3 phase to a 2 Phase Eg4 18kpv Inverter

[timselectric]

There should be error codes telling why it shutdown.

 

[FullNuke]

Good morning! Keep in mind this is Caribbean electric

Pool motor: Yes double pole breaker 220V
Tankless: Yes double pole breaker 220V
Mini Splits: Yes double pole breakers 220V

See attached pictures.

I have not even touched the settings mode on the EG4 KPV because I do not want to mess with it until I speak with someone. but here are pictures of everything. If you would like me to check a setting I am all for it.

The blue 50 breakers in the main house panel: left goes to the Eg4 KPV and then the right one receives it from the Eg4 and then to the apartment subpanel

The apartment subpanel has the same double pole 50 breaker. Pictures

I also included the pool motor connection; seems like this causes the EG4 KPV to stop suppling power to the LOAD. The pool motor is connected to a meter to measure the readings to charge back my tenant for his subpanel use. Tenants Subpanel - Pool Motor since it is on his subpanel.

The line that is coming into the Pool Motor timer on the right is the line coming directly from the pool motor.

 

[FullNuke]

There should be error codes telling why it shutdown.

How do I look up this error code; I do have a "Notice" and a "Warning" light.

I also noticed that this is giving me no consumption numbers at all; just giving me the below picture; and its been running for a couple days now.

 

[timselectric]

How do I look up this error code; I do have a "Notice" and a "Warning" light.

I also noticed that this is giving me no consumption numbers at all; just giving me the below picture; and its been running for a couple days now.

Maybe touch the "notice" on the screen?
I'm not familiar with it.

 

[FullNuke]

I messed with the screen a bit and here are the alarms...

Also I ran the pool motor alone and it does pop after 3 minutes; and the alarm is "Trip by VAC adnormal".

This is only when the pool motor runs; it has something to do with the pool motor?

 

[FullNuke]

Reading other forum posts with the same issue; it sounds like it is a firmware update problem?

 

[ricardocello]

See attached pictures.

thanks. I don’t see any L3 (typically Gray wire) being used. is that true?

 

[FullNuke]

I also have everything in the off position; battery breaker, PV and the side Off and ON; I just plugged in the wifi doggle and am able to update the firmware. Sorry I usually take caution and rather talk to Signature Solar to do step by step; with dipsticks etc...

 

[Quattrohead]

You probably need to turn that all off and wait until you have read the manual and understand what's going on. Those tiny wires are going to burn up in short order. You also need to find out what the current rating is on the tankless water heater and the pool pump.

 

[ksmithaz1]

I work on 208 often. And I see it coming from the utility around 220. I rarely see 208. It is always higher in my area. If I see 218 on a 208 service, I consider it good.

I find this amusing & true. I was working in the MDF at work after he mis-wired my effing brand new UPS outputs to a short blowing a board. I stuck a meter on the feed got something like 215, I said "215, seems OK", and got a "That's low it should be 240" response. I had just watched him pull a dual breaker off a 3-phase panel. I'd rather avoid having a residential electrician friendly with the higher up's working on commercial power. Grid 240 around here is more like 245. I think "they" boost it to the upper limits to increase total wattage availability. "They" do the same thing with water, I had to put a pressure regulator on my house 10 years back, they blew up a hot water line in the slab, measured the pressure at 140 at my bib next to the feed. It's back to, and normally around 60.

 

[timselectric]

You probably need to turn that all off and wait until you have read the manual and understand what's going on. Those tiny wires are going to burn up in short order. You also need to find out what the current rating is on the tankless water heater and the pool pump.

Good catch.
They definitely aren't capable of carrying 50a. (Breaker size)

I also have everything in the off position; battery breaker, PV and the side Off and ON; I just plugged in the wifi doggle and am able to update the firmware. Sorry I usually take caution and rather talk to Signature Solar to do step by step; with dipsticks etc...

You don't have the correct size conductors.
The breaker should be the weakest link, not the wire.
I'm guessing that the alarm is due to voltage drop on the tiny wires.

