[RE-wrenches] Overpowered DC input
Bill Battagin
frenergy at psln.com
Tue Jan 7 15:43:09 PST 2025
Another quandary. The old SMA SBX000US transformer inverters would cost
an arm and a leg to ship off (and returned from) somewhere to be fixed,
if even fixable at a reasonable rate. I found one online source that
wanted $4K for one of these old timers, shipping not included. I was
called to troubleshoot a 14 year old SB6000US. The screen came up with
"disturbance XFMR" and the yellow LED flashed a code that was not in the
manual. I called SMA and was told that the inverter was dead.
I have a lead on a new sealed box SB5000US for much less
but the original STC was 6200 watts. The manual says Max DC power =
5300 watts. Does anyone have any experience pushing these particular
inverters a little harder like this with good results? I've certainly
over DC powered a few newer SMA inverters without any problems but don't
remember if it was an issue with this model.
Thanks,
Bill
Feather River Solar Electric
Bill Battagin, owner
4291 Nelson St. (Shipping)
5575 Genesee Rd. (USPS, UPS)
Taylorsville, CA 95983
530-284-7849, 258-1641(cell)
CA. C10 Lic # 874049
Solar Powered since 1982
Home of the Sunny Side Up
On 1/7/2025 6:28 AM, jay via RE-wrenches wrote:
> Hi Mac,
>
> yeah its confusing.
>
> As far as I know, the fndc only controls the FNDC functions. its own
> internal AUX, and AGS % which you can control through the inverter
> relay or the FNDC relay.
>
> All the other AUX relay functions are controlled by the device the AUX
> is in.
>
> But I could be mistaken
>
> jay
>
>
>
>
>> On Jan 7, 2025, at 7:20 AM, Mac Lewis via RE-wrenches
>> <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Jay,
>>
>> Adding some nuance here, and I could be mistaken about all
>> of the functions that get taken over by the FNDC voltage.
>>
>> When you calibrate the FNDC, it "shows" the voltage on the Mate as
>> the FNDC voltage if there is an FNDC in the system. I also believe
>> that it defaults to the FNDC voltage for some logic operations like
>> AGS voltage starting etc. I am not certain that LBCO uses the
>> inverter voltage or the FNDC voltage, probably the inverter voltage.
>> I assume that all Mate operations default to FNDC voltage. I would
>> also assume that the aux relay will rely on the charge controller
>> voltmeter driving the relay.
>>
>> One way to detect calibration issues is looking at the device status
>> pages on Optics. Each device will show a voltage and that will
>> correspond to the device. If something looks very different, it may
>> be worth calibrating. I have found most of the devices need
>> calibrating at some point, charge controllers, inverters and the fndc.
>>
>> There are certainly voltmeters on each device, but I think some of
>> the logic is affected by uncalibrated FNDC and I have found it very
>> helpful to calibrate it carefully if I'm installing Lithium.
>> Certainly, your SOC calculation needs a calibrated FNDC.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 7, 2025 at 6:58 AM Jay via RE-wrenches
>> <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Mac
>>
>> I’m
>> Going to disagree. The FNDC only provides its voltage it doesn’t
>> populate to the other devices.
>> You still have to set the inverter and CC separately, a poor design.
>>
>> Depends on which mate you’ve got where the fndc voltage is located.
>>
>>
>> One reason I don’t like the CC voltage for aux control is that it
>> gets off while higher charging due to VD. And with lithium which
>> spend almost no time at lower absorb amps, it could effect the
>> actual end volts.
>>
>>
>> And for whatever reason I have definitely had CC accuracy wander
>> over time. IE the voltage calibration gets off for some reason.
>>
>> Depending on the exact lithium, might not be a problem, some have
>> wider upper limit than others.
>> Jay
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Jan 7, 2025, at 3:47 AM, Mac Lewis via RE-wrenches
>>> <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Bill,
>>>
>>> Do you have a flexnet in the system?
>>>
>>> I assume that it wouldn't matter if the FM80 is calibrated but
>>> you will want the flexnet perfectly calibrated if you are using
>>> Lithium. It's a very annoying but worthwhile process. Don't
>>> drop the little nuts.
