[RE-wrenches] Strings and series of batteries
Tom Elliot
telliot at wagonmaker.com
Wed Dec 2 12:00:29 PST 2009
Darryl,
Do you understand the difference between paralleling the "traditional"
off-grid way through the bank and using a buss bar? That was my question.
The installations are quite different.
Tom
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Darryl Thayer" <daryl_solar at yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 8:26 AM
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series of batteries
> I know that C&D battery does not like parallel strings and they have a
> device that measures the currents in each string
>
> I investigated a fire from a battery bank of 48 volts 4 strings in
> parallel of 6 Volt 800 AH batteries. The parallel strings was indicated
> as bad practice and suspect as the cause of the fire. The battery bank
> was on a standalone system and had poor regulation on charging. (it was
> being charge controlled by a diversion controller)
>
> Also the fire in New Jersey was a parallel string case of 12 volt AGMs in
> 4 or more parallel strings (anybody remember better than I?).
>
> DT
>
> --- On Wed, 12/2/09, Tom Elliot <telliot at wagonmaker.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Tom Elliot <telliot at wagonmaker.com>
>> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series of batteries
>> To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
>> Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 11:58 AM
>>
>> Message
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I would be very curious to
>> hear THE battery
>> company's, or any battery company's, interest in
>> warranty on a system where the
>> strings of batteries are paralleled through a buss bar
>> rather than physically
>> through the bank. The vulnerability to failure of an
>> off-grid system with
>> only one or two series strings is high enough to be a
>> concern. Then
>> there's also the not un-trivial issue of handling large
>> batteries
>> safely.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Tump
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 2:32
>> AM
>> To: 'RE-wrenches'
>>
>> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series
>> of
>> batteries
>>
>>
>> Surrette Battery, THE battery company
>> suggests NO MORE the 3 parallel
>> in a string & would like to see 2
>> preferably.
>> If
>> there are more the 3 then they really not interested in
>> warrantee
>> issues.
>> Jamie
>> where are you??????
>>
>> Now a
>> days there are plenty of options for a good size/AH BB that
>> can be configured in
>> 1 or 2 parallel strings.
>> Its just that us old guys are having a
>> harder time w/
>> gravity!
>>
>>
>> Tump at swnl.net www.SWNL.net
>> Solarwinds
>> Northernlights
>> Serving Mid
>> Coast Maine & Northern
>> California
>> Me.# 207-832-7574 Cl.#
>>
>> 610-517-8401
>>
>>
>>
>> Blair "TUMP"
>> May
>> ********
>>
>> MAINE'S CHARTER ********
>>
>>
>> NABCEP "Certified PV
>> Installer"
>>
>>
>> ******** MAINE'S
>> CHARTER
>> ********
>> Trace
>> Xantrex "Certified" Dealer / Installer"
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:
>> re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
>> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
>> Behalf Of
>> Dana
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 12:58 PM
>> To:
>> 'RE-wrenches'
>> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series of
>> batteries
>>
>>
>>
>> On a
>> similar subject here –
>>
>>
>> Long ago, I
>> had a Trojan battery rep. state that they did not like to
>> see more than [12]
>> L-16s in a series –parallel bank system. This was due
>> to too many points of
>> connection / resistance and bad communication
>> due to multiple flow
>> paths.
>>
>>
>> Has anyone
>> else heard similar or contrary
>> information/recommendations?
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dana
>> Orzel
>>
>>
>> Great Solar Works,
>> Inc
>> www.solarwork.com
>> E
>> -
>> dana at solarwork.com
>> V
>> -
>> 970.626.5253
>> F
>> -
>> 970.626.4140
>> C
>> -
>> 970.209.4076
>>
>>
>> I
>> will be the shift
>> in how the world uses power! - Dana
>> Orzel
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From:
>> re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
>> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
>> Behalf Of Larry
>> Crutcher, Starlight Solar
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:42
>> AM
>> To: RE-wrenches
>> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] concord
>> batteries, EQUALIZE Them!
>>
>>
>> If the
>> 180 watt panel will
>> provide enough current to run the recovery process, then
>> give it a try. What I
>> expect is that your current will vary throughout the day.
>> Not sure if this is
>> a critical point or if it will just prolong the process.
>> Pay attention to the
>> temperature. I use a laser temp probe on the
>> terminals every 30 minutes
>> to verify.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Another
>> thing to monitor is the
>> current. It will probably start very low and build
>> over time due to
>> high resistance from sulfated plates. During this time
>> the voltage might get
>> really high and then lower some. Don't worry about
>> the voltage. After a while
>> the current will begin to drop. This means the
>> recovery process is
>> working.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I just
>> realized that this
>> battery bank must be 4 in series and ten parallel
>> strings. This is a horrible
>> design that can never work right without extensive
>> monthly maintenance. The
>> strings with higher resistance will not be charged
>> properly. Because of this,
>> many strings will be undercharged every day. EVERY day!
>> So even if you recover
>> these batteries, someone will need to test and equalize
>> at least every month.
>> I really want to stress this point as multiple parallel
>> batteries are the ruin
>> and waste of many thousands of tons of batteries each
>> year. I never design for
>> more than two strings in parallel. Do this and be
>> happy.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Larry
>> Crutcher
>>
>> www.starlightsolar.com
>>
>>
>> larry at starlightsolar.com
>>
>>
>> (928)
>> 941-1660
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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