Sol-Ark 12K - Batteries Drop from 75% to 0%

[McDevCo]

My Setup: 24 ea. 320 Watt panels, Sol-Ark 12K Inverter, 16 ea. Crown CR430 batteries.

I am experiencing an issue where my batteries seem to be dropping from around a 75% charge to 0%. I get an F56 error on the Sol-Ark, my generator starts up and charges batteries to about 45%. Around 45% the batteries suddenly jump back up to 100% and the generator shuts off.

Any ides what might be going on?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

My Setup: 24 ea. 320 Watt panels, Sol-Ark 12K Inverter, 16 ea. Crown CR430 batteries.

I am experiencing an issue where my batteries seem to be dropping from around a 75% charge to 0%. I get an F56 error on the Sol-Ark, my generator starts up and charges batteries to about 45%. Around 45% the batteries suddenly jump back up to 100% and the generator shuts off.

Any ides what might be going on?

Thanks in advance.

The SOC takes a few times to get correct.

Are you running Closed loop BMS?

 

[MisterSandals]

16 ea. Crown CR430 batteries.

How are these wired? Are they wired in a balanced manner? If not, it could explain some of the odd charging and discharging.
48V i'd expect.

Happen to have a pic?

 

[McDevCo]

How are these wired? Are they wired in a balanced manner? If not, it could explain some of the odd charging and discharging.
48V i'd expect.

Happen to have a pic?

I had the 16 batteries wired in 2 series of 8 in parallel (photo attached, corrosion since cleaned). One of the batteries has seemed to experience an event that causes the post terminal / housing / adjacent cable to melt (photo attached)...probably not good. While a replacement battery is being pursued I have eliminated one string of the batteries from the equation.

 

[McDevCo]

The SOC takes a few times to get correct.

Are you running Closed loop BMS?

I am not knowledgable enough to answer that question. Any thing that would point me towards a yes or no?

 

[400bird]

I am not knowledgable enough to answer that question. Any thing that would point me towards a yes or no?

What is telling you SOC? The assumption was some sort of BMS, but I've never seen one for lead acid.

If you don't have a BMS, you should prob switch to using voltage levels to control the SolArk.

I'm not a lead acid guy, but what's your voltage and specific gravity when it does fully charge? Hopefully, someone else will be able to use that info to provide more direct recommendations.

 

[MisterSandals]

(photo attached, corrosion since cleaned).

Yea, wow that was bad. Huge fire hazard!

16 batteries wired in 2 series of 8 in parallel

8S2P

While a replacement battery is being pursued I have eliminated one string of the batteries from the equation.

Have you tested the rest of the batteries? Specific gravity test and water addition has to be part of regular maintenance, right?
How old are those batteries? It is not recommended to mix and match lead acid batteries, especially old and new.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I am not knowledgable enough to answer that question. Any thing that would point me towards a yes or no?

Doesn’t look like any BMS is being used.

Might want to switch to Voltage control.

In PV pro it’s here. Batt-V.

I would venture you have other issues to contend with there also.

Just don’t have enough knowledge for FLA to help you.
Hopefully someone will chime in here.

 

[OzSolar]

Any ides what might be going on?

I can't speak to the specifics of a SolArk but I can try to help on the lead acids. Side Note: Should be commissioning my first SolArk in a few weeks

Wrong size and type of battery settings?
Severely sulphated batteries?
Never getting fully charged to begin with?

Specific gravity is the best way to know what's going on. Do you have a hydrometer?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I can't speak to the specifics of a SolArk but I can try to help on the lead acids. Side Note: Should be commissioning my first SolArk in a few weeks

Wrong size and type of battery settings?
Severely sulphated batteries?
Never getting fully charged to begin with?

Specific gravity is the best way to know what's going on. Do you have a hydrometer?

each 6 v cells all look the same.

If I had to guess he’s probably got several cells out of balance.

I think your other guesses are probably correct.

 

[OzSolar]

each 6 v cells all look the same.

If I had to guess he’s probably got several cells out of balance.

I think your other guesses are probably correct.

I could have been clearer.

It could be that wrong size and/or type of battery settings are being used in the SolArk.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I could have been clearer.

It could be that wrong size and/or type of battery settings are being used in the SolArk.

Yea have no idea what he is using .

Recommended Voltage control for that reason.

Just don’t know how to tell him about SG or what to do with each cell.

 

[MurphyGuy]

Thoughts:
1) Looking at the pictures of the batteries, you need to rework pretty much every battery connection there. That is not adequate. Battery terminals should mate to the battery post flatly and cleanly, and should be secured with a stainless steel nut and washer on top. Terminals should be liberally coated with dielectric grease to stop corrosion as well.

2) Check water level in those batteries.

