This article provides some simple testing methods for TS4-F (Fire Safety) products.
Contents:
- Signal Quality Test with Safety Voltages
- Measuring Safety Voltage of Strings
- Signal Quality Test Results
- Measuring Vmp of Strings/MPPTS
Signal Quality Test with Safety Voltages
- Turn on all inverters (AC = ON & DC = ON)
- Disconnect the AC power to the inverter to be tested for signal integrity, while keeping all other inverters ON (Tested inverter will have AC = OFF & DC = ON; all other inverters will have AC = ON & DC = ON)
- Check RSS transmitter LEDs to verify the transmitter is OFF on the inverter to be tested
- Open all fuses on the inverter to be tested
- Put positive probes on positive screw terminal and the negative probes to the negative bus
- Measure 0.6 V * (#), where # is the quantity of TS4s that comprise a string and document the measurement
- Verify # correlates with your as-built string count
- Turn on tested inverter AC so now all inverters have AC and DC power switched on again.
- Move to the next inverter to be tested, then repeat steps 2-4 for all inverters until every inverter in the system has been individually tested.
Measuring Safety Voltage of Strings
- Switch AC to OFF & DC to ON, then OPEN all fuses
- Confirm RSS transmitter is OFF by verifying LEDs
- Measure the voltage across the positive and negative terminals:
- Put positive probes on left side positive screw terminal
- Put negative probes on the bus to the right
- Document what you measure and confirm the as-built string count correlates with your measurements.
You should measure 0.6 V × (#), where (#) is the quantity of TS4s that comprise a string.
Signal Quality Test Results
Measuring Vmp of Strings/MPPTS
- Wait until the array is in sunlight.
- Switch AC to ON & DC to ON
- Confirm RSS transmitter is ON with LEDs
- Measure the voltage across the positive and negative terminals:
- Put positive probes on left side positive screw terminal
- Put negative probes on the bus to the right
- Document what you measure and confirm the as-built string count correlates with your measurements.
You should measure (*Vmp) × (#), where (#) is the quantity of TS4s that comprise a string.
* Voltage at Maximum Power (Vmp):
The voltage available from the PV Module and/or Tigo TS4-F (MLPE) when they are connected to a load source (like an inverter or charge controller). This value represents the maximum capacity that the module can provide, under standard test conditions. Vmp can be around 70 to 80% of the Voc (Voltage at Open Circuit).