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Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller

User’s Guide

Installation, Programming and User’s Manual

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Summary of Contents for FLEXMAX 80

Page 1: ...Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller User s Guide Installation Programming and User s Manual maxT M 80...

Page 2: ...warranties The customer must return the component s to OutBack securely packaged properly addressed and shipping paid We recommend insuring your package when shipping Packages that are not securely pa...

Page 3: ...ssembled systems Notice of Copyright FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller User s Guide Installation Programming and User s Manual Copyright 2008 All rights reserved Disclaimer UNL...

Page 4: ...F DAY SUMMARY SCREEN 19 RECHARGING USING THE PV ARRAY 19 ACCESSING THE MAIN MENU 21 CHARGER SETUP 22 AUX MODE AND ITS FUNCTIONS 23 AUX Mode Path 24 AUX Modes Described 25 Programming the AUX Modes 26...

Page 5: ...PLAYED CHARGE CONTROLLER STATUS METER Screens 66 MATE DISPLAYED CHARGE CONTROLLER STATUS SETP OINT Screens 67 MATE DISPLAYED FLEXmax 80 ADVANCED SCREENS 67 ADVANCED MENU 68 EQ SCREENS 69 AUX SCREENS 6...

Page 6: ...lize cycle The following are the maximum recommended wattage for the most common solar arrays under Standard Test Conditions 1000 watts per square meter to solar panel at 25 C or 77 F 12VDC battery sy...

Page 7: ...risks malfunction electric shock or fire The FLEXmax 80 is designed for indoor installation or installation inside a weatherproof enclosure It must not be exposed to rain and should be installed out...

Page 8: ...arby in case battery acid contacts skin clothing or eyes Wear complete eye protection Avoid touching eyes while working near batteries Wash your hands with soap and warm water when done If battery aci...

Page 9: ...THE OUTBACK POWER SYSTEMS FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller...

Page 10: ...two screw holes with the holes on the enclosure Insert a 10 X 3 8 sheet metal screw through each hole and tighten against the enclosure screws are included with each DC enclosure Keep the cover off un...

Page 11: ...77 to 50 F multiply VOC by 1 06 9 to 0 C 49 to 32 F multiply VOC by 1 10 1 to 10 C 31 to 14 F multiply VOC by 1 13 11 to 20 C 13 to 4 F multiply VOC by 1 17 21 to 40 C 5 to 40 F multiply VOC by 1 25 C...

Page 12: ...ature Sensor RTS is recommended for accurate battery recharging only one RTS is needed for multiple OutBack Series Inverter Chargers and FLEXmax 80 units when an OutBack HUB and a MATE are parts of th...

Page 13: ...12 Figure 2 Single Charge Controller wiring diagram with 24 volt PV array...

Page 14: ...13 Figure 3 Charge Controller Wiring Diagram with an FX HUB 4 and an RTS...

Page 15: ...14 Figure 4 Charge Controller with PV array ground fault protection wiring digram...

Page 16: ...tes key is to be pressed Down arrow will lead to the next screen Up arrow points to one or more keys that will change a value The keys correspond to any text immediately above them 1 2 3 4 How to Read...

Page 17: ...re off before starting the power up sequence OFF SCREEN this screen is initially blank at power up With the PV array and battery breakers off turn on the battery breaker Note The battery voltage must...

Page 18: ...must be entered before selecting the screen version Password Screen Press the soft key until the password 141 shows on the screen Press the ENTER soft key to return to the Select Version screen Note...

Page 19: ...choice or NO to return to the SELECT VERSION screen The FLEXmax 80 auto detects the system s battery voltage To confirm this voltage press the ENTER soft key If incorrect press the g soft key to sele...

Page 20: ...creens for convenient distant viewing from the installation location of the FLEXmax 80 Please see pages 65 67 to view the Charge Controller screens displayed on the MATE The PV voltage will slowly ris...

