Startup Procedure voltage drop

[Dnnap]

I'm currently trying to make my way through the startup procedure. I'm at the point where I'm checking the PV and Battery voltages with a digital volt meter.
PV VOC = 111.3V and the battery voltage = 54.4V.
When I initiate step 1, (close) turn on the GFDI breaker nothing happens and the voltage of the battery drops to 10v.
The wiring has been tripled checked and both the PV and battery are wired as per the OB instructions. Is there something I'm missing?

[Mike Curran]

Looking at the GFDI wiring diagram (attached screenshot), when you close the GFDI breaker you're also closing the battery to charge controller breaker, which shouldn't cause your battery voltage to drop. Where are you measuring it?

It's hard to say what's going on without seeing firsthand how you've wired your FP1, but I suspect it's not according to this W/D.

[Dnnap]

Looking at the GFDI wiring diagram (attached screenshot), when you close the GFDI breaker you're also closing the battery to charge controller breaker, which shouldn't cause your battery voltage to drop. Where are you measuring it?

It's hard to say what's going on without seeing firsthand how you've wired your FP1, but I suspect it's not according to this W/D. Screenshot_20210109-180448.png

I've measured it at 3 different locations with the same voltage drop at all 3 locations.
First location - Battery (+) terminal at the battery breaker (1b on attached image) and battery negative (-) on Inverter (1a on attached image).
2nd location - Battery (+) terminal at the battery breaker (1b on attached image) and battery negative (-) on CC.
3rd location - Battery (+) and (-) at battery.

If I open (shut off) the GFDI breaker the battery voltage goes back to 54.4V at all 3 locations.
The BMS voltage on the battery LCD screen remains at 54.4V regardless if the breaker is open or closed.

[Dnnap]

Below is a picture of the wiring.
Battery positive and negative
PV positive, negative and ground
All other wiring supplied by OB.

Below picture (upper image) GFDI = OFF, voltage = 54.3V, (lower image) GFDI - ON, voltage = 6.8V

[Mike Curran]

3rd location - Battery (+) and (-) at battery...

The BMS voltage on the battery LCD screen remains at 54.4V regardless if the breaker is open or closed.

If your BMS reads 54.4 with the GFDI breaker both open and closed, while your voltmeter reads 6.8V at the battery itself (GFDI closed), it sounds like you have a bad connection in your battery + lead. I know, hard to believe considering how large these connections are, but there's no way your battery terminal voltage should differ from your BMS readout.

[Dnnap]

Thanks Mike. Yes I thought that too, so I checked and reconnected and torqued both (+/-) battery terminals. Battery is a LifePower Lifepo4 48V 100ah battery.
I also checked all the connections I made (5 connections described above) and all seem to have good connection and torqued to spec.
I’m not sure what to check from here.

[sbrownian]

BMS for the battery pack doing some weirdness?

Edit: With all the external DC breakers open, try taking a 100 watt (or larger,) incandescent bulb and figure out a method of getting it across the battery terminals. Does it glow at all?

Thinking perhaps BMS has 'disconnected' the battery, but it may 'leak' enough that with no load, a voltmeter will still see voltage? I dunno, not familiar with the behavior of the Simplify system...

[Dnnap]

BMS for the battery pack doing some weirdness?

Edit: With all the external DC breakers open, try taking a 100 watt (or larger,) incandescent bulb and figure out a method of getting it across the battery terminals. Does it glow at all?

Thinking perhaps BMS has 'disconnected' the battery, but it may 'leak' enough that with no load, a voltmeter will still see voltage? I dunno, not familiar with the behavior of the Simplify system...

I tried the 100w light bulb test and it did not light up at all. Could the BMS be the issue not allowing enough current out to the load?

[raysun]

This installation is a pre-wired FlexPower panel, is that correct?

Looking at the pictures of the exposed wiring has one point of confusion for me in the FlexMax charge controller wiring.

The battery negative (-) terminal has a white wire connected and labeled "shunt.." which appears to connect to a shunt, properly so.

The PV negative (-) terminal has a white wire installed as well. This does not appear to be a factory installed wire, and terminates somewhere in the DC wiring panel. Was this wire field installed? Where is it terminated?

In the FM charge controller, the Bat - and PV - are electrically common. In a normal installation, there is need for only one of the terminals to be wired to the Battery Negative bus bar (in this case, the Bat -, via the shunt.)

[Dnnap]

This installation is a pre-wired FlexPower panel, is that correct?

Looking at the pictures of the exposed wiring has one point of confusion for me in the FlexMax charge controller wiring.

The battery negative (-) terminal has a white wire connected and labeled "shunt.." which appears to connect to a shunt, properly so.

The PV negative (-) terminal has a white wire installed as well. This does not appear to be a factory installed wire, and terminates somewhere in the DC wiring panel. Was this wire field installed? Where is it terminated?

In the FM charge controller, the Bat - and PV - are electrically common. In a normal installation, there is need for only one of the terminals to be wired to the Battery Negative bus bar (in this case, the Bat -, via the shunt.)

Yes, this is a pre-wired Flexpower One panel.
The PV negative (-) was field installed and goes to the combiner box at the PV panels
Wired as per the below image. If incorrect, where should the PV(-) be wired to?

[sbrownian]

BMS for the battery pack doing some weirdness?

