Remote Temp Sensor Installation
Batteries are a key component in
backup and o-grid systems, oen
serving as the only energy storage
device. To guarantee that they
function properly it is important that
your batteries are maintained. A chief
part of this maintenance is proper
charging. Your batteries should always
be maintained above a 50% level of
charge and receive a regular recharges
once a month to ensure operation at
peak performance. Prolonged use of
the battery below a 50% state of charge
will adversely aect the long-term
health of the battery and can result in
premature failure.
e multistage charging process (5 stages)
uses several regulation stages to allow
fast recharging of the battery energy
storage system while ensuring a long
battery life, high performance and
ecient operation of the overall
system. e charging process begins
with the BULK stage, where maximum
current is sent to the batteries until the
target “absorb” voltage is reached and
the absorb stage of the charge begins.
During ABSORB, the charger provides
the batteries with the just enough
current to hold at the set voltage for a
preset amount of time. Following this
cycle, the charging system changes
between available OutBack charging
products. Using a FLEXmax Series
RTS
e OutBack Remote Temperature Sensor (RTS) is a necessary tool
for proper battery charging. All OutBack products with integrated
battery charging have a temperature compensation system built
in which benets from the installation of the RTS (included with
inverter/chargers). e RTS ensures that your OutBack system
knows the precise battery temperature so that it can recharge your
batteries safely and eciently. Systems with multiple OutBack
products connected to one HUB4 or HUB10 require only a single
RTS to be installed.
Remote Temperature Sensor
15' (5 m) cable
BULk ABSORB SILENT FLOAT TIME* SILENT FLOAT TIME* SILENT
TIME *
Time
Voltage
* MATE Adjustable
Charge Controller, the batteries enter
the FLOAT stage where they are given
a maintenance charge until there is
no excess renewable energy. e FX
or VFX inverter/charger will go into
SILENT mode where the charger
turns o until the battery voltage
drops to the “re-oat” setting. At this
point the inverter/charger initiates the
maintenance oat charge. is method
reduces fuel and utility consumption.
It should be noted that the temperature
of your batteries has an impact on
the charging process. e OutBack
RTS should be used to monitor this.
In higher ambient temperatures, the
battery charging regulation settings
will be automatically reduced to
prevent overcharging of the batteries.
Conversely, in lower ambient
temperature conditions, the regulation
settings will be increased to ensure
complete recharging of the batteries.
Batteries are composed of a group
of individual cells. rough normal
use, the charge of each individual cell
will not be equal to the other cells. To
address this, your batteries should be
EQUALIZED either once each month
or once every few months depending
on usage. During the equalization
charge the electrolyte in the battery
is stirred up by gas bubbles, which
help to create an equal mixture of
water and acid. Simultaneously the
full cells are overcharged which allows
the low cells to “catch up” and all of
the active material in the battery to
be reconverted to its charged state.
Depending on usage, the hardened
battery plate material that is no longer
active in the battery-sulfation can also
be reduced by an equalization charge.
19
Multi-Stage Battery Charging