Page 21: ...orb time Accumulated float time Day up to 128 days Peak Input Voltage Maximum batt voltage obtained Minimum batt voltage obtained 7 Recharging Using the PV Array Turn the PV input breaker on The FLEXm...

Page 22: ...nt fan error alarm and other system related additions Light BACKLIGHT CONTROL Adjusts the backlighting of LCD screen and soft key buttons EQ BATTERY EQUALIZE Activates battery equalization recharging...

Page 23: ...t than the default values Otherwise see page 84 for suggested recharging voltage set points From the MAIN screen press or to move the to the left of the Charger function and then press the GO soft key...

Page 24: ...stant battery voltage to be maintained Both DC and AC load switching solid state relays are widely available from many sources Eurotherm and Power IO are two suggested solid state relay manufacturers...

Page 25: ...Advance Logging Stats EXIT f g GO Charger gAux Light EQ Misc Advance Logging Stats EXIT f g GO AUX MODE Vent Fan Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE PASSWORD 150 ENTER AUX MODE Vent Fan Output Off Off E...

Page 26: ...able amount of Hold Time Error Output useful for monitoring remote sites switches to the Off state if the FLEXmax 80 has not charged the batteries for 26 hours or more not an audible alarm only displa...

Page 27: ...t Fan helps remove hydrogen from the bat tery box The ventilation fan referred to here is not the same as the FLEXmax 80 cooling fan Press the VOLT soft key to determine the battery voltage that will...

Page 28: ...put exceeds the user determined VOLT set point the AUX MODE PV Trigger activates in Auto Mode Press the MODE soft key to establish another PV Trigger mode On Off or Auto AUX MODE Vent Fan EXIT VOLT AU...

Page 29: ...y pressing the or soft key When finished press the BACK soft key to return to the PV Trigger screen To adjust the minimum amount of time the PV voltage must remain high before deactivating the AUX MOD...

Page 30: ...the PV Trigger screen In this example the AUX MODE will remain active for 1 1 seconds after the PV voltage is below the PV Trigger voltage before deactivating the PV Trigger and reconnecting to the a...

Page 31: ...Mode Press the VOLT soft key to adjust the ERROR LOW BATT VOLTS screen User determined value not less than 10V will trigger an alarm or through a user supplied modem send a signal from a remote insta...

Page 32: ...d Press the OFF soft key to view the Off Hysteresis Time screen AUX MODE Night Light Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE On Off Auto AUX MODE Night Light Output Off Auto EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Nigh...

Page 33: ...e or soft keys to adjust the Threshold Voltage value When finished press the BACK soft key to return to the Night Light screen AUX MODE Night Light EXIT HYST TIME VOLT Night Light Threshold Voltage 01...

Page 34: ...o the Absorb Float and EQ voltages to activate the AUX MODE With wind or hydro generator applications keep the FLEXmax 80 s diversion voltage slightly above its Absorb and Float voltages for efficient...

Page 35: ...required Pressing the BACK soft key returns to the AUX MODE Diversion Relay TIME and VOLT screen Press the VOLT soft key Use this screen to establish the set points for starting and ending the AUX MOD...

Page 36: ...iversion Load and AUX Wiring Set Up AUX MODE Diversion Off EXIT NEXT TIME VOLT Absorb Float EQ Relative Volts 00 2 00 3 BACK HYST Hold Delay 15 0 Time 10 Seconds BACK DLY AUX MODE Diversion Relay EXIT...

Page 37: ...36 Figure 5 Diversion Load and AUX Wiring Set Up Illustrated...

Page 38: ...djust the delay time This is the time period the FLEXmax 80 waits before either activating or deactivating the AUX MODE when either the disconnect or reconnect voltages are reached When the low voltag...

Page 39: ...LTS screen Press either the or the soft key to adjust the RE CONNECT VOLTS value The AUX Output activates when the voltage goes above this setting after the timer has counted back to zero Press the BA...

