<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#0033cc; font-size:10pt;"><div>Hi Larry,</div><div><br></div><div>I have an FNDC in the system. Manufacturer wanted 2 hour EQ before adding water to the new battery. We got that and had SG between 1.260 and 1.275 on all 24 cells. Cells were very thirsty (shipped with electrolyte almost to the plates) and took 8.5 gallons between all cells. We aren't having much trouble getting voltage back up but SG is below 1.23 (within .01 on cells tested). Strategy at this point is to give a daily bulk and absorb and EQ every 3 or 4 days for extended times and monitor SG. Discontinue hard charging when SG plateaus. I generally shoot for c/10 charge current, and nervous about barely c/20 and a 12kw genset only giving me about 5.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Bruce <br></div>
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-------- Original Message --------<br>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Charging a HUP<br>
From: "Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power Systems"<br>
<<a href="mailto:larry@starlightsolar.com">larry@starlightsolar.com</a>><br>
Date: Sat, February 08, 2014 11:50 am<br>
To: RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><br>
<br>
Hi Bruce,<div><br></div><div>Please explain "feeding it properly". Charging any lead acid battery slowly actually preserves battery life. As long as you are achieving the recommended charge voltage (temperature compensated) for long enough time, and reaching 100% SoC regularly, you are caring for the battery.<div><br></div><div>At 82kWh battery capacity and 6.5kW PV, the customer may have a hard time getting to 100%. You did not mention, but I HOPE you have a battery capacity meter in the system. It's mandatory if they want to care for the battery. Since the customer has a small generator, they need to realize the limitations and reduce their loads during generator time so you can use the full output.</div><div><div><br></div><div>Larry<br> <br><div><div>On Feb 7, 2014, at 11:46 PM, <a target="_blank" href="mailto:bruce@willpowerelect.com">bruce@willpowerelect.com</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#0033cc; font-size:10pt;"><div>Hi All,</div><div><br></div><div>3 VFX 3648</div><div>2 FM 80</div><div>6.5 kw solar</div><div>12 kw generator</div><div>PSX 240 on generator output and VFX stacking<br></div><div>Mate 3<br></div><div>HUP 1690 ah</div><div><br></div><div>System design considering 45 amp charge current from each VFX totaling 135 amps. (135 x ~55v = 7.42kw) Potential charge current from 2 arrays and FM 80's, 90 - 100 amps. On a good day, reasonable to expect 200+ amps?</div><div>Have not been able to exceed 90 amps for more than 30 minutes, with the generator putting out about 9 kw before it's 70 amp 2pole breaker trips. L1 42 amps, L2 37 amps. 5 amps neutral. Load banked to 12.3 kw (51 amps @ 240v) resistive without breaker trip.</div><div>I have had to dial back the maximum charge current in the Mate 3 to 12 amps each on two of the inverters (L1 and L2) and 8 on inverter 3 to keep the generator from tripping out when customer turns on the microwave or coffee pot. In effect, 42 amps charge @ 240 v = 7.6 kw. At the battery, I'm only seeing 80 amps of charge current. Running loads are typically less than 1 kw but there has been a of construction going on with chop saws and compressors creating annoying spikes that are easily handled by the inverters when the generator is off.<br></div><div>I don't want to kill this new battery by not feeding it properly! I would have put in a larger generator, but the owner bought the 12 kw before deciding on the new battery. I thought the 12 would be merely adequate, but not so....</div><div>Any suggestions?</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks!<br></div><div><br></div><div>Bruce Fiero-RMI</div><div><span style="font-size: 8pt;" mce_style="font-size: 8pt;"><b><br></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 8pt;" mce_style="font-size: 8pt;"><span><sigimg0.jpeg></span><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 8pt;" mce_style="font-size: 8pt;"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size: 8pt;" mce_style="font-size: 8pt;"><br></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: 8pt;" mce_style="font-size: 8pt;">"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." T. Edison, 1931</span></b></div></span></div>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Change email address & settings:<br><a target="_blank" href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive: <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br></div><br></div></div></div><hr>_______________________________________________<br>
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