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Outback Power Systems FLEXMAX 80 User's Manual

1. Press the EXIT soft key to return to the Night Light AUX mode Press the lt NEXT gt soft key ro view the AUX Float screen The AUX MODE is active when the FLEXmax 80 is in Float and producing power Press the NEXT soft key to advance to the Diversion screen When external DC sources wind hydro are directly connected to a battery bank any excess power should be sent to a diversion load such as a heat ing element via a mechanical or solid state relay In Diversion which features Relay and Solid State Screens the user programs set points from 5 0 volts to 5 0 volts relative to the Absorb Float and EO voltages to activate the AUX MODE With wind or hydro generator applications keep the FLEXmax 80 s diversion voltage slightly above its Absorb and Float voltages for efficient functioning This is primarily an off grid function Pressing the MODE soft key displays Auto and On modes in addition to Off Pressing the SET soft key displays the Diversion Relay TIME and VOLT screen 34 AUX MODE Diversion Relay EXIT TIME VOLT Hold Delay 01 0 Time 00 seconds BACK t DLY ooo O A A 4 AUX MODE Diversion Relay EXIT TIME VOLT Absorb Float EQ Relative Volts 0 0 00 2 HYST Press the lt TIME gt soft key to advance to the Time screen which allows the user to adjust the minimum time the AUX MODE is active after the battery voltage falls below the Hysteresis voltage
2. DE M dm Ee Are you sure Total 0000 KWHAC Total 000 0 BACK ACKWH O 69 C 70 CHARGER SET UP 25 ABBREVIATED Systems FLEXmax 80 y PUSH TWICE Select Version EliJa la Version USA NEXT ENTER ENTRA SEL Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXT lt gt GO PUSH THE ARROW KEY Y Y AND THEN PUSH GO Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats ENTER DT lt GO AUX MODES AUX MODE Vent Fan USA Output Off NEXT ENTER ENTRA SEL EXIT NEXT SET MODE PASSWORD CONTRASENA ENTRA Select Version EliJa la Version PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO AUX MODE PV Trigger Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT gt ENTER PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO Are you sure 12 24 36 48 60 Night Light Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO 11 6V 14 1 V 0 000kW 0 0 PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO Charger Aux Light EO Misc Advanced Stats EXIT NEXT SET MODE PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO PRESS MODE KEY FOR PUSH THREE TIMES OFF ON and AUTO y Charger Aux Light Low Bat Disconnect EQ Misc Advanced Output Off Of Logging Stats EXIT NEXT SET MODE EXT lt 60 PRESS MODE KEY FOR PUSH THE ARROW KEY OFF ON and AUTO AND THEN P
3. CHARGING REBbATED SCREBNS e 48 48 Rebulk ever 49 A ST RTS Compensation Auto Restart EG IB RE POSS 52 IDA 54 Clearing Total and Daily State 54 IP leet 55 Secondary slats SCEE aecenas MICRO HYDRO WIND TURBINE AND FUEL CELL APPLICATIONS AVANCE MENO O eege ESA FLEXMaESO ABBREVIATEDMEINU ttl EE eet ccce A FLEA BO BEFICIENCY Vs ANPUT POWER GRBABELE tele ttt 61 UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS OPERATIONAL MODES 62 MATE DISPLAYED CHARGE CONTROLLER STATUS MODE Screen 65 MATE DISPLAYED CHARGE CONTROLLER STATUS METER Screens ttt 66 MATE DISPLAYED CHARGE CONTROLLER STATUS SETP OINT Screens 67 MATE DISPLAYED FLEXmax 80 ADVANCED SCREENS ADVANCED MENU EOS CRE ENS TE AUX SCREEN MM Em D ABBREVIATED MENU eenegen ESA EE le TEE 72 EE EE 75 STAINIBARIS vs AUS TRAEDAINSDEEAUL E SETTINGS RR RR ect 76 WIRE DISTANCE CHART WIRE AND DISCONNECT SIZING MULETISTAGEBATTERY CHARGING asit RR 81 BATTERY TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED VOLTAGE SET POINT 83 SUGGESTED BATTER MER ARGERSE ettet dete CALLING THE EAC TORY SFORTASSISTANG EB sentite tne WARRABIYINEORMJATION Ete o e e ttal e E HE teretes PRODUCT REGIS
4. FLEXmax 80 Multi Stage Battery Charging INPUT Voltage Figure 10 NOTE In BULK the FLEXmax 80 will charge as long as necessary to complete the cycle regardless of the timer s set points 82 BULK cycle provides the maximum power to the battery the voltage increases while recharging A Bulk cycle is automatically initiated when the battery voltage is below the Absorb and Float recharge voltage set points The Bulk cycle will continue until the Absorb voltage set point is achieved MPPT Bulk is displayed on the screen ABSORBING cycle limits the amount of power going to the battery the voltage is held constant The Absorb cycle will continue for the duration of the Bulk cycle or until the 2 hour default Absorb time limit is reached For example if a Bulk cycle takes 1 hour to reach the Absorb voltage set point then the Absorb cycle will continue for 1 hour as well However if a Bulk cycle takes 3 hours to reach the Absorb voltage set point then the Absorb cycle will continue for 2 hours only A Bulk cycle will be re initiated if the battery voltage is not sustained at the Absorb voltage set point Absorbing is displayed on the screen at this time FLOAT cycle reduces the recharging voltage to prevent overcharging of the batteries A Float cycle follows after the Absorb cycle is completed Float is displayed on the screen The FLEXmax 80 will not re initiate another Bulk cycle if the Float volt
5. output current 80 0 ADV CC CHGR Pol ADV CC CHGR P01 limi absorb voltage 14 4V float voltage 13 6V DOWN DEC PORT DOWN DEC PORT DOWN DEC PORT C C ADV CC CHGR end of charger menu TOP ADV MAIN 24 FLEXmax 80 Advanced Menu ABVICC ADVANCED P01 ADV CC ADVANCED 1 ANCED PO1 snooze wakeup mode eyup mo lt 0 6 amp VOC change 1 5 V pak minutes DOWN INC DEC PORT DOWN INC PORT DOWN DEC PORT C C C C C C gt ADV CC ADVANCED P01 ADY CC ADVANCED P01 ADV CC ADVANCED P01 MPPT mode ie Demo park MPP 77 0 auto track DOWN DEC PORT DOWN PORT DOWN PORT C gt gt ADV CC ADVANCED 1 LA ADVANCED rol ADV C CE ADVANCED 1 Mpp range limit VOC Mpp range limit V abso minimum 1 2 maximum 90 hours DOWN DEC PORT DOWN PORT DOWN INC DEC PORT ooo Oo c gt ADV CC ADVANCED absorb end emps KO ee 12 4 DOWN DEC PORT ADV CCI ADVANCED 1 0 0 V DOWN INC DEC PORT Ts ul DOWN INC DEC C C cC O ADV CC ADVANCED ADV CC ADVANCED 1 5 RTS comp limit wide upper limit 14 1 DOWN INC DEC DOWN INC DEC PORT ADV CC
6. tracking towards the battery voltage At dawn and dusk this may happen many times until there is or is not enough power from the PV array to keep going Wakeup is also a time when the FLEXmax 80 acquires a new VOC Zzzzz At night after 3 hours of continuous Sleeping the FLEXmax 80 will display Zzzzz until the next wakeup At the next wakeup usually the next morning the daily statistics of a single FLEXmax 80 AmpHours KWh etc will accumulate into the total statistics and then the displayed daily statistics and End of Day summary will clear A Bulk charge will automatically initiate at the next Wakeup A FLEXmax 80 combined with a HUB and a MATE will log at midnight 65 23 MATE Displayed FLEXmax 80 Screens Status Mode Screens The FLEXmax 80 STATUS MODE Screens displayed on the optional OutBack MATE Rev 4 0 4 or greater include MODE METER and SET SETPOINT In STATUS Mode these functions can be viewed by the MATE but not changed Please see the MATE Installation and User Manual for more information STATUS STATUS CC PAGE 1 choose product 12 00 30P SUM STATUS SETUP ADV MODE METER SETP PG2 e ooo gt STATUS CC MODE P02 STATUS CC MODE STATUS CC MODE P02 charger mode Absorb aux relay mode aux relay state ON Night Light DOWN STATUS PORT DOWN UP TOP PORT DOWN UP TOP PORT gt STATUS CC MODE STATUS CC MODE Press the lt STATUS gt soft key end of mode menu charger mode i S to return to the STA
7. 50 4V 492V 48 0V 46 8V under 45 6V 60V over 63 0V 61 5V 60 0V 58 5V under 57 0V 35 CALLING THE FACTORY FOR ASSISTANCE When calling OutBack Power for product assistance please have the following information ready FLEXmax 80 Serial number and software version the software version can be viewed by pressing the 41 soft key on the STATUS screen and then pressing a second time and holding the soft key down The nominal PV array and battery voltage The PV array operating voltage and battery current and any Status screen operational mode displays such as MPPT BULK MPPT FLOAT Absorbing or Floating 85 36 SPECIFICATIONS Output Current Rating Default Battery System Voltage PV open circuit voltage Standby power consumption Recharging regulation methods Voltage regulation set points Temperature compensation Voltage step down capability Digital Display Remote Interface Operating Temperature Range Environmental Rating Conduit knockouts Warranty Dimensions Weight Options Menu Languages 80 amps continuous 40 ambient 12 24 36 48 or 60VDC adjustable 150VDC Maximum ETL Rating for UL1741 Standard operational max 2 145VDC temperature corrected VOC Less than 1 watt typical Five stage Bulk Absorption Battery Full Float and Equalization 13 80VDC With optional RTS sensor 5 millivolts per 2V cell Down convert from any PV array voltage within PV VOC limits of 145VDC to any b
8. 80 is in Maximum Power Point Tracking mode trying to regulate the battery voltage towards the Float voltage set point Note Charge Timer ChgT is inactive in the Float state MPPT EQ The equalization cycle has started and the FLEXmax 80 is trying to regulate at the Equalization voltage set point EO is not battery temperature compensated During an equalization cycle 0 00 will be displayed along with the time in hours and minutes The AC DC loads should be turned off minimized and the battery charged so the FLEXmax 80 can quickly reach the voltage set point Otherwise the FLEXmax 80 may not reach or maintain the FO cycle New VOC The FLEXmax 80 is acquiring a new open circuit panel voltage VOC OvrCurrent If more than 6A flowing from the battery or more than 100A flowing to the battery To reinitiate power production press RSTRT in the Misc menu Over Temp Very rare Either the FLEXmax 80 is too hot or its internal temperature sensor is shorted If this message appears carefully check if the FLEXmax 80 s heat sink is extremely hot The heat generated by the FLEXmax 80 and therefore its losses is proportional to input voltage times output current To help control its operating temperature avoid installing the FLEXmax 80 in direct sunlight Re Cal There are certain abnormal conditions that can confuse the current measuring method in the FLEXmax 80 When and if one happens the FLEXmax 80 will temporarily stop and re cal
9. ADVANCED P01 RIS comp limit lower limit 13 2 vdc DOWN DEC PORT C C cC C ADV CC ADVANCED ADV CC ADVANCED P01 ADV CC ADVANCED P01 Sen AUX outpu dech reset to factory defaults DOWN INC DEC DOWN DEC PORT DOWN NO YES PORT ADV CC ADVANCED end CC advanced menu TOP ADV MAIN O O 1 choose category ADV CHGR CCADV PG2 ADV CC PAGE2 choose category EQ AUX FLEXmax 80 EQ Screens ADV CC EQ eq voltage 14 4 vdc DOWN PORT ADV CC EQ end of CC eq menu TOP ADV O FLEXmax 80 AUX Screens ADV CC AUX MOD P01 198 WER ight 0 DOWN SET PORT C C ADV CC EQ eq time 1 hrs DOWN DEC PORT ADV CC AUX P01 aux G t contro DOWN ON OFF PORT C FLEXmax 80 Displayed Screens FLEXmax 80 LOGGING Screens Today 0000Ah 00 0 KWH 011Vp 00 0Ap 0 00kWp MAX 14 7V ABS 01 00 MIN 14 6V FLT 00 00 Today 0000Ah 00 0 KWH 011Vp 00 0Ap 0 00kWp MAX 14 7V ABS 01 00 MIN 14 6V FLT 00 00 OC FLEXmax 80 STATS Screens Bat Voc MaxVoc 14 9 036 6 133 0 MaxWatt 0000 Sunrise EXIT NEXT 01 30 33 CLEAR LOG BACK TOTL DAILY Total 0000 Total 000 0 BACK DCkWH ADV CC EQ auto interval 0 days DOWN DEC PORT ADV CC AUX end of menu TOP ADV MAIN
10. Battery Equalize Auto default leaves backlight and soft keys on for up to nine minutes whenever any soft key is pressed pressing any soft key when the LCD is not lighted does not change any settings Minutes are adjustable using the lt gt and lt gt soft keys On or Off states are also available Press the lt EXIT gt soft key twice to return to the MAIN Menu screen Press the lt gt soft key to move the gt to the FQ option When the gt is to the left of EQ press the GO soft key The intent of an equalization charge is to bring all battery cells to an equal voltage Sealed batteries should not be equalized unless specifically instructed by the manufacturer Shut off or minimize all loads on the battery When equalizing be sure the EO voltage will not damage any still energized DC load If possible ensure the EO cycle starts and stops the same day it is initiated or unnecessary battery gassing will occur Occasional equalization extends the life of flooded electrolyte batteries Proceed with caution A vent fan is recommended in enclosed spaces The FLEXmax 80 allows the user to set voltages and times of equalization process Both manual and auto modes are available EO voltage is not battery temperature compensated Always check the electrolyte level in the batteries before and after equalizing BATTERY EQUALIZE Volts 15 0 EXIT NEXT EQV EQV Co e YO AA BATTER
11. Hold Time shows how long the AUX MODE stays active after the battery voltage has fallen below the HYST Hysteresis set point The user can adjust the Hold Time from 0 1 to 25 seconds The Delay Time shows how long the battery voltage must be above the Relative Volts before the AUX MODE is activated It can be adjusted from 0 to 24 seconds but is rarely required Pressing the BACK soft key returns to the AUX MODE Diversion Relay TIME and VOLT screen Press the lt gt soft key Use this screen to establish the set points for starting and ending the AUX MODE relative to the Absorb Float and voltages The and lt gt soft keys set the Diversion set points The lt HYST gt Hysteresis set point establishes when the AUX MODE becomes inactive after the battery voltage falls below the Relative Volts voltage minus the HYST value After establishing these values press the BACK soft key to return to the Diversion Relay TIME and VOLT screen 35 AUX MODE Diversion Relay Press the EXIT soft key EXIT TIME VOLT AUX MODE Diversion Relay If a Solid State Relay is used press the NEXT soft key to Output Off On access the Diversion Solid St screen EXIT NEXT SET MODE OO c Y To adjust the time and voltage when a solid state relay is AUX MODE used press the TIME and lt VOLT gt soft keys respectively Diversion Solid St and follow the same steps as for t
