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Forum Index : Electronics : Bryan's Inverter build
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Godoh Guru ![]() Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 559 |
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 |
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Revlac![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1172 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
Well finally got the main board all finished ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 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 ![]() ![]() Cheers Bryan |
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poida![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 02/02/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1439 |
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 |
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Revlac![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1172 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
Poida our house Selectronic SA32 has been going 24/7 since'04 ![]() 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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
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 |
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Godoh Guru ![]() Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 559 |
They look great Bryan. What wattage are you going for with the new inverter? Have fun with them. Pete |
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KeepIS![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1901 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
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 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 |
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Godoh Guru ![]() Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 559 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
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 ![]() 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. |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
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 |
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KeepIS![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1901 |
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 |
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Bryan1![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1547 |
Thanks for that information Keepis ![]() 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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