Lets Play Sherlock Holmes - The lightning incident.....
- Thread starter Crowz
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As you can see in the above video it doesn't look like the strike was really even close to my panels. Right???
Now this video shows the meters monitoring my 12v system and its panels are on the opposite side of my house so WAY away from the first video. But at the EXACT same moment that strike occurs the 12v system is effected.
Notice how the 3amp draw goes to 2amps as the 12v gowise inverter turns off from the strike.
Now this video shows the meters monitoring my 12v system and its panels are on the opposite side of my house so WAY away from the first video. But at the EXACT same moment that strike occurs the 12v system is effected.
Notice how the 3amp draw goes to 2amps as the 12v gowise inverter turns off from the strike.
Now for the sleuthing part of this.
In that split second of strike two things occured.
One the tp6048's display messed up and now just shows error 32 but the unit is still working fine making power from the solar panels and running on the battery as needed and using grid power as needed. All working fine I just can't see anything other than error 32 on the display and its not talking to the pi running solar assistant.
Two the 12v system's go wise inverter turned off. I was able to press the power button and it turned right back on and is working perfectly.
So the question is what happened?
What effected my equipment?
In that split second of strike two things occured.
One the tp6048's display messed up and now just shows error 32 but the unit is still working fine making power from the solar panels and running on the battery as needed and using grid power as needed. All working fine I just can't see anything other than error 32 on the display and its not talking to the pi running solar assistant.
Two the 12v system's go wise inverter turned off. I was able to press the power button and it turned right back on and is working perfectly.
So the question is what happened?
What effected my equipment?
ricardocello
Watching and Learning
EMP? This looks difficult to diagnose. Do you have long ethernet cable to the Pi?
I also had lightning yesterday afternoon, and the camera closest to it spontaneously rebooted. Still working though.
I also had lightning yesterday afternoon, and the camera closest to it spontaneously rebooted. Still working though.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
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Patch cable. Not shielded.
Differential pair gets common mode. Ethernet magnetics have split-phase transformer, with a capacitor from center tap to PCB "ground" reference"
A high energy pulse coupled into cable would cause a pulse to travel across ground reference.
Similar coupling to PV wires.
And current through ground, capacitively couples to panels, rides PV wires in.
Wires as antennas, and multiply grounded circuits, should be most affected.
Differential pair gets common mode. Ethernet magnetics have split-phase transformer, with a capacitor from center tap to PCB "ground" reference"
A high energy pulse coupled into cable would cause a pulse to travel across ground reference.
Similar coupling to PV wires.
And current through ground, capacitively couples to panels, rides PV wires in.
Wires as antennas, and multiply grounded circuits, should be most affected.
So what would be the solution to protect against this again?
I think the spark sound mentioned isn't an actual spark sound as the other cameras seem to sound like that too and some of them are 100 yards away. Not saying its not possible but they sound that way too to me.
So I need to replace the ethernet cables with uber shielded ones.
The gowise inverter turning off is the real mystery in this one to me. It had no real load on it when it happened and the only common wire between the two systems is the power supply for the pi which pulls power from the 12v systems bus bars. I would think it would of fried it if anything substantial went thru it.
I think the spark sound mentioned isn't an actual spark sound as the other cameras seem to sound like that too and some of them are 100 yards away. Not saying its not possible but they sound that way too to me.
So I need to replace the ethernet cables with uber shielded ones.
The gowise inverter turning off is the real mystery in this one to me. It had no real load on it when it happened and the only common wire between the two systems is the power supply for the pi which pulls power from the 12v systems bus bars. I would think it would of fried it if anything substantial went thru it.
Was it the one connected to Raspberry Pi? I am thinking a pulse came from your internet modem (cable/dsl) and went into your electrical ground via your RPi > USB > inverter path. Check inverter USB interface board for visual damage. It might also coupled into 12V system via RPi and could be the reason Gowise inverter glitched.
The pi is connected to a wifi extender. So its wireless from the houses internet to a wifi extender in the workshop.
home > wifi in house > wifi in workshop > ethernet cable to pi in same room > usb to net cable to tp6048 inverter.
Camera rolling shutter would do that.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
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My experience from installing and maintaining electronic equipment is that things can be done to diminish damage from lightning, but it's impossible to completely eliminate it.
I worked for 3 different computer and control companies and in all cases, the maintenance contracts were written to exclude any damage that was the result of a lightning strike.
I worked for 3 different computer and control companies and in all cases, the maintenance contracts were written to exclude any damage that was the result of a lightning strike.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
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A "Star" topology to ground would be best, all electrical equipment chassis tied to each other with shielded cables forming no loops, and a single connection to earth ground. Any other interconnecting data being optical, to avoid forming a loop. Wires to PV array also shielded, and NOT tied to a ground rod at array (conflicts with safety codes.)
Surge protection in various places, especially PV+/PV-/chassis.
PV array, which forms a loop, scrambled in such a way to be a twisted pair, no net loop. But near field coupling will hit it with uneven field strength, so not perfect.
PV array spins a motor, mechanically coupled to a generator on other side of faraday cage through shaft rotating in mercury.
If we can make this thing strategically hard, it shouldn't have any trouble surviving a measly lightning strike.
Surge protection in various places, especially PV+/PV-/chassis.
PV array, which forms a loop, scrambled in such a way to be a twisted pair, no net loop. But near field coupling will hit it with uneven field strength, so not perfect.
PV array spins a motor, mechanically coupled to a generator on other side of faraday cage through shaft rotating in mercury.
If we can make this thing strategically hard, it shouldn't have any trouble surviving a measly lightning strike.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
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The mainframe computers I installed and maintained always had a motor generator on them .... we wouldn't install them any other way ...... It wasn't in a faraday cage ...... at some point, it is less expensive to repair than try to further protect.
The larger the footprint of the system and the more individual buildings, the more difficult to stop lightning damage.
I'm thinking one of these at the panels themselves :
One thing I'm curious about its listed as 300v dc but shows mcov of 470v. So its 470v max?
I would actually be putting one of these at each of the 4 different array sites I have.
One thing I'm curious about its listed as 300v dc but shows mcov of 470v. So its 470v max?
I would actually be putting one of these at each of the 4 different array sites I have.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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lol
From what I'm reading :
The MCOV rating of an MOV arrester is important because it's the recommended magnitude limit of continuously applied voltage. If you operate the arrester at a voltage level greater than its MCOV, the metal oxide elements will operate at a higher-than-recommended temperature. This may lead to premature failure or shortened life.
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Since the max voltage I would have on a string will be 400v the mcov of 470v should be fine.
The MCOV rating of an MOV arrester is important because it's the recommended magnitude limit of continuously applied voltage. If you operate the arrester at a voltage level greater than its MCOV, the metal oxide elements will operate at a higher-than-recommended temperature. This may lead to premature failure or shortened life.
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Since the max voltage I would have on a string will be 400v the mcov of 470v should be fine.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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At the array, only protects the array.
At the SCC location can help protect your equipment.
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