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OutBack Power Systems Inc.
MICRO-HYDRO, WIND TURBINE, AND FUEL CELL APPLICATIONS
The MX60 is designed to work with solar arrays. Although it will work with micro-hydro and fuel
cell, OutBack Power Systems can only o er limited technical support for these applications be-
cause there is too much variance in micro-hydro and fuel cell generator speci cations. When used
for micro-hydro or fuel cell applications, the MX60 warranty will be honored only if the manufac-
turer and turbine model have been approved by OutBack Power Systems. Please check with one of
the following manufacturers or OutBack Power Systems before employing the MX60:
Harris Hydroelectric
(831) 425-7652
www.harrishydro.com
Alternative Power & Machine
(541) 476-8916
www.apmhydro.com
Energy Systems & Design
(506) 433-3151
www.microhydropower.com
The MX60 is not compatible with wind turbine applications and OutBack cannot warranty its use in
these applications.
MICRO-HYDRO AND FUEL CELL SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION
Micro-hydro and fuel cell systems are di erent than PV systems, whose Voc output is more subject
to change due to weather and time of day. A PV system normally nds its Maximum Power Point
voltage between 50-90% of its Voc. The default value for the MX60 is 77% of a solar array’s Voc and
is displayed on the Park Mpp screen. A microhydro or fuel cell system’s MPP voltage can be outside
of this range.
The MX60 allows a user to experiment and nd more appropriate set points to best capture the
MPP voltage. If the output current is under ve amps, Auto Sweep will park the voltage using
whatever percentage value is displayed in the Park Mpp screen. Otherwise, Auto Sweep begins
sweeping the Voc output and works its way down until the optimum percentage of input voltage
yields the MPP voltage. If U-Pick % Voc is chosen, the MPP is calculated by whatever value is found
in Park Mpp, even if it’s not the optimal value for determining the MPP voltage. For this reason,
OutBack normally suggests leaving the system in Auto Sweep mode and the 77% default percent-
age value, but recommends experimenting with changing this value when a micro-hydro or fuel
cell system is in use.
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