User Manual Renogy VOYAGER 10A PWM Waterproof Solar Charge Controller

• User Manual - (English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese)

• Specification Sheet - (English)

Table of contents

• General Information
• Dimensions
• Optional Component
• Operation
• System Status Icons
• Four Charging Stages
• Troubleshooting
• Maintenance

General Information

The Voyager is an advanced PWM charge controller suitable for 12/24W solar system applications. It features an intuitive LCD displaying information such as charging current and battery voltage, as well as an error code system to quickly diagnose potential faults. The Voyager is completely waterproof and suitable for charging up to 4 different battery types, including Lithium.

Key Features

• Smart PWM technology, high efficiency with reawakening Lithium feature

• Backlit LCD displaying system operating information and error codes

• 4 Battery Type Compatible - Gel, AGM, Flooded, Lithium

• Waterproof design, suitable for indoor or outdoor use

• 4-Stage PWM Charging: Bulk, Absorption, Float, & Equalization

• Protections: Multiple Battery, Controller, and PV electronic protections Common positive charge controller

■ Identification of Parts

■ Key Parts

1. Backlit LCD

2. AMP/VOLT Button

3. BATTERY TYPE Button

4. Remote Temperature Sensor Port

5. Battery Terminals

6. Solar Terminal

Dimensions

Optional Component

The Voyager is shipped by itself with no additional components. Optional components that require a separate purchase:

Voyager Temperature Sensor Measures the temperature at the battery and uses this data for very accurate temperature compensation. The sensor is supplied with a 9.8ft cable length that connects to the charge controller. Simply connect the cable and adhere the sensor on top or the side of the battery to record ambient temperature around the battery.

Connect battery terminal wires to the charge controller FIRST then connect the solar panel(s) to the charge controller. NEVER connect solar panel to charge controller before the battery.

Do not over-torque or over tighten the screw terminals. This could potentially break the piece that holds the wire to the charge controller. Refer to the technical specifications for max wire sizes on the controller and for the maximum amperage going through wires.

Mounting Recommendations:

Never install the controller in a sealed enclosure with flooded batteries. Gas can accumulate and there is a risk of explosion.

The Voyager is designed for vertical mounting on a wall.

1. Choose Mounting Location—place the controller on a vertical surface protected from direct sunlight, high temperatures, and water. Make sure there is good ventilation.

2. Check for Clearance—verify that there is sufficient room to run wires, as well as clearance above and below the controller for ventilation. The clearance should be at least 6 inches (150mm).

3. Mark Holes

4. Drill Holes

5. Secure the charge controller

■ Wiring

The Voyager has 4 terminals which are clearly labeled as “solar" or “battery¹’.

This assumes one 100W panel. The fuse before the charge controller will change depending on the number of solar panels connected.

■ Cable Sizing

NOTE : The solar controller should be installed as near the battery as possible to avoid efficiency loss.

NOTE : When the connections are completed correctly, the solar - controller will turn on and begin working automatically.

Operation

After connecting the battery to the charge controller, the controller will turn on automatically. Assuming normal operation, the charge controller will cycle through different display. They are as follows:

The Voyager is an easy to use controller requiring minimal maintenance. The user can adjust some parameters based on the display screen. The user can manually cycle through the display screens by using the"AMP/VOLT" and "BATTERY TYPE" buttons

Change the Parameters

NOTE : The screen must be at the appropriate interface in order to change the specific parameter.

1. Clear overall power generation to 0 KWh

The user can cycle to the KWh screen by pressing "BATTERY TYPE" or "AMP/VOLT" and in order to reset the current power generation back to 0 kWh the user must hold down "BATTERY TYPE"

2. Selecting Battery Type

WARNING : Incorrect battery type setting may damage your battery. Please check your battery manufacturer's specifications to when selecting battery type. If selecting Lithium and wanting to set Battery Voltage or Charge Parameters, go to “4. Select lithium Battery Voltage and Charge Voltage,” later in this table.

NOTE : SEL is referring to Sealed and AGM battery

In the screen showing the battery voltage, hold down "BATTERY TYPE" for approximately 3-5 seconds before the screen flashes the current battery type. Once flashing, use the "AMP/VOLT" button to select the proper battery type and then hold down "BATTERY TYPE" again to lock in the selected battery type.

3. Change from C* to F*

In the screen showing the temperature of the controller or remote temperature sensor, the user can hold down the "BATTERY TYPE" button for approximately 3-5 seconds to switch from Celsius to Fahrenheit or vice versa.

4. Select Lithium Battery Voltage and Charge Voltage

In the screen showing the battery voltage, hold down "BATTERY TYPE" for approximately 3-5 seconds before the screen flashes the current battery type. Once flashing, use the"AMPA/OLT" button to highlight LI.

