X-90 Solar Charger User Manual 2010-06-23
Contents
1. User Manual Issue 1 June 2010 EOR 3267 Progress Dr Orlando FL 32826 www apecor com at Preliminary Www apecor com General Information ccccccccccccccccccccesssssscssescecceccescesssessssssuceccecessessseusssssuceceesesscsseseeeususnenees 3 Specification UREA Ys aarcncsesne sa deni assesvacesasetandecese snseedunnwtateausasneaheasenaceponaniceasepcucaaeieeeseteatasnsan 3 SY e O E E E E E E E R 3 SETHE TS UIA eeigen e r e aE E E E NRE 3 Whats SMT DOR kissrac aei ee eat E a E aa e rr a EE Ea AES Eas 4 Optional Accessories ssseseseseseesssesetessseeseeeseesestsstesseesesessesseessteseeesessetssseesseeseesetessseeseeeseeseeee 4 Solar Panel Selection amp Input Power Considerations esesssssessssssssssseseseesserssressesseeessesssene 4 Battery Selection and Typical Operating Temperatures during Charging cee eeeeeseeeeeeees 4 Operatie A Ren rer ee EEEE E Tee Serer 5 Connection GO TIS UI ALIN x 5 xs cndectccsentonsiedaternacnaianiyssahel umeatiensseszanenaadeesaensnsndacaamanaaesnytoanauateensnens 5 Charging Procedure Ssssnonseirironaii ser nnee se a NE EES oa ue OEE Eni hA AEN EEEE a T General Considerations for Maximum Charging and Battery Performance eseeeeseeeeeee 7 Special Considerations for Charging BB 2590 Li Ion Batteries 0 0 00 eeeeeeseeceeteeeneeeenneeees T7 Special Considerations for Charging BB 590 NiCd Batteries ee eeeeeesseeeeeeceeeeeeneeeeeeeeees 7 Special Considerat2. as the charging temperature range Company Part Chemistry Voltage BB 390A U or BB 390 U NiMH 12 0 24 0 Mathews Associates Inc BB 590 U NiCd 12 0 24 0 BB 2590 U Li Ion 14 4 28 8 BB 2590 U Li Ion 14 4 28 8 Bren Tronics BB 390B U NiMH 12 0 24 0 BB 590 U NiCd 12 0 24 0 Patco Electronics Inc BB 2590 U Li Ion 14 4 28 8 UBBLO2 UBI 2590 Li Ion 14 4 28 8 ieaie Batteries UBBL10 UBI 2590 SMBus Li Ion 14 4 28 8 Table 2 Recommended Batteries Preliminary www apecor com 1h OR X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Operation Connection Configuration There are basically two main methods to power the X 90 for charging the BB x90 batteries Solar panels see Figure 1 and Figure 2 or a DC source such as other batteries Figure 3 to Figure 5 The most common setup is with one solar panel connected To increase charging speed or if clouds are limiting available power solar panels can be paralleled If available the X 90 will use up to 105W input power for BB 2590 batteries or up to 65W for BB 390 and BB 590 batteries to charge them at their respective maximum charge currents Other batteries can be used as power sources as long as they fulfill the input voltage and power requirements of the X 90 A 24V vehicle bus or two 12V lead acid batteries in series could serve as a power source Furthermore if there is at least one partially discharged BB x90 battery available it could potentially
3. be used to top off the BB x90 of interest so that at least one battery is fully charged for a mission lt j ae Figure 1 Charger Setup 1 with one Solar Panel as power source Figure 2 Charger Setup 2 with two Solar Panels in parallel as power source Preliminary Www apecor com X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Figure 4 Charger Setup 4 with two 12V batteries in series as power source Figure 5 Charger Setup 5 with one BB x90 Battery as power source using optional accessories Preliminary Www apecor com IRE Pa EDR X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Charging Procedures Connect the X 90 to the power source to be used and the battery to be charged in any order If LEDs on top of the charger are still lit up from a previous charge wait until all lights are off before connecting to another battery Once everything is connected together the two green LEDs blink at different speeds meaning that the X 90 is analyzing the connected battery for about 5 seconds to determine its chemistry If there was no fault the Status LED will continue to blink and the other two LEDs would be off The 85 Charged LED only lights up when a BB 2590 Li Ion is connected and its capacity reached about 85 of the total capacity The charge is finished once both green LEDs the 85 Charged LED and the Status LED are both on Then the battery an
