Itinerant1
Itinerant
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Joined: 05/23/2017
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3 tons wrote:Yep, one’s own instincts often tend to default to a required 1 to 1 harvest to demand scenario, but in a broader real world context this is not necessarily the case…
What also needs to be considered is compressor duty cycle, concurrent harvesting, and the restoration of full amperage to battery charging that occurs in between each compressor ON-OFF cycle, and the ‘available’ battery Depth of Discharge (DOD) till start of the next day’s harvest cycle…Where battery storage is tight (as in a truck camper - resolved by under dinette mounting), Lithium is what makes this become viable possibility,,,
FWIW, total air conditioner run time (cycling - ending at 1915) was about 6.75 hrs…
Hope this adds some enlightenment ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
3 tons
Now add more solar and the #s really start to look good. Less from the batteries and a little charge on off cycles. ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink")
12v 500ah, 20 cells_ 4s5p (GBS LFMP battery system). 8 CTI 160 watt panels (1,280 watts)2s4p,Panels mounted flat. Magnum PT100 SCC, Magnum 3012 hybrid inverter, ME-ARC 50. Installed 4/2016 been on 24/7/365, daily 35-45% DOD 2,500+ partial cycles.
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3 tons
NV.
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“ Now add more solar and the #s really start to look good. Less from the batteries and a little charge on off cycles. “
Well I’m kinda jealous (lol ), but at now 660w (via an 8 panel home brew and two controllers - MPPT & PWM…) I’ve nearly run out of a truck camper roof space!!…The consolation though is that it’s just a single-slide camper…
3 tons
* This post was
edited 07/24/22 03:16pm by 3 tons *
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ewarnerusa
Helena, Montana
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Joined: 12/20/2011
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Just another plug for the Micro air easy start, I installed it a handful of years ago and our Yamaha 2400 runs the 13.5 Btu A/C great. Usually I'm very diligent about turning off all other 120V AC loads when I do this, but this weekend I ran it for a while and later realized the fridge was on auto so it was using 120V AC power when plugged into the generator. Fridge draws 300 watts on electric and I suspect it was on the whole time because it was hot as heck out. Converter was off.
Aspen Trail 2710BH | 470 watts of solar | 2x 6V GC batteries | 100% LED lighting | 1500W PSW inverter | MicroAir on air con | Yamaha 2400 gen
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3 tons
NV.
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Air conditioner on 400a/h LiFePo4 - A follow-up
As per my previous (pg 3), once back at home I decided to do just a ‘table-top exercise’ using a higher estimated amperage draw at say 95+d/f ambient temp, so in this example I’m using 100 amps/dc for the air cond. (rather than previous actual of 8.5a)
(Note, equipment used on previous pg.)
Previous duty cycle (post initial 20-25 min cooldown) averaged around 50’ish % compressor run time (continuous low fan) - but for this example I’m using 60% duty cycle…
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Air Cond, 100amps @ 60% duty cycle (averaged) = 60amps per hour.
660w PV @ 60% harvest (reduced average estimate over time) = 400w…400w = 22amp (hourly gain).
Air 60a/hr (incl. duty cycle) minus 22a (hourly avg. harvest over time) = 38a/hr avg. hourly amp/hr deficit.
400a/hr LFP… Assuming start-up at 90% SOC = 360a/hr available at start of table-top test…
38a/hr hourly deficit @ 5 hrs run time = 190a/hrs battery provided…
360a/hrs at start, minus 190a/hrs consumed = end of run battery @ 42% SOC or 170a/hrs remaining.
The averages used were merely intended to reflect the vagaries of solar over 5hrs of mid-afternoon…
*********
A quasi-realistic thumbnail sketch only (JMO) - equipment and user experience subject to vary…
3 tons
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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Joined: 06/22/2005
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Several dry campers we know including us have installed the easy start on 13.5K BTU AC units with very good results. However I will point out one thing to consider regarding the honda 2000 and the easy start. The honda 2000 engine is pretty much max'd out so output max power goes down with altitude. We found that around 3500ft density altitude the 2000 is likely to overload, luckily the easy start just shuts the AC down for about 5 minutes rather than having the honda completely kick out. This is with all other 120V loads including the converter power turned off.
solution honda 2200. it has a much larger engine and even at 8000+ft it can run the AC unit and still have about 300watts to spare. As a check with a honda 2200 we ran our AC at around 8000ft in 100F temps and I turned the fridge on AC just to see what would happen, 2200 kept on running, no overload.
Before the easy start I was lugging around two honda 2000's, paralleled for AC, when the honda 2200 came out i bought one, gave one 2000 to our son, and for a while carried around a 2200 and 2000 as a "just in case" for AC when boondocking. Gave that up, never have needed more than the 2200 even at very high altitudes. Solar charges the batteries,
2011 Keystone Outback 295RE
2004 14' bikehauler with full living quarters
2015.5 Denali 4x4 CC/SB Duramax/Allison
2004.5 Silverado 4x4 CC/SB Duramax/Allison passed on to our Son!
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ReneeG
Meridian, Idaho
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Joined: 07/13/2005
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We have two Honda eu2000i generators paralleled running a 15k AC. Honda generators paired like this will only provide 4000 watts for first thirty minutes, then they dial themselves back to 3200. The 15Kbtu requires 3800 watts for initial start, so test failed about 40 mins in after about the 3rd or 4th kick-on.
Soft start should reduce this below the required threshold. Parts are on order, should be here within the week and we'll do another test after installation.
