question

Bas Rijniersce avatar image
Bas Rijniersce asked

Quatrro inverter shutdown on Pylontech low battery

Hello,


Recently got a system consisting of:

1x Quattro 48/3000/35

2x Pylontech US3000c

2x BlueSolar Charger MPPT 150/35

1x CerboGX


As part of my testing I ran a load until shutdown. What happened is that the whole system turned off at the low voltage point. The Pylontech shows the RED alarm LED. The Victron setup does not seem to see any DC power at all at that time (touch display off etc).

It would be nicer if there is a shutdown mode where the inverter is disabled (but still powered, just not generating AC). That way the display still shows what is happening. At some point the batteries are going to turn off completely and then whole system will be down.

I've had bad experience (with another vendor) where it becomes a real struggle to get the inverter/charger to wake up when there is (generator) AC, but not DC yet.

Is that not an issue with the Victron, as soon as I apply AC the system comes back to live?

Also, when the system was in shutdown, non of the console commands on the Pylontech seemed to indicate a powered down state :) I must be looking at the wrong command since the inverter saw low voltage over CANbus. What is the correct command to see historic shutdown reasons?

Bas

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter ChargerPylontech
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2 Answers
Alexandra avatar image
Alexandra answered ·

@Bas Rijniersce

It sounds like the pylontec switched off so the whole system would go down. If your inverter had just shut down then the cerbo would still remain on (depending on how you are powering it) and the batteries as well. And so if you were connected to the vrm could see that. But if was all off then the battery initiated the shutdownnso you possibly had drawn them low enough to set off their own internal protection.

Try setting the dc shutdown slightly higher on the inverter. that way the inverter will switch off but some battery power will remain and cerbo powered up.

The most likely reason for an earlier shutdown from the batteries is the internal balancing of the cells was not fully done yet. Not an uncommon thing on new batteries, and I have seen in experience Pylontech like to be charged up to full for a few days to get themselves sorted out.

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Bas Rijniersce avatar image
Bas Rijniersce answered ·

Hi Alexandra,


Yeah, that is exactly why I was asking. I want the biggest load (inverter) to turn off before the battery decides it's time to turn off.


I had tried playing with the voltage setting for the inverter. But the voltages are not really usable for a LiIon battery. Facebook suggested it had to do with my firmware version. So I ordered the USB dongle to allow for firmware updates

Then I can hopefully set a better inverter-off voltage. It would be better if it can do a SOC based disable.

Bas

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seb71 avatar image seb71 commented ·
I had tried playing with the voltage setting for the inverter. But the voltages are not really usable for a LiIon battery.

What do you mean by that?

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Bas Rijniersce avatar image Bas Rijniersce seb71 commented ·

Looking at my discharge curve before I hit 10%, I picked a voltage that would work for inverter turn off. The VEConfigure app only allow a range of voltages for reconnect and alarm that seem to be based off Lead Acid behavior. They don't work for Li-Ion. Fro,m what I understand the current firmware allow a different range. Waiting for my USB adapter to come in

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ commented ·

@Bas Rijniersce

You should update all the components of the system on initial installation.

Also when troubleshooting problems like this one.

https://docs.victronenergy.com/performing_system_check.html an article that's a work in progress, but there are links on how to update your system components.

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Bas Rijniersce avatar image Bas Rijniersce Alexandra ♦ commented ·

VRM allowed me to update my MPPT controllers, but not the quattro. It would be nice if Victron build firmware upgrade support into the GX devices. But weird I need a separate piece of hardware just to do firmware for the Quattro. Piece is on it way now

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ Bas Rijniersce commented ·

@Bas Rijniersce

It is done like that so the inverter can be programmed and set up by a trained installer. You are able to train yourself for it.

How were the setting for the batteries previously entered into the quattro if you don't have the mk3 adapter?

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Bas Rijniersce avatar image Bas Rijniersce Alexandra ♦ commented ·

Hi,

It feels more like the Quattro being an older piece of hardware, and as a result they can't do the remote update. They do allow the firmware updates via VRM on the MPPT controllers.

There is a remote config option in VRM, you download the config file. VEConfigure has a dummy option, where it works on that file instead of via USB. After making your changes, you upload the config via VRM again.

Works great for config, not for firmware :)


Bas

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ Bas Rijniersce commented ·

@Bas Rijniersce

It is because when it is flashed with firmware it wipes out other settings. So you need to be able to re program parameters onto the unit.

Doing that remotely if it does not go well can lead to complications.

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