 

[timselectric]

thanks. I don’t see any L3 (typically Gray wire) being used. is that true?

Correct, he's only connected to one of the phases.
In a split-phase configuration. (L1, L2, N, G)

 

[zanydroid]

I work on 208 often. And I see it coming from the utility around 220. I rarely see 208. It is always higher in my area. If I see 218 on a 208 service, I consider it good.

So one theoretical concern I have is that this will work OK at the upper tolerance range of 120/208. But this 127/220 would be the nominal grid voltage which has its own upper tolerance, which would be above the U.S. upper tolerance

 

[ksmithaz1]

Make sure your firmware is fully up to date as first order of priority.

I know it's sort of good money after bad, but I'd just get another, boosting your demand capacity. "It's only money", in for a penny, ... Over the long term this is going to give you a severe headache if you don't make it sane, in particular if you start re-arranging electrical panels to get stuff on the phase you need, that is not going to be free, and you will likely overload a phase. Spend a little time researching "3-phase" power, but what you are doing is sending three lower current feeds instead of one higher current one. It's likely your 3-phase is 50A or so, this means you run a smaller gauge wire , but three conductors, so you get 3X the current 50A, or 150A total vs a single 240v/150A service. This gives you THREE sources of 208v between each of the hot legs L1-L2, L1-L3, and L2-L3, but it limits each to 50A. Because of this it is unlikely you are wired to have all your high demand items on the same leg pair.

 

[ricardocello]

Correct, he's only connected to one of the phases.
In a split-phase configuration. (L1, L2, N, G)

If he has a 220V load on L2 and L3, and L2 goes through the 18kPV but L3 doesn't, and the grid drops out, the inverter will only be powering L2 and N. What will will happen?

And aren't L1 and L2 only 120 degrees apart? Shouldn't the 18kPV be told that?

 

[timselectric]

If he has a 220V load on L2 and L3, and L2 goes through the 18kPV but L3 doesn't, and the grid drops out, the inverter will only be powering L2 and N. What will will happen?

Bad things will happen.

And aren't L1 and L2 only 120 degrees apart? Shouldn't the 18kPV be told that?

the phases are 120° apart. Not two legs of one phase.
L3 & L1 is phase A
L1 & L2 is phase B
L2 & L3 is phase C

The neutral is a common center tap for all 3 phases. (In a WYE configuration)

 

[ricardocello]

Bad things will happen.

That's what I've been worried about (for the OP).

 

[ricardocello]

the phases are 120° apart. Not two legs of one phase.

Mental model has been corrected, thank you.

 

[Supervstech]

Any time ANY loads are consumed on the unused line to one of the used lines, the inverter will trip.
To do this safely, in addition to correctly sizing conductors to the loads, you are going to need the second 18Kpv...

 

[Hedges]

Spend a little time researching "3-phase" power, but what you are doing is sending three lower current feeds instead of one higher current one. It's likely your 3-phase is 50A or so, this means you run a smaller gauge wire , but three conductors, so you get 3X the current 50A, or 150A total vs a single 240v/150A service. This gives you THREE sources of 208v between each of the hot legs L1-L2, L1-L3, and L2-L3, but it limits each to 50A.

If the feed is 50A per leg x 120V x 3 legs = 18,000W
18,000W / 208V / 3 legs = 28.8A, not 50A

Two 208V loads are pulling on one 50A 120V phase, but each at a 60 degree angle.
28.8A x sin(60) x 2 = 50A
Of course if the two 208V loads are not equal, the net draw is out of phase current.
The inverters may be able to deliver more than 28.8A to a single 208V load, maybe even 50A. In which case two inverters are each delivering 6kVA but only 3kW. Their internal power dissipation probably approaches what it would have been for 6kW, lower efficiency.

I think you're correct it "limits each to 50A", just can't support all three at once 50A. Assuming the inverter is happy with reactive loads.