question

smith avatar image
smith asked

Generator input current limit

Setup is : quattro 48/8kva/110,Smartsolar 450/100, 4.6kva panels and 2x5kw batteries.

I am trying to connect a small petrol generator.

I am looking at the input current limit as described in the user manual it says to set appropriately for the generator.

In my case 2kw genny runs at 1800 constant so about 7a.

Problem is I can only go as low as 10.5a ?

If i try to set lower it doesnt accept it.

Is that as low as it can go?

input current
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8 Answers
kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

Yes, you can also set a charge current limit.

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smith avatar image
smith answered ·

Thanks for the reply,could you please provide some more context. Are you saying yes thats the lower limit?

Because the advice in the manual says it can go lower..

Also what do you mean theres another setting?


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Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

The 10.5 amps is probably the minimum when Power Assist is enabled. You can set the input current limit lower if you turn off Power Assist but then you loose the ability to add the inverter's power to the available power from the input.

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smith avatar image smith commented ·
Ok that sounds fine. I just want to run the genny a few hours when its cloudy or low battery. I cant find it anywhere in the menus on the display? Do I need back end access somehow as even the victron portal has nothing on it.
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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem smith commented ·
The Power Assist setting is not available on the GX device. You need to use VictronConnect or veconfig to reprogram the Quattro/Multi.


Power Assist does not function in Charger Only mode and therefore there is no way for the Quattro to honor the AC input current limit and your AC loads could overload your generator. The same would be true in ON mode if you turn off Power Assist.

There is no way to turn off pass-thru unless you put the inverter in Inverter Only mode then you can't charge the battery.

The minimum placed on the AC input current limit whey Power Assist is active is somewhat of a mystery but I'm sure Victron has good reason for it. I do recall the minimums were relaxed a bit a few years ago.

DVCC does set the total charge current from all sources so yes, you'd be shutting down your solar chargers.

You might need to run the generator into a separate AC-DC charger and connect that to the battery. The Victron Skylla TG 48/25 would be a good fit but it's pricy at about US $900. I see less expensive units available or you could parallel several smaller chargers.

Or upgrade your generator.

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smith avatar image smith Kevin Windrem commented ·
Thankyou. Ok ill buy a bigger generator
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kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

The charge current limit is in DVCC, this is a function of the GX devices. From your list above, I see you don't have one. Sorry, missed that before.

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smith avatar image smith commented ·
I do have a gx if you mean the cerbo thing? I think i saw dvcc in there?
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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ smith commented ·
Yes
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ako avatar image ako commented ·
Could you explain how that would work Kevin as im puzzled .II understood DVCC is a system wide setting so If the MPPT provides 120 amps DC current and generator is maximum of 7 amps AC how would that work , wouldn't limiting with DVCC be clipping the MPPTs output .
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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ ako commented ·
Yes, it is system wide. So you set it low when you use the generator. Then reset afterwards.
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ako avatar image
ako answered ·

I also have a 2000 watt Generator which provides a constant 1800 watts , the dealer told me that it wouldn't be big enough to run the Inverter/Charger , when i mentioned that you can limit the input they told me that it says that but it doesn't work so on the strength of that i bought a smaller unit . I later read on a forum that the limiter only works on the Charger but if you have other loads then it can exceed the generators output so the dealer was only half right . The solution then in order to use a smaller generator than recommended seems to be not to allow passthrough , have now bought a 1600 watt so will soon know for sure . I have found on the smaller Inverter/Charger that the charger would not always kick in , selecting Charger only solves the problem .

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smith avatar image smith commented ·

So your saying select charger only and disable passthrough might work?

Man seems like this is all some big mystery why would it be so hard to do this? Wouldv thought it would be done a million times

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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ smith commented ·
Generators have no output control. Which is one of the reasons the multiplus/quattro ranges have a setting to limit AC input. However your generator is below the lower threshold setting.

I'll raise the documentation issue/question with Victron.


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ako avatar image ako smith commented ·

Victron chart shows the recommended generator size for my Inverter/Charger to be 2500kva , my generator is only 1800kva and i have been using it without problems dozens of times so i know the limiter works . screenhunter-47-jun-02-1934.jpg

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smith avatar image smith ako commented ·

What current limit have you set?

There is the inverter current limit which im stuck at 10.5 as a minimum and theres another setting CCL? Or something? What are you using for both please?

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ako avatar image
ako answered ·

If you mean DVCC then i only use it for Voltage and temperature , i don't use it to limit my changing current . The current limit i set on my Multiplus is 7 amps although the Charger will charge up to 40 amps .

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klim8skeptic avatar image
klim8skeptic answered ·

@Smith Quattro power assist is clearly defined @ minimum of 10.5a ac input.

quattro-pa.png



quattro-pa.png (94.3 KiB)
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smith avatar image smith commented ·
Ok thanks. In that case it looks like ill need a bigger genny or as someone else above stated temporarily use the dvcc to lower the system wide setting.
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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ smith commented ·

@Smith A lower battery charge current will lower the gen load.

But AC loads will trip your genny out.

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ako avatar image
ako answered ·

Having read the manual again i see no difference between having the Inverter/Charger switched to Normal operation or Charge only , either way the Generator charges the batteries while also passed through to the loads , the only difference is that Power Assist wont work in the Charge Only mode . Needs an option to Charge batteries but not the loads so that the loads wont prevent the generator from being used for charging , my manual switch on the AC output makes that possible .

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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem commented ·
It is not possible to have the AC input charge the batteries and not pass power to the AC output. The charger and inverter use the same subsystem and it can only be in charger or inverter mode (never both at the same time). If you look at the block diagram of the inverter/charger, you see the main AC output is connected to the AC side of the DC to AC converter subsystem. So if the input relay is closed, then the AC loads will be powered. AC 2 out does have a relay in the path so it might be possible to DISCONNECT the loads when charging. But that means the AC loads would be turned off when charging the batteries. Probably not what you want.


If AC input power is limited and you wish to divert most/all of it to battery charging, then implementing some form of load management to shed large consumers in this situation is probably needed.
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