Inverter / welder / 12volt 230 volt mobile mechanic van

[Darren.salvage]

Hi I'm new to this forum and only posting because I'm stuck and cannot answer it myself


I have a 2001 transit jumbo mobile workshop. I have recently bought a new welder and was trying to get it all rigged up


I have a twin battery set up one for van starting and the other for aux in the rear


the alternator on the van is a 110 amp


the aux battery i have is a Bosch t3 080 200ah 1050amp 12v


the inverter I have is a 3000w continuous 9000w peak 230v
(Output Voltage Waveform
Pure Sine Wave or Quazi Sine Wave
Output Continuous Power (W)
3000W
Surge Rating
9000W
Output Continuous Power VA
3000
Power Factor
0.9~1.0
Nominal Output Voltage (V)
230Vac
Output Voltage Regulation
±10% rms
Output Frequency
50Hz ± 0.3Hz or 60Hz ± 0.3Hz
Nominal Efficiency
>88%
Short Circuit Protection
Yes, fault after 10 secs
Inverter Specification / Input
Nominal DC Input Voltage
12V / 24V
Minimum Start Voltage
10V / 20V
Low Battery Alarm
10.5V / 21V
Low Battery Trip
10V / 20V
High Voltage Alarm
16V / 32V
Power Saver
Below 25 watts when enabled
Power Saver
Same switch on/off on remote
Charger Mode Specification
Input Voltage Range
194~243 VAC
Output Voltage
Dependent on battery type
Nominal Charge Current
35A / 70A
Battery Initial Volt for Start up
0~15.7V for 12V (*2 for 24V)
Over Charge Protection Shutdown
15.7V for 12V (*2 for 24V)
Charger curves (4 Stage constant current) battery types
4 step digital controlled progressive charge

Battery Require


It is strongly recommened that buyers have to use Deep Cycle Batteries / Leisure Batteries with at least 250aH(or 2 pcs of 125aH) independently. For those old batteries under 9DCV, it may not be recharged, you need to boost up the battery up to 11DCV in order to run the normal charging procedures.



The welder I have is a Lincoln 200c mig tig arc
6.2kva @ 25% duty cycle (40degrees).






I have run the welder on a 3.4 kva generator the welder was on medium power that's all I would need to get some one something out trouble and I am usually on site with power available




my question is do I need 2 of the battery's I have (t3 Bosch ) to have enough power for the inverter to run?
do I need a bigger amp alternator to keep battery topped up
will the inverter be at its limit and cook after using for a while


or will the inverter not be able to produce the ampage and use all the stored battery power








thanks a lot

 

[telectrix]

6.2kVA is about 540A @ 12V. you've no chance.

1. the inverter is not up to it.

2. your battery will drain quicker than a geordie running to the bar at last orders..

 

[Darren.salvage]

I did think that but I wanted to work it out as it's easy to say no, just wanted the sum to work out the calculations

i had it running smooth on 3.4 kva generator welding 3-4 mm

also what's the ideal battery set up to power the inverter for normal usage

 

[telectrix]

if your inverter is 3kW, that's 13A @ 240V, but @12V it's 260A. that's a lot of drain on any battery.

 

[Marvo]

Even ignoring the losses of the inverter itself power in equals power out.

If as you say your welder will run at minimum settings on a 3.4KVA genny then that equates to roughly 14 or 15A at 230volts if it's a single phase welder. The current required from the 12v battery (or batteries) will be in excess of 283Amps for the duration of your welding and that's a conservative figure that doesn't accommodate any inrush currents when the arc is struck or any losses through the inverter etc.

The question boils down to whether or not your batteries can deliver 280A or more and how long can they deliver it for?

 

[Darren.salvage]

So if they are 1050 amps each , I'll get 2 so it's 2100 amps and up revs on the van and it's shall be good enough to get a few inch welds on the mig welder for emergency

(3.4kva generator was used on the elders medium setting)

 

[telectrix]

that 1050 amps is the cranking current available, only for a very short period, e.g. when starting engine.

 

[Darren.salvage]

Great stuff cheers for all the input I'll let you know how I get on

 

[Marvo]

I know they're expensive but I'd suggest it would be worth using deep cycle batteries designed for marine or solar applications. If you use normal lead-acid car or truck batteries they don't like being cycled anything much above 10-15% below full charge and if you cycle them too deep they have a very short lifespan

 

[telectrix]

i think it's more feasible to consider oxy-acetylene welding equipment. no electrical power required.

 

[ruston]

i think it's more feasible to consider oxy-acetylene welding equipment. no electrical power required.

I was going to post him a link to "porta pack" but I think the licence conditions are stricter now for carrying them. Not to sure on this, but I would go for your suggestion too.

 

[Robotstar5]

Or a battery powered welder? link we've just bought 2 at work.

 

[PEG]

There is also the possibility that the welder is incompatible with the inverter. Some of the later pieces of equipment,do not function correctly from some inverters or electronically rectified small generators.