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ssp avatar image
ssp asked

What is causing DC ripple with my Quattro?

Running a system powering a number of cabins.. Setup consists of 16kva generator, 10kva Quattro and 400ah of battery storage. Loads range from 7kw to 16kw during the week and 2kw to 6kw on the weekend. I have the system set up to fire up the generator on loads greater than 4.8kw so during the week the generator runs continuously with the batteries/inverter operating in assist mode to support demand spikes over 12kw. On weekends demand is served by the generator or batteries depending on load/soc. During the week the batteries are almost consistently at 100% soc and at weekends they vary from 50% to 85%. My question is why do I see lots of dc ripple alarms during the week but not at weekends. I realise the loads are lower at the weekend but so is the soc. I have another system running similar loads but without any dc ripple alarms.

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1 Answer
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) answered ·

Hi @SSP,

Please read the excellent section on Ripple in Victron Wiring Unlimited.

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ssp avatar image ssp commented ·

I’ve read the article and checked all connections etc....can’t find anything amiss. How common is this?

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It is an installation and design issue, so problematic DC ripple will occur in 100% of systems when the conditions of load, battery connection, and battery size are out of balance, and 0% of cases where those are all sufficient.

All systems will have some DC ripple, warnings start once it is above 1.5V, 2.5V and 3V for 12V, 24V, and 48V systems.

When ripple is really excessive, greater than 2.5V, 3.75V and 5V for 12V, 24V and 48V respectively the unit will shut down with a DC ripple alarm.

So we are still below that point.

Now you have read what the background and what generally causes DC ripple, we can try and find the cause in your system, and perhaps fix it.

  • How long are the cables from Battery to Inverter?
  • How many sq mm?
  • How many measured Amps are the loads during the events that give the warning?
  • How big are the batteries?
  • And what size is their interconnecting straps?
  • What is the measured DC ripple Voltage reported by the Quattros?

Can any of those elements be improved?

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