[RE-wrenches] Sick pack
Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power Systems
larry at starlightsolar.com
Thu Dec 19 08:59:18 PST 2013
Bill,
I forgot to mention that your charge voltage is very low for most L16's. what is the make/model of the batteries?
Larry
On Dec 18, 2013, at 11:28 PM, frenergy <frenergy at psln.com> wrote:
Gentlemen and women,
I have been called in to deal with a pack of 16 (4 strings of 4 for 24V), L-16s, 6 years old. She is having to run her generator 2 times a day. Here in N.E. CA. its been cold, mostly clear, little wind. Her inputs are about 1 KW of PV, and small wind machine and of course a serious generator. Cables and terminals looked clean, were tight. The bulk setting on the Trace 4024 was 28.0 V for 2 hrs with RTS, however, she would manually turn off the generator soon after it reached 28V. Recipe for suphation.
Rather than getting into too much detail, here's my quandary. When I fired up the generator, the input amps in each of the 4 strings were.... string #1:29A, 2:34 A, 3:25 A, 4: 13 A. A survey of IR temps throughout the pack gave temps ranging from 63 to 92 degrees. The highest temps were in the string pulling highest amps. In trying to find shorted/failed and/or sulphated cells which data are most relevant? Temps, amp draw during charge, disconnect strings from each other and check volts of each 6 volt batt?, active bubbling? ...all the above?
I'm thinking I should have (1) checked the amp draw with batts under load/genny off in each string AND (2) check amps between strings with the pack at rest, no input or output. I would love to EQ the pack but with a temp already in the 90's and uneven currents in the strings I don't want to risk too high of temp or worse, a runaway situation and fire. I'm thinking I'd like to yank a few bad batts and run on 3 strings and then carefully EQ.
I appreciate any insights.
Thanks in advance,
Bill
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