nchc

Ultra High Efficiency 60 or 100 Ampere Solar and Wind Charging System Controller

The patented circuit architecture developed during the design of the NC25A charge controller was used as the basis for the development of the NCHC family of controllers. Pretty it may not be, but the NCHC will regulate PV, Wind, or any other current limited charging source with the highest efficiency possible in an alternative energy system charge controller.

The NCHC line of controllers are series type regulators for use on flooded lead acid, gel, or flooded NiCad battery technologies. The regulation voltage is adjustable through a wide range. Available as an option with this controller is CHARGE DIVERT which allows you to use the excess unregulated energy from your charging source for other electrical jobs. The NC25A Regulates charging inputs from PV, Permanent Magnet Wind and Towed Water Generators, or any other current limited DC charging source. Standard unit is for 12V systems. Special order for 24V, 36V or 48V systems. (1000A max charging current in this configuration). Multiple battery banks can be charged with the use of a standard battery charging isolators.

Basic Models Available:

NCHC-12-60 12V Systems, 60A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-12-100 12V Systems, 100A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-24-60 24V Systems, 60A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-24-100 24V Systems, 100A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-36-60 36V Systems, 60A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-36-100 36V Systems, 100A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-48-60 48V Systems, 60A Max. Charge Current.
NCHC-48-100 48V Systems, 100A Max. Charge Current.

Specify Charge Divert at the time of order.

Specify Temperature Compensation at the time of order.

Call for Custom Configurations

Efficiency

How does the NCHC achieve this level of efficiency, and why is it so important? We designed the NCHC controllers with an amazingly low insertion loss resistance of only 0.001 ohms. ( Insertion Loss Resistance is the total resistance of the controllers regulating circuit from input to output on both the positive and negative wires).

Now a little math to prove the point (That' s what happens when you let the engineers work on a web page...)

The power wasted as heat in a charge controller is calculated by the following simple formula:

(Power Wasted as Heat) = (Resistance) x (Charging Current) x (Charging Current) or P= R x I².

So how much power does the NCHC 60 ampere controller waste at 60A of charging current?

P = 0.001 x 60 x 60 = Only 3.6 watts.

By Comparison how much power does a typical brand 60A controller with 0.010 ohms of insertion loss resistance waste while charging at 60 amperes.

P= 0.01 x 60 x 60 = 36 watts of heat (WOW!) Precisely why you will see large heat sinks on these controllers, to dissipate all that wasted energy. You would also need and additional 36W solar panel ($$$) to put the same amount of energy into the battery bank, than is required with the NCHC-60 controller.

Expandable The NCHC controllers can be expanded with amazing simplicity to grow with your charging system. Just add an additional high efficiency contactor and extend three wires from the previous contactor. It is possible to add as many as 4ea 100A contactors to the standard NCHC, with no special modifications, or as many as 20ea with a simple addition of an interface contactor. That's as much as 2000A of charging current capacity at up to 48V (96KWs of Charging Energy) while still using only 0.005 amperes to operate the charging circuitry.

By using separate contactors for different types of charging sources the charging sources are automatically isolated from each other when the controller is regulating. For example: Connect the PV System to one contactor, connect a wind generator to the other contactor which is paired with a divert contactor. When the controller goes to Divert mode the PV system is isolated from the Wind system and the divert load is applied to the wind generator only.

Charge Divert By adding a different type of contactor you can add Charge Divert to the NCHC. This feature connects the charging source directly, with no regulation, to the Divert Load. Divert is only active only while voltage and current are at usable levels from the charging source.
Some uses for Charge Divert:

Pumping applications
Ventilation Blowers
Loads on wind and water permanent magnet generators.

