KID's Load terminals provide battery juice to loads subject to user-specified conditions that are set via the "Battery Load" parameters listed on page 25 of the manual. But now that I have said that, how does this definition squares with  the meaning of "diversion" which seems to be "stop sending any charge the batteries and conditionally divert the current directly to a load attached to the Load terminals". I guess might be that the diversion modes  are the only modes that when set, direct current to the load directly bypassing the battery. Does this make any sense?

[Halfcrazy]

No the load circuit is battery voltage only. Nothing to do with the PV voltage

[vtmaps]

how does this definition squares with  the meaning of "diversion" which seems to be "stop sending any charge the batteries and conditionally divert the current directly to a load attached to the Load terminals". I guess might be that the diversion modes  are the only modes that when set, direct current to the load directly bypassing the battery.

When a battery is fully charged, a solar charge controller stops harvesting power and the solar panels stop producing power.

With wind and hydro, when the battery is fully charged, the wind or hydro controller continues to send power to the battery.  A diversion controller connects to the battery and if it sees the battery getting overcharged it "bleeds off" power from the battery (to a 'dump' load) so the battery does not get overcharged. 

You could charge with solar this way... you would connect your PV panels directly to the battery.  The diversion controller would be set to not let the battery go above absorb voltage.  When the PV panels have charged the battery, the diversion controller then diverts as much power from the battery as the PV panels are putting into the battery.

--vtMaps

[thanasis]

...  A diversion controller connects to the battery and if it sees the battery getting overcharged it "bleeds off" power from the battery (to a 'dump' load) so the battery does not get overcharged. 
...

vtMaps,
Your mentioning of <<diversion controller>>  opened up a whole new area for me to explore. The Kid  obviously functions as a diversion controller under certain conditions... it has to dump excess amps in order to protect the batteries from overcharging, which is critical when wind turbines are the source.
It is also becoming obvious to this newby  that there is a alternative  to wiring  a load: via the Kid's Load Terminals ...duh!.
The latter gives one the option to select the condition ( load mode) under which load would receive power , plus offers an outlet to dump excess energy.

In my application, I have the main load ( a refrigerator) wired  directly to the battery. If my understanding is correct, I could wire a fan to the Load Terminals, and set the battery load mode to "Float On". I should expect the fan to come on when I am "floating".
Thanks!

[New KID On The Block]

On page 25  the KID manual lists the "Battery connected load modes" (Manual, Night Light, Day light,PWM Divert, Float On, Float Off, Diversion and Toggle), each of which can be set to OFF or AUTO.


Could someone please help me understand
1. what is the purpose of setting up these modes
2. what do they mean,
3. how do I determine which ones I should be turning on,
4. can more than one can be turned on.


( actually if I get an answer to #1, I may able to figure out the others)

I run a search on "load modes" but did not return anything helpful.


My only load is a DC refrigerator which is connected to the battery.


Thanks

thanasis, good of you to bring up this in open forum. I had similar questions that I directly asked Tech Support @ MNS.

Thanks Halfcrazy and tecnodave for your informative responses.

Roy@MNS sent me the attached PDF. It was taken from the Classic instruction manual. There hasn't been further detailed write up about the function in the KID manual, so we'll have to extrapolate a bit from the Classic feature set but it's similar and it'll hopefully help a bit.

I'm interested in diverting excess supply of PV power (once I've reached FLOAT) to a small grid-tie inverter (300w - 500w) to help supplement my home AC grid.

[E350]

tecnodave:  Do you have links or makes and models re this:

There are a few small water heaters out there less than 20 gallons that have dual elements that would be better  for this but I don't have that much extra space.

I am looking for 5 gal or less waterheater to be powered or at least hopefully assisted by pv for my rv.

[tecnodave]

@E350

I did post about my 24 volt / 120 volt water heater conversion but it's in its own thread----dual voltage water heater   I will post on sports mobile.com as well so others can do this easier than I did.
This was not my first try at this

td

[E350]

Thanks, I like the idea and so do many others.  How many watts do you consider "over paneling"  There is one member on the forum with a Sprinter with 600w on his roof.

And as far as the load diversion function to heat the water heater, do you prefer the MPPT Kid or possibly the soon to come out PWM Brat?

[Mtn Don]

There is one member on the forum with a Sprinter with 600w on his roof.

Probably mounted flat on the roof?   Even less of a worry as the panels will never see the optimum sun angle.