4. panel perpendicular to sun Fault light blinking for a longer period of time Input power may be low Wait for more sunshine Orient panel perpendicular to sun Table 4 General Trouble Shooting Condition Possible Causes Solutions X 90 finishes charge but state of charge display doesn t show all 5 bars The X 90 might have stopped early because of changing input power Unplug X 90 from the battery and plug back onto it to top off battery Internal battery gauge not accurate A full discharge and charge cycle of the battery might recalibrate the gauges 85 light turning on and off Available power changes a lot while battery is about 85 done This is normal no action needs to be taken Table 5 Trouble Shooting for BB 2590 Li Ion Condition Possible Causes Solutions There is no power available from battery after finished charging Battery was charged at higher temperatures than recommended which triggered an internal safety switch Let battery cool down after a while power will be available again Make sure that battery is not being charged beyond recommended charging temperatures Table 6 Trouble Shooting for BB 590 NiCd Condition Possible Causes Solutions X 90 finishes charge but state of charge display doesn t show all 5 bars The battery hasn t been discharged completely for a longer period of time which causes offsets Disc
5. 90 Solar Charger User Manual General Information Specification Summar Maximum Input Voltage 60V Rated Charge Current 6A total 3A per battery string Maximum Ambient Temperature 60 C The solar panel s open circuit voltage Voc must not exceed the maximum input voltage Safety This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for the X 90 Solar Battery Charger Read all the instructions and cautions of this manual and on the label of the X 90 before using it To reduce the risk of electrical shock fire or injury operate charger in only the prescribed manner and use only with recommended items General Safety Guidelines e Only for BB 390 and BB 590 batteries Do not remove the X 90 unit from a charging battery to check the progress by looking at the gas gauge of the battery This will reset the algorithm increasing the charge time and potentially damage the battery The X 90 unit will inform the user when the battery is fully charged e Only use recommended accessories with the X 90 e Do not exceed the maximum input voltage and only charge recommended batteries not doing so may result in fire electrical shock or injury e Do not charge battery if the ambient temperature is outside of the recommended battery temperature limits e Disconnect X 90 from panel by pulling on the plug not the cord e Do not use the X 90 with damaged cables or connector pins e Check for proper electrical conne
6. GING CS V Green LED 2 10 XXXX BATTERIES SOLAR Vmpp 17V 45V Voc lt GOV BB 2590 BB 590 DC SOURCE Vin 20V GOV 110W BB 390 Figure 6 Label on top of charger and LED location i Only applies when charging Li Ion LED tepi Lep2 Meanin Action to take Off Off Off Ready to connect Connect battery Off Blinking Blinking Analyzing battery slowly quickly chemistry Off Off Blinking Charging x Optional Disconnect battery and connect a lower charged on On Blinking a battery In the time it takes to charge the last 15 the first en 50 of an empty battery could be charged Off On On Finished charging Disconnect battery Temporary Fault The X 90 is always trying to reset faults Keep an eye on Blinking condition the X 90 since it might not be able to clear the current fault which would lead to a latched fault Latched Fault Check connections make sure that operation of converter On converter not is within the maximum ratings unplug and plug in again running battery and source Table 3 Meaning of LED status information Notes Preliminary WWw apecor com X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Trouble Shooting Condition Possible Causes Solutions No lights on X 90 ready to be connected to battery Connect to battery to charge No or very little input power available Check connection to solar panel Wait for more sunshine Orient
7. String vs BB 390 Battery Temperature For further technical information please consult the datasheet of the X 90 Solar Charger Preliminary Www apecor com
