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AQ-OP-00010_E
The AHI chemistry can be rapidly charged such that over 90% of the nameplate (20-hour) capacity can
be input into the battery in approximately 4 hours. This is accomplished by using IR-compensated
charging, which permits the allowable Vmax to exceed the specified (non IR-corrected) Vmax, and
setting the charge current to the highest allowable value (144 A for the parallel configuration, 13 A for
the series configuration). Under these conditions, the IR-corrected Vmax becomes approximately 66 V
(for an 8-Stack configuration). When this IR-corrected Vmax is reached during charging, the current
applied to the Stack should be reduced, and Vmax should be lowered in concert during the current taper
phase of the charge. Cycle life testing using this charge regime indicates that this is a safe and reliable
use case, and we do not expect any unusual loss in function as a result of fast charging. However, the
efficiency of this fast-charge step will be significantly lower than that achievable using lower power and
current charge conditions.
B.1.4 Temperature Compensation
The Aquion AHI battery is capable of operating at higher ambient temperatures than lead acid batteries
can. The reference temperature for the AHI battery is 30°C, rather than the 25°C typical of lead acid
technologies. Because most off-grid power electronics are designed to use 25°C as the reference
temperature and have varying temperature compensation functions, care must be taken when selecting
the appropriate charge settings for an AHI battery. For your convenience, the following sections list the
appropriate settings for several devices. If your device is not shown, please derive the settings from the
“Voltage Limits vs. Temperature” table above (Section B.1.2) or contact Aquion Energy applications
engineering for assistance.
B.2 Off-Grid Device-Specific Settings by Manufacturer
B.2.1 Morningstar
Several Morningstar charge controllers can be configured using their serial/Modbus adapter and the
MSView software. The charge controllers operate at different voltages (12, 24, or 48 V) depending on
the initial battery voltage when power is connected.
Sunsaver MPPT
Charge Settings
Absorption Voltage ................................................... 14.85 V*
Float Voltage ................................................................. 13.6 V
Disable Float ........................................................... unchecked
Float – Low Battery Threshold ...................................... 12.0 V
Float – Cancel Threshold .................................................... 9 V
Time Before Float ......................................................... 60 min
Time Before Float – Low Battery ................................. 60 min
Time Unit Float Exit .................................................... 360 min
Equalize Voltage ...................................................14 (default)
Disable Equalize ........................................................ checked
* At 60 A charge rate; otherwise, refer to Section B.3.5.
