June 2020
|
Solar Stik
®
, Inc.
18
|
24VDC PRO-Verter 5000-120 AGS Operator Manual
Qualifying AC Input Power
The PRO-Verter must only be used with AC sources that generate or provide pure sinusoidal
waveforms with voltage and frequency that meet minimum standards.
When an active AC source is connected to the PRO-Verter, it will “qualify” the power before passing
it through to the load and initiating the battery charging sequence. If the PRO-Verter detects poor
quality AC power, then the PRO-Verter may reject it and remain in invert mode.
Once AC has been accepted, it will not automatically reject the AC input power if it falters or morphs
during operation. It can, however, be programmed to reject the power of it falls below certain
thresholds, such as the VAC DROPOUT setting.
If the AC waveform itself distorts during operation, it may cause certain PRO-Verter functions to
retard (de-rate) or cease. For example, if the Field Effect Transistors (FETS) and the EMI filter are
pushed beyond their design limits by poor AC power, it may result in a FET OVERLOAD or FET
OVERTEMP faults, which will cause either retardation of charging functions or a failure to provide AC
power to the load.
Charge Function
Whenever an AC source is connected to the AC INPUT, the PRO-Verter automatically begins
monitoring for acceptable AC voltage and power quality. During this qualification phase, the
CHARGER (“CHG”) LED will blink rapidly. Once the AC voltage is accepted, the AC transfer relay
closes passing AC power to the load, and then CHARGE function begins, indicated by a steady-on
“CHG” LED at the User Interface, and the LCD will show “CHARGING”.
The PRO-Verter is equipped with a logic-controlled, multi-stage battery charger. It actively monitors
battery voltage and SOC, using this information to control the amount of power used to charge the
batteries in real-time. Voltage and current are independently controlled so that maximum charge
current is always applied to the batteries, reducing charging times. This maximizes the real power
available from the AC power source (grid-utility or generator), which translates into less power
wasted and less dependence on external power sources.
The automatic, multi-stage charger in the PRO-Verter provides Bulk, Absorb, Float, and “Full
Charge” stages, ensuring complete recharging and monitoring of the batteries without damage due
to over/under charging. There is also a “Constant Current / Constant Voltage” (CC/CV) option for
use with certain types of lithium batteries.
When entering CHARGE mode, the PRO-Verter uses battery voltage to determine the charging
stage. If the battery voltage is low, the charger begins Bulk charging. If the voltage is high enough,
the charger will skip the Bulk and Absorb charge stages and go directly to Float charging.
If the PRO-Verter is being operated in high-heat environments, it can “throttle-back” its charging
amperage rate to prevent overheating of the internal transformer or FET board. The “CHG” LED will
blink when this protection is engaged.
