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2006 Magnum Energy Inc
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Appendix B - Battery Information
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Appendix B - Battery Information
Battery Bank Sizing
The size of the battery bank determines how long you want the inverter to
power the AC loads without recharging. The larger the battery bank, the
longer the run time. Size your battery bank to the systems AC load re-
quirements and length of time required to run from the batteries. In gen-
eral, the battery bank should not be discharged more than 50%. Addi-
tional DC charging devices such as solar, wind, hydro, etc. can provide
longer run times by recharging the batteries in the absence of AC utility or
generator power.
Battery Types
Batteries are available in different sizes, amp-hour ratings, voltage,
liquid or gel, vented or non-vented, chemistries, etc. They are also
available for starting applications (such as an automobile starting
battery) and deep discharge applications. Only the deep cycle types
are recommended for inverter applications. Choose the batteries best
suited for the inverter installation and cost. Use only the same battery
type for all batteries in the bank. For best performance, all batteries
should be from the same lot and date. This information is usually
printed on a label located on the battery.
Battery Configuration
The battery bank must be wired to match the inverter’s DC input
voltage specifications (12 VDC). In addition, the batteries can be wired
to provide additional run time. The various wiring configurations are:
Series Wiring
Wiring batteries in series increases the total battery bank output
voltage. A series connection combines each battery in a string until the
voltage matches the inverter’s DC requirement. Even though there
are multiple batteries, the capacity remains the same. In the example
below (figure 14), two 6 VDC, 200 AHr batteries are combined into a
single string resulting in a 12 VDC, 200 AHr bank.
Figure 14, Series Battery Wiring
6 volts
(200 Ahrs)
6 volts
(200 Ahrs)
over-current protection
12 volt battery bank (total capacity = 200 Ahrs)
To
12VDC
Inverter
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