3) Use hydrometer to check and verify SOC and acid levels.

4) Your solar array is 24 panels rated for 320W each = 7680 watts (on a good day). That 7680 watts translates to 160 amps of charge current or 80 amps per string of 8 batteries. That seems high.. 80 amps through one of those little golf-cart style batteries is a lot of juice! I wouldn't be surprised if your battery cells are cooked at that level of charge rate. They might be able to handle those amps at very low SOC, but that seems too much for normal charging. I'd hold back to around 40 amps for fear of boiling my cells dry all the time or just pumping more juice into them then they can absorb.

5) You need to make sure your voltage settings in your charge controller (sol ark) are set correctly as well.

 

[McDevCo]

Doesn’t look like any BMS is being used.

Might want to switch to Voltage control.

In PV pro it’s here. Batt-V.

I would venture you have other issues to contend with there also.

Just don’t have enough knowledge for FLA to help you.
Hopefully someone will chime in here.

Switched to Batt-V - Everything in PV Pro still displays as %, but inverter screen shows batt V now.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Switched to Batt-V - Everything in PV Pro still displays as %, but inverter screen shows batt V now.

That’s good.

What voltage does the inverter show for your battery pack?

What are your voltage settings in the inverter?

Equalization?
Float?
Absorption?

 

[McDevCo]

That’s good.

What voltage does the inverter show for your battery pack?

What are your voltage settings in the inverter?

Charge?
Float?
Absorption?

Here are several current photos of setting and voltage. Water levels are adequate and SG / Voltage readings attached.

 

[McDevCo]

Thoughts:
1) Looking at the pictures of the batteries, you need to rework pretty much every battery connection there. That is not adequate. Battery terminals should mate to the battery post flatly and cleanly, and should be secured with a stainless steel nut and washer on top. Terminals should be liberally coated with dielectric grease to stop corrosion as well.

2) Check water level in those batteries.

3) Use hydrometer to check and verify SOC and acid levels.

4) Your solar array is 24 panels rated for 320W each = 7680 watts (on a good day). That 7680 watts translates to 160 amps of charge current or 80 amps per string of 8 batteries. That seems high.. 80 amps through one of those little golf-cart style batteries is a lot of juice! I wouldn't be surprised if your battery cells are cooked at that level of charge rate. They might be able to handle those amps at very low SOC, but that seems too much for normal charging. I'd hold back to around 40 amps for fear of boiling my cells dry all the time or just pumping more juice into them then they can absorb.

5) You need to make sure your voltage settings in your charge controller (sol ark) are set correctly as well.

1) I do not have washers nor dielectric grease....will correct.

2) I have maintained water levels.

3) Recent hydrometer and multimeter voltage readings attached.

4) Photos of charge settings attached....possibly set at 70A?

5) Several current photos attached...I'm new to this stuff.

 

[McDevCo]

I can't speak to the specifics of a SolArk but I can try to help on the lead acids. Side Note: Should be commissioning my first SolArk in a few weeks

Wrong size and type of battery settings?
Severely sulphated batteries?
Never getting fully charged to begin with?

Specific gravity is the best way to know what's going on. Do you have a hydrometer?

Here are some current photos of my settings and of recent SG & voltage readings. Not sure how to tell if batteries have been severely sulphated?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Here are several current photos of setting and voltage. Water levels are adequate and SG / Voltage readings attached.

That’s good information.

Unfortunately I haven’t the faintest idea what to do with FLA.

Now that you have posted all that information and pictures someone who know FLA should be able to tell you what Voltage setting should be and anything that needs do to the individual 6v cells(battery).

 

[OzSolar]

Here are some current photos of my settings and of recent SG & voltage readings. Not sure how to tell if batteries have been severely sulphated?

Nice work on that battery chart. Putting the small load on there was smart.

In my experience a sulfated battery will have a resting voltage that indicates it's full but the SG will indicate it's anything but. It does not appear that yours are severely sulphated.

1250 vs 1275: Is that all the resolution your hydrometer has? I would expect readings more like 1245, 1255, 1270, etc. Still I think it's time to do an equalization charge until you can get all cells to 1275 but I don't think that will totally solve this issue.

Have you checked voltage drop from the battery neg to the SolArk battery neg when it's under load? (do the same for the positive as well) Put one lead of your meter on each end of the same cable. A zero reading would be perfect. More than a few volts could be bad. EG: ~50v x 3% = 1.5v

Does the SolArk have a voltage chart that you can share with us? I see you've got "use battery V charged" check in one of those pictures. One theory is that your voltage dropping due to a bad connection or cell telling which makes the SolArk think that the batteries are empty.

Does the SolArk have a shunt built into it? Can you enable that and make it count amp hours to determine battery SOC instead of using the voltage?