©2007 Magnum Energy Inc.
11
Operation
5.0 Operation
This section explains how the ME-BMK battery monitor works and how to
operate the ME-RC remote control to obtain information on the battery bank.
The LCD displays on the ME-RC related to the battery monitor and the status
of the Sense Module’s LED indicator is also explained in this section.
Info:
For information on navigating the remote control, see the ME-
RC Owner’s Manual (PN: 64-0003).
Info:
See
fi
gure 4-1
, METER Menu Map (ME-BMK Displays)
for a
complete map of the menu items and adjustable settings available
for the ME-BMK battery monitor using the ME-RC remote control.
5.0.1 How does the Battery Monitor (ME-BMK) Operate?
The ME-BMK
battery monitor uses a precision resistor known as a shunt to measure current
fl
ow into and out of the battery. The shunt provides a small voltage to the
sense module that is proportional to the current
fl
ow. When current starts
fl
owing into or out of the battery, the sense module measures the current
fl
ow and determines the amount of current removed from and returned to
the battery. The amount of current or “amp-hours” removed or returned is
displayed on the ME-RC remote control as the AH I/O (Amp-Hours In/Out). The
AH I/O number is compensated by a charging ef
fi
ciency value that accounts
for energy loses while charging and is one of the factors used to determine
the battery’s State Of Charge (SOC).
The battery’s State of Charge - which is the best indicator of the condition of
the batteries - is indicated on the SOC display. This display will show that the
batteries are fully charged (i.e. SOC = 100%) only after the following three
conditions have been met:
The charging voltage - over a period of time - has stabilized;
the charging current has decreased to a low percentage of the amp-
hour capacity - normally less than 2%; and
the amp-hours that were removed from the battery are within 1% of
fully being returned;
After the batteries have reached 100% SOC and have discharged
≥
0.5% of
the battery capacity setting, the charge ef
fi
ciency value will be recalculated
and the AH I/O readout will reset to the recalculated value.
Info:
To help maintain the accuracy of the SOC display and to keep
the batteries in good condition, it is necessary to fully charge them
occasionally (approximately once a week).
Info:
When charging from a generator (non-inverter topology) and
deeply concerned about the cost of fuel; a balance should be con-
sidered between the use of fuel against charging batteries to 100%
SOC to maintain the full service life of a battery. Batteries discharged
to 50% SOC and normally recharged to 85-90% SOC would be an
ef
fi
cient compromise between fuel cost and battery life. Trying to
restore the last 10-15% for a full battery charge requires a long time
- typically several hours.
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