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Old 06-04-2022, 05:53   #16
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

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Originally Posted by captain465 View Post
Wirewound resistor. A dummy load to disperse excess current.
Exactly
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Old 06-04-2022, 06:45   #17
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

With everyone trying to generate electricity, I doubt anyone trying to get rid of it. Could this be some sort of lightening arrestor ?
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Old 06-04-2022, 07:02   #18
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

Triumph motorcycles bought a piece of annoying electronics from Lucas called a Zeiner Diode. It dissipates energy into the air. I’d consider it a reckless thing to put in an engine room no mater how well it is potted. First off if it is a diode it’s suppose to be in the wind. It’s probably there to protect an older panel from cooking a battery. It probably works too.
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Old 06-04-2022, 07:16   #19
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

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Triumph motorcycles bought a piece of annoying electronics from Lucas called a Zeiner Diode. It dissipates energy into the air. I’d consider it a reckless thing to put in an engine room no mater how well it is potted. First off if it is a diode it’s suppose to be in the wind. It’s probably there to protect an older panel from cooking a battery. It probably works too.
The one on my boat was in the engine room as well. I thought that was kind of odd. What if the engine is running and the wind is blowing? The batteries will be full and there will be an absurd amount of heat building up in the engine room.

I'd like to have redirect that excess power into a water heater or something. Maybe an air compressor or a water maker.
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Old 06-04-2022, 07:43   #20
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zener_diode
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Old 06-04-2022, 08:47   #21
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

Well the diode is stabilizing the electrical system. I’d understand the whole system before I removed it.
If you charge a battery over the winter and attached a small lightbulb to it to keep it active and the lightbulb blew a diode would protect it somewhat. The inventions to add solar panels to boats I’m assuming.
Or any wind or water generator.
Most of us leave the fridge on or a TV transformer plugged in to create draw.
Using excess energy is huge.
Toronto set a First by taking wasted night time energy sent to earth to a pump station on Toronto Island. The pumps fill tanks under the lake with compressed air which runs turbines on shore disguised as large art blobs. All cities consume same amount of power day or night. It’s just at night we send the excess to earth.
These balancing coils are huge to control the night time excess.
So yes putting excess charge to ground from shore power or other should be controlled by a modern charging system.
Bad systems can make the marina water dangerous.
Who ever made that diode work knows way more than you or I.
I’d suggest you start fresh at the charging system check up.
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Old 06-04-2022, 09:08   #22
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

Ah, I see the picture of mine did not load above.

This IS a load resistor. Mine is associated with an AeroGen wind generator.

The controller for that wind generator would “dump” power into the resistor when the generator was still producing power AND the battery was fully charged. This happened very rarely.

It might also be used with a water generator but I do not see an application for solar.

Good luck.
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Old 06-04-2022, 11:14   #23
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

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How hot a resistor gets, is determined [primarily] by how much power [watts] you run through it.
The passage of current through a resistance produces heat. The heat produces a rise in temperature of the resistor, above the ambient temperature. Resistors are rated to dissipate a given wattage without exceeding a specified standard “hot spot” temperature, and the
physical size is made large enough to accomplish this.

The wattage rating of resistors, as established under specified standard conditions, is defined as the “Free Air Rating” (“Full Rating” or “Maximum Power Rating”). Several standard methods of rating are in use, based on different service conditions. The method of both
the “National Electrical Manufacturers Association” (NEMA) and the “Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc.” (UL) can be described as follows:
The relation of the “Free Air Watt Rating” of tubular type, vitreous enameled resistors to the physical size, is to be set at such a figure that when operated at their rated watts, the temperature rise of the hottest spot shall not exceed 300°C (540°F) as measured by a thermocouple when the temperature of the surrounding air does not exceed 40°C (104°F). The temperature is to be measured at the hottest point of a two-terminal resistor suspended in free still air space with at least one foot of clearance to the nearest object, and with unrestricted circulation of air.

Power generated by resistor is: Power, P (Watts) = I x I x R

Heat, H (Joules) = (I^2) x R x t (time in seconds)

Good explanation BUT generally it is easier to measure the voltage drop across the resistor to determine the power dissipated using the formula Power (P) = E X E divided by R simply because Voltage (E) is always easier to measure in a circuit than Current (I).
Ohms Law has been my friend for many years!
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Old 06-04-2022, 12:02   #24
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

The US loves renaming old inventions.
Robertson Screwdriver as example.

Yup the sucker dissipates excess juice into the air. The original is from the 30’s to control 6V generators. On a Triumph BSA Ariel Square Royal Enfield Douglas Norton Vincent and other companies Lucas abused it was mounted at the front of the frame below the neck. Has distinct Rose pattern fins to cool it. It is to be mounted ahead is any fuel lines valves vent etc. They are very delicate too and if the cover is fractured they fail. Locktite and 18 pounds torque. Harley used a similar device more like the Wikipedia paste to do the same thing.
Mounted on plywood or non conductive material would be required
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Old 06-04-2022, 17:27   #25
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

Its a type of heatsink.
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Old 06-04-2022, 17:41   #26
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

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Originally Posted by skipgundlach View Post
To your comment about water heaters, there are dual-element water heaters which use just that: Excess 12VDC power goes to making hot water.

Downside to that is that in periods of full batteries and no control on the diversion, you COULD (not likely, but far from impossible) boil the hot water in the tank, generating the overheat/pressure valve releasing.

OTOH, if you're in a really cold area and have, for some reason, lots of extra amps, heating the space may be a good thing. But for solar, an MPPT controller is far better use of the power generated...
An MPPT is only doing max power transfer when the batteries can take all the power generated. Once you reach the voltage controlled state it is no longer in max power transfer mode, it is throwing away excess power, whether disconnecting the panels or directing it to a resistor. All an MPPT does is get you to throwing away power earlier, that is if you have that much capacity.
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Old 06-04-2022, 17:54   #27
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

Definitely a resistor, and I've been trying to remember where I saw them. Must have been on load dumps for generator testing or in the battery shop. Anyway looked identical, amazing how quickly you can recognize something you haven't seen in 25 or more years.
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Old 06-04-2022, 18:25   #28
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

It's a dump load resistor for a wind generator.
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Old 19-04-2022, 21:25   #29
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Re: What is this device in my engine room?

Late reply

This is the standard dump resistor that came with my new (display model) D400 wind generator. Used when the controller senses too much power going into the batteries and diverts it to this resistor (they usually came in pairs) which converts it to heat.

I do not know how hot they get as I found a dual hot water element (120 V and 12V) that I put into my heater and ran the dump wires from the wind gen controller to the 12 v input for the water heater.

It handles the dump load fine but only gets the water somewhat warm on the best of days

Putting these in the engine room would not be the best location for them
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