DR1512 Problem

4 Posts

Sep 8, 2007 07:20 pm

Help! I set up a solar panel/battery/generator/DR1512 inverter arrangement for a missionary in Chad, Africa in 1999. It has worked flawlessly until now. Today I got an email detailing the problem (I live in GA). Can anyone help? Here are the diagnostics...

1. The inverter is not charging the batteries.
2. The solar panel is charging the batteries and that power is going through the inverter (12V to 120V) to serve load.
3. The inverter is not acting as a charger when supplied with AC from the generator.
4. The inverter will connect its load to the generator and indicate that it is in float mode (green light) despite the battery voltage being around 12.2. It should go into “bulk” mode (yellow light) at this point and try to put its maximum DC current back to the batteries until the voltage rises to around 14.5. Even though it indicates that it is in “float” mode, I have verified that it is definitely not sending any current at all to the batteries.
5. Breakers are set correctly, voltage is present in appropriate areas.
6. There is nothing visibly wrong inside the inverter (no charred parts, rat nests, etc…)

It seems that the problem could be:
1. Open diodes
2. A signal telling the interver the wrong thing.
3. Huh

I welcome any suggestion. Any troubleshooting can be relayed to a competent person onsite in Chad.

Russell
678-565-4876

Tom M

462 Posts

Sep 10, 2007 12:35 pm

Re: DR1512 Problem

Russell, perhaps since this system is in remote location, with users that are not totally sure how to operate the system, my best guess is that they have used the batteries at night to a point that one or more batteries may have been discharged to a point that it can no longer gain or hold a charge and that may be preventing the others from charging. Have them check each battery individually to see if it is still good then remove whichever battery is bad if that is the case....

John B

163 Posts

Sep 10, 2007 04:08 pm

Re: DR1512 Problem

Russell,

I don't own a DR1512 (or other Xantrex inverter/charger) but I suspect that it is working fine if the batteries are being charged by the solar panels since I believe it also acts as a charge controller in this respect.

My first guess would be that the voltage and/or frequency of the generator is outside the acceptable limits for the DR1512 and it is therefore rejecting the output from the generator as a viable input that it can use to charge batteries. If they have recently added more load to the generator then have them remove some of that load and see if that solves the problem.

It seems like a stupid question, but have they tried removing all 12V power from the DR1512 and allowing it to reset itself?

John

Russell Mullennix

4 Posts

Sep 10, 2007 07:02 pm

Re: DR1512 Problem

Thanks. I will relay this idea and let you know. - Russell

Russell Mullennix

4 Posts

Sep 12, 2007 09:41 pm

DR1512 Problem - Troubleshooting results #1

The electrician friend in Chad gave me these results:

1. Batteries are hooked up correctly and are functioning well. This is definitely not an issue.
2. The gen voltage is acceptable – 120 volts nominal and 164 volts peak. (a modified square wave inverter like the DR1512 only charges from the peak of the wave)
3. I can easily measure the frequency and I will do that when I get back to Balimba, however, I am 99% sure that that is not the problem. I have recently measured it and it normally holds 59-60 HZ under load.
4. I have already tried removing all power (DC and AC) from the inverter to allow it to reset itself.

We have run out of options. Obviously, we can send another DR1512, but the shipping takes SO long to Chad. Another option is to add a 12 volt charger temporarily (115 to 12), allowing the inverter to still do it's job.

Is there any issue letting the charger from the DR1512 (which isn't working) to parallel a supplemental charger?

Russell

John B

163 Posts

Sep 13, 2007 12:38 pm

Re: DR1512 Problem

Russell,

Incorrect voltage/frequency from the genset is still my best guess, so if it isn't that then it probably is the DR1512.

I wouldn't want to encourage anything that might make the problem worse, but the only other thing that I can think to try adjusting is the DR1512 settings for the type of battery as this would cause changes in the bulk and float voltages which might just cause the charger to kick in. It looks a tad bit like the inverter thinks the batteries are fully charged and hence it doesn't need to send any current at all to them.

Charging the batteries with a 110V battery charger should be OK, but I would make absolutely certain that there is no way that the DR1512 could kick in whilst that is being done. i.e. don't risk putting 14V into a place on the inverter where 14V should be coming OUT!

I have an Outback inverter and they have a forum on their website where someone or other has probably seen most of the problems associated with their equipment. Maybe Xantrex has a similar forum that would probably be more helpful to a specific problem rather than the general purpose answers that you might get here.

John

Russell Mullennix

4 Posts

Dec 9, 2007 07:53 am

DR1512 Problem

Thanks to everyone that helped on this project. We successfully remotely diagnosed this problem to a bad rectifier circuit in the inverter.

I found a missionary friend in the country just getting ready to leave for Chad and shipped them a new inverter. They took the 40 lb inverter with their luggage, and replaced it when they got to Sahr, Chad.

It works great and Marji now has fans and lights at night!

Russell

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