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Posted by on August 10, 2008, 10:32 pm
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> When I was looking up some information for a previous post, I ran across
> this website and had to make a comment about it.
>
> http://www.wagonmaker.com/newbatt.html
>
> His temporary bank doesn't look to good.
>
> http://www.wagonmaker.com/images/tempbatts.JPG
>
> Not a fuse, or breaker in sight. I wonder what would happen if that inverter
> went south.
>
> His permanent installation doesn't look no better.
>
> http://www.wagonmaker.com/images/bankview3.JPG
>
> http://www.wagonmaker.com/images/bussbar2small.JPG
>
> Look at how he has his new battery bank wired! He is proud of it!
>
> How many failure points can you point out? How many ways can it turn into
> the next slag pile?
>
> Not a breaker or fuse in sight!!!!!!!!!
>
> How many series banks are wired in parallel???? 12 I think???
>
> The wires to the inverter snakes off through a PVC conduit for heck knows
> how far!
>
> The + and - wires are haphazardly ran over and across each other.
>
> Where un-fused + and - wires come close (which is a lot of places), there is
> no scratch or abrasion guards between the + and - wires of the various
> parallel braches.
>
> Ow, and look. He put a little board between the two buss bars. That'll make
> everything better.
>
> There is more insulation pinch hazard that carter has liver pills!
>
> Each one of those battery strings probably has close to 1000 cranking
> available on demand. Not talking about short circuit amps. Just the amps
> required to pull a 12V battery down to 9V or so. Short circuit amps will be
> way beyond 1000A per string.
> If anything happens to those wires going to the inverter.. It don't mater if
> they are 4/0, They will melt. They will go through metal and plastic like a
> hot knife through butter.
>
> The wiring on each individual string. If you get a pinch point between two
> cables, or a cable and a terminal, or connector it will melt everything
> down. Once one wire turns red, it will cut into the insulation of several
> more, and they will short out. It will spread through the bank like wild
> fire.
>
> That isn't even talking about the chance of individual battery strings going
> bad internally.
>
> And his section on safety doesn't mention anything about and explosion proof
> asbestoses overalls to protect you from the first stages of meltdown, to
> give you enough time to run for your life
>
> Not one mention of the word "fuse" or "breaker" in the entire safety
> section. Only a mention of a "disconnect". Which considering that he had the
> batteries directly connected to the inverter on his temporary setup.. I am
> not going to assume that his "disconnect" is a breaker (or fused switch)
>
> As a mater of fact, he don't even mention the word fuse one time on his
> page. And he only mentions the word breaker one time (in relation to shuting
> off the solar panel)
>
> At a minimum, the cables should be segregated by polarity. And where ever
> opposites cross, they should have fireproof abrasion guards. To keep them
> isolated in case of accidents. (ie) If a cable gets overloaded and the
> insulation melts off, it won't cut into a cable from the opposite polarity
> and cause the situation to escalate.
>
> Any load circuit cables coming off the main busses should be fused.
>
> It would be best if the individual battery strings connecting to that buss
> should were fused mid string, or at the end of each string to prevent a
> catastrophic event if the worst case does happen. (shorting of the main buss
> bars, or something connecting to the buss bars.)
>
> That is a time bomb waiting to happen.
>
> He even says that the maximum load would be 25A per string. You know how
> easy it would be to put a 30A fuse mid string on each string. That would go
> a long way into making it a lot safer. Plus abrasion guards, and isolating
> the cable runs!!!!!!
And the laughs go on.
http://www.northernmichigansolar.com/photos.htm
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