[RE-wrenches] Outback FXR: Battery voltage exceeds settings

Sat Jul 23 09:20:19 PDT 2022

Is there an FNDC on this system? I’ve experienced some of the same issues
when the FNDC terminations were loose.

On Sat, Jul 23, 2022 at 11:56 AM Jay via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Outback controllers have a tendency to be a bit slow.
>
> So they can definitely get higher than the set points but only for a
> second or two which is not going do damage anything. I’ve seen them do
> this.
>
> Especially if it’s a larger array, sealed batteries and when the batteries
> are full and a load turns on and then off.
>
> At the load off the CC is dumping watts, and the sudden loss means a short
> voltage spike.
>
> Jay
>
>
>
>
> On Jul 23, 2022, at 9:43 AM, Jerry Shafer via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Most AGM's don't like voltage that high and it swells the battery and
> destroys its storage capability alot of the time
> Jerry
>
> On Fri, Jul 22, 2022, 7:50 PM Steve Higgins via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> William,
>>
>> If the battery cases swelled, they saw over 52 degrees C temps for quite
>> some time.
>>
>> While the swelling is usually only cosmetic, what's happening inside is
>> the negative plates are starting to burn. This is where you will start to
>> lose capacity and life cycle...  Extended temps of just 35C will half the
>> overall battery life.
>>
>> One of the issues with the Outback gear is they only temp compensate at
>> 5mv/Degree/cell. For all the AGM batteries I know of, you need to temp
>> compensate at 4mv.   In hot temps, this should help, but cold temps could
>> result in an overcharge.   Did you check the BTS and make sure it was
>> operating properly?
>>
>> Another issue is that BTSs are often placed on the top or lug of the
>> battery,   The top of the battery is about 5-10 deg C cooler than 1/2 way
>> down the side of the battery, Which will also cause problems with proper
>> temperature compensation, especially with warmer/colder extremes.
>>
>> Any kind of sulfation will cause an imbalance when you mix old and new
>> batteries.   I'm not a fan of mixing any age AGM batteries as there is no
>> way to tell what the SOC of the old bank vs. the new bank is.   They are
>> not like flooded batteries; you can check SGs and dissipate heat
>> much better than AGM or GEL batteries.   I discourage doing this if you
>> can.   I probably wouldn't have mixed the old and new in the same strings.
>> This way, you keep the higher resistance batteries in a single string,
>>
>> Lastly, bunching them together with no spacing between them is very bad.
>> Batteries should be in a cool, dry environment.  Most battery companies
>> want to see 1-3 inches in between each battery to allow for effective
>> cooling. When they are all bunched up together, that is a lot of thermal
>> mass that doesn't have much chance of cooling.   I have seen two parallel
>> strings of AGMs take 24-36 hours with no charging or load to drop from 45c
>> to 25C!
>>
>> Hope this helps!  Have a good weekend.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
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>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> <http://www.rollsbattery.com>
>> Steve Higgins ⋅ Technical Services Manager
>> t +1.902.597.4020  m +1.206.790.5840
>> f +1.902.597.8447  e steve at surrette.com
>>
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>>
>>
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>>
>> On Fri, Jul 22, 2022 at 6:48 PM William Miller via RE-wrenches <
>> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Friends:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I maintain a system with 16 AGM L-16 batteries.  Eight were installed in
>>> September of 2021 and 8 were added in March of 2022.  This is 5 months
>>> apart.  I have understood that when you install a string of batteries you
>>> have one year in which to add another string before the first string ages
>>> to the point it is contraindicated.  When I added the second 8 I put 4 new
>>> batteries and 4 old batteries in each string.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> About a third of the batteries are discovered to bulging on top.  I
>>> assume this means the batteries are damaged.  I checked the FXR and Outback
>>> Extreme Charge controller settings and all were set to absorb at 58.8, and
>>> float at 55.2, as the manufacturer recommends.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I downloaded the charge controller log and got 129 days of data.  In
>>> that log I see 68 days where the batteries exceeded 60 VDC. This is over
>>> half the days.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I wonder this:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 1.   Why did the voltage go up above 58.8 on so many days even though
>>> it was set at 58.8. (I set the EQ voltage at 58.8 just in case, but EQ was
>>> never engaged.)
>>>
>>> 2.   Did the excess voltage damage the batteries?
>>>
>>> Any input is appreciated.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> William Miller
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Miller Solar
>>>
>>> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
>>>
>>> 805-438-5600
>>>
>>> www.millersolar.com
>>>
>>> CA Lic. 773985
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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