The FOX-200 is a comfortable solar charge regulator for surface mounting. This FOX you can combine with any type of solar panel from any manufacturer.
This regulator takes care of your complete solar system and your batteries.
Overcharge Protection (series 100...)
A solar charge regulator has to control the battery voltage. In a 12 V battery system the voltage can vary between 10.0 V and 14.4 V depending of the actual state of charge of the battery, charge current, discharge current and the age of the battery.
When you have a normal full loaded battery and no charging or discharging current is flowing than the battery voltage is about 12.4 V to 12.6 V. At that moment when a charging current is flowing the voltage jumps to a higher level e.g. 13.6 V (depending of the current) - when a load is switched on the voltage drops down to a lower lever e.g. 12.0 or 11.8 V (also depending on the current).
When the solar panels produce energy the current is flowing into the battery and by the time the voltage level increase up to the range of 14.1 V. Now the overcharge protection has to starts the work.
When the level of 14.1 V is reached than the FOX reduce the charging current (by pulse wide modulation). Depending on the state of charge of the battery the current could be reduced from 100% to 0% continuously. The level of 14.1 V (step 2) is a good compromise for fast charging of the battery by a low gasing rate. When the voltage level is continuously 14.1 V for 40 minutes than the FOX reduce the maximum voltage down to 13.7 V (step 3). At this voltage there is no gasing at all. The charging voltage level will be 14.1 V again after the battery was a little bit discharged(voltage lower 12.4 V)
The first step of the FOX charging characteristic is the gasing charge situation. The reason for that is, the acid inside the battery must be well mixed to increase capacity and lifetime of the battery. While charging up to 14.5 V (step 1) inside the battery bubbles comes into being and mix the liquid while moving to the surface. The gasing charge program will run every 3 days and remains for 20 min.
Step 2 will run for 40 minutes and every time when the battery level falls lower than 12.4 V.
This charging program looks like a very complicate program - but this work does the microprocessor inside the FOX for you!
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| Reverse-Current Protection (series 100...)
The reverse current protection is necessary, because in the darkness the solar module becomes a small consumer. This current is approximately 30 - 100 mA depending on the type of the solar panels. This effect appears only while absolute darkness NOT by twilight!
At that moment when the current change the direction (from charging to discharging) the modules will be disconnect from the battery, they will be reconnected when the voltage of the solar modules is higher than the battery voltage. To reduce the voltage lost between battery and solar panel we have integrated 2 power MOSFET's to replace the typical Shottky diode (The voltage lost of a Shottky diode is constantly 0,55V)
Deep Discharge Protection
The discharge protection is made for small loads (consumers) for up to 12 A. Big loads like refrigerators, sine wave inverters ... you have to connect directly to battery.
After connecting the load to the regulator the battery is protected against to be discharged completely. A 12.0 V battery is empty when the voltage falls below 10.5 V. This value vary by the high of the load, this means when a strong pump or starter for the engine is running than the voltage could fall below that value - for a short time.
If the voltage falls below 10.8 V for a period of minimum 20 sec than the power of the load connector will be switch off for minimum 30 seconds. Than all loads which are connected directly to the battery are OFF. If the battery voltage increase again (in front of charging the battery or switching off the big loads) above 11.8 V for more than 20 seconds than the power for the loads will be switch ON again for a minimum time of 30 seconds. The delay of 30 seconds is integrated to protect the system against a swinging situation.
Deep Discharge Protection
The discharge protection is made for small loads (consumers) for up to 12 A. Big loads like refrigerators, sine wave inverters ... you have to connect directly to battery.
After connecting the load to the regulator the battery is protected against to be discharged completely. A 12.0 V battery is empty when the voltage falls below 10.5 V. This value vary by the high of the load, this means when a strong pump or starter for the engine is running than the voltage could fall below that value - for a short time.
If the voltage falls below 10.8 V for a period of minimum 20 sec than the power of the load connector will be switch off for minimum 30 seconds. Than all loads which are connected directly to the battery are OFF. If the battery voltage increase again (in front of charging the battery or switching off the big loads) above 11.8 V for more than 20 seconds than the power for the loads will be switch ON again for a minimum time of 30 seconds. The delay of 30 seconds is integrated to protect the system against a swinging situation.
The LED' are indicators for:
1) The actual charging level of the battery
The two color LED shows by the color the voltage level of the battery:
a) green = voltage > 12.5 V battery charged
b) yellow = voltage > 11.0 V and < 12,5 V battery normal
c) red = voltage < 11.0 V battery nearly empty |