12. Price e Product Reputation Reputation of OutBack Power Systems System System Install Commission Date FLEXmax Charging Sourceli e Solar System Array Nominal Voltage DC Input Wiring Size and Length Type of Batteries Installer Installer Installer Address Installer E mail Extended Warranty e Product Features e Value Number of FLEXmax Products in System System Array Size Type of PV Modules System Battery Bank Size Amp Hours Contractor Number Installer City State Zip OutBack Power Systems offers an optional five 5 year extension to the standard five 5 year Limited Warranty in North America for the FLEXmax 80 product To request a 5 year Limited Warranty extension for a total effective warranty coverage period of ten 10 years include a check or money order in the amount of 250USD payable to OutBack Power Systems Inc along with your Warranty Registration Revision 2007 10 02 EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY According to ISO IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014 Product Type Photovoltaic Charge Controller Product Model Number FLEXmax 80 This product complies with the following EU directives Electromagnetic Compatibility 89 336 EEC Council Directive of 3 May 1989 On the approximation of the laws of member States relating to Electromagnetic compatibility Low Voltage Directive 73 23 EEC Council Directive of 19 February 1973 on the harmonization of the laws of Member States relating to electrical
13. available SEALED LEAD ACID AGM GEL 12V 24V 48V ABSORB voltage set point 14 4V 28 8V 57 6V FLOAT voltage set point 13 4V 26 8V 53 6V NON SEALED LEAD ACID 12V 24V 48V ABSORB voltage set point 14 8V 29 6V 59 2V FLOAT voltage set point 13 8V 27 6 552V NOTE Higher settings can be used with non sealed batteries but water consumption will be greater and excessive temperatures when recharging may occur Battery Voltage and State of Charge A battery s voltage can be used as a guideline to estimate the amount of power stored in the battery that is available for use When referencing the battery voltage on the display be sure the battery is not under significant recharging or heavy loads Otherwise the DC voltage is not reflective of the battery state of cycle Often the best time to check the battery voltage is in the morning pre charging or at night post charging with the battery disconnected from charging sources and loads and a rest for at least three hours Operation of a battery below 5096 state of cycle will adversely affect the long term health of the battery system and will result in premature failure Keeping the battery above the 5096 level and recharging it completely once a month will ensure proper operation and good performance STATE OF CHARGE Nominal Battery Charged Good 75 Average 50 Low 25 Discharged Voltage 12V over 12 6V 12 3V 12 0V 11 7V under 11 4V 24V over 25 2V 24 6V 24 0V 234V under 22 8V 48V over
14. eent IT HELL 8 MAITE INIA ATN fal 700 aq R I REI 70 00 Ai 77 00 ang F E S S S S 9 S E y e e S 5 x Time Figure 6 NOTE In BULK the FLEXmax 80 will charge as long as necessary to complete the cycle regardless of the timer s set points An Absorb charge cycle normally ends when a battery ADVANCED MENU voltage is maintained at the Absorb set point for the user Absorb End Amps determined time period Use the or 00 A gt soft keys to adjust the Absorb End Amps to an optimal value the default value is 00 While the battery EXIT NEXT voltage is at or above the Absorb target and the Absorb End Amps value is reached for a time delay of 15 seconds the FLEXmax 80 will switch to the Float stage regardless of the charger time minutes as shown in the Misc menu under ChgT The charger timer will be cleared This is an optional set point and is used for few installations When finished with any adjustments press the NEXT soft key to view the Rebulk Voltage screen ADVANCED MENU In Float if the battery voltage falls below the ReBulk Rebulk Voltage Voltage set point for at least 90 seconds the FLEXmax 12 6 V 80 will automatically reinitiate a Bulk charge cycle The default is set to 6 volts a very low value that will disable EXIT NEXT this function The Rebulk Voltage value can be adjusted by press
15. equipment After receiving the RMA number pack the Product s authorized for return along with a copy of the original purchase invoice and warranty certificate in the original Product shipping container s or packaging providing equivalent protection and mark the outside clearly with the RMA number The sender must prepay all shipping charges and insure the shipment or accept the risk of loss or damage during shipment OutBack is not responsible for shipping damage caused by improperly packaged Products the repairs this damage might require or the costs of these repairs If upon receipt of the Product OutBack determines the Product is defective and that the defect is covered under the terms of this Warranty OutBack will then and only then ship a repaired or replacement Product to the purchaser freight prepaid non expedited using a carrier of OutBack s choice within the continental United States where applicable Shipments to other locations will be made freight collect The warranty period of any repaired or replacement Product is twelve 12 months from the date of shipment from OutBack or the remainder of the initial warranty term which ever is greater THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS THE EXCLUSIVE WARRANTY APPLICABLE TO OUTBACK PRODUCTS OUTBACK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ITS PRODUCTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OUTBACK ALSO EX
16. equipment for use within certain voltage limits The compliance of the above mentioned product with the directives and the following essential requirements is hereby confirmed Emissions Immunity Safety EN 61000 6 3 2001 EN 61000 6 1 2001 EN 60335 1 Battery Chargers EN 60335 2 29Battery Chargers All associated technical files are located in the Engineering Department at OutBack Power Systems Inc Arlington Washington USA As the manufacturer we declare under our sole responsibility that the above mentioned product complies with the above named directives Ciut Back Power Systems 19009 62nd Ave NE Arlington WA 98223 USA 360 435 6030 90 OWNER S SYSTEM INFORMATION Date of Purchase Vendor MM PV Module Type and Manufacturer Array Wattage AAA NOTES e Date of Installation nstaller p nstaller Contact Information FLEXmax 80 Serial Number Battery Voltage PV Voltage _ Cut Back Power Systems Corporate Office European Sales Office 19009 62nd Avenue NE C Castell 17 Arlington WA USA 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat Phone 1 360 435 6030 BARCELONA Espa a Phone 34 93 654 9568 www outbackpower com 900 0082 01 00 REV A
17. information of the different Operational Modes The optional OutBack MATE displays CC Charge Controller STATUS screens for convenient distant viewing from the installation location of the FLEXmax 80 Please see pages 65 67 to view the Charge Controller screens displayed on the MATE The PV voltage will slowly rise to the battery voltage level even when the PV breaker is off this is normal as the PV capacitors charge up PV Input Voltage PV Input Current In 11 6V 0 0 A RI Out 138V 0 0 A y Output current 0 000 kw 0 0 kWH Daily accumulated kiloWatt Hours AUX OFF Sleeping Battery Voltage Instantaneous Watts AUX status ON or OFF L Operational Mode NOTE Pressing the first soft key opens the MAIN Menu screen Pressing second soft key opens the End of the Day summary menu logging 6 End of Day Summary Screen The End of Day summary screen appears after one hour of continuous sleeping This screen can be opened anytime by pressing the second soft key while in the STATUS screen providing a summary up to that point Peak output current Accumulated amp hours Day up to 128 days Today 0000AH 00 0 Accumulated KWh total power production EEN 011Vp 00 0Ap 0 00kWp MAX 14 7V ABS 01 00 Peak kiloWatt hours Maximum batt MIN 14 6V FLT 00 00 voltage obtained Accumulated absorb time Minimum batt Accumulated float time voltage obtained CO O O D NOTE Pressing the first soft ke
18. panel VOC rating In climates that observe temperatures less than approximately 5 F a VOC greater than 125 VDC is not recommended When sizing an array it is recommended that the nominal array voltage be higher than the nominal battery voltage Below is a list of recommended nominal array sizing Nominal Battery Voltage Nominal Array Voltage recommended 12V 24V or higher 24V 36V or higher 36V 48V or higher 48V 60 V or higher 60V 60V low temp is less than 5 F or 72V low temp is greater than 5 F When sizing an array to charge controller with a distance of 70 feet or greater OutBack recommends the nominal array voltage be slightly higher than the recommended nominal array voltage Example A 36VDC nominal array recharging 12V nominal battery with an array to charge controller distance of about 70 feet or greater Sizing the nominal array voltage higher than the nominal battery voltage ensures that the Maximum Power Point is always above the battery voltage The Maximum Power Point will decrease as the panels warm up thus lowering the output of the array The FLEXmax 80 Charge Controller will not be able to boost the output if the Maximum Power Point of the array is at or lower than the battery voltage 76 28 STANDARD vs AUSTRALIAN DEFAULT SETTINGS The Australian version FLEXmax 80 has a few default settings that differ from the Standard version default settings However there are no differences in performanc
19. systems whose VOC output is more subject to change due to weather and time of day A PV system normally finds its Maximum Power Point voltage between 50 90 of its VOC A micro hydro or fuel cell system s MPP voltage can be outside of this range The FLEXmax 80 allows a user to experiment and find more appropriate set points to best capture the MPP voltage using U Pick mode Otherwise Auto Track begins tracking the VOC and works its way down until the optimum percentage of input voltage yields the MPP voltage If U Pick 96 Voc is chosen the MPP is calculated by whatever value is found in Park Mpp even if it s not the optimal value for determining the MPP voltage For this reason OutBack normally suggests leaving the system in Auto Sweep mode 58 18 Advanced Menu Micro Hydro and Fuel Cell Applications Mpp Range Limit 96 Auto Track Mode only The FLEXmax 80 searches for the MPP voltage by tracking the input voltage up to one half default of the Voc which is based on values appropriate for a solar array Micro hydro and fuel cell systems can require a broader range normally on the lower end Adjusting the lower limit expressed as 1 2 on the display screen for FULL allows the FLEXmax 80 to track the input voltage close to the battery voltage instead of 1 2 or 5096 of the Voc This adjustment only affects the initial tracking at the beginning of the day and any subsequent trackings caused by Auto Restart or any forced restart of
20. the fourth soft key selects among the three FLEXmax 80 Auto ReStart modes 0 default 1 and 2 Auto ReStart allows the FLEXmax 80 to perform internal recalibrations Mode 0 Auto ReStart mode is disabled the FLEXmax 80 recharges continuously from an available source and never Restarts Mode 0 would be chosen to avoid spinning microhydro generator every 1 5 hours Mode 1 every 1 5 hours when the FLEXmax 80 is in Bulk it will briefly Restart and initiate a full panel tracking This will not reset any counters or charging Stages or statistics Mode 2 Auto ReStart every 1 5 hours in Bulk Absorb and Float modes it will briefly Restart and initiate a full panel tracking This will not reset any counters or charging stages or statistics ADVANCED MENU Auto ReStart MODE 2 EXIT NEXT MODE Co Y ADVANCED MENU Aux Polarity T Active High EXIT NEXT MODE SE E ADVANCED MENU Aux Polarity Active Low EXIT NEXT MODE bd ADVANCED MENU Reset to Defaults EXIT NEXT RESET dnd 52 From the Auto Restart MODE 2 screen press the NEXT soft key to view the Aux Polarity screen When the AUX function is ON 12 volts is present at the AUX terminal when it s OFF O volts are present at the terminal Aux Polarity allows the user to reverse the availability of this voltage for the Night Light PV Trigger or Diversion Relay functions In Active High the user establis
21. to go to the MPPT Mode screen This screen allows the user to choose one of these modes Auto Track MPPT Mode the default and preferred mode automatically tracks the PV upon wakeup and then tracks the MPP of the array If the Auto Restart is set to 1 or 2 the FLEXmax 80 awakes every 1 5 hours and does an initial tracking U Pick 96 Voc MPPT mode operates the PV voltage at a user selected percentage of the Voc This percentage is displayed in the Park Mpp 96 Voc screen along with the current output wattage The wattage value changes as the user adjusts the Voc percentage allowing the user to lock in the most advantageous percentage value U Pick 96 acquires a new VOC value every 1 5 hours if Auto Restart is set to 1 or 2 Press the MODE soft key to choose an MPPT mode and the lt nonGT gt soft key if you have an OutBack G series inverter system with a HUB and MATE Press the NEXT soft key to view the Park Mpp screen 47 ADVANCED MENU Park Mpp 77 Voc EXIT NEXT Co C Y 4 4 ADVANCED MENU Mpp Range Limit Voc Min Max EXIT NEXT 1 2 90 Co 2 Y d Use value for high input arrays to speed up initial tracking ADVANCED MENU Park Mpp Watts 0251 77 Voc EXIT NEXT Co C LO 4 As the user changes 96 value using the lt gt and 4 96 soft keys the displayed Watts value also changes Watts appears
22. when U Pick is selected Press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the Park Mpp screen U Pick Voc MPPT mode operates the PV voltage at a user selected percentage of the VOC which is displayed in the Park Mpp 96 Voc screen Press the NEXT soft key to view the Mpp Range Limit 96 screen The Mpp Range Limit 96 Voc adjusts the upper Mpp limit of the VOC The default FLEXmax 80 MPP voltage limit is set at 9096 of the VOC and is normally left alone for an array Setting min to 1 2 reduces the initial tracking time on a high input voltage array and also tracks one half the VOC voltage The MPP adjustable FLEXmax 80 limits are 8096 8590 9096 and 9996 of the VOC The min range limit setting may be set to FULL if something other than a PV array is connected to the input of the FLEXmax 80 such as a micro hydro generator see page 57 but the VOC cannot exceed 150 VDC at any time Press the min or max soft key to adjust the MPP range limit When done press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the Absorb Time screen 14 Charging Related Screens In the Absorb Time Limits screen the user can set the ADVANCED MENU duration the FLEXmax 80 stays in the Absorb recharge Absorb Time Limits cyde 01 0 hours Absorb Time is adjustable from 0 to 24 hours consult EXIT NEXT your battery manufacturer s recommendations A Bulk cycle starts each morning see chart next page The charge timer ChgT is preset to zero The Chg
