Inverters.

xelasnave · #1 14-03-2019, 08:33 PM

Just had a major lightening storm and somehow the inverter has died.
I dont know if it has a fuse but I will look at it tomorrow..maybe open it up and see if there are anyburn marks etc...
However I was given another inverter and some solar panels from a suburban set up where the solar power went back to the grid...so does anyone know if it is possible to convert or set up the "grid" inverter to charge batteries...

Just trying to come up with a way around the problem before I run out of petrol☺.
Alex

glend (Glen) · #2 14-03-2019, 08:46 PM

How does lightening cook your inverter? Is the inverter not connected to your battery bank? It should be isolated from the grid. I guess if your tower was hit then your wind generator would be cooked, and maybe spiked the battery bank MPCC controller. Do you have isolation breakers in that circuit? You may find the whole shebang is gone if it got hit.

I would not mess around inside a return to grid inverter unless your qualified, they are very different to a battery powered inverter. Grid inverters will be setup to convert the panel DC (probably 24V) to grid AC, and phase match with the grid supply. But, and this us a big but, grid inverters do not output to the grid unless the grid is connected. If it does not sense AC on the output it will not switch it's AC to that output, or so I am told.
. For God sakes be careful.

xelasnave · #3 14-03-2019, 08:58 PM

Hi Glen
I dont know what could have happened such that lightwning caused the problem as it is a solar battery system ... one would think the regulator would either shut off or fry first.
The problem is I had nothing to do with the instalation of this system and have no idea how it is set up...thanks for yoir input.
I just realised there is yet another inverter in the shack I have spoken about in the past as a future observatory...I can probably replace the broken one with that one...anyways I will look at it in the morning with a clearer mind.
Alex

xelasnave · #4 14-03-2019, 09:01 PM

As to the hrid inverter I was thinking maybe put in a battery charger where it produces 240 volt ...
Alex

leon · #5 14-03-2019, 09:57 PM

Alex you really need to be careful as mentioned, even a dodgy battery and/or charger can cause so much heat it will burn the place down.
Charging a crook battery will cause it to overheat and swell the battery and it will explode, and cause dangerous gases, I have seen it after it happened of course.
Just be careful mate.

Leon