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Forum Index : Electronics : Bryan's Inverter build

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Godoh
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Joined: 26/09/2020
Location: Australia
Posts: 559
Posted: 06:08am 09 Sep 2024
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Hi Bryan, I use double pole DC breakers on the input side of my GTI inverters and also double pole AC breakers on the output.
The labels on my inverters say turn the output off first then the input to isolate them.
Turning off the AC breakers on the output shuts them down by anti islanding then isolating the panels from them makes them safe to work on.
300 volts DC would be pretty nasty if it got hold of you.
I run one of my GTI inverters at around 240 volts DC and the other is around 170 volts DC. I would have liked to keep the DC under the 120 volt level but the GTIs I have wont start up at that voltage.
Have fun
Glad to hear the ute just needed and oil change. Not sure why it would smoke so much and need a trailer but hopefully it is fixed
Pete
 
Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1172
Posted: 09:38am 06 Sep 2025
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If you want to scratch off some of the conformal coating and solder some wire onto the board, some details Here

And Here  is the boards the code and setup, depends on which version you have, 2 resistor's  on the power board were changed to 5K1, you might have done that all ready, there is version 1 and version 2 of the controller board if you use them or some other.
Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 04:23am 07 Sep 2025
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Hi Aaron thanks for those links mate lots of good reading too  

Anyway dusted all the cobwebs of the inverter board and the driver board and had jacked red back to contend with  

Now as I do have the HY5608 fets I'm only going to 3 on each leg to start as if I do blow them it's only 12 fets gone to fet heaven.

Got all the passives soldered in and this morning put all the 5 watt resistors on ready to solder in.  

Now with the fet spacing for the heatsinks it has been that long the grey matter has kicked in so if one does have that measurement  it could save me from doing it more than once due to incorrect spacing.

Regards Bryan

Edit: Ok measuring with my Verniers I got 24.4mm spacing between the centre hole of the each mosfet.
Edited 2025-09-07 15:26 by Bryan1
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 07:53am 07 Sep 2025
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Well finally got the main board all finished   now silly me after drilling didn't take the heatsink off the mill and sure enough on the 11th hole broke a tap   O'well my 3mm taps have lasted well over 20 years   so from then on took the heatsink off and deburred it and got the rest of the holes tapped. On one heatsink the original mounting hole on the Aerosharp got in the way but eh there is no real need to use 6 HY5608 fets each rail.








I still need to make some brackets to clamp the heatsinks and it does say the low side has to be isolated but this black duck doesn't know what side that is   so once I do know I can join the heatsinks on the high side.

Cheers Bryan
 
poida

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Joined: 02/02/2017
Location: Australia
Posts: 1439
Posted: 08:33am 07 Sep 2025
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my 4 x 4 FET inverter is still going since about Aug 2019.
I've seen 90+ AMPS at 50V into it. probably more.
It might be a how to say.."not quite perfect design" but it does not die.
IF..
if it has enough inductance at the highest DC current input and then some
on the primary choke.
And at high frequencies too.

if there is not enough, the short high current spikes will munt the FETs.
(munt being an Un Zud saying - waves to Solar Mike)

best of luck and keep a few coldies in the fridge.
wronger than a phone book full of wrong phone numbers
 
Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1172
Posted: 09:07am 07 Sep 2025
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Hi Bryan, For some reason I thought you had the original Red MAD Boards, anyway I forget things as well, I have a set of these green PCB's that Poida posted on the forum some time back, haven't built the power board yet, but  have completed 2 of the controller boards, On the Power PCB (the side that has the 10 pin connector) under the heatsink on the PCB it is marked VS1 and VS2 and are split heatsinks.
Your build is looking good.
Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 09:27am 07 Sep 2025
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Poida our house Selectronic SA32 has been going 24/7 since'04   and my shed Kipoint inverter where I sent an email to them in '05 with the same spec's of the Selectronic they designed a 3Kw around the spec's. I also mentioned don't bother with a LCD as it die over time so it was left out.

Now as I do have a heap of those HY5608 fets I will put one more on each leg so they run nice and cool under load.
Edited 2025-09-07 19:42 by Bryan1
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 10:38am 13 Sep 2025
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Well finally got those 2 aerosharps home and man are they heavy so tomorrows job is opening them up to look at all the goodies and get the toroids out. I reckon I will use one of the cases for this inverter project too as the case looks to have plenty of room to fit everything.

Edit: Well got the first toroid out




Now for a bit of cleanup and do the other one
Edited 2025-09-14 09:49 by Bryan1
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 12:47am 14 Sep 2025
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Well got the second toroid out and while stripping it I did notice it was different to the first one with the large choke being a potted one.

Now doing an ohm's check on both secondaries the difference betwwen them was 0.01 ohms where the first one was 0.26-0.27 ohms and the second 0.27-0.28 ohms





As one can see each grid tie has different build dates so I don't think it is worth the risk of stacking so just one toroid will be used.