23. 5 recharging voltage set points Current Limit Absorb and Float for an explanation of battery charging see pages 81 82 The presently selected numerical value will have an arrow gt to the left of it Pressing V gt selects the value to be changed You may need to re enter the password to change these settings The default charger output current limit setting is 80 amps and is adjustable from 5 80 amps An appropriate breaker must be used between the battery and the FLEXmax 80 Change Absorbing and Float set points using this screen if the battery manufacturer s recommenda tions are different than the default values Otherwise see page 84 for suggested recharging voltage set points gt Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXT gt GO PEBEBE Current Limit 80 0A Absorbing 14 4V Float 13 8V EXIT From the MAIN screen press lt e gt or o to move the 2 to the left of the Charger function and then press the GO soft key This will open the Charger Set Up screen NOTE If a battery remote temperature sensor RTS is used set the ABSORB and FLOAT setting voltage based on a 25 77 F setting These are typically the manufacturer s set points always consult the battery manufacturer s recommendations RTS compen sated voltage values can be viewed in the Advanced menu screen under the RTS Compensation heading If an RTS is not in use please see the Non Battery Te
24. 8 12 19 24 31 49 62 99 3 267 5 8 16 2 3 A 66 E 3 e m E 1 0 53 5mm 2 4 6 8 10 6 21 33 ona 70 2 3 6 7 9 14 18 28 4 0 107mm 24V PV ARRAY 32v Vmp WIRE GAUGE 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 42 0 4 0 a 10 31 49 78 98 124 197 248 395 gt 20 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 30 10 16 26 33 41 66 83 132 40 8 12 19 24 31 49 62 99 50 6 10 16 20 25 39 50 79 60 5 8 13 16 21 33 41 66 70 4 7 11 14 18 28 35 56 36V PV ARRAY 48v Vmp WIREGAUGE 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 82 0 4 0 10 46 73 117 147 186 295 372 592 gt 20 23 37 58 73 93 148 186 296 30 5 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 40 2 18 29 37 46 74 93 148 1 1 50 9 15 23 29 37 59 74 118 60 8 12 19 24 31 49 62 99 70 7 10 17 21 27 42 53 85 77 48V PV ARRAY 64v Vmp METRIC 8 8 37mm WIREGAUGE 8 6 4 3 2 4131 0 42 0 4 0 350mm 10 62 98 156 196 247 393 496 789 14 21 15mm 20 31 49 78 98 124 197 248 395 S 30 2 ger 52 ue Aan de 263 i 2OIAN lt 2 40 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 2 33 6mm 50 12 20 31 39 49 79 99 158 1 0 53 5mm 60 10 16 26 33 41 66 83 132 82 0 67 4mm 70 9 14 29 28 35 56 71 113 84 0 107mm 60V PV ARRAY 80v Vmp WIRE GAUGE 8 6 4 3 2 81 0 42 0 4 0 10 77 122 195 245 309 492 620 987 20 39 61 97 122 155 246 310 493 30 26 41 65 82 103 164 207 329 40 19 31 49 61 77 123 155 247 50 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 60 13 20 32 41 52 82 103 164 70 11 17 28 35 44 70 89 141 AMPS 72N PV ARRAY 96v Vmp WIRE
25. AIN Menu press the lt gt gt soft key to move the arrow next to the Logging function and then press the GO soft key This leads to the End of the Day Summary screen which is a log of the daily statistics and can be viewed at any time 54 15 Logging Today 0000Ah 00 0 KWH 011Vp 00 0Ap 0 00kWp MAX 14 7V ABS 01 00 MIN 14 6V FLT 00 00 Co C Y CLEAR LOG BACK TOTL DAILY y Are you sure vk Today 0000Ah 00 0 KWH 011Vp 00 0Ap 0 00kWp MAX 14 7V ABS 01 00 MIN 14 6V FLT 00 00 gie d user can clear either the daily or accumulated statistics of the FLEXmax 80 by pressing the second button from the left in this screen This will bring up the CLEARLOG screen The CLEAR LOG screen offers the option of clearing up to 128 days of accumulated statistics or the total in the secondary STATS screen page 55 Press and hold either the lt TOTL gt total or DAILY gt key to clear those specific statistics The Are you sure screen appears Pressing the YES soft key returns to the CLEAR LOG screen pressing the NO soft key returns to the Logging screen Pressing the third and fourth soft keys changes the displayed day s statistics by moving either forward or backward within the 128 days of available statistics that are viewable NOTE If two or more FLEXmax 805 are used in the same System and are started up or cleared on different days their numeric dates will not be the s
26. AWG conductor must be installed on the side or back knockout to meet the specific UL requirements for wire bending room standards 1 knockout is approved for up to three 2 AWG conductors For short conduit runs less than 24 a higher conduit fill is acceptable three 2 AWG wires Please reference the NEC Appendix C the back of the book You must refer to the table representing the type of conduit you will be using to find the maximum number of conductors allowed within the conduit you will be using Output Rating less than 64 amps If the output current of the FLEXmax 80 is expected to be less than 64 amps An 80 amp breaker and 4 AWG conductors can be used on the battery side The PV array short circuit current must be less than 48 amps and the 4 conductor will be acceptable with an 80 amp breaker 81 32 FLEXmax 80 MULTI STAGE BATTERY CHARGING The FLEXmax 80 charge controller is a sophisticated multi stage battery charger that uses several regulation stages to allow fast recharging of the battery system while ensuring a long battery life This process can be used with both sealed and non sealed batteries The FLEXmax 80 has a preset recharging voltage set points Absorb amp Float for the selected nominal battery voltage however always follow the battery manufacturer s recommended charging regulation voltages The FLEXmax 80 charging regulation stages correspond to the chart in Figure 10
27. All DC cables must meet NEC standards Shut off all DC breakers before connecting any wiring Torque all the FLEXmax 805 wire lugs and ground terminals to 35 inch pounds 4 Nm All wiring must be rated at 75 or higher Use up to 2 AWG 33 6 mm to reduce losses and ensure high performance of FLEXmax 80 smaller cables can reduce performance and possibly damage the unit Keep cables together e g using a tie wrap as much as possible Ensure both cables pass through the same knockout and conduit fittings to allow the inductive currents to cancel DC battery over current protection must be used as part of the installation OutBack offers both WARNING WORKING IN THE VICINITY OF A LEAD ACID BATTERY IS DANGEROUS BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL OPERATION Design the battery enclosure to prevent accumulation and concentration of hydrogen gas in pockets at the top of the enclosure Vent the battery compartment from the highest point to the outside A sloped lid can also be used to direct the flow of hydrogen to the vent opening CAUTION To reduce risk of injury charge only deep cycle lead acid lead antimony lead calcium gel cell or absorbed glass mat type rechargeable batteries Other types of batteries may burst causing personal injury and damage Never charge a frozen battery PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS DURING INSTALLATION Someone should be within range of your voice to come to your aid if need
28. C BREAKER OS O STOP SWITCH DG BREAKER oN O O 24 VDC WIND GENERATOR 24 VDC BATTERY Figure 5 Diversion Load and AUX Wiring Set Up Illustrated 36 LOW BATTERY DISCONNECT AUX MODE Low Batt Disconnect Output On On EXIT NEXT SET MODE Auto AUX MODE Low Batt Disconnect EXIT TIME VOLT Delay Time Sec 01 Timer 001 37 When the battery voltage falls below the disconnect volts the AUX connected loads only are disconnected the AUX connected loads only are connected when the battery voltage rises above the reconnect volts To adjust these set points press the TIME and lt VOLT gt soft keys Press the TIME and lt gt soft keys to adjust the set points Press either the lt gt or lt gt soft key to adjust the delay time This is the time period the FLEXmax 80 waits before either activating or deactivating the AUX MODE when either the disconnect or reconnect voltages are reached When the low voltage occurs the timer shows the seconds remaining before disconnecting When the reconnect voltage is reached the timer shows the user determined time before connecting Press the BACK soft key to return to the Low Batt Disconnect screen 38 AUX MODE Low Batt Disconnect EXIT TIME VOLT OOO V DISCONNECT VOLTS 13 6 ReCon OOOO Y RE CONNECT VOLTS gt 14 4 OC yA A In the Low Disconnect screen press the lt VO
29. C or 77 12VDC battery systems up to 1250 watts of solar pane 24VDC battery systems up to 2500 watts of solar pane 36VDC battery systems up to 3750 watts of solar pane 48VDC battery systems up to 5000 watts of solar pane uou K 4 60VDC battery systems up to 6250 watts of solar pane The FLEXmax 80 also features Continuous Maximum Power Point Tracking MPPT which seeks out the maximum power available from a solar array and uses it to recharge the batteries Without this feature the solar array does not operate at the ideal operating voltage and can only recharge at the level of the battery voltage itself The FLEXmax 80 continuously tracks the array s maximum operating power This manual covers the wiring installation and use of the FLEXmax 80 including explanations of all the menus displayed on the LCD screen The FLEXmax 80 is designed to seamlessly integrate with other OutBack components and can be remotely monitored and configured up to 1000 feet by the optional OutBack Power Systems MATE display version 4 0 4 or greater FIRMWARE This manual covers FLEXmax 80 firmware version 001 008 009 OUTBACK FLEXmax 80 CHARGE CONTROLLER INSTALLATION GUIDELINES AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS This product is intended to be installed as part of a permanently grounded electrical system as shown in the system configuration sections see pages 12 14 of this manual The following important restrictions apply un
30. E ADVANCED MENU TO VIEW SOFTWARE Auto Restart REVISION Charger Aux Light Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXIT gt GO Aux Polarity Y PUSH AND HOLD THE FIRST SOFT KEY Active High 71 26 Troubleshooting Guide Be sure to check out the OutBack customer and user forum at www outbackpower com forum FLEXmax 80 does not boot power up blank LCD for more FLEXmax 80 information Check the battery connection and polarity Reverse polarity or an improper connection will cause power up issues Check the battery breaker Ensure that the battery breaker is sized appropriately A battery voltage below 10 5VDC may not power up the FLEXmax 80 measure the battery side of wire lugs If the FLEXmax 80 still does not power up call the factory for additional support FLEXmax 80 is always SLEEPING Ifthe battery voltage is at or above the ABSORB voltage set point compensated ABSORB voltage the FLEXmax 80 will not wake up The PV voltage has to be at least two volts greater than the battery voltage for the initial wakeup Check the PV array breaker or fuse Confirm the PV array breaker or fuse is sized appropriately e Which State in MISC Menu is it at Is it transitioning between 00 and 01 Is it in GT mode and connected to a MATE GT mode is only applicable with a HUB 4 or HUB 10 installations with a grid tie compatible MATE Does the PV array voltage on the display rise with the PV bre
31. GAUGE 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 82 0 4 0 10 93 147 234 294 371 590 745 1184 20 46 73 117 147 186 295 372 592 30 3 49 78 98 124 197 248 395 40 23 37 58 73 93 148 186 296 50 19 29 47 59 74 118 149 237 60 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 197 70 13 21 33 42 53 84 106 169 5 30 WIRE AND DISCONNECT SIZING The FLEXmax 80 is a buck type converter with the following properties 80 amp DC output current limit default setting Listed to operate continuously at 80 amps 40 104 With an 80 amp FLEXmax 80 output current limit and PV array output higher than 80 amps offers little if any current boosting or Maximum Power Point Tracking advantage in effect any excess power beyond 80 amps is lost For compliance and the FLEXmax 805 80 amp output rating MPPT capabilities the largest PV array input must not exceed a rated short circuit current of 64 amps Battery Side of the Controller All OutBack Power circuit breakers are 100 continuous rated type breakers The conductors connected to the breakers must have a 125 safety factor applied i e an 80 amp breaker must have a 100 amp conductor connected when used at its full 80 amp rating PV Side of the Controller e UL requires a 125 safety multiplier before NEC calculations requires a 125 safety multiplier after UL calculations The 156 safety multiplier is specific in the to PV applications only this dual 12596 multipli
32. IME VOLT PV Trigger Output On On EXIT NEXT SET MODE er Press the lt gt or lt gt soft key to adjust the Hold Time then press the BACK soft key to return to the PV Trigger screen In this example the AUX MODE will remain active for 1 1 seconds after the PV voltage is below the PV Trigger voltage before deactivating the PV Trigger and reconnecting to the array Press the EXIT soft key to return to the initial PV Trigger screen Press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the ERROR OUTPUT screen ERROR OUTPUT AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT Output On On EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT 01 hrs VOLT O ERROR LOW VOLTS 11 5 ooo y 4 4 AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT 01 hrs VOLT AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT Output On On EXIT NEXT SET MODE Co Y 30 The ERROR OUTPUT default state is On meaning 12 VDC is present at the AUX terminal If the FLEXmax 80 has not charged the batteries for 26 hours or more continuously the inaudible ERROR OUTPUT goes into an Off state The ERROR OUTPUT is intended for remote locations to signal e g a telecommunication signal to a computer when the FLEXmax 80 has not charged the battery for 26 hours or more Press the SET soft key to advance to the ERROR OUTPUT volt screen The ERROR OUTPUT screen displays the number of hours the FLEXmax 80 has not been
33. LT gt soft key to adjust the battery voltage disconnects set point Press either the lt gt or the lt gt soft key to adjust the disconnect voltage Press the lt gt soft key to open the RE CONNECT VOLTS screen Press either the lt gt or the lt gt soft key to adjust the RE CONNECT VOLTS value The AUX Output activates when the voltage goes above this setting after the timer has counted back to zero Press the BACK soft key to return to the Low Batt Disconnect screen Press the lt DisV gt soft key to return to the Disconnect Volts screen AUX MODE Low Batt Disconnect Press the EXIT soft key EXIT TIME VOLT rob RE AUX MODE Low Batt Disconnect Press the NEXT soft key to view the Remote screen Output Off On EXIT NEXT SET MODE e REMOTE AUX MODE Remote In Remote AUX MODE the OutBack MATE can Output Off On On control the FLEXmax 805 AUX MODE Press the EXIT soft key twice to return to the MAIN Menu screen EXIT NEXT SET MODE Auto Charger Aux Light Press the lt gt gt soft key to move the to the Light Eq Misc Advanced option When the is in front of Light press the lt GO gt Logging Stats soft key EXIT gt 40 10 Backlight BACKLIGHT CONTROL Auto Time 2 Minutes Auto MODE EXIT O Y A Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Optimize Stats Logging EXIT E GO 11 EQ