Page 40: ...on When the g is in front of Light press the GO soft key Charger gAux Light Eq Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXIT f g GO AUX MODE Remote Output Off On EXIT NEXT SET MODE On Off Auto In Remote AUX MODE t...

Page 41: ...of an equalization charge is to bring all battery cells to an equal voltage Sealed batteries should not be equalized unless specifically instructed by the manufacturer Shut off or minimize all loads...

Page 42: ...To stop the cycle press the STOP soft key EQ MPPT display indicates the FLEXmax 80 is trying to reach the target equalize set point Equalize time EQ 0 00 in Hours Minutes displays after the equalize s...

Page 43: ...bled EQ MPPT display indicates the FLEXmax 80 is trying to reach the target equalize set point The equalize time EQ 0 00 in Hours Minutes displays after the equalize set point is reached An incomplete...

Page 44: ...d communicating with the GT Series Inverter Each MPPT operation is a state This number is useful for OutBack troubleshooting This is the duty cycle of the converter At 50 the PV terminals would be twi...

Page 45: ...get Btmp CFB 512 14 4v 255 0712 EXIT BACK This is the assigned number representing the temperature of the internal components to control the cooling fan The lower the number the higher the temperature...

Page 46: ...Vbatt Calibration RTS Compensation Auto Restart Aux Polarity Reset to Defaults From the MAIN Menu choose Advanced and press the GO soft key Snoozing occurs if the recharging current does not reach the...

Page 47: ...allows the user to choose one of these modes Auto Track MPPT Mode the default and preferred mode automatically tracks the PV upon wakeup and then tracks the MPP of the array If the Auto Restart is se...

Page 48: ...the VOC The min range limit setting may be set to FULL if something other than a PV array is connected to the input of the FLEXmax 80 such as a micro hydro generator see page 57 but the VOC cannot exc...

Page 49: ...2 4 V 24 8V 37 2V 49 6V or 62 0V the ChgT timer counts down to zero in minutes for every minute elapsed one minute is subtracted from the timer If the battery voltage is less than 12 0V 24 0V 36 0V 48...

Page 50: ...utes as shown in the Misc menu under ChgT The charger timer will be cleared This is an optional set point and is used for few installations When finished with any adjustments press the NEXT soft key t...

Page 51: ...pply if the WIDE LIMIT option is set to WIDE To change these values press the WIDE soft key to bring up the next screen which allows user determined limits Press the SET soft key to adjust these value...

Page 52: ...ry 1 5 hours Mode 1 once every 1 5 hours when the FLEXmax 80 is in Bulk it will briefly Restart and initiate a full panel tracking This will not reset any counters or charging stages or statistics Mod...

Page 53: ...ally have voltage When one of the three functions Night Light PV Trigger or Diversion Relay has been chosen as the AUX function an arrow in the right hand corner of the screen will reflect the Aux Pol...

Page 54: ...EXIT key twice to return to the MAIN Menu screen From the MAIN Menu press the g soft key to move the arrow next to the Logging function and then press the GO soft key This leads to the End of the Day...

Page 55: ...hold either the TOTL total or DAILY key to clear those specific statistics The Are you sure screen appears Pressing the YES soft key returns to the CLEAR LOG screen pressing the NO soft key returns t...

Page 56: ...Voc seen by the FLEXmax 80 Maximum battery voltage seen by the FLEXmax 80 In a standalone FLEXmax 80 one that is not connected to a MATE Sunrise shows how long ago the FLEXmax 80 woke up for the first...

Page 57: ...itches the screen between DC kilowatt hours and AC kilowatt hours DCkWH shows the DC kilowatthours and should be used in a non grid tied system ACkWH is used with a grid tied system This measure is ba...

Page 58: ...icrohydropower com The FLEXmax 80 is not compatible with wind turbine applications and OutBack cannot warranty its use in these applications MICRO HYDRO AND FUEL CELL SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION...

