[RE-wrenches] Brown-Out Prone Opportunity Charging

Jeff Clearwater jeffc at villagepowerdesign.com
Fri Mar 13 21:13:55 EDT 2020 

Ahh I see now the Victron does have a line of Chargers that are not also 
Inverters. Thanks!

Anyone else with experience with specific equipment?

Thanks again,

Jeff


Jeff Clearwater wrote on 3/13/20 6:09 PM:

> 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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-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~
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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