Now once I do get this Madboard inverter finished and working the other toroid can go one one of Mike's inverter boards where I still need to get a heap of parts for that build.

Regards Bryan
 
Godoh
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Joined: 26/09/2020
Location: Australia
Posts: 559
Posted: 01:24am 14 Sep 2025
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They look great Bryan. What wattage are you going for with the new inverter?
Have fun with them.
Pete
 
KeepIS

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Joined: 13/10/2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 1901
Posted: 01:44am 14 Sep 2025
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It's a shame that the 250V windings are not the first winding on the cores, in any case I've started huge loads in testing with my own test aerosharp setup, using the 230v winding and 14 turn input winding, again, constant power level is only limited by the 230V winding size and how well you control the maximum core temperature under high constant loads. Of course if you decide to rewind from a bare core then you remove most of the limitations.

Very Nice cores  
NANO Inverter: Full download - Only Hex Ver 8.1Ks
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 02:14am 14 Sep 2025
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Hi Pete by wattage did you mean voltage ??? if so 24 volts mate as those forklift batteries I put back in 2012 are still going strong so no need to setup to 48 volts for the next decade I reckon  

Keepis I've no intention of rewinding the cores as I like my fingers the way they are   Now with the small hole in the core I'm glad to be on 24 volts as just to get 12 turns thru that hole is going to be a challenge let alone more turns for a 48 volt system.

Now as you have plenty of experience with these cores which winding would be the best to use. Now on reading my double stacked thread by using a transformer one can excite the core so lets say I use 11 turns of wire for the primary then measure each winding to see where I can get the 220 volt output. By going this way I can deterime the number of turns on the primary if my thinking is right.
Edited 2025-09-14 12:35 by Bryan1
 
Godoh
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Joined: 26/09/2020
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Posts: 559
Posted: 02:46am 14 Sep 2025
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Hi Bryan , no I meant what power output are you aiming for from the inverter.
I know the transformers are 3kw, but with only 3 transistors a side, I was wondering how much power you are hoping to get from the inverter.
As far as output voltage goes, I is probably better to aim higher than 220 volts.
Otherwise on heavy loads the voltage may dip too low for starting heavy loads.
I read that you are not going to unwind the transformers to make more room for the low voltage winding, I hope that you have enough room for the big cable.
I rewound my stacked cores and took some laminations out of the middle to give me a 100 mm core diameter. That was only just enough for my low voltage winding to fit in.
I used fibreglass insulated 12mm x 3 mm flat copper for my low voltage side.
good luck
Pete
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 03:55am 14 Sep 2025
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Ah now I get you Pete well mate I am going to put one more fet on each bridge so it will be 4 0ff HY5608 mosfets so they should run nice and cool.

Now my Unimig 182 states it needs 7Kva and I did try the mig out with that first inverter I made where it did work nicely doing a 100mm fillet weld using gasless wire  

Back in the day that Kipoint inverter took everything I threw at it but the day I arc welded the 2 ovens over a long day killed the surge on the Kipoint.

Now as I do have that 100 litre milkcan boiler it would be nice to finally get it in use so I only need to a couple of runs a year. Now for the heating a 3.5K element is on all the time and a 2.4Kw element is on a voltage controller so I can see how the inverter goes with the 3.5Kw element and gradually bring the voltage on the 2.4Kw and see how it goes.

As I am back working again my shed bank is fully charged for the weekend for me to play   Now with 735AH traction battery there is plenty of power to be used.

I do have that 3hp aircon on my shed wall and when I ran it on my 16hp listeroid alot of times when I hit the cool on the aircon the belt would come flying off due to the current draw where it acted like a brake on the 5Kw genhead.

When I put the Kipoint inverter in it also ran it but most times it beeped saying over current. I do have a soft starter for it but never got a sparkie around to fit it.

Down the track I do want to get a plasma cutter and I'll setup the air for it so a air compressor will also be in the mix.
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 06:59am 14 Sep 2025
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So if I have this write the 230 volt primary is wound over the secondary so I can remove the primary to make more room for fitting the new primary for the inverter
 
KeepIS

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Joined: 13/10/2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 1901
Posted: 10:29pm 14 Sep 2025
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I think you will find that the 230V primary is the first winding on the core, the 250V winding (which would be ideal to use) is wound over the top of the 230v.

I could be wrong, but from memory I think this is the PRI/SEC definitions they use.
NANO Inverter: Full download - Only Hex Ver 8.1Ks
 
Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1547
Posted: 07:31am 15 Sep 2025
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Thanks for that information Keepis   I will take the insulation off one of the toroids for a look see some time this week. I got in touch with Poida and he sent me the ino files so one step closer to getting finished.

Yesterday I fired up my old laptop with Linux on only to be told the OS wasn't supported anymore so tried the ethernet on my shed hub but it wouldn't connect so just used my phone. Downloaded the new OS and installed it along with all the updates etc and just under 5 gig was downloaded.

So this week the job is to load all the programs on and the Arduino software will be the first one so I can load in the nano's with the software.
 
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