>>>
>>> Here is a paper on the procedure:
>>>
>>> https://www.outbackpower.com/downloads/documents/appnotes/fndc_field_cal_app_note.pdf
>>>
>>> The flexnet acts as a master voltage device so the system will
>>> default its voltage readings to the flexnet voltmeter. I'm not
>>> sure if the aux function of the FM80 uses the FM80's voltage or
>>> the flexnet voltage to drive the relay, but this could explain
>>> the issue.
>>>
>>> Good luck!
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:51 PM Bill Battagin via RE-wrenches
>>> <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey Mac,
>>>
>>> I've tried to calibrate the voltage displayed on
>>> the Mate with the Fluke on the battery bus bars but it
>>> doesn't seem to take after the adjustment in "calibrate".
>>> But The Flexmax 80 does calibrate perfectly to the actual
>>> battery voltage and its in the FM80 aux landing that I'm
>>> using for this go-around to shut down the inverter to save
>>> the batteries.
>>>
>>> 'Manually' meaning.....?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>>> Feather River Solar Electric
>>> Bill Battagin, owner
>>> 4291 Nelson St. (Shipping)
>>> 5575 Genesee Rd. (USPS, UPS)
>>> Taylorsville, CA 95983
>>> 530-284-7849, 258-1641(cell)
>>> CA. C10 Lic # 874049
>>> Solar Powered since 1982
>>> Home of the Sunny Side Up
>>>
>>> On 1/2/2025 5:53 PM, Mac Lewis via RE-wrenches wrote:
>>>> Hi Bill,
>>>>
>>>> Are all your voltages calibrated? Mate, Flexmax, FM80?
>>>> Where are you reading the voltages?
>>>>
>>>> Does it work OK manually?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Jan 2, 2025 at 12:08 PM Jay via RE-wrenches
>>>> <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Simpliphy has a very high voltage LVD.
>>>> And the older OB can’t be programmed to those voltages
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Jan 2, 2025, at 10:04 AM, Tyrone Houck via
>>>>> RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Forgive my ignorance but why won't the vfx lbco work
>>>>> for lithium?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, Jan 2, 2025, 8:19 AM Bill Battagin via
>>>>> RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I am trying to use the "low battery disconnect" in
>>>>> aux mode in a newly
>>>>> installed OB FM80 CC for Li battery low voltage
>>>>> protection. I can't use
>>>>> the 19 year old OB VFX inverters for obvious
>>>>> reasons. The plan is to run
>>>>> the 12 volt output from the aux output to a NC
>>>>> relay to open it at 50
>>>>> VDC of the bank of SimpliPhi 3.8M batteries. 50
>>>>> VDC is SimpliPhi's
>>>>> recommendation for LVD. The "output" of the relay
>>>>> would be connected to
>>>>> the VFX's ON-OFF landings of that little green
>>>>> terminal block in the AC
>>>>> side of the inverter and just act as a simple
>>>>> switch for the inverter to
>>>>> turn it off to save the batteries.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm using one of my newer FM80's as a
>>>>> test run and have
>>>>> programmed the voltages in Low Battery Disconnect
>>>>> mode and then put it
>>>>> in auto mode. However, as the CC goes below the
>>>>> voltage set point, the
>>>>> AUX output does not turn on (time set for 5
>>>>> seconds), as evidence in the
>>>>> CC's home screen and by checking for 12V at the
>>>>> AUX terminal block.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any ideas of what I'm missing here to
>>>>> make this work? I
>>>>> know the other solution, thousands of $$ for new
>>>>> inverters which would
>>>>> be great but these folks have already invested
>>>>> quite a chuck on array
>>>>> replacement and charge controllers.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for any experience with this.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bill
>>>>>
>>>>> Feather River Solar Electric
>>>>> Bill Battagin, owner
>>>>> 4291 Nelson St. (Shipping)
>>>>> 5575 Genesee Rd
>>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/5575+Genesee+Rd?entry=gmail&source=g>.
>>>>> (USPS, UPS)
>>>>> Taylorsville, CA 95983
>>>>> 530-284-7849, 258-1641(cell)
>>>>> CA. C10 Lic # 874049
>>>>> Solar Powered since 1982
>>>>> Home of the Sunny Side Up
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>> --
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mac Lewis
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>>
>>>> "Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>>
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>>> Mac Lewis
>>>
>>> *
>>>
>>> "Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates
>>>
>>> *
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>>
>>
>> Mac Lewis
>>
>> *
>>
>> "Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates
>>
>> *
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