I just have a general question about a generator connecting into a Quattro on ACIN1 that I'm hoping someone might be able to help enlighten me?
I know there are many variables and I'm reluctant to get into those specifics as I know pretty much all of them are answered in the many threads in this community (thanks by the way!), but for general functionality, with the right settings, SHOULD one be able to have a quattro switch to a Generator on ACIN1 when there is a large potential load present on ACOUT1?
Say, a breaker panel with many loads attached to ACOUT1. I assumed after generator on ACIN1 was started and stabilized the Quattro would sync, utilize the inverter/battery bank short term and slowly bring the load up to max amp settings defined for ACIN1? Or does it just try to bind ACOUT2 to ACOUT1 all or nothing and if the load is too great it is sensing an overload or a short and drops? The scenario that I'm seeing and I can't get around is I need to have no load on ACOUT1 in order for the generator to sync on ACIN1, once the relays 'clicks in' I am then able to throw breakers ON one at a time to bring the load up.
To Summarize the scenario. Running Quattros (2x 120 for a 240 US system) & to keep it simple, let's assume all settings are 'correct' (Dynamic limiting on, Power assist on, UPS off, LOM off & no grid code for ACIN1, Amp limit set low on ACIN1, weak power in, throw the kitchen sink at it to make it work, etc...) and we have a large enough generator, so we dont get into too deep of details here, it's a big generator, but really that shouldn't matter if the amp limit is set appropriately.. anyway, Just talking about what should or shouldn't work.
- ACIN1 Generator feeding - ACOUT1 - Full Breaker Pannel, All breakers ON.
Quattro tries to sync, relays click multiple times a minute or few apart and is unable to bind, eventually gives up.
- ACIN1 Generator feeding - ACOUT1 - Full Breaker Pannel, All breakers OFF.
Quattro tries to sync, relays click, Success on first attempt. Once connected flip all breakers on main panel on one at a time, swiftly so there's still an influx of a load, works fantastic, UNLESS another large load is added while already running, say a 50amp breaker to a sub pannel, then it disconnects and need to turn all the breakers off to reconnect.
So it seems to me you can't add a large load no matter what while connected. My understanding with dynamic limiting and power assist was the battery bank should be able to buffer the sudden load changes and the generator should slowly pickup the rest on the generator input until the amp limits are hit. I have been surprised that it's this picky for me.
I would also assume if there was a wiring issue on ACOUT1 that it didn't like it would also fail once the breakers were turned on one at a time anyway, I woudn't think it would matter if it was one at a time or all at once.
Am I incorrect here or is slowly adding a load to ACOUT1 manually when on a generator feed the expected process? I guess I assumed we wouldn't need to bring up a load manually and that the quattro was smart enough to handle it? I guess I'd like to know if I'm aiming for too high of functionality here and am wasting my time trying to figure out why it won't work the way I though it should before going the route of a separate multiplus for the generator just to charge the batteries, I thought that was the whole point of the 2 inputs on the quattro to be able to switch between 2 in feeds.
Just looking for a target to aim for here. If I'm assuming/expecting to much out of the Quattro I'll go another route.
Thanks!
