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electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints

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electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints [2020/01/13 11:05]
frater_secessus [Solar charge controller setpoints]
electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints [2020/05/23 14:42]
frater_secessus [charging 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//, which are settings stored in the controller.  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. 
  
-The two most important setpoints for battery life and performance 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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   * **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.
 +  * **Equalization voltage (Vequal)** - the voltage the battery bank is held at during [[electrical:12v:charging#equalization|Equalization]].  In this case the recommendation is 15v+.
   * **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.    * **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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   * **Absorption duration** - the amount of time Vabs will be held until dropping to Vfloat.  May be used instead of or in addition to any endAmps above.  endAmps is more precise but can be tricky to measure, as [[electrical:12v:loads|loads]] or [[electrical:12v:multipoint_charging|multiple controllers]] can obscure the true level of current being accepted by the battery.   * **Absorption duration** - the amount of time Vabs will be held until dropping to Vfloat.  May be used instead of or in addition to any endAmps above.  endAmps is more precise but can be tricky to measure, as [[electrical:12v:loads|loads]] or [[electrical:12v:multipoint_charging|multiple controllers]] can obscure the true level of current being accepted by the battery.
   * **Absorption restart** - voltage (or duration) at which Absorption stage after failing to maintain Vfloat   * **Absorption restart** - voltage (or duration) at which Absorption stage after failing to maintain Vfloat
- +  * **Equalization duration** - the amount of time the controller will hold Vequal. 
 +  * **Equalization frequency** - the number of days between equalization.  30 days is typical. 
 ===== load setpoints ===== ===== load setpoints =====
 Only present on controllers with LOAD outputs. Only present on controllers with LOAD outputs.
electrical/solar/charge_controller_setpoints.txt · Last modified: 2023/07/21 23:15 by frater_secessus