34. PRESSLY LIMITS ITS LIABILITY IN THE EVENT OF A PRODUCT DEFECT TO REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY AND EXCLUDES ALL LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY LIABILITY FOR PRODUCTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE FOR USE OR LOST REVENUES OR PROFITS EVEN IF IT IS MADE AWARE OF SUCH POTENTIAL DAMAGES SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF WARRANTIES OR DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU Revision 2007 10 02 88 OJFLEXmax 80 Limited Warranty Registration Complete this form to request a Limited Warranty and return it to Outback Power Systems Inc 19009 62nd Ave NE Arlington WA 98223 Ciut Back Power Systems NOTE A Limited Warranty Certificate will only be issued if this Registration Card is received by OutBack within 90 days of the date of the first retail sale of the eligible Product Please submit a copy not the original of the Product purchase invoice which confirms the date and location of purchase the price paid and the Product Model and Serial Number System Owner Name Country Address Telephone Number City State Zip Code E mail Product Product Model Number Sold by Product Serial Number Purchase Date Optional Extended Warranty Coverage circle one Yes Please circle the three most important factors affecting your purchase decision e
35. Qut Back Power Systems OJFLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller User s Guide Installation Programming and User s Manual Warranty Summary Dear OutBack Customer Thank you for your purchase of OutBack products We make every effort to assure our power conversion products will give you long and reliable service for your renewable energy system As with any manufactured device repairs might be needed due to damage inappropriate use or unintentional defect Please note the following guidelines regarding warranty service of OutBack products Any and all warranty repairs must conform to the terms of the warranty gt All OutBack equipment must be installed according to their accompanying instructions and manuals with specified over current protection in order to maintain their warranties The customer must return the component s to OutBack securely packaged properly addressed and shipping paid We recommend insuring your package when shipping Packages that are not securely packaged can sustain additional damage not covered by the warranty or can void warranty repairs There is no allowance or reimbursement for an installer s or user s labor or travel time required to disconnect service or reinstall the damaged component s e OutBack will ship the repaired or replacement component s prepaid to addresses in the continental United States where applicable Shipments outside the U S will be sent freig
36. R Charge Controller HUB 4 GROUND HUB MATE 1ST 2 1 MATE RES Een lt L ecarsE INVERTER Figure 4 Charge Controller with PV array ground fault protection wiring digram 14 How to Read the FLEXmax 80 Screen Diagrams Soft key O O CO 1 2 3 4 Solid black indicates key is to be pressed D O C Down arrow will lead to the next screen 3 O d d Y Up arrow points to one or more keys that will change a value e qi e qe The keys correspond to any immediately above them 4 Powering Up The FLEXmax 80 power up sequence first activates the unit and the SELECT VERSION screen to de termine a choice of English Espanola or Australian settings A SYSTEM VOLTAGE screen soon follows However when it auto detects the system s battery voltage in some instances the FLEXmax 80 might not reflect the correct system voltage e g if a 36VDC system falls to a voltage range that could be misread as a 24 system The SYSTEM VOLTAGE screens allow the user to adjust the FLEXmax 80 to the correct voltage NOTE Be sure the PV input and battery breakers are off before starting the power up sequence OFF SCREEN this screen is initially blank at power up With the PV array and battery breakers off turn on the battery breaker e NOTE The battery voltage must be at least 10 5V or higher to powe
37. T counts up to the Absorb Time Limit after the Absorb voltage is reached f the system cannot maintain the Absorb voltage set point during the Absorb cycle the timer will stop counting up If the battery voltage is greater than or equal to 12 4V 24 8V 37 2V 49 6V 62 0V and less than the absorb voltage the ChgT timer does not change If the battery voltage is less than 12 4 V 24 8V 37 2V 49 6V or 62 0V the ChgT timer counts down to zero in minutes for every minute elapsed one minute is subtracted from the timer If the battery voltage is less than 12 0V 24 0V 36 0V 48 0 or 60 0V the ChgT timer counts down to zero at twice as fast for every minute elapsed two minutes is subtracted from the timer If the battery voltage is less than 11 6V 23 2V 34 8V 46 6V or 58 0V the ChgT timer counts to zero four times as fast for every minute elapsed four minutes is subtracted from the timer When the Absorb Time Limit is reached the FLEXmax 80 goes into Float stage and may briefly display Charged then Float When the battery voltage drops below the float voltage set point the FLEXmax 80 recharges to maintain this set point employing the F Float MPPT function To adjust the Absorb Time limit press either the lt gt or lt gt soft key When finished press the NEXT soft key to view the next screen FLEXmax 80 Multi Stage Battery Charging c E A d INPUT Voltage
38. TRATION AND OPTIONAL EXTENDED WARRANTY EU DECLARATION OF CONFORME RR OWNERS SYSTEM INFORMATION SCOPE The manual provides safety guidelines and installation information for the FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller It does not provide information about specific brands of solar panels and supplies limited information on batteries Contact the supplier or manufacturer of the solar panels or batteries for further information INTRODUCTION FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller The OutBack FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller offers an efficient safe multi stage recharging process that prolongs battery life and assures peak performance from a solar array This component allows customized battery recharging The FLEXmax 80 features include 80 amps maximum continuous output current up to 40 C without thermal derating Engineered to work with 12 24 36 48 and 60VDC battery voltages Backlit LCD display screen with 80 characters 4 lines 20 characters per line Last 128 days of operational data are logged for review Voltage step down capability allowing a higher PV array voltage configuration Manual and auto equalize cycle The following are the maximum recommended wattage for the most common solar arrays under Standard Test Conditions 1000 watts per square meter to solar panel at 25
39. TUS menu UP TOP STATUS DOWN STATUS PORT Then press METER to view ro yo ee gt Charge Controller MODE Screens charger mode displays one of five charging stages Bulk Absorption Float Silent or Equalization aux relay mode displays one of nine FLEXmax 80 AUX modes Vent Fan PV Trigger ERROR OUTPUT Night Light FLoat Diversion Relay Diversion Solid St Low Batt ery Disconnect Remote aux relay state indicates if the AUX is ON or OFF MATE Displayed FLEXmax 80 Status Meter Screens mode Silent P02 in 10 2 vdc 0 adc out 13 4 vdc 0 adc DOWN STATUS PORT e ooo STATUS CC METER P02 charger watts DOWN UP TOP PORT e ooo STATUS CC METER P02 charger 0 0 kwh kwhrs DOWN UP TOP PORT e ooo P02 STATUS CC METER P02 STATUS CC METER P02 charger 000 adc battery 13 5 vdc panel 10 2 vdc amps dc voltage voltage DOWN TOP PORT DOWN UP TOP PORT DOWN UP TOP PORT STATUS CC METER P02 STATUS CC METER STATUS CC PAGE 1 CC firmware revision end of meter menu 001 008 009 DOWN UP TOP PORT UP TOP STATUS MODE METER SETP PG2 Press lt SETP gt to view the SETPOINT screens FLEXmax METER Screens mode pv in bat out displays the charger mode the PV array voltage the incoming PV amps the battery voltage and the outgoing amps to the battery charger watts charger output measured in watts charger kwhrs kilowatt hours produced today by
40. USH GO Y GT State PWM ChgT 255 00 980 0000 f EXIT NEXT SET MODE xir NEXT PUSHTWICE PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO Y Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging Stats RETRY FORCE T NEXT FLOAT BULK USH THE ARROW KEY AND THEN PUSH GO Y B Target Btmp 514 144v 255 0000 EXIT BACK y PUSH TWICE PUSHTWICE PRESS MODE KEY FOR OFF ON and AUTO Aux Light Charger Aux Light Misc Advanced EQ isc Advanced ing X Stats Logging Stats PUSH THE ARROW KEY Y y PUSH THE ARROW KEY y AND THEN PUSH GO AND THEN PUSH GO Wakeup Mode 1 5V 05m EXIT NEXT VOC Min ADVANCED MENU MPPT Mode Auto Track EXIT NEXT nonGT MODE 14 4 Volts Check water level BACK AUTO START STOP 1 Hours REVISION 7796 VOC 001 008 009 EXIT NEXT VOC Min Charger Aux Light EXTENDED PLAYMODE Misc Advanced Stats Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced PUSH THE ARROW KEY AND THEN PUSH GO Logging Stats EXT lt gt GO Absorb Time i j PRESS AND HOLD THE FIRST KEY AND THEN PRESS AND HOLD THE THIRD KEY RELEASE THE THIRD KEY AND PRESS AGAIN TO 01 0 hours 4 TOGGLE THE EXTENDED PLAYMODE ON AND OFF Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced Logging gt Stats PUSH THE ARROW KEY AND THEN PUSH GO Max Bat Voc MaxVoc Vbatt Calibration 15 0 000 0 0304 14 9V 0 0V MaxWatt 0000 Sunrise otal 0307 KWH RTS Compensation Total 000 0 kAH 14 4V 13 6V EXIT NEXT WID
41. UT OF THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION THE USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE ENTIRELY AT THE USER S RISK Date and Revision January 2008 REV A Contact Information OutBack Power Systems 19009 62nd Ave NE Arlington WA 98223 Phone 360 435 6030 Fax 360 435 6019 www outbackpower com TABLE OF CONTENTS SE E 5 INTRODUCTION 5 INSTALLATION GUIDELINES AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 6 Standards and Requirements ttti ttti ttti ttti ttti 6 EEGEN 7 NSTALLING THE FLEXmax 80 ON FLEXware ENCTOSURES EE 9 OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE WIRE AND DISCONNECT SIZIING 2 2 22222222222222 22222 10 HOW TO READ THE FLEXmax 80 SCREEN DIAGRAMS 15 SST EE 16 IA T 19 END OF DAY SUMMARY SCREEN EE 19 RECHARGING USING THE PV ARRAY EE 19 ACCESSING THE MAIN MENU CHARGER SETUP AUX ll FUNCTION EE ER ele E EE 24 AUX Modes Descher 25 Programming the AUX Modes EE 26 Vent Fan PV Trigger Error Output ight Light A BiU M 33 cc 35 Low Battery DISCO eric 37 Remote AM EOQ Equalize c le ee 43 ADVANCED RS 45 SNOOZE ee E 45 Wakeup 9 46 MPPT Mode Hseoc
42. UX output is on Night Light after the PV voltage is below a threshold voltage for a user determined time period a user provided light illuminates as long as the FLEXmax 80 remains sleeping or as determined by the user established time limit Float powers a load if the FLEXmax 80 is producing power in the Float stage Diversion Relay diverts excess power away from batteries when a wind or hydro generator is connected directly to the batteries Diversion Solid St same as Diversion Relay but applies when a solid state relay is used rather than a mechanical relay Low Batt Disconnect activates deactivates the AUX load s when user determined voltage and time levels are reached Remote allows OutBack MATE control of the AUX MODE see MATE manual for details These functions support AUX polarity 26 9 Programming the AUX MODES VENT FAN AUX MODE Vent Fan Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Vent Fan VENT FAN VOLTS gt 14 4 Press the MODE soft key to manually activate or deactivate On or Off the Vent Fan if set to Auto the Vent Fan will turn on when a user determined voltage is met Press the SET soft key to view the Vent Fan screen To view other screens con tinue to press the NEXT soft key The Vent Fan helps remove hydrogen from the bat tery box The ventilation fan referred to here is not the same as the FLEXmax 80 cooling fan Press the lt VOLT gt
43. Y EQUALIZE Time 01 Hours EXIT NEXT HRS HRS Co e C E A BATTERY EQUALIZE 1 Hours 15 0 Volts Check water level BACK AUTO START STOP COUP C c EE 41 Press either the EQV gt or lt EQV gt soft key to change the EO voltage following your battery manufacturer s recommendations Note that the factory default EO voltage is set low the same as the factory default Absorb voltage Press the NEXT soft key to view the BATTERY EQUALIZE Time screen Press either the HRS or lt HRS gt soft key to set the desired equalization time up to a seven hour maximum always following your battery manufacturer s recommendations Press the NEXT soft key to view the battery equalization start screen Manual Mode default mode Press the START soft key to manually begin an equalization cycle To stop the cycle press the STOP soft key EO MPPT display indicates the FLEXmax 80 is trying to reach the target equalize set point Equalize time 0 00 in Hours Minutes displays after the equalize set point is reached The incomplete equalization cycle continues into the next day unless the FLEXmax 80 is powered off or manually stopped The remaining time can be viewed in the Stats menu EQ cycle terminates when EO time period is reached After equalizing an EO DONE message displayed and a Float cycle begins This message remains displayed until a soft key is pressed Pr
44. age set point is not sustained FMPPT is displayed However it will continue to recharge the battery until the Float voltage set point is reached A Bulk cycle can be auto initiated if the battery voltage falls below the Float voltage set point and the Re Bulk voltage option is set 83 33 BATTERY TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED VOLATGE SET POINT The temperature of a battery has an impact on the recharging process in higher ambient tempera tures the regulation set points Absorb and Float need to be reduced to prevent overcharging of the batteries In lower ambient temperature conditions the voltage regulation set points need to be increased to ensure complete recharging of the batteries The default charger settings of the FLEXmax 80 are based on typical lead acid battery systems Always ensure the Absorb and Float voltage regulation set points are set to the recommended battery manufactur ers recharging regulation voltages Non Battery Temperature Compensated System If a battery remote temperature sensor is not available the Absorb and Float voltage regulation set points can be adjusted for the expected weather conditions The following table shows the appropri ate adjustments for both Absorb and Float voltage regulation set points for weather conditions above or below 77 F 25 C EXPECTED TEMPERATURE ADJUST SET POINT 12V 24V 48V Average 95 F 35 C Subtract 0 30V 0 60V 1 20V Average 86 F 30 Subtract 0 15V 0 30V 0 60V Ave