Edit: With all the external DC breakers open, try taking a 100 watt (or larger,) incandescent bulb and figure out a method of getting it across the battery terminals. Does it glow at all?

Thinking perhaps BMS has 'disconnected' the battery, but it may 'leak' enough that with no load, a voltmeter will still see voltage? I dunno, not familiar with the behavior of the Simplify system...

I tried the 100w light bulb test and it did not light up at all. Could the BMS be the issue not allowing enough current out to the load?

The ReLions have a 'turn on the battery' push button on the case. Is there something similar in this bank to tell the BMS to enable output?

Any way to tell the state of charge of the battery? (Other than voltage..)

It was installed with at least 50% charge to begin with?

[Dnnap]

BMS for the battery pack doing some weirdness?

Edit: With all the external DC breakers open, try taking a 100 watt (or larger,) incandescent bulb and figure out a method of getting it across the battery terminals. Does it glow at all?

Thinking perhaps BMS has 'disconnected' the battery, but it may 'leak' enough that with no load, a voltmeter will still see voltage? I dunno, not familiar with the behavior of the Simplify system...

I tried the 100w light bulb test and it did not light up at all. Could the BMS be the issue not allowing enough current out to the load?

The ReLions have a 'turn on the battery' push button on the case. Is there something similar in this bank to tell the BMS to enable output?

Any way to tell the state of charge of the battery? (Other than voltage..)

It was installed with at least 50% charge to begin with?

This battery has a lcd display screen with one button to wake the screen. No battery on button.
Yes, it was installed at 100%, 55.4V.

LifePower.jpg (6.28 KiB) Viewed 177 times

[sbrownian]

They don't have scat on their webpage for supporting docs.

Last resort, disconnect all the battery modules so you can test them individually right at the terminals with the light bulb.

Edit.. It would help if you filled out your profile as to what gear you have..

(Unless I missed it in an earlier post...)

[Dnnap]

They don't have scat on their webpage for supporting docs.

Last resort, disconnect all the battery modules so you can test them individually right at the terminals with the light bulb.

Edit.. It would help if you filled out your profile as to what gear you have..

(Unless I missed it in an earlier post...)

I have only one battery and I isolated it (disconnected from Flexpower One) prior to testing with a light bulb. The 100w bulb did not light up when connected to the isolated battery.

[raysun]

The PV - from the combiner should be fine tied to the FM PV - terminal, though in later wiring implementations the combiner wire is connected directly to the Bat - terminal bus bar.

Blue Pacific has published several wiring diagrams, and they are updated/different than the diagrams Outback publishes. Here's another variation.

[Dnnap]

The PV - from the combiner should be fine tied to the FM PV - terminal, though in later wiring implementations the combiner wire is connected directly to the Bat - terminal bus bar.

Screenshot_20210110-095731_Google.jpg

Blue Pacific has published several wiring diagrams, and they are updated/different than the diagrams Outback publishes. Here's another variation.

Yes, thanks raysun. I had questioned the different schematics in my last post in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=15906

The Bat (-) bus bar does not exist as shown in the newer quick start guide. I'm not sure if it was missed by OB.
Would having the PV (-) wired after the shunt cause an issue with the shunt?

[Dnnap]

Two different quick start guide wiring diagrams shown below.

[raysun]

The PV - from the combiner should be fine tied to the FM PV - terminal, though in later wiring implementations the combiner wire is connected directly to the Bat - terminal bus bar.

Screenshot_20210110-095731_Google.jpg

Blue Pacific has published several wiring diagrams, and they are updated/different than the diagrams Outback publishes. Here's another variation.

Yes, thanks raysun. I had questioned the different schematics in my last post in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=15906

The Bat (-) bus bar does not exist as shown in the newer quick start guide. I'm not sure if it was missed by OB.
Would having the PV (-) wired after the shunt cause an issue with the shunt?

Since the Bat - and PV - are common in the FM charge controller, both should be on the same side of the shunt. Wiring the combiner PV - directly to the FM PV -, and the FM Bat - to the "load" side of the shunt should work fine.

[sbrownian]

They don't have scat on their webpage for supporting docs.

Last resort, disconnect all the battery modules so you can test them individually right at the terminals with the light bulb.

Edit.. It would help if you filled out your profile as to what gear you have..

(Unless I missed it in an earlier post...)

I have only one battery and I isolated it (disconnected from Flexpower One) prior to testing with a light bulb. The 100w bulb did not light up when connected to the isolated battery.

I gotta ask just to make sure...
The bulb is an incandescent tungsten filament one right? And it will glow dimly, since it is less than half of it's normal voltage.

Just for SnG*, hook your voltmeter up to the battery terminals and see what it reads, (high impedance load,) then connect the lightbulb.


At this point, better call who ya got it from, and ask if there are any magic incantations to be done to activate it..
(A 'hidden' button to press, perhaps?)

Did it come with any documentation?

*Sh!ts and Grins...

[Dnnap]

Yes, the bulb is a incandescent 100w tungsten filament and will light glow dimly at 54v.
It did come with a basic manual. No mention of BMS reset or any specifics about the BMS other than voltage fault levels.

[sbrownian]

Time to call tech support for the battery, I'd say..

[sbrownian]

Yes, the bulb is a incandescent 100w tungsten filament and will light glow dimly at 54v.
It did come with a basic manual. No mention of BMS reset or any specifics about the BMS other than voltage fault levels.

Did you ever get this going?