Interesting DC charging options per Morningstar + New Meanwells

[Sabatical]

Great info here!!

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[FinallyFree]

I have a 20' TT with a 30 amp shore service. When I installed my solar system and inverter (magnums 2k inverter/charger) I just intercepted the the power cable from the shore outlet and ran it straight to the inverter using it as a pass thru. I have 2 L16's 415ah as my battery bank. I've had absolutely no issues charging the bank when using shore power or my gen.

 

[Mobilesport]

I have a 20' TT with a 30 amp shore service. When I installed my solar system and inverter (magnums 2k inverter/charger) I just intercepted the the power cable from the shore outlet and ran it straight to the inverter using it as a pass thru. I have 2 L16's 415ah as my battery bank. I've had absolutely no issues charging the bank when using shore power or my gen.

can you post a wiring diagram of how you have it wired up?
Edit: oh i see , the invertor is also a charger!

 

[FinallyFree]

I have a picture of the first draft diagram that's fairly close to the as-built. The file size is to large to post here however I'd be happy to send it to you if you pm me your email. Also, I have a 16 ton hydraulic crimper and will be at the RTR if anyone needs use of it.

 

[frater secessus]

It seems like such an elegant solution, I wondered why I couldn't find anything on it.

It's in the Morningstar support FAQ:

Using a DC power supply as a PV panel substitute?

Morningstar PWM controllers are not designed to properly process input from a DC power supply. This type of input is not recommended and is connected at the user’s risk. DC power supplies have considerably more output capacitance than PV panels and connecting a DC power supply to a Morningstar PWM controller may cause excessive heating and premature failure.

MPPT controllers can be used for this application with no issue.   [emphasis added]

 

[MikeRuth]

I purchased a Morningstar Tristar 45 PWM unit almost two years ago, and to add their support is nothing short of EXCELLENT/

Agreed we should never exceed the ratings of the unit, but I tell you if you look up the specs, the tolerance of the morning star units is very generous.

Mike R

 

[blars]

Morningstar keeps sending me invites to their webinars. The next ones are Tue, Nov 29 (3 times).

During this webinar you will learn about:


Battery charging stages

Differences between PWM and MPPT controllers

Effects of oversizing PV arrays

Efficiency variations with output power

Electronic and environmental protections

Controller/inverter features and capabilities

High voltage charge controllers
The new Ethernet MeterBus Converter (EMC-1)
for connecting controllers to the internet
Morningstar's string calculator


Don't miss this informative session and the Q&A at the end.

 

[highdesertranger]

got a link to the webinar? highdesertranger

 

[BradKW]

Morningstar has been the world’s leading supplier of solar charge controllers and inverters for over 20 years.  This webinar is conducted each month to introduce individuals to Morningstar and off-grid solar.  It is also appropriate for experienced professionals who are looking for a refresher, or to have their pressing questions answered by one of our engineers.  Learn more about our product line and features by clicking on a link below to register for an upcoming Live Webinar (make sure to check your time zones):


Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 9:00 AM US Eastern Time

Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 2:00 PM US Eastern Time

Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 8:00 PM US Eastern Time

 

[MikeRuth]

Morningstar has been the world’s leading supplier of solar charge controllers and inverters for over 20 years.  This webinar is conducted each month to introduce individuals to Morningstar and off-grid solar.  It is also appropriate for experienced professionals who are looking for a refresher, or to have their pressing questions answered by one of our engineers.  Learn more about our product line and features by clicking on a link below to register for an upcoming Live Webinar (make sure to check your time zones):


Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 9:00 AM US Eastern Time

Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 2:00 PM US Eastern Time

Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 8:00 PM US Eastern Time

There will be some good info, but do not think for one moment they are not selling their products. don't worry if you join a session a little late
Mike

 

[rvpopeye]

Yes they will be selling but also offering their expert knowledge for free!

 

[Sabatical]

I am thinking about trying this experiment with a cheapo mppt charge controller ($30-40) and an ebay sourced led driver for the dc power supply.
I have a Midnite Solar Kid cc that may work (have to ask tech support). I'd rather sacrifice a cheapo though and if it worked, have a standalone system.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?

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[BradKW]

I've been posting on some other forums that are more electrical/electronics focused, trying to find an optimal DC power source for my situation. One thing that I'm taking away from this is that routing DC power from rectifiers, converters, switchers, etc, through MPPT controllers is an accepted practice. Definitely check with manufacturer and spec sheets though, as there are apparently cheap MPPT labeled controllers out there that are really PWM where it counts for this application. But I doubt that Midnight would fall in that category...

 

[Sabatical]

I spoke with tech support yesterday and although MidNite Solar doesn't advise doing this with the Kid, the tech shared that he was doing this very thing in his setup.
He said that i must use a switching or telcomm power supply and suggested a blocking diode as well.
It just so happens that the power supply i had bookmarked on ebay is a switching power supply and it's only $30 plus shipping.
I spent several hours looking at sub $100 mppt cc's and it seems like they mostly say pwm somewhere in the description. It also seemed that none of them are programmable enough to offer on demand eq charging.


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[frater secessus]

I am thinking about trying this experiment with a cheapo mppt charge controller ($30-40) and an ebay sourced led driver for the dc power supply.
...
Anybody have any thoughts on this?

I think the cheapest known-functional MPPT controllers are ~$80 shipped from China for the lowest rated (like 10A/20A).  I am thinking of the Renogy Tracer and EPsolar Tracer derivants.