[RE-wrenches] Brown-Out Prone Opportunity Charging

[Jeff Clearwater]

Good Day Esteemed Wrenchers,

So we are doing more work in developing countries where the grid is 
super unreliable but on for some hours almost daily.

So let's say we have a grid that's on 9 AM - 11 AM and 4 PM - 7 PM each 
day but often browns-out during those hours and comes on and off during 
those hours. 230 VAC voltage can drop to 160-180 periodically or go 
above 260 in spikes.

The present practice in many of these situations is for battery based 
system designers/installers is to set up an off-grid system in parallel 
to the mains but not relying on them - so the grid AC IN is not 
connected.  They just install a transfer switch and manually switch or 
they wire a critical loads panel to the solar.

This avoids constant switching and nuisance shut-downs from the battery 
inverter and protects it from burning out trying to handle the grid.

MY QUESTION:

I'm wondering what we can do to use the grid when it is up for 
opportunity charging of the batteries while at the same time not 
subjecting our nice new battery inverters to constant brown-out tripping 
and possibly long term damage.

So question #1 - Is anyone using existing battery inverters but 
succesfully navigating such a grid variablity settings such that you are 
able to take advantage of the grid even if browning out often?

or question #2 - Can we add some sort of high Voltage and Frequency 
tolerant battery charger to the system - keep the battery 
inverter/charger off grid - but charge the batteries from something able 
to handle the wonky grid without constantly nuisance charging or burning 
itself up?

Your thoughts and wisdom I await!!!

Best,

Jeff


-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Clearwater
Village Power Design
linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-clearwater-0622a312/>
www.villagepowerdesign.com <http://www.villagepowerdesign.com>
cell - 413-559-9763
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches_lists.re-wrenches.org/attachments/20200313/df5709d1/attachment.htm>