45. aker OFF but reads 000 with the PV breaker on If so the PV array polarity connection on the FLEXmax 80 maybe reversed or the PV lines could be shorted Does the PV voltage still read 000 with the PV breaker off after a minute Call the factory for support Have you checked the short circuit current of the PV array Use a multi meter to determine if a short circuit current is detected The short circuit current test will not harm the array FLEXmax 80 not producing expected power Clouds partial shading or dirty panels can cause poor performance The lower current limit set point in the Charger menu will yield loss of power or poor performance symptoms 73 Are the batteries charged Is the FLEXmax 80 in the Absorbing or Float stage If either case is true the FLEXmax 80 will produce enough power to regulate the voltage at the ABSORB or FLOAT set point voltage therefore requiring less power in these modes What is the short circuit current of the PV array Use a multi meter to determine if a short circuit current is as expected There might be a loose PV array connection If the PV array voltage close to the battery voltage the panels could be warm hot causing the Maximum Power Point to be at or lower than the battery voltage sit in U Pick mode FLEXmax 80 is not equalizing Has the FQ cycle been initiated In the EQ Menu press START to begin process When the EQ cycle has been initiated EQ MPPT will be d
46. ame This can lead to some misunderstandings when looking back and comparing data between the two or more units A user looking back at day 12 on both units would find very different results 55 16 Stats Aux Light Eq Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXT 2 GO GO soft key information From the MAIN Menu press the lt gt gt soft key to move the arrow next to the Stats function and then press the The STATS screen displays additional voltage and time Daily high VOC highest Voc seen value bythe FLEXmax 80 Maximum battery voltage seen by the FLEXmax 80 Max Bat Voc MaxVoc 14 9 036 6 133 0 MaxWatt 0000 Sunrise EXIT NEXT 01 30 33 Max Watt seen by gt the FLEXmax 80 Co In a standalone FLEXmax 80 one that is not connected to a MATE Sunrise shows how long ago the FLEXmax 80 woke up for the first time each day and when the daily and total logged values were updated and cleared from the STATUS screen If the FLEXmax 80 is connected to a MATE the logging occurs at midinght Press the NEXT soft key to view the second STATS screen 56 Secondary STATS screen Total 0000 kWH Total 000 0 kAH BACK DCkWH DEBE ES Y Total 0000 kWHAC Total 000 0 BACK ACKWH The Secondary Stats screen shows the total accumulated DC and AC kilowatt hours and kiloamp hours of the FLEXmax 80 Pressing
47. an operate at a time even if other modes have been preset See Figure 5 page 36 for an AUX set up wiring diagram example This arrow indicates AUX Polarity applies to this function allowing the user to reverse the conditions that activate this function In this Menu On and Off indicators show the present state of the Aux terminals Pressing the MODE soft key changes the outputs AUX MODE Night Light Output Off Off The second line indicates the present mode for the Aux Output When this line blinks it indicates a value On Off or Auto EXIT NEXT SET MODE pending AUX Mode On indicates the Aux Output When the preferred mode is is in an active state Off O CO O displayed press the lt SET gt soft indicates an inactive state key to select it Pressing the NEXT soft key changes to the next mode TERMS e AUX MODE what is displayed on the Menu e Aux Output 12VDC is either available or unavailable at the Aux Terminal Aux Terminal the jack to which a relay is wired AUX MODE Menu Path gt Charger Aux Light Charger Aux Light AUX MODE EQ Misc Advance EQ Misc Advance Vent Fan Logging Stats Logging Stats Output Off Off EXIT EXIT e EXIT NEXT SET MODE PASSWORD AUX MODE Vent Fan Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE ENTER O e To access the AUX Output Menu Press the first soft key once from the STATUS Menu to open the MAIN Menu Press ei
48. attery system voltage Examples 72V array to 24V 60V array to 48V 4 line 20 character per line backlit LCD display RJ45 modular connector Cat 5 cable 8 wire 40 to 60 de rated above 40 ndoor type 1 One 1 2 3 4 on the back one 3 4 1 on the left side two 3 4 1 on the bottom Five years parts and labor FLEXmax 80 16 25 H x 5 75 W x 4 D Boxed 21 H x 10 5 W x 9 75 D FLEXmax 80 12 20 pounds Boxed 15 75 pounds Remote Temperature Sensor RTS HUB 4 HUB 10 MATE MATE2 English and Spanish The FLEXmax 80 automatically limits the current if the temperature rises above the allowable limit 86 Ciut Back Power Systems FIVE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY INFORMATION FLEXmax Products OutBack Power Systems Inc OutBack provides a five year 5 limited warranty Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for its FLEXmax products Products if installed in fixed location applications For this Warranty to be valid the Product purchaser must complete and submit the applicable Product registration card within ninety 90 days of the eligible Product first retail sale This Warranty applies to the original OutBack Product purchaser and is transferable only if the Product remains installed in ect he original use location The warranty does not apply to any Product or Product part that has been 3 odified or damaged by the following Installation or Removal Alteration or Disa
49. be connected to the component plugged into the Port 1 of the HUB 24 24 VOLT PV ARRAY PV PV 1 1 PV PV l4 6 VDC ll GROUND BUS BAR DC NEGATIVE BUS BAR DC BREAKER BOX Charge Controller GROUND PV PV B BAT DN O 80 80 ION Figure 2 Single Charge Controller wiring diagram with 24 volt PV array 12 24 VOLT PV ARRAY PV PV PV PV Charge Controller GROUND HUB MATE 24 VDC BATTERY BANK LES o GROUND BUS BAR HUB 4 1ST 2 1 MATE CAT 5E CJ gt W NS 80 AMP MAX DC SHUNT BREAKER A 80 AMP MAX DC BREAKER eg HUB MATE DC NEGATIVE BUS BAR BATTERY INVERTER DC BREAKER INVERTER DC BOX BATTERY RTS Figure 3 Charge Controller Wiring Diagram with an FX HUB 4 and an RTS 13 24 VDC BATTERY BANK CET 24 VOLT PV ARRAY SHUNT DC NEGATIVE BUS BAR GROUND BUS BAR IIH 80 AMP MAX DC BREAKER INVERTER DC BREAKER BREAKER SCH 1 2 GROUND FAULT T BREAKER 80 AMP MAX DC BREAKE
50. ce the voltage set point was met If the EO voltage set point is not maintained the controller will revert back the EQ timer will pause until the batteries are regulated at the voltage set point again The paused time can be viewed in the Stats menu EQ Done Once the set O time between 1 and 7 hours has successfully completed EO Done will be displayed either until a button is pressed or the next morning s wakeup The FLEXmax 80 will transition to Float cycle at the end of the completed cycle EX Absorb There is an external DC source other than solar keeping the battery above the Absorb voltage set point The FLEXmax 80 will stop charging Floating The FLEXmax 80 is in the Float constant voltage charge stage and is regulating the battery at the Float voltage set point modified by battery temperature compensation if installed If the system cannot maintain the Float voltage set point e g AC and or DC loads are on the FLEXmax 80 will employ the MPPT function display MPPT Float and try its best to regulate the batteries to the Float voltage set point 63 GT Mode In a system with OutBack FX Grid Tie Series Inverter s HUB and MATE the FLEXmax 80 will display GT Mode if and only if the inverter is in Sell mode and the FLEXmax 80 is in Bulk MPPT BULK or Float MPPT FLOAT cycle This is also a good indicator for establishing proper Grid Tie mode communication between the FX G Series Inverter
51. d screen version Press the ENTER soft key to view the version confirmation screen Are USA Ge dp System Voltage Screen SYTEM VOLTAGE 12 24 36 48 60 AN gt ENTER O e A Y Verification Screen Are you sure 12 24 36 48 60 AN NO CD EO Press the lt YES gt soft key to confirm your choice or lt NO gt to return to the SELECT VERSION screen The FLEXmax 80 auto detects the system s battery voltage To confirm this voltage press the ENTER soft key If incorrect press the soft key to select a battery voltage The FLEXmax 80 s default values are based on a 12VDC system Selecting a higher voltage system will change all the default values e g the values will double with a 24VDC system triple with a 36 VDC system etc indicates the chosen voltage The FLEXmax 80 will automatically accept the selected battery voltage if left unattended for 5 minutes in this screen After choosing the voltage press the ENTER soft key to proceed Press the YES soft key to proceed if the selected battery voltage is correct If incorrect press NO to re enter the correct voltage The YES soft key will open the STATUS screen NOTE Repeating the Powering Up sequence resets the FLEXmax 80 Charge Controller to its factory default settings see page 76 5 Status 5 The STATUS Screen displays system information See page 63 for detailed
52. e and efficiency between the two versions The Standard and Australian version can be identified as follows OutBack 12V OutBack 12V Power Power Systems Systems FLEXmax 80 FLEXmax 80 AU Standard Version Australian Version Below are a few default setting differences between the Standard and Australian version Settings Standard Australian Charger Absorb Float Absorb Float 12V 14 4V 13 6V 144 13 8V 24V 28 8V 27 2 28 8V 27 6 36V 43 2V 40 8V 43 2V 41 4V 48V 57 6V 54 4V 57 6V 55 2V 60V 72 0V 68 0V 72 0V 69 0V Equalize Equalize Volts Equalize Volts 12V 144 14 7 24V 28 8 294 36V 432 44 1 48V 57 6 58 8 60V 72 0 73 5 Equalize Time 01 Hours 03 Hours 29 Wire Distance Chart To meet NEC compliance North America the largest PV array that can be connected to the FLEXmax 80 must have a rated short circuit current of 64 amps or less The following charts show the maximum distance of various gauge two conductor copper wire from the PV array to the FLEXmax 80 with a 1 596 maximum voltage drop Temperature and conduit fill corrections may be required Using a higher voltage PV array with a low voltage battery system allows you to use a much smaller wire size or go up to 5 times as far with the same gauge wire The figures below assumes 2 conductor copper wire and allows for a 1 596 voltage drop 12V PV ARRAY 16v Vmp Geen WIREGAUGE 48 6 4 43 2 1 0 20 40 6 13 30 0 15 24 39 49 62 98 124 19 4 21 15mm 20
53. e is higher than the nominal battery voltage beeping can occur To disable the Extended Play feature go to the MAIN Menu and press and hold the 1 soft key until the FLEXmax 805 software version appears on the screen Continue pressing the 1 soft key and press the 3 soft key at the same time until X Off displays on the screen To reactivate Extended Play repeat these steps and hold the 3 soft key until X On displays Extended Play is meant to optimize the performance of a hot array but isn t critical to efficient FLEXmax 80 operations To enable open the FLEXmax SELECT VERSION screens Turn off the DC and array breakers Press and hold the first and third soft keys Turn on the battery breaker Follow the SELECT VERSION screen instructions from the beginning of the manual Rebooting the FLEXmax 80 like this will return all the values and set points to the factory defaults DC Breakers Battery Breaker EL ENrer Press and hold the first and third soft keys Figure 9 74 75 27 Typical Array Sizing Guide Below is a list of recommended array sizing for the FLEXmax 80 for various nominal voltage batteries Nominal Battery Voltage Recommended Array Size in watts Standard Test Conditions 12V 1250W 24V 2500W 36V 3750W 48V 5000W 60V 6250W The FLEXmax 80 PV MPPT Charge Controller is capable of an input open circuit voltage VOC of up to 150 VDC Cooler climates can cause the VOC to rise above the
54. e third MISCELLANEOUS screen OO O O Force FLOAT float cycle Y e Force BULK bulk cycle FORCE EXIT NEXT FLOAT BULK This is the assigned number representing Btmp is a battery temperature sensor reference the temperature of the internal components value used to compensate the charging voltage to control the cooling fan The lower the This is an arbitrary number between 0 and 255 number the higher the temperature 25 C is and is not the actual temperature An X next approximately a value of 525 to this value indicates a Global external RTS is being used system with a HUB and MATE The output value of the PCB Target Btmp CFB 255 0712 internal current sensor is used to calculate output The target voltage the amps watts and track controller is trying to reach EXIT BACK the Maximum Power Point of the array EE E eS Press the EXIT soft key twice to return to the MAIN MENU 45 13 Advanced The ADVANCED MENU allows fine tuning of the FLEXmax 80 operations including Snooze periods and Maximum Power Point limits In order of appearance the following modes occur in the ADVANCED Menu selections Snooze Mode Wakeup MPPT Mode Park Mpp Mpp Range Limit 96 Voc Absorb Time Rebulk Voltage Vbatt Calibration RTS Compensation Auto Restart Aux Polarity Reset to Defaults Charger Aux Light Eq Misc gt Advanced From the MAIN Menu choose Advanced and press Logg
55. ed Keep plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin clothing or eyes Wear complete eye protection Avoid touching eyes while working near batteries Wash your hands with soap and warm water when done If battery acid contacts skin or clothing wash immediately with soap and water If acid enters an eye flood the eye with running cool water at once for at least 15 minutes and get medical attention immediately following Baking soda neutralizes lead acid battery electrolyte Keep a supply on hand in the area of the batteries NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of a battery or generator Be extra cautious to reduce the risk of dropping a metal tool onto batteries It could short circuit the batteries or other electrical parts that can result in fire or explosion Remove personal metal items such as rings bracelets necklaces and watches when working with a battery or other electrical current A battery can produce a short circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal causing severe burns THE OUTBACK POWER SYSTEMS FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller 1 Installing the FLEXmax 80 FLEXware DC Enclosures Insert screws through lower Screw holes holes inside for 10 X 3 8 FLEXmax 80 sheet metal screws To mount the FLEXmax 80 to charge control brackets see the individual instruction sheet for those brackets DC E
56. ence for 48V battery systems Positive grounded systems Telcom applications frequently require a positive grounded system The FLEXmax 80 switches the POSITIVE PV and battery leads Keep these separate If code allows ground ONLY the battery positive lead in this case Do not connect the FLEXmax 80 s battery plus to the PV plus input while the FLEXmax 80 is running The OutBack HUB cannot be used in a positive grounded system 21 FLEXmax 80 EFFICIENCY vs INPUT POWER GRAPH FLEXmax 80 Efficiency vs Input Power INPUT 17v 34v 51v 68v 85v 100v Output 12v Nominal Figure 7 12V Battery System Efficiency Curve FLEXmax 80 Efficiency vs Input Power INPUT 4 51v 60 85 100v Output 24v Nominal Figure 8 24V Battery System 9 y oy i i Efficiency Curve INPUT 60 Sv 100v Output 40v Nominal Figure 9 48V Battery System Efficiency Curve power 61 62 22 Understanding the Various Operational Modes The FLEXmax 80 modes of operation will change occasionally during the day based on the PV array output and the battery system state of charge The FLEXmax 80 operating modes are displayed at the bottom right hand corner of the STATUS screen Absorbing The FLEXmax 80 is in the Absorb constant voltage charge stage regulating the battery voltage at the Absorb voltage set point modified by battery temperature compensation if installed During thi
