[RE-wrenches] Brown-Out Prone Opportunity Charging

Jeff Clearwater jeffc at villagepowerdesign.com
Fri Mar 13 21:09:58 EDT 2020 

Thanks All,

Mick and Tump - I'll look into the Victron - good suggestion - Thanks!

Chris - I'm not sure a transformer will buffer the spikes and frequency 
but just pass them on - others?

Larry and Jerry - If I were to go with the separate battery charger/PS 
approach - what specific  48 V  LFeP battery Charger/PS might you 
recommend and how to protect it with what sort of surge and LV 
equipment?  If either the inverter or PS/Charger is protected within too 
narrow a range then it might defeat the purpose - wanting to maximize 
pulling in as much opportunity charging as we can get.

Seems to me like there might be a market for a highly tolerant battery 
charger between 160-260 VAC and frequency tolerant as well - something 
bulletproof we could put on these systems - perhaps that is the Victron 
- but I'd rather have it in a separate beefy battery charger then risk 
the inverters - especially if we are going to buffer the customer from 
the grid with the battery/inverter system.

For instance we have a hospital that can only use the available grid for 
the office but they can't risk it for their hospital equipment.  But If 
I could pull the grid into batteries safely and always power their loads 
with the high reliability battery/inverter system - now we are talking.

So specific 48V battery chargers that can take it? Any equipment out 
there anyone is aware of?

Thanks!

Jeff

Tump wrote on 3/13/20 2:47 PM:
> Check out the Victron line of Chargers as well as the inverter charger 
> units. AC in 187-265 45-65 Hz. for the inverters 230V/50Hz, inverter.
> Please feel free to e mail me 4 additional info. Great BT support / 
> internet access. well thought out product.
>> On Mar 13, 2020, at 5:11 PM, Jerry Shafer <jerrysgarage01 at gmail.com 
>> <mailto:jerrysgarage01 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>> Jeff
>> I have been there too in most cases we have programmed in the VAC 
>> max/mins with tighter setting so as the grid starts to go we just 
>> disconnect. I did just do a charger instead of the inverter because 
>> the grid was generally low on frequency but the charger just charged 
>> and l see it on optics when that happens
>> Jerry
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 13, 2020, 12:03 PM Jeff Clearwater 
>> <jeffc at villagepowerdesign.com <mailto:jeffc at villagepowerdesign.com>> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>     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
>>     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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