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electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints [2020/01/13 10:54] frater_secessus [charging setpoints] |
electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints [2020/01/13 11:06] frater_secessus [Solar charge controller setpoints] |
====== Solar charge controller setpoints ====== | ====== Solar charge controller setpoints ====== |
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[[electrical:solar:charge_controller|Solar charge controller]], [[electrical:converter|converter]], and [[electrical:12v:b2b|DC-DC]] charging behavior is guided by //setpoints//, or configured values stored internally. They may or may not be configurable by the user. | [[electrical:solar:charge_controller|Solar charge controller]], [[electrical:converter|converter]], and [[electrical:12v:b2b|DC-DC]] charging behavior is guided by //setpoints//, which are settings stored in the controller. They may or may not be configurable by the user. |
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The two most important setpoints are charging voltages: Absorption voltage and Float voltage, discussed below. | The two most important setpoints for battery life and performance are charging voltages: //Absorption voltage// and **Float voltage**, discussed below. |
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===== charging setpoints ===== | ===== charging setpoints ===== |
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[[electrical:12v:charging|Charging]] setpoints are configured in accordance with [[http://rvwiki.mousetrap.net/doku.php?id=electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints|the battery manufacturer's recommendations]]. These recommendations are published in manuals, spec sheets, corporate blogs, etc. For example, [[https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/Trojan_QSG_AGM.pdf|Trojan's recommendations for charging their T-105 AGM batteries]] looks like this: | [[electrical:12v:charging|Charging]] setpoints are configured in accordance with the **battery manufacturer's recommendations**.((Learn 'em, live 'em, love'em!)) These recommendations are published in manuals, spec sheets, corporate blogs, etc. For example, [[https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/Trojan_QSG_AGM.pdf|Trojan's recommendations for charging their T-105 AGM batteries]] looks like this: |
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{{ :electrical:solar:trojan.png?400 |}} | {{ :electrical:solar:trojan.png?400 |}} |
* **Absorption voltage (Vabs)** - the voltage the battery bank is held at until [[electrical:12v:charging#absorption_stage|Absorption stage]]((sometimes confusingly called "boost" stage)) is //completed//. In this case the recommendation is 14.4v. //Completed// absorption means your lead batteries are fully charged.((the controller being in Float does //not// necessarily mean the batteries were fully charged; controllers can drop to Float too early due to bad design, incorrect battery chemistry switches, or incorrectly-configured setpoints.)) | * **Absorption voltage (Vabs)** - the voltage the battery bank is held at until [[electrical:12v:charging#absorption_stage|Absorption stage]]((sometimes confusingly called "boost" stage)) is //completed//. In this case the recommendation is 14.4v. //Completed// absorption means your lead batteries are fully charged.((the controller being in Float does //not// necessarily mean the batteries were fully charged; controllers can drop to Float too early due to bad design, incorrect battery chemistry switches, or incorrectly-configured setpoints.)) |
* **Float voltage (Vfloat)** - the voltage the battery bank is held at during [[electrical:12v:charging#float_stage|Float]]. In this case the recommendation is 13.5v. | * **Float voltage (Vfloat)** - the voltage the battery bank is held at during [[electrical:12v:charging#float_stage|Float]]. In this case the recommendation is 13.5v. |
* **Temperature compensation** - how the voltage setpoints are adjusted for temperature. While this is sometimes configurable, generally the compensation factor is close enough between manufacturers that it can be left at the default. | * **Temperature compensation** - how the voltage setpoints are [[electrical:12v:charging#temperature_compensation|adjusted for temperature]]. While this is sometimes configurable, the compensation factor is close enough between manufacturers that it is often left at the default. |
* **endAmps** - the amount of current (or percentage of capacity) accepted by the battery in late Absorption that indicates it's appropriate to Float. In the lower-right of [[https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/Trojan_QSG_AGM.pdf|this graph]] Trojan shows it as [[electrical:12v:battery_capacity|C]]/200:((actually C/20/200, but C/200 here for simplicity)) Also see **absorption duration** below. | * **endAmps** - the amount of current (or percentage of capacity) accepted by the battery in late Absorption that indicates it's appropriate to Float. In the lower-right of [[https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/Trojan_QSG_AGM.pdf|this graph]] Trojan shows it as [[electrical:12v:battery_capacity|C]]/200:((actually C/20/200, but C/200 here for simplicity)) Also see **absorption duration** below. |
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