PV-45208 Photovoltaic Inverter
Operation and Maintenance Manual
Copyright 2002, Xantrex Technology Inc.
DOCUMENT: 151710
4-1
SECTION 4
OPERATION
DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM OPERATION
Overview
The PV-45208 is a fully automated grid-tied photovoltaic inverter. Manual interaction or control of the
inverter is necessary only in the event of a system fault. The following conditions govern PV-45208
operation:
•
Stable utility voltage and frequency must be present for all states of operation.
•
Fault states are automatic from any state of operation. A fault will cause the PV-45208 to immedi-
ately stop processing all power. The fault condition will be reported to the operator interface.
•
The on/off switch, located on the upper enclosure of the PV-45208, must be switched to the on
position for all operating states.
•
Cycling the on/off switch attempts to clear any system faults and return the PV-45208 to normal
operation.
Operating States
Control software governs the operation of the PV-45208. There are six main operating states. The
following descriptions depict the LCD interface. Line 1 (system status) of the LCD will indicate oper-
ating states on the display.
•
Initializing:
The LCD displays ‘Initializing’. The PCU monitors the status of the PV array and
utility grid, waiting until the PV array voltage is sufficient to export power to the utility.
•
Wake-Up:
The LCD displays ‘Wake Up Test’. Once the PV voltage is sufficient to export power
to the utility grid, the PV-45208 will wait 5 minutes before starting. This insures the PV voltage is
not transient in nature and keeps the system from cycling during unstable irradiance conditions.
•
Power Tracking:
The LCD displays ‘Power Tracking’ while the PV-45208 delivers power to the
utility. This is the standard operating state of the PV-45208. The PV-45208 maximum power tracker
will optimize power output from the PV array. If available, PV power is above the maximum power
rating of the PV-45208, the inverter will current limit, which will cause the PV voltage to rise
above the array peak power voltage. The minimum operating voltage of the PV-45208 is typically
around 300 VDC. The power tracker will not track voltage below this point, regardless of the actual
peak power voltage of the PV array.
•
Sleep Test:
The LCD displays ‘Sleep Test’ while the control system begins a 5 minute sleep test.
This normally indicates the PV irradiance is declining as the sun sets. If the output power remains
below 200 watts during the 5 minute sleep test, the system will transition to standby. The time
delay allows the inverter to ride through any temporary irradiance reductions.
•
Fault:
The PV-45208 has encountered a fault condition. When this happens, regardless of the PV-
45208 state-of-operation, the PV-45208 will stop processing all power and execute an orderly sys-
tem shutdown. Line 2 will display the fault description with the fault code displaying on line 3.
•
Shutdown:
The LCD displays ‘Shutdown’. The PV array does not have enough power capacity to
maintain the inverter operating losses or the line contactor is open and the devices are not switch-
ing.