8. ability Fast Maximum Power Point Tracking MPPT A solar panel has a unique characteristic that is derived from the fact that as more current is drawn from the solar panel the more the voltage will decrease The respective curves IV Current vs Voltage PV Power vs Voltage in Figure 7 show that at a certain voltage the available power has a maximum Typical battery chargers use the battery s voltage to select where the solar panel is operating on the curve and this point of operation is mostly lower than the maximum power point MPP 40 oo Oo Current in A Power in W No 10 0 10 20 30 40 50 Voltage in Y Figure 7 IV and PV curves for a typical solar panel The X 90 uses an advanced version of MPPT which is constantly running to make sure that it always operates at the MPP of the panel This makes the X 90 superior to other MPPT battery chargers that look for the MPP every once in a while This is because the X 90 finds the new MPP very quickly during changing conditions whereas other MPPT chargers don t operate at the new MPP until their next scan This is especially important during days with lots of clouds and wind which lead to fast variations in available power Since the X 90 can operate longer at the maximum power than other chargers it can charge the battery faster The changes in available solar power reaching the panel is usually shading caused by objects blocking the sun such as clouds peo
9. ctions to the panel and battery to avoid excessive heating and power loss from a loose connection e Do not try to operate the X 90 if any visible damages can be seen on it e Make sure all contacts are clean before use Introduction The X 90 Solar Charger is a portable solar battery charger capable of charging a wide array of typical portable rechargeable batteries The charger features advanced digital control which enables automatic battery detection maximum power point tracking MPPT of the solar panel and value added features such as a fixed DC input mode The charger is able to operate from any solar panel configuration with Vopen circuit lt 60V The charger directly plugs onto the top of the supported batteries and the only wiring needed is the connection to the solar panel or DC source using a polarized SAE plug The advanced charge controller minimizes charge time by charging two battery strings simultaneously while monitoring critical parameters to ensure safety and reliability The implementation of high speed MPPT delivers maximum charging current even in low light or poor weather conditions The simple LED interface informs the user when the batteries have been completely charged and if there are any fault conditions Preliminary Www apecor com Ath ae EGR X 90 Solar Charger User Manual What s in the box 1x X 90 Solar Charger 1x 48 SAE Extension Cable 1x SAE Y Parallel Cable Optional Accessories 1x Adap
10. d or power source can be disconnected or another battery can be charged General Considerations for Maximum Charging and Battery Performance Align solar panel perpendicular to the sun and avoid shading of the panel whenever possible for maximum power Move the X 90 with the battery in the shade wherever possible especially at high ambient temperatures Even though the X 90 won t be damaged when exposed to full sun while charging the battery has lower maximum temperature limits while being charged that are typically around 38 C 100 F Special Considerations for Charging BB 2590 Li lon Batteries Besides the Status LED there is also a 85 Charged LED for BB 2590 batteries It will light up once approximately 85 of the battery s full capacity is reached To charge the last 15 it will take about 30 to 40 of the total charge time If there are more batteries to be charged it makes sense to take off the current battery and to charge another fully depleted BB 2590 which could be charged to 50 in the same time This allows the user to have a higher overall state of charge for all the batteries instead of only having one battery completely charged Special Considerations for Charging BB 590 NiCd Batteries The BB 590 battery is the hardest to accurately be charged to its full capacity using a variable power source such as a solar panel In order to use the full potential of the charge algorithm implemented in the X 90 the follow
11. ency for each case Battery Panel System Maximum Power Charge Current Current per X 90 Voltage Voltage of Panel Level Battery String Efficiency BB 2590 12V 20V Full current 3A 95 3 BB 2590 24V 40V Full current 3A 95 7 BB 2590 12V 20V Half current 1 5A 97 1 BB 2590 24V 40V Half current 1 5A 96 4 BB 590 BB 390 12V 20V Full current 2A 96 6 BB 590 BB 390 24V 40V Full current 2A 96 5 BB 590 BB 390 12V 20V Half current 1A 97 1 BB 590 BB 390 24V 40V Half current 1A 96 Table 8 Typical X 90 Efficiencies while charging BB x90 batteries Preliminary Www apecor com lii FEDER X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Maximum Output Current vs Heatsink Temperature BB 2590 BB 390 BB 590 Max Output Current Battery String Amps Heatsink Temperature Figure 9 Max Output Current per Battery String vs Internal Heatsink Temperature Maximum Output Current vs Input Voltage BB 2590 BB 390 BB 590 Max Output Current Battery String Amps Input Voltage V Figure 10 Max Output Current per Battery String vs Input Voltage Preliminary Www apecor com Maximum Output Current vs Battery Temperature for BB 390 NiMH Batteries 2 5 0 5 Max Output Current Battery String Amps BB 390 Battery Temperature Figure 11 Max Output Current per Battery