57. er is used because a PV array can produce above its rated output in some conditions NEC Compliance When the 15696 safety multiplier is applied the resulting conductor amperage required is still 100 amps 1 56 X 64A and an 80 amp breaker may be used 10096 continuous duty rated breaker When a PV array is configured for a higher nominal input voltage such as 72V PV array the PV input conductor can be sized smaller depending on the step down ratio and the maximum short circuit current available NOTE The input breaker must also be sized smaller it cannot be the normal 80 amp with conductor smaller than 4 AWG 21 1mm North America 80 31 WIRING COMPARTMENT The wiring terminals and compartment of the FLEXmax 80 Charge Controller are fully compliant with all NEC and UL requirements The following summary is specific for North American applications where NEC and UL standards govern installations Recommended Conductor and Breaker Sizes for the FLEXmax 80 Output Rating at 80 amps If the output current of the Flexmax 80 is expected to reach the maximum output level of 80 amps 3 or 2 AWG conductor must be used with an 80 amp breaker 100 continuous duty rated breaker The minimum recommended battery conductor is 3 AWG METRIC The maximum recommended battery conductor is 2 AWG 4 21 15mm 3 26 7mm 2 33 6mm 3 AWG conductor can be installed through the side back or bottom knockouts 2
58. ess the AUTO soft key to view the auto equalization screen AUTO MODE Use the lt DAY gt and lt DAY gt soft keys to preset the EQ INTERVAL interval day to initiate an automatic equalization cycle 000 The EQ INTERVAL displays the number of days in the interval between cycles and COUNT displays how many DAY DAY days of the interval have passed To view the MAIN EO screens press the EXIT soft key ooo Y A A Auto Mode initiates when a preset interval day 1 250 days is reached The default equalize interval EO INTERVAL setting is 000 day leaving the auto eq disabled EQ MPPT display indicates the FLEXmax 80 is trying to reach the target equalize set point The equalize time 0 00 in Hours Minutes displays after the equalize set point is reached An incomplete equalization cycle continues into the next day unless the FLEXmax 80 is powered off or manually stopped The remaining time can be viewed in the Stats Menu The COUNT value will be cleared to 000 when is started manually stopped or FLEXmax 80 has been powered off After recharging an EO DONE message displays and a Float cycle begins EQ DONE is displayed until 1 any soft key is pressed or 2 a new day occurs for systems using an OutBack MATE BATTERY EQUALIZE Volts 15 0 EXIT NEXT EQV EQV Press the first soft key twice to return to the MAIN Menu Charger Aux Light Eq Misc Advanced Press the
59. he Diversion Relay screen Output On On Note the values are displayed as percentages when a solid state relay is used When any adjustments are com EXIT NEXT SET MODE pleted return to the Diversion Solid St screen and press the NEXT soft key to view the AUX MODE Low Batt Discon E O E CS nect screen Y Example of Diversion AUX MODE Diversion Absorb Float EQ Relative Volts Time Off EXIT NEXT TIME VOLT 00 2 00 3 HYST 4 Seconds Each recharging state Absorb Float or EQ has a recharging voltage set point The Diversion AUX MODE can be active On when the battery voltage is raised above one of these set points for a certain amount of time or inactive Off when it falls below The user can determine these voltages and times In the example above when the RE source wind or hydro raises the battery voltage 002v above the chosen set point for a Delay time of 10 seconds the AUX Output will be active When the battery voltage falls 00 3v below the HYST voltage set point for a Hold time of 15 sec the AUX Output will be inactive Off See Figure 5 next page for Diversion Load and AUX Wiring Set Up INVERTER NEGATIVE 24 VDC PV ARRAY DIVERSION LOAD POWER RELAY TERMINAL BUS BAR ZTN N C O O COMMON DC BREAKER CHARGE TO INVERTER POSITIVE CONTROLLER n AUX OUT _ PV PV B BAT 80 AMP MAX D
60. hes certain conditions for these functions Pressing the MODE soft key brings up the Active Low screen which allows the user to reverse these conditions In the Active Low zero voltage will be available for a function that in Active High would normally have voltage When one of the three functions Night Light PV Trigger or Diversion Relay has been chosen as the AUX function an arrow in the right hand corner of the screen will reflect the Aux Polarity state An arrow pointing up means Active High while an arrow pointing down means Active Low Press the lt gt soft key to view the Reset to Defaults screen EXAMPLE AUX MODE AUX MODE PV Trigger PV Trigger Output Off Off Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE EXIT NEXT SET MODE PY Trigger Active High PV Trigger Active Low In this screen a user can press the lt RESET gt soft key to return the FLEXmax 80 to the factory default settings If you do not need to reset press the lt EXIT gt soft key to return to the STATUS screen 53 Are you sure Reset to Defaults YES PRETO ADVANCED MENU Reset to Defaults EXIT NEXT RESET OO Y Charger Aux Light Eq Misc Advanced Logging Stats EXIT gt GO O O EZ Pressing the YES soft key brings up a Reset to Defaults screen momentarily before returning to the Reset to Defaults screen Press the EXIT key twice to return to the MAIN Menu screen From the M
61. hould not be exceeded and the WIDE LMIT option allows the user to control this during recharging WIDE allows the RTS full control over recharging LIMIT sets the ceiling and floor voltages for the RTS During hot weather the LIMIT feature set point assures recharging will continue at a high enough voltage rather than dropping too low in reaction to a higher ambient temperature This assures the recharging voltage ad equately charges but should be monitored according to the battery manufacturer s recommendations The RTS default compensated voltages apply if the WIDE LIMIT option is set to WIDE To change these values press the WIDE soft key to bring up the next screen which allows user determined limits Press the SET soft key to adjust these values Press the lt y gt soft key to choose the limit value you want to adjust Press the gt and lt gt soft keys to adjust the chosen value s When finished press the BACK soft key to return to the RTS Compensation screen Optional OutBack RTS must be installed ADVANCED MENU RTS Compensation A14 4V F13 8V EXIT NEXT LIMIT SET SUN EU ND AUTO RESTART ADVANCED MENU Auto ReStart MODE 2 EXIT NEXT MODE MEN Auto ReStart MODE 0 EXIT NEXT MODE COCOS ADVANCED MENU Auto ReStart MODE 1 EXIT NEXT MODE Ooo 51 Press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the Auto Restart screen Pressing
62. hreshold voltage before the Night Light is enabled Press the OFF soft key to view the Off Hysteresis Time screen ER Night Light Off Hysteresis Time Minutes 000 BACK AUX MODE Night Light EXIT HYST TIME VOLT Night Light On Time Hours 23 AUX MODE Night Light EXIT HYST TIME VOLT Night Light Threshold Voltage 010 Use the lt gt and lt gt soft keys to adjust the time required for the PV input voltage to be above the thresh old voltage before the Night Light is disabled Press the BACK soft key twice to return to the Night Light screen Press the TIME soft key to adjust the length of time the Night Light remains on If the time is set to 0 the Night Light remains on until the off condition is met Use the lt gt and lt gt soft keys to adjust the number of hours the Night Light remains on Press the BACK soft key to return to the previous Night Light screen Press the lt VOLT gt soft key Press the lt gt or lt gt soft keys to adjust the Threshold Voltage value When finished press the BACK soft key to return to the Night Light screen 33 AUX MODE Night Light EXIT HYST TIME VOLT O OC y AUX MODE Night Light Auto Output Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE e FLOAT AUX MODE On Float Output Off Off off Auto EXIT NEXT SET MODE RELAY AUX MODE Diversion Relay Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE
63. ht collect In the event of a product malfunction OutBack cannot bear any responsibility for consequential losses expenses or damage to other components Please read the full warranty at the end of this manual for more information Ciut Back Power Systems The OutBack Power Systems FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller is ETL listed in North America to UL1741 Inverters Converters Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use with Distributed Energy Resources It is also in compliance with European Union standards EN 61000 6 1 and EN 61000 6 3 see page 89 About OutBack Power Systems OutBack Power Systems is a leader in advanced energy conversion technology Our products include true sine wave inverter chargers a maximum power point charge controller system communication components as well as breaker panels breakers accessories and assembled systems Notice of Copyright FLEXmax 80 Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller User s Guide Installation Programming and User s Manual Copyright 2008 All rights reserved Disclaimer UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING OUTBACK POWER SYSTEMS a MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF ANY TECHNICAL OR OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER DOCUMENTATION b ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE WHETHER DIRECT INDIRECT CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL WHICH MIGHT ARISE O
64. ibrate This may happen because of negative current i e current flowing from the battery or a tripped PV breaker A new VOC is also acquired during a Re Cal 64 Sleeping The PV voltage is two volts less than the battery voltage This may also appear during day when the FLEXmax 80 is transitioning between certain states or due to other conditions SysError Very rare System Error indicates an internal non volatile memory error The unit will stop operating when this message is displayed Call the factory if you see this message 360 435 6030 Tracking In Auto Sweep MPPT mode the FLEXmax 80 is doing an initial tracking of the panel voltage from VOC towards battery voltage after wakeup This display also appears when the controller transitions from a target set point Absorbing Floating EQ 0 00 to the MPPT state MPPT Bulk MPPT Float MPPT EQ Unloaded The battery terminals abruptly unload Unloaded is also displayed if the battery breaker trips while MPPTing or the battery voltage is set too low Wakeup As the PV open circuit voltage VOC rises above the battery system voltage by two volts the FLEXmax 80 prepares to deliver power to the batteries During this period the FLEXmax 80 is calculating the pulse width modulation PWM duty cycles turning on power supply voltages in the proper sequences and making internal calibrations At wakeup the FLEXmax 80 closes its relays and then starts tracking the input voltage the initial
65. ing Stats the GO soft key EXIT 2 Snoozing occurs if the recharging current does not ADVANCED MENU Snooze Mode reach the user selected cutoff current set point as 6 amp shown in this screen Press the lt AMP gt soft key to adjust the amp setting Press the NEXT soft key EXIT NEXT for the Wakeup Mode screen OOO C Amp Values 0 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 1 0 46 ADVANCED MENU Wakeup Mode 1 5V 05m EXIT NEXT VOC Min ee ee U Pick Voc and Auto Track are the two modes appearing on this screen ADVANCED MENU MPPT Mode Auto Track EXIT NEXT nonGT MODE yoy Wakeup Mode selects how often the FLEXmax 80 does a Wakeup during Snoozing periods Since environmental conditions impact the open circuit voltage Voc of an array a user selectable Voc rise in value will allow the controller to wakeup sooner or later based on the last measured Voc value A selectable delay time in minutes will also allow the controller to Wakeup sooner or later if the measured Voc did not meet the user selectable Voc rise in value Before changing these values monitor your system for a week or so using the factory defaults and then gradually adjust the set points If they re set too high the FLEXmax 80 might not wake up soon or often enough which means a loss of power production Note VOC ranges from 1 5V up to 9 5V MIN ranges from 5 up to 15 minutes Press the NEXT soft key
66. ing the lt gt or lt gt soft keys Press the NEXT soft key to view the Vbatt Calibration screen 50 ADVANCED MENU Vbatt Calibration 14 1 V 0 0 V EXIT NEXT Co e CO C Y 4 A RTS Compensation ADVANCED MENU RTS Compensation 14 1 V 13 8V EXIT NEXT WIDE S ADVANCED MENU RTS Compensation 14 1 V F 13 8 V EXIT NEXT LIMIT SET RTS COMPENSATION Upper LIMIT gt 14 1 Lower LIMIT 13 2 V BACK 4 A quality calibrated voltmeter will provide even more accurate FLEXmax 80 battery readings if an undesirable voltage drop occurs When measuring battery voltage ensure a good connection is made to the four wire lugs Check the battery temperature compensation voltages if the voltages are much different than you expect from the charger setup Absorb and Float voltage settings Use the lt gt and lt gt soft keys to match the readings from the voltmeter use of appropriate wire gauge will mini mize voltage drop When finished press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the RTS Compensation screen During cold weather a battery often requires a higher recharging voltage Lower quality inverters might not accommodate these higher voltages and can shut down during recharging cutting off power to their loads The FLEXmax 80 allows the user to lower the compensated voltage in the Absorb cycle so these inverters will remain operating Also some batteries have an absolute voltage limit that s
