OutBack Power Alino TL Series, Owner'S Manual

Page: 26 / 48

Operation
26
900-0248-01-00 Rev A
Functions
The Alino can perform a number of functions, most of which work together. These functions,
and their combinations, are represented on the LCD display by icons (as defined on page 22.)
Figure 18 Icons and Functions
MPPT
The Alino can harvest energy from a photovoltaic (PV) array for several purposes. It harvests
PV energy using maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology.
A PV array does not produce a linear amount of power. The power it delivers follows a curve
between the open-circuit voltage (V
oc
) and the short-circuit current (I
sc
). The power delivery
depends on the array’s load and other factors. The Alino places a variable load on the array
and tracks the result to determine the point of maximum power (V
mp
) between V
oc
and I
sc
.
MPPT maintains this process so that it can deliver maximum power regardless of the conditions.
MPPT also converts the PV voltage to a DC level usable by the inverter and batteries.
Figure 19 MPPT
I
sc
I
mp
CURREN
T
I
sc
V
OC
V
OC
V
mp
VOLTAGE
CURREN
T
VOLTAGE
I-V Curve
Available
Power
The arrows to the right lead to battery charging
and other functions.
On the display, MPPT and DC-DC conversion
are represented by this series of icons.
MPPT