12. gered After that the software of the X 90 can successfully reset the fault in case it was only temporarily If the high current could not be stopped because the circuitry of the X 90 is damaged an internal fuse will break and disconnect from the battery In that case the X 90 would be permanently non operational This behavior is preferred as the battery is protected from short circuit currents that could have led to a catastrophic failure of the battery Preliminary www apecor com IRE he EDR X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Technical Specifications Converter Efficienc Figure 8 shows typical efficiency numbers of the X 90 as a function of total output current with three different input voltages and with an output battery voltage of 15V at 25 C 77 F ambient temperature The 20V input voltage case represents the maximum power voltage of a 12V solar panel whereas 40V represents the maximum power voltage of a 24V solar panel both at 25 C 77 F panel temperature X 90 Solar Efficiencies 20V input voltage 40V input voltage Efficiency Total Output Current Amps Figure 8 X 90 Efficiencies When charging a particular BB x90 battery with a certain solar panel and at a particular power level the X 90 operates at certain points on the efficiency curve Some configuration examples can be seen in Table 8 the last column then shows the expected converter effici
13. harge battery completely before charging again Battery temperature got too high because ambient temperature was above 38 C 100 F therefore charge was terminated early to protect the battery Find a cool and ventilated place to charge the battery Battery temperature needs to be below 40 C 104 F for the X 90 to start charging again Fault light blinking Temperature of battery is above 40 C Leave X 90 connected while battery cools 104 F down X 90 will start charging battery once temperature is okay Table 7 Trouble Shooting for BB 390 NiMH Maintenance The X 90 has no serviceable parts Check for broken corroded or otherwise damaged cable or battery contacts Make sure that all battery contacts are straight and that the three smaller pins can be pushed in and come out again if released If a defect has been found replace the X 90 The cable to the solar panel may be repaired however do NOT attempt to repair battery contacts Make sure that all contacts are free of mud dirt dust oil and grease If found dirty they can be cleaned with a damp non abrasive cloth and allowed to air dry or wiped with a clean dry non abrasive cloth In case of oils and grease use a mild soap water solution to dampen the cloth Preliminary Www apecor com Ath he LOR X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Features The X 90 has many features that enhance its core functions make it safer to operate and increase its reli
14. ing things have to be considered e Don t charge a battery if it is already known to be full In some conditions a fully charged battery might overheat if charged again If possible record the date of the last full charge of the battery and use it before recharging again e If possible discharge the two battery strings inside the BB 590 equally Don t repeatedly unplug the X 90 and connect it back to the battery Those conditions might confuse the X 90 and it might terminate the charge too early Special Considerations for Charging BB 390 NiMH Batteries The BB 390 has an internal temperature sensor which allows the X 90 to charge the battery more accurately and protect it from over charge Prior charge the battery should be kept in a cool place because the charge cannot be started if its temperature is already above 40 C 104 F in order to protect the battery from over temperature Therefore it is also not recommended to repeatedly unplug the X 90 from the battery and put it back on only to see the state of charge display This is because once the battery s temperature during charge is above 40 C 104 F the X 90 will not start charging the battery again unless its temperature has dropped below that point Preliminary Www apecor com Label on top of charger and LED Status Indicator 1 90 SOLAR MULTI CHEMISTRY BATTERY CHARGER POWER SOURCES Paci onica a EE lon WAY Red LED CEAI Green LED 1 BLINKING CHAR