67. isplayed The EQ cycle has been initiated but the battery is not equalizing The cycle will begin when the target set point voltage has been reached A small array or cloudy weather will delay the EO cycle Accordingly running too many AC and or DC loads will delay the cycle too An set point that is too high relative to the battery voltage will delay the cycle If the PV array voltage is close to the battery voltage the panels could be warm hot causing the Maximum Power Point to be at or lower than the battery voltage which can delay the cycle FLEXmax 80 Battery Temperature Compensated Voltage Only the OutBack RTS remote temperature sensor can be used with the FLEXmax 80 he battery voltage can rise above the ABSORBING and FLOAT voltage set points if the battery temperature is 77 F or fall below the ABSORBING and FLOAT voltage if the battery temperature is gt 77 Why does the FLEXmax 80 show BatTmpkrr on the STATUS screen The RTS is faulty or damaged Disconnect the RTS from the RTS jack to resume normal operation FLEXmax 80 Internal Fan The internal fan will only run when the internal temperature has reached approximately 112 F The fan will continue running until the internal temperature is less than 104 F FLEXmax 80 is beeping When the FLEXmax 80 is in Extended Play mode the array is very hot and the MPP is close to the battery voltage or the nominal PV voltag
68. less superseded by local or national codes The negative battery conductor should be bonded to the grounding system at only one point in the system If a GFP is present the battery negative and ground are not bonded together directly but are connected together by the GFP device when it is on All negative conductor connections must be kept separate from the grounding conductor connections With the exception of certain telcom applications the FLEXmax 80 should never be positive grounded see page 60 Applications Notes The FLEXmax 80 equipment ground is marked with this symbol If damaged or malfunctioning the FLEXmax 80 should only be disassembled and repaired by a qualified service center Please contact your renewable energy dealer installer for assistance Incorrect reassembly risks malfunction electric shock or fire The FLEXmax 80 is designed for indoor installation or installation inside a weatherproof enclosure It must not be exposed to rain and should be installed out of direct sunlight For routine user approved maintenance Turn off all circuit breakers including those to the solar modules and related electrical connections before cleaning the air vents Standards and Requirements All installations must comply with national and local electrical codes professional installation is recommended NEC requires ground protection for all residential PV installations DC and Battery Related Installation Requirements
69. lt gt gt soft key until the gt is in front of Misc Logging Stats Press the GO soft key to view the Misc screen EXIT 43 12 MISC Miscellaneous The MISCELLANEOUS screens display extra settings and technical information some of which is useful for OutBack Power Systems Technical Services The Grid Tie GT value is sent Each MPPT operation is This is the duty cycle of from G series inverter through the a state This number the converter At 5096 the MATE and HUB for Grid Tie control is useful for OutBack PV terminals would be communications GT means THE troubleshooting twice the battery voltage FLEXmax 80 is in grid tie mode and communicating with the GT Series Inverter The Bulk Absorb charge timer counts up to the Absorb time limit GT State PWM ChgT 255 07 50 0 005 RSTRT EXIT NEXT O RSTRT forces the FLEXmax 80 to Press NEXT to restart or wake up from 5 minute Continue to the Force default long Snoozing mode Bulk Float Screen Restart and wakeup are mainly service features 44 GT State PWM 255 07 50 0 005 Press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the FORCE FLOAT or BULK screen EXIT NEXT RSTRT MO Pressing the FLOAT or lt BULK gt soft key forces the FLEXmax 80 to that specific recharging cycle and returns to the STATUS screen Forcing a FLOAT or BULK recharge will end cycle Press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view th
70. mperature Compensated System values page 83 and adjust the ABSORB FLOAT values accordingly 8 AUX Mode and Its Functions The AUX is a secondary control circuit essentially a small power supply that provides 12VDC up to 200 milliamps output current It is either active 12VDC on or inactive OVDC Most AUX modes or functions are designed for specialized applications and are infrequently used To access the AUX MODE from the MAIN Menu press the lt gt gt soft key until the arrow is in front of the Aux selection see next page Charger 4Aux Light EQ Misc Advance Logging Stats EXIT lt gt 200 milliamps or less 12VDC 2 4W device can be wired directly to the AUX terminal higher output DC loads require a 12VDC coil relay also rated up to 200 milliamps or less for the DC coil which itself is connected to the AUX output An internal re settable Positive Temperature Co efficient PTC fuse protects the AUX internal components from overcurrent or a short circuit For certain AUX control applications the use of a solid state relay is preferred This is particularly beneficial with applications such as the Diversion mode where fast switching often called PWM control allows a more constant battery voltage to be maintained Both DC and AC load switching solid state relays are widely available from many sources Eurotherm and Power IO are two suggested solid state relay manufacturers Only one AUX MODE c
71. n to protect components 150DC gt max open circuit voltage with the coldest environment NOTE Although the FLEXmax 80 shuts down at a voltage greater than 145VDC it can withstand up to 150VDC from the array anything higher than 150VDC will damage the FLEXmax 80 As every brand of panel is different be sure to know the manufacturer s specifications Weather conditions vary and will affect panel voltage Hot weather lower open circuit voltage lower maximum power point voltage Cold weather higher open circuit voltage higher maximum power point voltage Allow for ambient temperature correction using the following table 25 to 10 C 77 to 50 multiply VOC by 1 06 9 to 0 C 49 to 32 F multiply VOC by 1 10 1 to 10 C 31 to 14 F multiply VOC by 1 13 11 to 20 C 13 to 4 multiply VOC by 1 17 21 to 40 5 to 40 F multiply VOC by 1 25 e Check the PV array voltage before connecting it to the FLEXmax 80 see page 76 Wire and Disconnect Sizing The output current limit of the FLEXmax 80 is 80 amps e Use a minimum of 4 AWG 21 15 mm wire for the output between the FLEXmax 80 and the battery bus bar conductors Install OutBack OBB 80 150VDC PNL breakers for disconnect and overcurrent protection The largest PV array that can connect to an FLEXmax 80 must have a rated short circuit current of 64 amps or less under STC Standard Test Conditions Input conduc
72. nclosure FLEXmax 80 Bushing Locknut Locknut Conduit Nipple TheFLEXmax 80 is designed to attach directly to OutBack s FLEXware 500 DC and FLEXware 1000 DC enclosures FLEXware 500 shown or attach to its own charge control brackets FW CCB FW CCB2 and FW CCB2T NOTE Install the FLEXmax 80 in an upright posi tion out of direct sunlight To mount directly to a FLEXware DC enclosure Remove the fan cover and bottom cover from the FLEXmax 80 Inserta 10 X 3 8 sheet metal screw in the top hole on the side of the DC enclosure This will act as a hanging screw for the keyhole slot at the top center of the FLEXmax 80 Hang the FLEXmax 80 on the top screw and line up its bottom two screw holes with the holes on the enclosure Insert a 10 X 3 8 sheet metal screw through each hole and tighten against the enclosure screws are included with each DC enclosure Keep the cover off until wiring is completed The Conduit Nipple Assembly creates a sealed pass through from the FLEXmax 80 to the enclosure Mounting to Plywood Use 1 5 8 wood screws to secure the FLEXmax 80 at the top slotted holes and other interior lower holes as needed making sure the unit is straight and level 2 Determining Wire Sizes Open Circuit Voltage Wire and Disconnect Size Maximum Open Circuit Voltage VOC VOC is the unloaded voltage generated by the solar array Greater than 145VDC gt FLEXmax 80 suspends operatio
73. oltage set points Vent Fan e PV Trigger e Error Output ight Light Float Diversion Relay e Diversion Solid Low Battery Dis e Remote EQ allows manual or automatic battery equalization recharg ing e Light feature con trols the backlighing of the FLEXmax 80s LCD screen and soft key settings and service information Stats shows time based information State connect e Advanced menu allows the user to fine tune the FLEXmax 80 using the following screens k Snooze Mode Wakeup Mode MPPT Mode Park Mpp Range Limit 96 VOC Absorb Time e Logging screens display primary and secondary power production information including power peaks Absorb End Amps Rebulk Voltage Vbatt Calibration RTS Compensation Auto Restart e Aux Polarity Reset to Defaults 60 20 Application Notes OutBack Power System GTFX GVFX Grid tie settings In a GFX GVFX Series Inverter Charger FLEXmax 80 HUB and MATE installation set the FLEXmax 80 to GT mode in the ADVANCED MENU GT mode allows the GFX GVFX to manage the FLEXmax 80 float setting ensuring the FLEXmax 80 is always keeping the battery above the sell voltage of the GFX GVFX Grid tie applications non OutBack inverter chargers When selling electricity back to the grid keep the inverter Sell Float voltage below the FLEXmax 80 float voltage Appropriate values 0 5 Volts difference for 24V battery system or 1 0 volt differ
74. producing any power the number of hours in Sleep Mode Press the lt VOLT gt soft key to adjust the ERROR LOW BATT VOLTS screen User determined value not less than 10V will trigger an alarm or through a user supplied modem send a signal from a remote installation indicating the battery charge has reached this value This informs the user of a low battery problem Use the lt gt and lt gt soft keys to change this value Press the BACK soft key to return to the AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT screen Press the EXIT soft key to bring up the original ERROR OUTPUT screen Press the lt NEXT gt soft key to view the Night Light screen NIGHT LIGHT AUX MODE Night Light Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Night Light Output Off Auto EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Night Light EXIT HYST TIME VOLT Night Light On Hysteresis Time Minutes 000 BACK OFF A A Y 31 The Night Light illuminates a user provided low wattage light when the PV voltage falls below a user determined voltage Offis the default value Press the MODE soft key to change the Night Light MODE Off On or Auto This example shows Auto MODE selected Press the SET soft key to open the Hysteresis and PV Voltage screens Press the lt HYST gt soft key to open the On Hysteresis Time screen Use the lt gt and lt gt soft keys to adjust the time required for the PV input voltage to be below the t
75. r up the FLEXmax 80 If the screen reads Low Battery Voltage please see the Troubleshooting Guide on page 72 Power Up Screen The FLEXmax 80 will show the system battery voltage in the upper right corner of the screen The Select Version screen appears next OutBack 12V Power Systems FLEXmax 80 NOTE The FLEXmax 805 default setting is for a 12 VDC CC Ge Change the setting after powering up the FLEXmax 80 if a different battery voltage is used The PV array voltage which must not exceed 150 VDC open circuit is automatically detected Select Version Elija la Version USA NEXT ENTER ENTRA SEL aS Password Screen PASSWORD CONTRASENA ENTRA ENTER Y Select Elija la Version USA NEXT ENTER ENTRA SEL ew The FLEXmax 80 screens are offered in English standard screens and Spanish For Australian users some of the charging values are of different voltages and the FLEXmax 80 accommodates these By pressing the NEXT soft key the user can choose USA Australia or Espanola versions of the screens After pressing the NEXT soft key a password must be entered before selecting the Screen version Press the soft key until the password 141 shows on the screen Press the ENTER soft key to return to the Select Version screen NOTE 141 is the password for all OutBack products displayed on a screen Press the NEXT to choose the desire
76. rage 68 F 20 C Add 0 15V 0 3V 0 60V Average 59 F 15 C Add 0 30V 0 60V 1 20V Battery Temperature Compensated System A battery remote temperature sensor RTS will automatically compensate the Absorb and Float voltage relative to the Absorb and Float set points in the Charger menu Please reference page 49 of this manual for adjusting the upper and lower battery compensated limits Battery temperature compensation with other slopes The FLEXmax 80 uses a 5mV per degree C per cell 2V compensation slope required by UL For other slopes you may be able to pick a different battery voltage and change the charger Absorb and Float voltage settings to achieve a more or less aggressive slope If going lower in voltage reduce the Float voltage first since the Absorb voltage will not be adjustable below the F oat voltage setting If going higher in voltage increase the Absorb setting first before raising the Float voltage above the present setting Here is a table of FLEXmax 80 compensation based on system voltage for reference 12V system 30mV degree C 24V system 60mV degree C 36V system 90mV degree C 48V system 120mV degree C 60V system 150mV degree C 84 34 SUGGESTED BATTERY CHARGER SET POINTS The battery manufacturer should provide you with specific instructions on the following maintenance and voltage set point limits for the specific batteries The following information can be used when the manufacturer s information is not
77. s and FLEXmax 80 GT must be selected in the MPPT Mode Advanced menu in order to be viewed High VOC This indicates the PV array s open circuit voltage is too high for the controller to safely operate This should only occur with systems using 72 VDC nominal PV arrays in very cold temperatures below 5 F 15 The controller will automatically restart operation once the PV array s open circuit voltage falls to a safe level 145 VDC or lower The amount of time required before starting operation is dependent on the module type ambient temperature and the amount of sunlight directly on the PV array Normally the controller starts in the morning within a few minutes of the PV array being in direct sunlight Low Light Snoozing During the initial tracking see Wakeup and Tracking if it is determined to be too late or too early in the day the FLEXmax 80 will display Low Light for a few seconds and then display Snoozing for 5 minutes default This reduces energy usage and unnecessary powering of the FLEXmax 80 This message is also displayed in extremely cloudy weather MPPT Bulk The FLEXmax 80 is in Maximum Power Point Tracking mode trying to regulate the battery voltage towards the Absorb voltage set point If the FLEXmax 80 transitioned from Absorbing to MPPT Bulk the Charge Timer ChgT counter may start counting down towards zero minutes or until the Absorb target is met See page 47 for more information MPPT Float The FLEXmax