Page 59: ...AIN Menu with the arrow in front of Advanced press the GO soft key In the ADVANCED MENU screen press the NEXT soft key until the Mpp Range Limit Voc screen appears Press the 1 2 soft key until FULL ap...

Page 60: ...ice information The Advanced menu allows the user to fine tune the FLEXmax 80 using the following screens Snooze Mode Wakeup Mode MPPT Mode Park Mpp Mpp Range Limit VOC Absorb Time Absorb End Amps Reb...

Page 61: ...selling electricity back to the grid keep the inverter Sell Float voltage below the FLEXmax 80 float voltage Appropriate values 0 5 Volts difference for 24V battery system or 1 0 volt difference for...

Page 62: ...61 21 FLEXmax 80 EFFICIENCY vs INPUT POWER GRAPH Figure 7 12V Battery System Efficiency Curve Figure 8 24V Battery System Efficiency Curve Figure 9 48V Battery System Efficiency Curve...

Page 63: ...y operate BatTooHot The battery temperature sensor has detected a battery temperature of over 50 C The FLEXmax 80 will stop charging the battery and wait for the battery to cool below 50 C Charged The...

Page 64: ...from Absorbing to MPPT Bulk the Charge Timer ChgT counter may start counting down towards zero minutes or until the Absorb target is met See page 47 for more information MPPT Float The FLEXmax 80 is...

Page 65: ...t voltage VOC rises above the battery system voltage by two volts the FLEXmax 80 prepares to deliver power to the batteries During this period the FLEXmax 80 is calculating the pulse width modulation...

Page 66: ...nine FLEXmax 80 AUX modes Vent Fan PV Trigger ERROR OUTPUT Night Light FLoat Diversion Relay Diversion Solid St Low Batt ery Disconnect Remote aux relay state indicates if the AUX is ON or OFF Press...

Page 67: ...tery voltage panel voltage current voltage from the PV array mode Silent P02 in 10 2 vdc 0 adc out 13 4 vdc 0 adc DOWN STATUS PORT STATUS CC METER P02 charger 0 w watts DOWN UP TOP PORT STATUS CC METE...

Page 68: ...nced Screens displayed on the optional OutBack MATE include CHGR CHARGER CCADV ADVANCED EQ AND AUX The Advanced screens allow the user to change various values and set points MAIN 12 00 30P SUM STATUS...

Page 69: ...absorb end amps 0 A DOWN INC DEC PORT g ADV CC ADVANCED P01 rebulk voltage 12 4 vdc DOWN INC DEC PORT ADV CC ADVANCED P01 vbatt calibration 13 3 vdc 0 0 V DOWN INC DEC PORT g ADV CC ADVANCED P01 RTS c...

Page 70: ...EQ end of CC eq menu TOP ADV MAIN g FLEXmax 80 AUX Screens FLEXmax 80 LOGGING Screens Today 0000Ah 00 0 KWH 011Vp 00 0Ap 0 00kWp MAX 14 7V ABS 01 00 MIN 14 6V FLT 00 00 CLEAR LOG BACK TOTL DAILY Are y...

Page 71: ...EXIT NEXT SET MODE FORCE EXIT NEXT FLOAT BULK PCB Target Btmp CFB 514 14 4v 255 0000 EXIT BACK Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXIT GO ADVANCED MENU Snooze Mode 6 Amp EXIT NEXT AMP A...

Page 72: ...OFF Zzzzz PUSH ONCE Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXIT GO Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXIT GO PUSH THE ARROW KEY AND THEN PUSH GO PUSH THE ARROW KEY AND THEN PU...

Page 73: ...enu is it at Is it transitioning between 00 and 01 Is it in GT mode and connected to a MATE GT mode is only applicable with a HUB 4 or HUB 10 installations with a grid tie compatible MATE Does the PV...

Page 74: ...but the battery is not equalizing The EQ cycle will begin when the target EQ set point voltage has been reached A small array or cloudy weather will delay the EQ cycle Accordingly running too many AC...

