RV Question about solar panels, controllers, and batteries

[RV8R]

This ;



Yup ,,, Like taking a drink from a Fire Hose;


None of us were born knowing any of this, so just a process of learning & sharing experiences with others.

There are 3 things in this World;

1) Things we know
2) Things we know we don’t know
3) Things we don’t know we don’t know

Outta all of these things #3 will bite you in the Butt, the most .

 

[datdude]

Schematic ,,, “Pen & Paper & Photo & Post” ,,, not looking for “Professional Quality here - just a chicken scratch to begin with.

FYI, this is the first post of yours on here where I actually understand your problem & why you are asking questions & that you have an Onan ,,, I feel we are getting somewhere now.

Basically you have parallel chargers operating simultaneously that are not necessarily “playing well with each other” ,,, got it ,,, lets get that sorted out for you

Regarding your solar charger - what does the manual or manufacturer say about disconnecting procedures ??

I typically do not have multiple chargers running simultaneously on my 12vdc systems as I simply don’t need them. But I believe “The Forum” can help sort out your multiple charger issue.

FYI ,,, IIRC “Renogy” has a dual ( alternator / solar ) 50amp & a poor logic IMO of only allowing 25amps each when both are available ,,, & that is in 1 magic box . What that boils down to is only 25amps from the alternator when on crappy solar days & driving.

So I understand you wanting to know how these things work & how to get them to play nice together.

If you get the info from your Solar Charger, you will discover the “right way” to stop that charger. If it is by opening the PV wire circuit get a decent “disconnect”;

PV Disconnect for 600W Array ( 60 V @ 10 A )

For my remote cabin, I am considering a “Combiner Box” or a “Breaker” for the “Primary” function as a PV Array “Disconnect”. Currently I have 6 100W panels 3S2P so roughly 600W ( 60 volts @ 10 amps ). I have a Victron 100 | 50 MPPT I consider the combiner box a choice for future upgrades, but...

diysolarforum.com

mppt fuse question

www.promasterforum.com

@datdude ,,, I am bulk posting here for you to attempt a lot of info as I think you are thirsty for it. The following is important IMO in the “Internet DIYer World” ,,, kinda goes hand in hand with “Trust but Verify” ,,, Anyway in the DIYer Van Design / Build it is like the Wild West of “Blind leading Blind” with surface scratched just learned info & “Parroting” without a very deep knowledge base ,,, Just do this - I did ;





So “Even” with a properly rated “Disconnect” ,,, IMO, it would be “Best Practice” to always use that disconnect after turning the “load” off ,,, thus only using the ability of the “disconnect” under load in an emergency situation. I suppose some could fault me with that perspective ,,, but I would need to know why.

The manual for my SCC is lacking as is for the rest of theGoPower equipment (the inverter is not AS bad as the others). This kit is really intended for the lowest common denominator. I am posting the product links for those who are curious what I mean here. Each has a documents section on them.

Battery:

100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Solar Battery

Go further off-the-grid with the new Go Power! 100ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Solar Battery designed specifically for solar and inverter use.

gopowersolar.com

I reached out to them to ask questions about some of the settings in the shunt and they could only tell me the charge voltage, and I believe they told me wrong on that but I am not sure (13.9v was their answer).

SCC:

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/catsy.549/GP-PWM-30_Manual_without+Bluetooth.pdf

Inverter + TS:

1500-watt Pure Sine Inverter & Transfer Switch

Go Power!’s GP-SW1500-TS pure sine wave inverter with transfer switch provides robust cUL certified AC power.

gopowersolar.com

Converter - WFCO 9865AD:

https://www.wfcotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AutoDetect-9800-AD-Series-ManualCat.pdf

ETA:
PV (they were 190w when I got then, now say 200w, and this doesn't match exactly the "kit" I got):

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/catsy.549/56587_MANUAL_GP_RV-KITS-SYSTEMS.pdf

My converter is in LFP mode. Some folks have difficulty getting the AD to work, but it is working for me.

 

[datdude]

Sorry - fixed the 7-pin route. Sorry this is so rough.

 

[datdude]

This exceprt fromt he converter manual covers what I see I think:
BULK MODE
This mode is designed with 2 purposes in mind. First, to quickly restore the energy back into
the battery. Second, to ensure the lithium cells inside the battery remain balanced. This is
accomplished by boosting the output voltage to 14.6 VDC and allowing the maximum current
to flow as required by the loads.
The bulk mode stage could last anywhere from 1 to 4 hours based on the battery and load
current which is being used. For a full battery, the bulk stage has a minimum time requirement
of 1 hour, which allows the lithium cells inside the battery the time required to “balance”. For an
empty battery, the bulk stage has a maximum time requirement of 4 hours. If your application
requires longer than 4 hours (such as a larger battery bank > 200 Ahr), a simple cycling of power
will reset the timers.
As the energy is restored into the battery, the DC system voltage will climb and the current from
the converter will decrease. If the total amperage draw from the converter reaches a preset point
(within the 1-to-4 hour timer), the converter is designed to drop out of bulk mode.

 

[Boomerweps]

I don’t understand the video. He intentionally shorted the breakers.
Was it to prove the DC arc would overpower the circuit breaker?
Or/and the CB is not able to properly open under overload conditions and provide needed protection?
I recently added a similar CB to route my RV’s 400 watts of panels through to my SCC.

 

[RV8R]

I don’t understand the video. He intentionally shorted the breakers.
Was it to prove the DC arc would overpower the circuit breaker?
Or/and the CB is not able to properly open under overload conditions and provide needed protection?
I recently added a similar CB to route my RV’s 400 watts of panels through to my SCC.

I do not remember the voltage, but it is to show that the DC arc created would overpower the breaker’s ability.

Here is a video on 220V ,,, AC vs DC to demonstrate the difference ( very visual );

With the above in mind, depending on the voltage one can visualize the gap needed it break the arc.

For the various electrical systems members build on this forum, the maximum voltages that any system can produce might be considered when designing DIY systems.

In another hobby of mine, we use diodes to protect against “a collapsed magnetic field” ,,, you know a solenoid ,,, here is another video for ya to ponder ( a system voltage x 100 ) ;

 

[towpro]

on my new Jayco, it sat in the dealers for a month before it ever had a battery installed. The panel showed the error that it had time out trying to start a lithium battery.
Than we bought it, and they installed a battery and one day I made sure the GoPower panel was set to flooded battery.
It sat in dealer for 2 months waiting for a part, that whole time when dealer was working on it they had battery connected, but when they would park it (weeks at a time) they would just disconnect the battery by removing a terminal. The solar charger survived. in fact during that 2 month process they actually installed a 2nd panel on the roof for a total of 400w, but when they were waiting for parts they pulled the battery terminal.