Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i - Manual (Page 4)

Blue Sky Energy – Solar Boost 3000i
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To allow easy system expandability the 3000i may also operate as an IPN Network Master controlling up to 7 Blue Sky Energy IPN compatible charge
controllers such as the SB3024iL. Blue Sky Energy’s IPN Network allows multiple charge controllers to communicate with each other and coordinate their
activities to charge the battery as a single coordinated charging machine.
PART NUMBERS AND OPTIONS
• SB3000i ............... Solar Boost 3000i solar charge controller • 930-0022-20 ..................... Optional battery temperature sensor
• IPNPRO-S ........... Optional IPN-ProRemote battery system monitor • 720-0011-01 ..................... Optional wall mounting box, black powder coated
• UCM .................... Optional Universal Communication Module for system access over the Internet
OPERATION
Basic charge control operations are fully automatic and require no operator intervention. When sufficient PV power is available the 3000i will switch to
a Charge ON state and begin charging the battery. The particular charge mode the 3000i will operate in will vary depending on the needs of the battery and
available PV charge current. When insufficient PV current is available to charge the battery the 3000i will switch to a Charge Off state and the PV array will
be disconnected from the battery to prevent unwanted current drain. There is a 5 second turn-on delay, and a 45 second turn-off delay.
¾ The 3000i operates on battery power, not PV power. Insure that voltage on the battery terminals of the 3000i is always the
same as actual battery voltage within a few 10 ths of a volt and greater than 9 volts for proper operation. Note that the front panel
serves as a heatsink for power control devices and may become quite warm during normal operation.
¾ CAUTION: Do not disconnect the battery while the 3000i is in a Charge ON state. A healthy battery is a key component of the
charge voltage control system and provides charge voltage filtering. Sudden removal of the battery while the 3000i is charging will
produce voltage spikes at the 3000i’s battery terminals which may damage 12 volt appliances still connected to the 3000i, especially
when using higher voltage 60 cell PV modules.
IF THE BATTERY MUST BE DISCONNECTED, REMOVE PV POWER FIRST.
CHARGE STATUS INDICATION
Present charge status of the 3000i is indicated using two charge status LED’s, Absorption & Float. If net battery charge current is greater than about 3 to 5
amps per 100 amp-hours of battery capacity the charge status indicator can provide a rough indication of battery state of charge.
CHARGE STATUS
CHARGE STATUS LED’s CHARGE MODE APPROXIMATE CHARGE LEVEL
ABSORPTION & FLOAT OFF CHARGE OFF
ABSORPTION & FLOAT ON BULK <70% FULL
ABSORPTION ON – FLOAT OFF ABSORPTION 70% - 95% FULL
ABSORPTION OFF – FLOAT ON FLOAT FULLY CHARGED
ABSORPTION & FLOAT
ALTERNATELY BLINKING
EQUALIZE
TABLE 1
DIGITAL DISPLAY
When the 3000i completes self-test the VOLT/AMP display mode is active. This mode displays Battery Voltage continuously if the 3000i is in a Charge Off
state, or alternates between Battery Voltage & Output Charge Current if the 3000i is charging the battery. The AMPS indicator in the upper left of the display will be
on solid when displaying 3000i output current, or blinking when displaying PV input current. To provide good readability yet minimize the likelihood of the display
being objectionably bright at night an automatic night time dimming feature dims the display at night when the 3000i is in a Charge Off state.
Other display modes may be selected using the Display Select push-button. Each brief press of Display Select selects the next display mode as shown on
the front panel graphic of Figure 1. VOLT shows Battery Voltage, AMP-OUT shows 3000i Output Charge Current, AMP-IN shows PV Input Current, and AMP-HRS
shows total PV Amp-Hours produced since the amp-hour counter was last cleared. If the 3000i is part of a multi-controller system using the IPN Network the
3000i’s display will show the total of all controllers on the network.
AUX-VOLT shows voltage on 3000i’s the auxiliary output. When the auxiliary output is configured for Auxiliary Battery Charge (factory default) and the 2
amp auxiliary charge output is connected to an auxiliary battery (such as the engine start battery in a Motorhome) the voltage of the auxiliary battery is displayed. If
the auxiliary output is configured for Load Control, the voltage displayed is that applied to the load.
SOLAR CHARGE AMP-HOUR COUNTER
The battery essentially serves as a “storage tank”, with the battery storing electrical energy in units referred to as amp-hours. Amp-hours are
computed by multiplying current in amps X time in hours. For example 20 amp-hours may be a current of 10 amps flowing for 2 hours, or may be 1 amp
flowing for 20 hours. The battery receives and stores amp-hours when being charged, and then delivers those stored amp-hours when being discharged.
The amp-hour counter displays total solar charge amp-hours accumulated since the last time the counter was cleared up to a maximum count of 999
amp-hours. Amp-hour production varies widely with operating conditions, but as a very broad brush approximation 100 watts of PV modules can deliver up to
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