Page 75: ...s on the screen Continue pressing the 1 soft key and press the 3 soft key at the same time until X Off displays on the screen To reactivate Extended Play repeat these steps and hold the 3 soft key unt...

Page 76: ...Nominal Battery Voltage Nominal Array Voltage recommended 12V 24V or higher 24V 36V or higher 36V 48V or higher 48V 60 V or higher 60V 60V low temp is less than 5 F or 72V low temp is greater than 5 F...

Page 77: ...n Australian Version Below are a few default setting differences between the Standard and Australian version Settings Standard Australian Charger Absorb Float Absorb Float 12V 14 4V 13 6V 14 4V 13 8V...

Page 78: ...drop 12V PV ARRAY 16v Vmp 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 2 0 4 0 10 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 20 8 12 19 24 31 49 62 99 30 5 8 13 16 21 33 41 66 40 4 6 10 12 15 25 31 49 50 3 5 8 10 12 20 25 39 60 3 4 6 8 10 16 21 33...

Page 79: ...0 493 30 26 41 65 82 103 164 207 329 40 19 31 49 61 77 123 155 247 50 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 60 13 20 32 41 52 82 103 164 70 11 17 28 35 44 70 89 141 72V PV ARRAY 96v Vmp 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 2 0 4 0 10 9...

Page 80: ...ied i e an 80 amp breaker must have a 100 amp conductor connected when used at its full 80 amp rating PV Side of the Controller UL requires a 125 safety multiplier before NEC calculations NEC requires...

Page 81: ...e side back or bottom knockouts 2 AWG conductor must be installed on the side or back knockout to meet the specific UL requirements for wire bending room standards 1 conduit knockout is approved for u...

Page 82: ...be used with both sealed and non sealed batteries The FLEXmax 80 has a preset recharging voltage set points Absorb Float for the selected nominal battery voltage however always follow the battery manu...

Page 83: ...e will continue for 1 hour as well However if a Bulk cycle takes 3 hours to reach the Absorb voltage set point then the Absorb cycle will continue for 2 hours only A Bulk cycle will be re initiated if...

Page 84: ...V 48V Average 95 F 35 C Subtract 0 30V 0 60V 1 20V Average 86 F 30 C Subtract 0 15V 0 30V 0 60V Average 68 F 20 C Add 0 15V 0 3 V 0 60V Average 59 F 15 C Add 0 30V 0 60V 1 20V Battery Temperature Comp...

Page 85: ...stored in the battery that is available for use When referencing the battery voltage on the display be sure the battery is not under significant recharging or heavy loads Otherwise the DC voltage is...

Page 86: ...gulation methods Five stage Bulk Absorption Battery Full Float and Equalization Voltage regulation set points 13 80VDC Temperature compensation With optional RTS sensor 5 millivolts C per 2V cell Volt...

Page 87: ...the following Installation or Removal Alteration or Disassembly Normal Wear and Tear Accident or Abuse Corrosion Lightning Repair or service provided by an unauthorized repair facility Operation contr...

Page 88: ...the Product is defective and that the defect is covered under the terms of this Warranty OutBack will then and only then ship a repaired or replacement Product to the purchaser freight prepaid non ex...

Page 89: ...e the three most important factors affecting your purchase decision Price Product Reputation Product Features Reputation of OutBack Power Systems Value System System Install Commission Date _ ________...

Page 90: ...of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment for use within certain voltage limits The compliance of the above mentioned product with the directives and the following essential requir...

Page 91: ..._________________________________ FLEXmax 80 Serial Number _ __________________________________________________________ Battery Voltage ________________________________________________________________...

Page 92: ...01 00 REV A European Sales Office C Castell 17 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat BARCELONA Espa a Phone 34 93 654 9568 Corporate Office 19009 62nd Avenue NE Arlington WA USA Phone 1 360 435 6030 www outback...

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