Once LI is flashing, tap the "BATTERY TYPE" button and a 12V will flash in the screen.

If you want 12V LI charging, then select the "BATTERY TYPE" again to move to LI Boost Charging Voltage. If you want a 24V LI charging, then you select "AMP/VOLTto move from 12V to 24V LI Charging. Once you confirm your LI Charging (12V or 24V) press "BATTERY TYPE" to move to LI Boost Charging

Press “AMP/VOLT” to change the Boost Voltage. The default setting is 14.2V and the user can set it in the range 12.6-16.0V, in 0.2V increments. Once done, hold “BATTERY TYPE” to confirm the selection. The setting will also be automatically save after 15 seconds without holding “BATTERY TYPE”.

NOTE : Please note if choosing a 24V LI battery setting, the boost charging voltages will still be shown in their 12V values. Multiply the value by 2 to find out 24V charging voltage.

System Status Icons

Four Charging Stages

The Voyager has a 4-stage battery charging algorithm for a rapid, efficient, and safe battery charging. They include: Bulk Charge, Boost Charge, Float Charge, and Equalization.

■ PWM Technology

The Voyager utilizes Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology for battery charging. Battery charging is a current based process so controlling the current will control the battery voltage. For the most accurate return of capacity, and for the prevention of excessive gassing pressure, the battery is required to be controlled by specified voltage regulation set points for Absorption, Float, and Equalization charging stages. The charge controller uses automatic duty cycle conversion, creating pulses of current to charge the battery. The duty cycle is proportional to the difference between the sensed battery voltage and the specified voltage regulation set point. Once the battery reached the specified voltage range, pulse current charging mode allows the battery to react and allows for an acceptable rate of charge for the battery level.

Bulk Charge: This algorithm is used for day to day charging. It uses 100% of available solar power to recharge the battery and is equivalent to constant current.

Boost Charge: When the battery has charged to the Boost voltage set-point, it undergoes an absorption stage which is equivalent to constant voltage regulation to prevent heating and excessive gassing in the battery. The Boost time is 120 minutes.

Float Charge: After Boost Charge, the controller will reduce the battery voltage to a float voltage set point. Once the battery is fully charged, there will be no more chemical reactions and all the charge current would turn into heat or gas. Because of this, the charge controller will reduce the voltage charge to smaller quantity, while lightly charging the battery. The purpose for this is to offset the power consumption while maintaining a full battery storage capacity. If a load drawn from the battery exceeds the charge current, the controller will no longer be able to maintain the battery to a Float set point and the controller will end the float charge stage and refer back to bulk charging.

Equalization: Is carried out every 28 days of the month. It is intentional overcharging of the battery for a controlled period. Certain types of batteries benefit from periodic equalizing charge, which can stir the electrolyte, balance battery voltage and complete chemical reaction. Equalizing charge increases the battery voltage, higher than the standard complement voltage, which gasifies the battery electrolyte.

WARNING

Once equalization is active in the battery charging, it will not exit this stage unless there is adequate charging current from the solar panel. There should be NO load on the batteries when in equalization charging stage.

Over-charging and excessive gas precipitation may damage the battery plates and activate material shedding on them. Too high of equalizing charge or for too long may cause damage. Please carefully review the specific requirements of the battery used in the system.

■ Lithium Battery Activation

The Voyager PWM charge controller has a reactivation feature to awaken a sleeping lithium battery. The protection circuit of Li-ion battery will typically turn the battery off and make it unusable if over-discharged. This can happen when storing a Li-ion pack in a discharged state for any length of time as self-discharge would gradually deplete the remaining charge. Without the wake-up feature to activate and charge batteries, these batteries would become unserviceable and the packs would be discarded. The Voyager will apply a small charge current to activate the protection circuit and if a correct cell voltage can be reached, it starts a normal charge.

CAUTION : When using the Voyager to charge a 24V lithium battery bank, set the system voltage to 24V instead of auto recognition. Otherwise, the over-discharged 24V lithium battery will not be activated.

WARNING : Incorrect battery type setting may damage your battery.
Over-charging and excessive gas precipitation may damage the battery plates and activate material shedding on them. Too high of equalizing charge or for too long may cause damage. Please carefully review the specific requirements of the battery used in the system.

Troubleshooting

■ Error Codes

Maintenance

For best controller performance, it is recommended that these tasks be performed from time to time.

1. Check wiring going into the charge controller and make sure there is no wire damage or wear.

2. Tighten all terminals and inspect any loose, broken, or burnt up connections 3.0ccasionally clean the case using a damp cloth