Freedom 20 Inverter

[theway]

I have been reading the manual, but no luck, so I wanted to ask...

Im trying to figure out the display when connected to shore power. The DC amps show a light and im wanting to confirm that this is the charge going to the batteries and not going elsewhere. Can anyone confirm the difference between the images, and what is going on between being connected to shore vs not being connected

-What I see

Not Connected To Shorepower. (Pretty straight forward)


Connected To Shorepower. (DC amps will eventually get down to 5 when no load is on it, so it makes me think this is the amount of charge)


Are the DC amps going to the Battery?
This part in the manual is pretty vague...

(From Operation Manual)
----
DC Amps Bargraph
These LEDs approximate DC input current in inverter mode and DC output current in battery charger mode.
----

DC Output meaning going to the battery? Because when a load is connected, the DC Amps will also show the draw from the load. So which takes priority when both charging, and having a load?

I hope I've communicated that well


thank
austin

[CharlieJ]

Austin-
In the second image, your inverter/charger has qualified AC power being supplied to it so the AC INPUT led is lit.

The remote panel is reporting that the DC system voltage is approximately 12.5 VDC, which seems low when the DC AMPS leds are considered. (More on this later.)

The panel further shows that the inverter/charger is supplying approximately 30 amps. Assuming that the I/C is correctly installed, this means that those 30 amps are being supplied to the battery bank. Assuming that the battery bank also supplies your house loads, some of that 30 amps that is being supplied by the I/C is supplying the house loads that are currently (no pun intended!) energized. If no DC loads are energized, than the 30 amps is all going to the bank. If there are no DC loads energized, then the remote panel is indicating a problem with your system.

The Freedom 20 has the capability to output as much as 100 amps. This charging rate requires 21 amps of AC. The charging rate can be reduced by the operator to ensure adequate AC is available to run other AC loads on board.

As a battery bank is depleted, its voltage is reduced. When a charging device is turned on, the device will output voltage near the original battery voltage and the current will approach the maximum of the device. As the battery bank is charged, the voltage slowly climbs until it hits the bulk/absorption voltage point (nominally, 14.4 VDC) where it holds steady until it hits the float set point (nominally, 13.4 VDC). Meanwhile, during the bulk charging phase, charging current from the regulated device (the I/C in this case), is putting out its maximum charge. Once the absorption stage is reached, with voltage held constant, charging current slowly decreases until the regulator trips the device to float.

Assuming that the I/C has not had its charging output reduced, and that there are no sizable DC loads energized, than 12.5 VDC with only 30 amps being produced is an abnormal indication.

Charlie

[theway]

Thank you much Charlie.

Ok, that makes sense. My main interest was in the division of output and that the DC amps is showing the total (i.e some goes to the battery some goes to a load if present).

I noticed my second image was wrong. It does go up in voltage... currently 13.0 and even 13.5 sometimes.

So then my last question(s) (hopefully) is... Should the I/C eventually charge the batteries fully so that the output no longer shows a light (5 amps)? Or does it always supply at least that? Seems to me that they should top off and not want the 5 amps.


austin

[CharlieJ]

There will always be a slight parasitic load from the battery bank, so as long as the bank is connected, there will be a slight current flowing. The 5 amp led may or may not be illuminated depending on the sensitivity of the remote panel's electronics.

Charlie