[RE-wrenches] Outback quad stack X240 breaker tripping

[Jerry Shafer]

 Wrenches
OK if the X240 blows the fuse which is on the output of the inverter while
the inverter is charging, excessive current must be passing through from
one inverter and back to the output of another inverter ( a form of AC
coupling gone bad). The time delay fits as the inverter ramps up, I would
look at the contactors in each slave as one may be hanging or ther may be a
bad board, easy way to test is to isolate each inverter and with a amp
meter connected at the X240 see if current goes away in the X240 as it
should not be doing much with light loads on the "House" side of the
inverters. The X240 is 25 amps while the inverters are 50 amps. Sounds like
a interesting one to diagnose.
Jerry

On Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 11:59 AM, Chris Worcester <chris at solarwindworks.com>
wrote:

> Hi Kevin,
> I have seen the  X240's  trip off like this when theyare over loaded. When
> this was happening to us the slave inverters had blown AC  boards and some
> times Control and FET boards too. We had a hard time diagnosing this as
> their  green lights were on.  Using a clamp on  amp meter on each
> inverter's AC IN conductor while charging with the gen set allowed us to
> compare their charging currents to each other. Typically the ones with
> blown  AC boards output would be close to zero amps. So the X240's were
> doing double duty and they will smoke too if the inverters aren't delta
> with.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Chris Worcester
> 530-448-9692
>  Sent from my Galaxy S®III
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Kevin Pegg
> Date:03/11/2015 1:19 PM (GMT-08:00)
> To: RE-wrenches
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Outback quad stack X240 breaker tripping
>
> Hello Wrenches,
>
> Customer in remote location has a strange situation come up on an existing
> system installed (by others) 6 or so years go. Quad stack VFX3648.
>
> Last night gen start was triggered by low voltage - a normal system
> operation.
>
> Approx 1h into charge, they lost 1/2 the circuits in house - L2
> de-energized. Caretaker went to check power system and noticed the X240
> breakers tripped. Tried to reset but it tripped out right away. So he left
> it as is and called me in the morning.
>
> Here's what I've been able to determine today:
>
> - The x240 is installed to bridge L1 & L2 on the load side.
> - with master inverter on, 3 slaves off, both L1 and L2 energized so
> suggests x240 is working.
> - within 10 seconds of generator on and charging, x240 breaker trips (and
> makes L2 go dark).
> - loads are minor, ~1,000 w of misc lights and such, isn't all loaded up
> on one leg.
>
> Appreciate any thoughts to remedy. I'm not as familiar with this config as
> others.
>
> Kevin Pegg
> EA Energy Alternatives Ltd.
> 37471 Hwy 16 E
> Telkwa, BC  V0J 2X2
> 250-846-9888
> Http://www.EnergyAlternatives.ca
>
>
>
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