2011 Bighorn 3055RL
2011 F350 DRW 6.7L 4x4 Diesel Lariat and Hensley TrailerSaver BD3
1992 Jeep ZJ and 1978 Coleman Concord Pop-Up for remote camping
Dave & Renee plus (Champ, Molly, Paris, Missy, and Maggie in spirit), Mica and Mabel, both Rat Terriers!
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3 tons
NV.
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ktmrfs wrote:Several dry campers we know including us have installed the easy start on 13.5K BTU AC units with very good results. However I will point out one thing to consider regarding the honda 2000 and the easy start. The honda 2000 engine is pretty much max'd out so output max power goes down with altitude. We found that around 3500ft density altitude the 2000 is likely to overload, luckily the easy start just shuts the AC down for about 5 minutes rather than having the honda completely kick out. This is with all other 120V loads including the converter power turned off.
solution honda 2200. it has a much larger engine and even at 8000+ft it can run the AC unit and still have about 300watts to spare. As a check with a honda 2200 we ran our AC at around 8000ft in 100F temps and I turned the fridge on AC just to see what would happen, 2200 kept on running, no overload.
Before the easy start I was lugging around two honda 2000's, paralleled for AC, when the honda 2200 came out i bought one, gave one 2000 to our son, and for a while carried around a 2200 and 2000 as a "just in case" for AC when boondocking. Gave that up, never have needed more than the 2200 even at very high altitudes. Solar charges the batteries,
Agreed, me too…At high altitudes and temps (100d/f) my 2000 struggled - Eco mode was not an option…The difference between the 2000 and 2200 is much more than just the 200w, mainly because of the 2200’s larger GX commercial engine and viable Eco operation…
However, I later discovered that my pass-thru PSW inverter was the single biggest culprit at preventing Eco mode operation because it would ‘disqualify’ in coming genny power upon compressor starts when in the (low RPM) Eco mode…
So after a ton of study and consternation, I did a workaround by adding a dedicated, corded genny-eco ATS switch around the ‘too smart’ inverter (at it’s output), and all was resolved, except that now with the LFP’s, solar and Easy-start I haven’t had much of a need to run the genny for quite some time…I still carry it just in case…
3 tons
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ReneeG
Meridian, Idaho
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ReneeG wrote:We have two Honda eu2000i generators paralleled running a 15k AC. Honda generators paired like this will only provide 4000 watts for first thirty minutes, then they dial themselves back to 3200. The 15Kbtu requires 3800 watts for initial start, so test failed about 40 mins in after about the 3rd or 4th kick-on.
Soft start should reduce this below the required threshold. Parts are on order, should be here within the week and we'll do another test after installation.
An additional note, with our two eu2000i Honda's, with AC running we were able to put up the satellite and watch TV too, but as I said, after 30 min the power went down, but once the SoftStartUp is installed, that will be resolved.
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3 tons
NV.
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ReneeG wrote:ReneeG wrote:We have two Honda eu2000i generators paralleled running a 15k AC. Honda generators paired like this will only provide 4000 watts for first thirty minutes, then they dial themselves back to 3200. The 15Kbtu requires 3800 watts for initial start, so test failed about 40 mins in after about the 3rd or 4th kick-on.
Soft start should reduce this below the required threshold. Parts are on order, should be here within the week and we'll do another test after installation.
An additional note, with our two eu2000i Honda's, with AC running we were able to put up the satellite and watch TV too, but as I said, after 30 min the power went down, but once the SoftStartUp is installed, that will be resolved.
Well, it’s not clear to me what you mean by “the power went down”, but (assuming no other loads) if your talking strictly about the 15kbtu air conditioner, I’m a bit surprised that the two Honda’s couldn’t momentarily surge to 4000w (per their spec’s) to handle this uber brief compressor start surge, maybe this was while in eco-mode (I donno ??), but it sounds like more info is needed…Yes, Easy-start will help out…
3 tons
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ReneeG
Meridian, Idaho
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3 tons wrote:ReneeG wrote:ReneeG wrote:We have two Honda eu2000i generators paralleled running a 15k AC. Honda generators paired like this will only provide 4000 watts for first thirty minutes, then they dial themselves back to 3200. The 15Kbtu requires 3800 watts for initial start, so test failed about 40 mins in after about the 3rd or 4th kick-on.
Soft start should reduce this below the required threshold. Parts are on order, should be here within the week and we'll do another test after installation.
An additional note, with our two eu2000i Honda's, with AC running we were able to put up the satellite and watch TV too, but as I said, after 30 min the power went down, but once the SoftStartUp is installed, that will be resolved.
Well, it’s not clear to me what you mean by “the power went down”, but (assuming no other loads) if your talking strictly about the 15kbtu air conditioner, I’m a bit surprised that the two Honda’s couldn’t momentarily surge to 4000w (per their spec’s) to handle this uber brief compressor start surge, maybe this was while in eco-mode (I donno ??), but it sounds like more info is needed…Yes, Easy-start will help out…
3 tons
What I should've said was that two 2000's provide 4000 watts at the start and for the first 30 minutes, then they dial themselves back to 3200. A 15k AC requires 3800 watts to start. So outside of the initial 30 minutes when the AC cycled on again, we lost power to the satellite and TV. It wasn't in eco mode, but know the SoftStartUp will fix that. Nice to know that we can watch TV though. A coworker has two off brands of generators to run his 13.5k AC and he says nothing, absolutely nothing else can be running for him.
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