Power conversion equipment monitor/controller method and apparatus

Abstract

Power inverter equipment monitor/controller method and apparatus are described. The invented apparatus provides for the semi-automatic state steering and monitoring of an inverter/charger and alternator system. A flat panel user interface includes an array of switches, displays and indicators for establishing modes of operation of the system, for initializing operating parameters of the system and a connected battery, for establishing rates for the system's operation, permit the user to monitor the system's operating mode and charging data (including charging efficiency factor or CEF) while it is operating to charge the battery and to supply AC power to connected appliances. By the one of the preferred methods of the invention, ramping-up the alternator's output of current, sustaining the output until the voltage of the battery is acceptable, adjusting the output while maintaining the battery voltage at an acceptable level, reducing output until float level voltage is obtained and further adjusting output to maintain float level voltage to preserve the battery charge. By the other of the preferred methods, certain charge data related to the charging of the battery--including a present CEF, maximum amp-hour charge level capacity of the battery (AH CL capacity), and the present status of amp-hour charge level--are given and stored in memory, the battery is discharged, the lowest-recorded (LR) AH CL is recorded with recharge begins, completing the recharge and storing amount of amp-hours used to recharge, determining an intermediate CEF by dividing AH used-to-recharge battery by difference between the AH CL capacity and LR AH CL, averaging the present CEF with the intermediate CEF to produce a result which is stored in memory as the present CEF, and resetting present status to the AH CL capacity.