Monday 3 November 2014

Outback Solar FLEXnet DC logging

This blog post starts a series of posts describing the graphic output of the logging software I authored for my Outback Solar off grid power system.


FNDC Watts - full day report
For now don't try to read the text on the axes as I want to describe the "at a glance" features of the daily report.

GREY area is 240V AC load (FX1)
The GREY filled area represents the 240V AC watts as 24V DC watts going into the Inverter (aka FX) for the house 240V AC power supply. It is below the X axis indicating a load out of the 24V battery bank.
YELLOW area is Solar input (MX2)
The YELLOW filled area represent the 24V DC watts feed into the battery bank by the charge controller (aka MX) from the solar PV panels. It is above the X axis indicating an input into the battery bank.
BLUE area is DC load (DC3)
The BLUE filled area represent the 24V DC watts from the battery bank for the house 24V DC loads. Blue represents the 24VDC water pressure pump and the LED downlights (DC-DC converted to 12V). It is below the X axis to indicate a load out of the battery bank.
BLACK line is Net Watts (Net)
The BLACK line within the GREY and YELLOW areas represent the 24V DC net watts put into or removed from the battery bank. Below the X axis indicates a net load out of the battery bank, when above the axis indicates net charging of the batteries. Net watts are negative at night and positive during charging.
RED line is Battery Bank Voltage (FNBat)
The RED line is the battery bank voltage as reported by the FLEXnet DC unit. On the right hand scale, 252 represents 25.2V. Voltage rises when charging in bulk mode until absorb (29.2V) then voltage is kept constant while net watts decreases exponentially until the return amps value (22.5a) or after the 2hr absorb timer. Charge voltage then reduces to the float (27.2V) until sunset.
BLUE line is State of Charge (SOC) also Depth of Discharge (DoD)
The light BLUISH* line is the state of charge of the battery bank. The SOC rises when charging until absorb is reached when SOC reaches 100% where it stays during float. SOC declines overnight. Left scale is 0=90% - 1000=100% SOC. 
* Note: I am colour challenged so "cyan" or "puce" are not in my colour vocab. That's a light bluish line, OK?
YELLOW line is Charging Mode (MX)
The YELLOW line is the modal charging state of the charge controller (MX). It indicates the mode with height indicating relative voltage: Silent, Float, Bulk, Absorb and EQ. Graph shows a typical cycle: Silent-Bulk-Absorb-Float-Silent.


Got all that?
Test yourself by parsing the next full size image.


The first smaller image is a full day report. The large image here is a "now" report generated at 11pm of the same day. The X axis legends now contain "current value" readings:
GREY  FX1 (240V AC loads)
Consuming 164 watts. Total 240VAC used 2,786 watt.hours, from 4am til "now".
YELLOW  MX2 (SOLAR input)
Making 0 watts ("now" was 11pm).  Total made today is 5,976 watt.hours.
BLUE  DC3 (24V loads)
Consuming 7 watts (3 LED lights).  Total of 24VDC loads today is 311 watt.hours.
BLACK  Net Watts
Consuming 172 watts (AC+DC).  Net 2,877 watt.hours made today (more PV than loads).
RED  FNBat  
Battery voltage is 25.0V Today's range was 24.5V (before sunrise) to 29.3V (absorb). 
BLUISH  SoC  (State of Charge)
"(mx23.6a )" absorb terminated by charge controller timer, at return amps 23.6a.
or "(fn22.5a)" absorb terminated by FNDC reaching return amps setting 22.5a.
"(u28,46,57)" are efficiency calculations: overall, of bulk plus absorb stages, of bulk stage only (invalid "now", valid only for daily report).  ####
YELLOW  MX  (Charging Mode)
"MX.S" Charge controller is Silent (or mode Bulk, Absorb, Float, EQ)
"B=1.84" Net 1.84kWh fed into batteries during Bulk stage.
"A119=1.6" Net 1.6kWh fed into batteries in Absorb for 119 minutes. ####
"F435=0.4" Net 400watt.hour into batteries in Float for 435 minutes. ####

#### A whole post to come on the dismal efficiency of Flooded Lead Acid batteries.

[I have either a solar power Tardis or Blogger doesn't respect my local time]

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