Features

5 YEAR WARRANTY
AUTO ASSEMBLED IN THE USA TO ISO9000 SPECIFICATIONS.
BETTER THAN 99.50% CHARGING EFFICIENCY FROM 1A OF CHARGING CURRENT.
OPERATES EFFICIENTLY (98%) ON SYSTEMS SIZES AS LOW AS 0.25A OF CHARGING INPUT.
CHARGES BATTERIES FROM 0 VOLTS WITH FULL UNINTERRUPTED POWER.
HIGH AMPERAGE CHARGE CAPACITY, 24V, 36, AND 48V MODELS WITH UP TO 200A CAPACITIES).
UP TO 200 AMP CHARGE DIVERT, OPTIONAL.
STABLE DIVERT CIRCUITRY PREVENTS DROPOUTS IF CHARGE SOURCE VOLTAGE FALLS TOO LOW.
DIVERTS ONLY WHEN VOLTAGE AND CURRENT ARE AT USABLE LEVELS. PERFECT FOR MOTOR TYPE LOADS (FANS, PUMPS, etc...)
PEAK CHARGE VOLTAGE ADJUSTMENT
ACCURATELY CHARGES THROUGH BATTERY ISOLATORS, AND WORKS PERFECTLY WITH COMBINERS. CAN BE USED AS A BATTERY COMBINER. CALL Flexcharge USA FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
CONSUMES ONLY 4mA (0.004A) WHILE CHARGING AND AT NIGHT, 2mA IF YOU DO NOT USE THE CHARGE INDICATOR.
CHARGES BATTERIES AT FULL POWER, BELOW THE PLATE SATURATION POINT, TO CHARGE BATTERIES FASTER, AND REDUCE ELECTROLYTE DEPLETION BY UP TO 90% OVER CONVENTIONAL CONSTANT VOLTAGE, PWM, & HIGH FREQUENCY CHARGE REGULATORS
BATTERIES START CHARGING AT 0.005A OF CHARGE CURRENT AND CAN HANDLE INTERMITTENT SURGES UP TO 300A
CONTROLLER CAN WITHSTAND OPEN CIRCUIT INPUT VOLTAGES SPIKES OF 500V AND 100 VOLTS CONTINUOUS WITHOUT DAMAGE
REVERSE POLARITY, AND TRANSIENT VOLTAGE PROTECTION ON THE BATTERY SENSE WIRES.
NO POWER WASTING SAMPLE PERIODS.
REMOTE BATTERY VOLTAGE SENSING SO THE CONTROLLER CAN BE MOUNTED ANYWHERE BETWEEN THE CHARGING SOURCE AND THE BATTERIES.
EASY TO INSTALL USING THE LABELED CORROSION RESISTANT NICKLE/BRASS/STAINLESS STEEL CONNECTOR, AND CONTACTOR TERMINALS.
U/L 94V-O RATED ENCLOSURE.
COMPLETELY SEALED ELECTRONICS FOR MARINE OR OUTDOOR MOUNTING.

NCHC General Specifications

Flexcharge NCHC	Min	Max	Min		Max	Min	Max	Min	Max
Model Number	NCHC-12V		NCHC-24V			NCHC-36V		NCHC-48V
Input Voltage Transients	-	2000V	-	2000V		-	2000V	-	2000V
Input Voltage Continuous	0V	100V	0V	100V		0V	100V	0V	100V
Operating Current (Charging & Standby)	2 mA	5 mA	2 mA	5 mA		2 mA	5 mA	2 mA	5 mA
System Size Limits	0.05A	Contactor Rating	0.05A	Contactor Rating		0.05A	Contactor Rating	0.05A	Contactor Rating
Total Efficiency	98.9%	99.90%	98.9%	99.92%		98.9%	99.96%	98.9%	99.98%
Insertion Loss Resistance (Ohms)	0.0005	0.002	0.0005	0.002		0.0005	0.002	0.0005	0.002
Divert Current Capacity	-	Contactor Rating	-	Contactor Rating		-	Contactor Rating	-	Contactor Rating
Operating Temp.	-20°C	+60°C	-20°C	+60°C		-20°C	+60°C	-20°C	+60°C
Storage Temp.	-40°C	+70°C	-40°C	+70°C		-40°C	+70°C	-40°C	+70°C
Dimensions	9"W x 4 1/2"H x 2 3/8"D

NC25A Charging Efficiency Graphs
(Note: For Reference only, the NCHC controllers operate at efficiencies better than the NC25A).

NCHC Charging Algorithm

How To Order

Back To Products Last Edited: 1/18/99