78. s cycle the ChgT counter in the Misc menu is counting up towards the user defined Absorb Time Limit f the system cannot regulate the battery voltage at the Absorb voltage set point then the FLEXmax 80 reverts back to the Bulk charge stage display MPPT Bulk and the ChgT counter may start counting down towards zero minutes or until the Absorb target is met See page 48 for more information AutoStart Auto Re Start Mode 1 Once every 1 5 hours in Bulk cycle and in Mode 2 once every 1 5 hours in the Bulk Absorb and Float recharging modes the FLEXmax 80 will start over from sleeping and re track full track and re calibrate the current sensor Mode 0 is disabled completely See Stats menu Note If enabled AutoStart also occurs during the MPPT EO cycle BatTmpErr The battery temperature sensor is shorted or damaged The charging voltage will not be temperature compensated and the cooling fan will continuously operate BatTooHot The battery temperature sensor has detected a battery temperature of over 50 C The FLEXmax 80 will stop charging the battery and wait for the battery to cool below 50 Charged There is an external DC source other than solar keeping the battery above the Float voltage set point the FLEXmax 80 will stop charging The display may also appear when the charge cycle is transitioning from Absorbing upper target voltage to Floating lower target voltage 0 00 This is the time elapsed in hours and minutes sin
79. soft key to determine the battery voltage that will activate the AUX MODE and start the fan Adjust the voltage level using the lt gt and lt gt soft keys Press the BACK soft key to return to the Vent Fan screen AUX MODE Vent Fan Press the EXIT soft key return to the main Vent Fan screen O Y AUX MODE Vent Fan Output Off Off SPLEEN EXIT NEXT SET MODE or co V Press the lt NEXT gt sot key to view the PV Trigger PV TRIGGER AUX MODE PV Trigger Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE on When the PV input exceeds the user determined VOLT set point the AUX MODE PV Trigger activates in Off Auto Mode Press the MODE soft key to establish another PV Trigger mode On Off or Auto Auto 27 AUX MODE PV Trigger Output On On EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE PV Trigger TIME VOLT PV VOLTS AUX MODE PV Trigger TIME VOLT 28 Press the SET soft key to open the PV Triggers TIME and VOLT age set menus To adjust the voltage press the lt VOLT gt soft key Adjust the voltage within a range of 20V 150V by pressing lt gt or lt gt soft key When finished press the BACK soft key to return to the PV Trigger screen To adjust the minimum amount of time the PV voltage must remain high before deactivating the AUX MODE press the TIME soft key 29 Hold Time Sec 01 1 AUX MODE PV Trigger T
80. ssembly ormal Wear and Tear Accident or Abuse Corrosion Lightning Repair or service provided by an unauthorized repair facility e Operation contrary to manufacturer product instructions Fire Floods or Acts of God Shipping or Transportation Incidental or consequential damage caused by other components of the power system Any product whose serial number has been altered defaced or removed or Any other event not foreseeable by OutBack OutBacks liability for any defective Product or any Product part shall be limited to the repair or replacement of the Product at OutBack discretion OutBack does not warrant or guarantee workmanship performed by any person or firm installing its Products This Warranty does not cover the costs of installation removal shipping except as described below or reinstallation of Products Revision 2007 10 02 87 To request warranty service you must contact OutBack Technical Services at 360 435 6030 or support outbackpower com within the effective warranty period If warranty service is required OutBack will issue a Return Material Authorization RMA number A request for an RMA number requires all of the following information 1 Proof of purchase in the form of a copy of the original Product purchase invoice or receipt confirming the Product model number and serial number 2 Description of the problem and 3 Shipping address for the repaired or replacement
81. t to open the MAIN Menu screen Press the GO soft key after aligning the arrow in 2 Charger Aux Light EQ Misc Advanced front of the selected menu choice Logging Stats Pressing the EXIT soft key in the MAIN Menu EXT FT GO returns to the STATUS screen do E db GD CD Press lt gt lt gt gt to move the gt to the left of the desired screen The arrow allows access to any screen to its right From the MAIN Menu a user can choose among the following FLEXmax 80 functions by aligning the arrow Charger CHARGER SETUP Adjusts the Current Limit Absorb and Float recharging voltage set points Aux AUX OUTPUT CONTROL Secondary control circuit for a vent fan error alarm and other system related additions Light BACKLIGHT CONTROL Adjusts the backlighting of LCD screen and soft key buttons EQ BATTERY EQUALIZE Activates battery equalization recharging manually or automatically e Misc MISCELLANEOUS Additional settings and service information Advanced ADVANCE MENU Optimizing fine tuning the FLEXmax 80 these are advanced Menus that should be left alone until the user has a good working knowledge of the FLEXmax 80 and its operations Logging DATA LOGGING Displays recorded power production information STATS Statistics Displays recorded peak system information and cumulative kilowatt hours and amp hours ER 7 Charger Set Up This screen allows changes to the FLEXmax 80
82. the DCkWH soft key switches the screen between DC kilowatt hours and AC kilowatt hours e DCKWH shows the DC kilowatthours and should be used in a non grid tied system e ACKWH is used with a grid tied system This measure is based on a 90 inverter efficiency 1 KWH DC 0 9 kWH AC Pressing the first soft key three times returns to the MAIN Menu screen 57 17 Micro Hydro and Fuel Cell Applications The FLEXmax 80 is designed to work with solar arrays Although it will work with micro hydro turbines and fuel cell OutBack Power Systems can only offer limited technical support for these applications because there is too much variance in micro hydro and fuel cell generator specifications When used for micro hydro or fuel cell applications the FLEXmax 80 warranty will be honored only if the manufacturer and turbine model have been approved by OutBack Power Systems Please check with one of the following manufacturers or OutBack Power Systems before employing the FLEXmax 80 with these applications Harris Hydroelectric 831 425 7652 www harrishydro com Alternative Power amp Machine 541 476 8916 www apmhydro com Energy System amp Design 506 433 3151 www microhydropower com The FLEXmax 80 is not compatible with wind turbine applications and OutBack cannot warranty its use in these applications MICRO HYDRO AND FUEL CELL SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION Micro hydro and fuel cell systems are different than PV
83. the FLEXmax 80 To adjust the Lower Mpp Range Limit Charger Aux Light Eq Misc Advanced From the MAIN Menu with the arrow in front of Logging stats Advanced press the lt GO gt soft key EXIT b i In the ADVANCED MENU screen press the NEXT soft ADVANCED MENU key until the Mpp Range Limit 96 Voc screen appears Press Mpp Range Limit Voc the 1 2 soft key until FULL appears When finished Min Max press the NEXT soft key until the MPPT Mode screen appears EXIT NEXT 1 2 90 To pick between Auto Track or U Pick MPPT Mode and ADVANCED MENU determine the FLEXmax 80 s operating Voc percentage MPPT Mode press the lt MODE gt soft key to interchange between the Auto Track two modes Re entering the password might be required After choosing a mode press the lt NEXT gt soft key in EXIT NEXT nonGT MODE the ADVANCED MENU to view the Park Mpp screen only applicable for U Pick mode AE ADVANCED MENU Press the lt VOC gt or lt VOC gt soft key to select one of Park Mpp the percentage values U Pick always uses the Park Mpp Watts 0000 77 VOC value EXIT NEXT Ee CI 4 59 19 Abbreviated Menu Much of the FLEXmax 80 activity takes place a round the MAIN screen From this screen the user can access other screens to both observe system activiy and make adjustments to certain critical functions Adjusts the Current Limit Absorb and Float recharging
84. the FLEXmax 80 charger amps dc the amount of amperage the FLEXmax 80 is sending to the battery battery voltage current battery voltage panel voltage current voltage from the PV array 67 MATE Displayed FLEXmax 80 STATUS SETPT SET POINT Screen STATUS CC SETPT Absorb 28 8 VDC STATUS CC SETPT P00 Float 27 2 VDC DOWN STATUS PORT DOWN UP TOP PORT e c STATUS CC METER end of setpoint Press the first two soft keys simultaneously menu to return to the MAIN Menu UP TOP STATUS 2 O SETP OINT Screens Absorb displays the voltage that initiates and maintains the Absorb cycle Float displays the voltage that begins the Float cycle and is maintained during this cycle MATE Displayed FLEXmax 80 Advanced Screens The FLEXmax 80 Advanced Screens displayed on the optional OutBack MATE include CHGR CHARGER CCADV ADVANCED AND AUX The Advanced screens allow the user to change various values and set points ADV PASSWORD ADV SETTINGS WARNING PASS the password changes made could adversely 132 12 00 30P SUM STATUS SETUP ADV OO effect system performance ENTER INC DEC EXIT ADV PASSWORD enter the password 141 ENTER INC DEC EXIT cC cC ADV CC PAGE 1 choose category ADV CHGR CCADV PG2 O ADV CC CHGR POL N ADV CC CHGR
85. ther of the arrow soft keys until the is to the left of Aux Press the GO soft key If more than ten minutes have passed since any activity the PASSWORD screen becomes active requiring the user to input the 141 PASSWORD and press lt ENTER Pressing the lt NEXT gt soft key scrolls through the AUX functions The most commonly used AUX modes are Vent Fan Low Battery Disconnect and Diversion 24 AUX MODE Vent Fan Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Night Light Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Diversion Solid St Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE PV Trigger Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Float Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Low Batt Disconnect Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE ERROR OUTPUT Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Diversion Relay Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE AUX MODE Remote Output Off Off EXIT NEXT SET MODE 25 AUX modes in order of appearance on the FLEXmax 80 display Vent Fan PV Trigger Error Output Night Light Float Diversion Relay Diversion Solid State Low Battery Disconnect Remote NOTE All AUX functions can be manually activated in On Off or Auto mode In Auto mode the function will automatically activate when a user determined value is met and deactivate or shut down when other conditions described here such as a certain amount of time passing occ
86. tors and circuit breakers must be rated at 1 56 times the short circuit current of the PV array OutBack 100 duty continuous breakers only need to be rated at 1 25 times the short circuit current Please see the wire Distance Chart and complete Wire and Disconnect Sizing on pages 77 79 for other suitable conductor wire sizing 11 3 FLEXmax 80 Wiring Connections Use up to 2 AWG 33 6 mm wire and torque to 35 inch pounds at terminals MATE HUB RJA5 jack Battery Remote Temp Sensor RTS RJ11 jack Programmable AUX Output Jack supplies up to 200mA Q 12 VDC Figure 1 FLEXmax 80 wiring compartment PV PV BAT Wire Lugs Chassis Equipment Ground Lug Screw holes for attaching FLEXmax 80 The PV and BAT terminals are connected internally Only one negative wire may be needed to connect to the wire lugs if the PV and BAT conductors are bonded at the negative bus bar See Figures 2 and 3 for sample wiring diagrams See Wire and Disconnect Sizing on page 80 for suitable conductor wire sizing NOTES Each FLEXmax 80 requires its own PV array DO NOT PARALLEL FLEXmax 80 PV and PV TERMINALS ON THE SAME ARRAY An optional battery Remote Temperature Sensor RTS is recommended for accurate battery recharging only one RTS is needed for multiple OutBack Series Inverter Chargers and FLEXmax 80 units when an OutBack HUB and a MATE are parts of the system When one RTS is used it must
87. ur When an AUX MODE is in AUTO 12VDC is available at the AUX terminals and a condition such as a voltage set point is met Other modes can be programmed in lieu of the specific ones listed here but the Vent Fan mode is most easily changed e g to activate an alarm instead of a fan Here are the default AUX modes Vent Fan when the Vent Fan voltage set point is exceeded the vent fan will run for at least 15 seconds the fan helps remove hydrogen from battery enclosure even if the set point is exceeded for only a few seconds due to a surge If the set point is exceeded for longer than 15 seconds the fan will stay on until the voltage drops below the set point It then takes 15 seconds before the fan shuts off This is an optional external fan and not to be confused with the FLEXmax 805 internal thermally activated fan which cools the unit PVTrigger activates an alarm or relay that disconnects the array when the PV input exceeds the user determined voltage set point to avoid damage do not go over 150VDC the PV Trigger disconnects after a minimal adjustable amount of Hold Time Error Output useful for monitoring remote sites switches to the Off state if the FLEXmax 80 has not charged the batteries for 26 hours or more not an audible alarm only displayed as a printed message on FLEXmax 80 AUX Menu or the battery voltage has fallen below a user determined set point for 10 continuous minutes In the No Error state the A
88. y opens the STATUS screen Pressing the second soft key brings up the CLEAR LOG screen Pressing the third soft key shows the previous day s summary continually pressing this soft key will bring up additional past summaries up to 128 days Pressing the fourth soft key will bring up summary for the 128th day back 7 Recharging Using the PV Array Turn the PV input breaker on The FLEXmax 80 automatically detects the PV input voltage Note If PV voltage registers 000V when the breaker is on please check the polarity of the PV wires In 113 6 V 0 0A Out 12 5 V 0 0A 0 000 kW 0 0 KWH AUX Sleeping O E O The FLEXmax 80 enters a Wakeup stage transitions to Tracking and prepares to charge the batteries by tracking the maximum power point of the solar array In 876 V 5 0A Out125 V 32 9A et en E 0 410 kW 0 0 During the FLEXmax 805 initial tracking the input source e g solar is gradually loaded from the open circuit voltage VOC to one half of the VOC Within this range the FLEXmax 80 seeks the maximum power point When C O O O the FLEXmax 80 goes into Re Cal Auto Restart Wakeup or RSTRT restart modes among other conditions it AUX OFF MPPT Bulk performs an initial tracking 21 8 Accessing the MAIN Menu The MAIN Menu allows the user to adjust and calibrate the FLEXmax 80 for maximum performance From the STATUS screen press the first soft key on the lef

Outback Power Systems FLEXMAX 80 User's Manual

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