Samlex America SEC-2415UL - Manuel (Page 12)

12 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
seCtIOn 5 | Installation & Charger Operation
connecting the Batteries or
other Dc loads
The output has a common Negative (-)
terminal and 3 Positive terminals for
charging up to 3 independent banks of
batteries. Each Positive connector has it's
own internal isolating diode which works
as a battery isolator. If more than one bank
of batteries is connected, these will be
charged at the same time as long as the
AC power is available to the charger (the
maximum charging current of 15 A of
SEC-1215UL/SEC-2415UL and 30 A of
SEC-1230UL will be shared among the
connected banks of the batteries depend-
ing upon their discharged states). In case
the AC power fails or if there is no output
from the charger, the isolating diodes will
prevent charging / discharging among the
batteries connected to the banks.
The above arrangement works as a battery
isolator and can divide the charging cur-
rent into a maximum of 3 isolated branches
and allows current flow in each branch in
one direction only. If more than one bat-
tery systems are being used independently,
the system batteries will discharge to
different levels. If system batteries are con-
nected in parallel to charge from a single
charger, a weak or a dead battery will drain
the charge from the strong battery. Such
situation occurs in RVs, boats and other
vehicles where 2 separate battery systems
are used – starter battery for starting and
running the engine and the other auxiliary
/ house battery system for running auxiliary
devices like inverters, refrigerators, car
stereos etc. Here, the starter battery should
be connected to one bank and the auxiliary
/ house battery to the second bank. Fig. 5.1
shows this connection.
In a single battery bank, two or more
batteries may be connected in parallel to
increase their AH capacity. These will be
discharged and charged as a single battery
bank. In this case, the paralleled bank of
multiple batteries is to be considered as
a single bank and connected to any one
of the 3 banks of the charger as shown in
Fig. 5.2 for bank of 4 batteries. For proper
charging of all the batteries, please ensure
that the Positive wire “A” from the charger
is connected to the Positive terminal of the
first battery (Battery 1) and the Negative
wire “B” is connected to the Negative
terminal of the last battery (Battery 4). This
will ensure the following:
• Resistance of the interconnecting cables
will be balanced and the individual bat-
teries will see the same series resistance
• All the individual batteries will be
charged at the same charging current
and thus will be charged to the same
state of charge
• None of the batteries will see an over-
charge condition
When connecting a single battery or other
single DC load, it can be connected to the
common Negative and any one of the 3
Positive terminals as in Fig. 5.2.
oPeRAtion
When the charger is switched on, the
red LeD lights up indicating that output
voltage is available. When the batteries
are being charged or when the charger
is supplying other DC load, the current
fed by the charger will be indicated by
the ammeter.
When the batteries are discharged, they
will draw charging current proportional
to their discharged condition (up to a
maximum current rating of the charger)
and this current draw will be shown by