15. ions for Charging BB 390 NiMH Batteries eee eeeeeeeeeeeneeeeneeeneeeenneeees q Label on top of charger and LED Status Indicator 00 eee ee eeeeeseeesnceceseceeneecesseeceeeeeneeensneensaees 8 Trouble Shooting isinen e OE Er E e EE EEE E Ee EEEE apeere SEEE 9 NEB TIMMS TVATICE 23acdaasessssteuiedesusineccecdddnaes orcas ee ieie EEE a EKET T iSSi E i eoi Siis 9 Peatir ES eratorrien eae eese a aa EEE aa a ee a ae E EEE EE ea 10 Fast Maximum Power Point Tracking MPPT sseessesssssssssseessessesssessessreseressesssrssreesesssessres 10 Reverse Polarity Protection Electrically and Mechanically ssssseeseeeseeeesesessssseressrssesrssren 11 Temperature POO OM vacccs5ssiscacecedapsvsantacveyesdtavaceassesvucntaaseteeadeteddadasionatavyssupnedectassesameeueaseaseans 11 Over C rr nt Protec ti tl icccasissscetcsaadacossacaute sapsseteqccudoie yinaiud e EE E EE E ee EEEE EEE EE ieas 11 Technical Sp cifications sicot ceisiississininis sonrisa ssai ene iiei ie eE 12 Converter EFICIENCy lt rc2s5nscsccccasdasasoeteee iee ionis Er o rE iE ESEESE EE eR EERE EE earna 12 Maximum Output Current vs Heatsink Temperature sseseeseeeeeseeseseresesrerrerrerserrerrrrreesrrsees 13 Maximum Output Current vs Input Voltage eeeeeeseeeeeeeseeressesesrrsrestessesrersesrersrsreesrereesssees 13 Maximum Output Current vs Battery Temperature for BB 390 NiMH Batteries 00 14 Preliminary Www apecor com Ath he EGR X
16. ple or trees If there is more power available from the solar panel than needed to charge the respective battery then the X 90 will drop out of MPPT mode This can happen for all batteries if there is a higher power solar panel connected or it could mean that the battery only for BB 2590 batteries is nearly full Preliminary Www apecor com Ay wert EDR X 90 Solar Charger User Manual Reverse Polarity Protection Electrically and Mechanicall In order to protect the entire system the X 90 has a reverse polarity protection RPP on the solar panel and battery side If there is no positive voltage seen on the terminals of the X 90 it won t allow any current to flow which is the electrical RPP In addition there is a mechanical RPP which means that the solar panel and battery cannot be plugged in the wrong way Temperature Protection The X 90 provides the full charge current up to a certain internal temperature After that it will linearly de rate the charge current up to a maximum allowable internal temperature in order to protect its circuitry to safe limits For the respective graph refer to Figure 9 in paragraph Technical Specifications Over Current Protection The X 90 is protected against over current and short circuit conditions Normally it will limit the maximum charge current to 3A for a BB 2590 battery or to 2A for a BB 390 BB 590 battery If under some condition the current still comes up higher a fault may be trig
17. ter to charge from another BB x90 battery 1x Adapter to charge from Lead Acid batteries Solar Panel Selection amp Input Power Considerations Use 12V or 24V solar panels or any other panel as long as its maximum power voltage Vip is greater than 17V and its open circuit voltage Voc is below 60V If available the X 90 will use up to 105W to charge a BB 2590 with its maximum rated charge current or 65W for a BB 390 BB 590 The included SAE Y cable can be used to parallel two solar panels in order to increase charge speed There is no minimum input power requirement only charge speed will decrease when used with lower power solar panels A list of recommended panels is shown in Table 1 below Company Part Max Power 25 C Nominal System Voltage P3 62W 12V 62W 12V P3 62W 24V 62W 24V Global Solar Energy Inc P3 55W 12V 55W 12V P3 48W 12V 48W 12V P3 48W 24V 48W 24V Table 1 Recommended Solar Panels Battery Selection and Typical Operating Temperatures during Charging Table 2 shows a list of BB x90 batteries that can be charged with the X 90 Make sure that each battery is charged at its allowable ambient temperature range which is typically between 5 C 41 F and 38 C 100 F Refer to the label on each battery for exact values Please note that the data sheet of most of the batteries lists only the operating and storage temperature ranges which are more extended and not the same
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