| Author |
Message |
ron and patti (Hayleyscomet)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 - 5:53 pm: | |
We are planning on buying a 4000 watt 24 volt inverter. We have noticed some of the "big" busses have two inverters. Any reason we should reconsider two instead of one? Patti |
Marc Bourget
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 - 9:18 pm: | |
Just a quick, glossed over blurb. Plenty will weigh in with more particular info. In essence, it depends on your usage and loads. It's all integrated.
You have alot of decisions to make. But the first is to figure out what appliances and fixtures you want to install in the bus and how you plan to use them. (This includes planned coach use, RV parks or Dry Camping)
Can you be patient and plan on serial use or do you want to be able to run everything all at once (parallel use)? This determines your demand or amount of "load" you have to tolerate.
Next you chose the size/type of genset, battery bank, solar arrays, 240/120 vs 120 and 24V vs 12 battery banks. Then you determine how you "group" the applicances/fixtures between balanced legs of the genset or battery bank(s).
Having done, [actually havingt attempted to do all this], consider this only a "trial run" because before now you didn't have enough information and basic data to make a decision, so now go back and really make decisions, rather than "estimates".
This is such an involved area with so many choices and myriad preferences that it can hardly be addressed over the BB.
I'd recommend making it to Arcadia, Fla, to Bussin' 2005 over New Years. You'll have such a resource of smart fellas and gals that you'll be able to expose yourself to all the knowledge you need, but, at the same time, I'll guarrantee that nobody short of a real genius, will be able to manage all that info the first pass thru!
In preparation, I'd consider reading Galey's Bus Converter's Bible, Dave Smead's Books on 12V from amplepower.com and George Myers of Epic Conversion Support. at www.busnut.com/secs.html
There's enough info in these books to make your head hurt. But that's just a warm-up for what you'll absorb at Bussin'2005
Lot's of converter's get impatient with the "basement" where all the "utilities" are. Please don't, you ultimately want systems that are safe and perform, rather than a rolling maintenance project (headache, that is!).
Good Luck,
Marc Bourget |
H3 (Ace)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 - 11:32 pm: | |
Ro sum it up, most home conversions have ONE inverter somewhere in the 2000-4000 watt size! That usually is enough to power what is needed. Unless your building a multi million dollar coach like some we know, then two inverters is not necessary! Remember those big buck coach conversion that have two inverters and are pro done usually have electronic everything including things you would never dream of really needing the extra box. As I said, one is sufficient and you'll see that most HOME self done conversions only have one!
Mine will have one (2500) and it will be plenty for what I need it to power!
See for yourself as Mr B has said. Visit the upcoming rally in Arcadia!
Ace |
bruce king
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 - 12:08 am: | |
I put two sw 4024s into my bus, and 24 t105s. I mostly did that because i'm an engineer and it was cool. Now I have to figure out a way to rationalize why i did that.
my setup is two banks of 12 t105s, for a total of 24 t105 batteries. I wanted to be able to run the roof acs off inverter power, and to be able to start and run all three roof acs for a while without having to start or run the generator. This way I can have stationary ac during generator quiet times (although roof ac is noisy by itself. more noisy than the generator, actually)
I run a computer on my bus, and liked the idea that the computer was running on a very big UPS -- clean, reliable power that was not interruptible. I also liked that the inverter would then control the generator as it saw fit, which met a design goal that the bus should maintain itself as much as possible.
each inverter will only draw 30a towards charging the batteries, maximum. Which means if you have a generator that puts out more than 3kW it doesn't do you any good for recharging. Having two banks and two inverters allows you to use 60a max towards charging.
I've got a 12.5kW generator, so when the system is charging, I can theoretically use approx 45% of the generators output to charge the batteries. And the reality is that the batteries draw fewer amps as they approach full charge, so my actual draw is usually much less than 45%. My clamp-on ammeter says that at 90% charge each bank of 12 t105s is only drawing 6a.
Diesel engines run best under load, i've been told, so having two allows me to load the generator with something useful for the duration of its run. I can go from 75% charge to 95% charge in about 3 hours; and with a large bank, that charge will last me from 2 to 3 days of normal use in my bus.
During the time that the gen is running, each inverter will draw up to 30a for charging, and pass through up to 30a of additional current for use in running loads -- so your batteries will charge and your stuff will run simultaneously.
which comes back to the generator size. 60a charging, 60a live load == 120a, generator is 12.5k, so I can use 90%+ of the generator output.
Bruce |
Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 - 12:41 am: | |
Patti, when you're trying to figure this out, remember that the Trace line of sine wave inverter, now sold as Xantrex SW, has a power supplementation feature.
This means that you can use more power at one time than you can get from your shore power hookup. When loads are reduced, the inverter charges the batteries instead.
The surges are what usually get you if your power supply is too light, so the above feature makes a lot of difference in planning your setup.
Good luck.
Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576
Suncatcher |
Jock Fugitt (Busjock)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 - 7:26 pm: | |
Ron & Patti,
As mentioned, it all depends on what you will want to run. If you have 230 volt dryer etc, and you want to run it off the bartteries (lots of them) then you will probably need two stacked as 230 volt setup..
I have an eneinering note and several worksheets that are very usefull in calculating uour expected loads.. If you email me, I would be glad to send them along.
Jock |
CoryDane RTSII
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 - 7:48 pm: | |
Just a thought on the Xantrex(TRACE)4024.
When Xantrex changed the inverters name, it also changed the programing. THe Xantrex (trace)4024 does not have all the functions that the old TRACE brand inverter did. I selected the old TRACE brand because it allowed more control that I was interested in the the Xantrex (TRACE) did not.
In some cases, the Xantrex (Trace) inverter can be upgraded with more $ to try to come close to the old TRACE inverter.
Don't be mistaken, the Xantrex(TRACE) inverter and the old TRACE inverter are only physically identical. Operational, they are very different.
find a site with the manual for both the TRACE inverter and the XANTEX(TRACE) inverter and you can compare for yourself.
"thinking that you should see the whole picture before you layout all that money"
cd |
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