KEPCO KES 24V User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

KEPCO

An ISO 9001 Company.

KES

24 VOLTS

24 VOLT ENGINE START BATTERY CHARGER

I — INTRODUCTION

SCOPE OF MANUAL.

This instruction manual covers the installation and operation of the Kepco Series KES 24 Volt Engine Start Battery Chargers (see
Table 1).

WARNINGS and CAUTIONS

• Do not operate the unit without proper grounding. Improper grounding risks an electric shock that could result in
injury or death.

• Do not touch the unit’s input or output terminals to avoid the risk of electric shock that could result in injury or death.
Energy stored in the unit’s output capacitor is present on the DC OUTPUT terminals for a few seconds even after the
a-c input voltage is removed.

• The Float Voltage and Current Limit must be preset prior to starting the initial charge to avoid damage to the battery
being charged.

• To avoid damage to the unit or the battery being charged, never obstruct the ventilation holes at the sides of the unit.
The unit must be installed in a properly ventilated area, free of smoke and corrosive or explosive vapors.

DESCRIPTION.

The Kepco Series KES 24 Volt Engine Start Battery Chargers are wall-mounted units designed to charge 24-Volt lead-acid or nickel
cadmium batteries used in engine start applications. Model KES 24-10 is rated at 10 Amps, Model KES 24-20 is rated at 20 Amps and
Model KES 24-50 is rated at 50 Amps. The output voltage and output current limit are factory set, and are adjustable from the front
panel recessed trimpots (see Table 1 for values). An optional temperature compensation probe (not supplied) provides automatic adjust­ment of the float voltage to accommodate temperatures from 0° to 35°C. Units may be operated with a nominal 100V a-c to 240V a-c
(input voltage range 85 to 265 Va-c), 50-60 Hz nominal, range 47-66Hz (see Table 1, Note 1). Both AC lines are protected by fuses. A
front panel ammeter shows charging current.

The heart of the KES 24 Volt Series is a solid-state switching power supply, Kepco’s RKW, which has an integral cooling fan (KES 24-50
has two fans). A front panel CHARGER ON indicator lights the unit is on. The front panel TEMP PROBE NOT CONNECTED indicator
lights to show that the temperature compensation probe is not attached to the unit. An internal diode network across the output provides
protection in the event that the battery connections are reversed, causing the front panel circuit breaker to open.

D

N

C

C

M

E

E

R

R

R

-

+

S

P

A

GNDL (L1) N (L2)

AC INPUT DC OUTPUT

O

O

L
C

ALARM REMOTE

CONTROL

NC

-

+

FIGURE 1. 24 VOLT ENGINE START BATTERY CHARGER, FRONT VIEW

KEPCO, INC.  131-38 SANFORD AVENUE  FLUSHING, NY. 11355 U.S.A.  TEL [phone]  FAX [phone]

©2010, KEPCO, INC 1
Data subject to change without notice 228-1593 REV 4

www.kepcochargers.com  email: [e-mail]

FEATURES

• Wide Range Input - Operates from input voltage range of 85 to 265V a-c, input frequency range 47-66Hz (see Table 1, Note

1) with no adjustment or modification required.

• Adjustable Float Voltage - The float voltage is adjustable over a wide range (see Table 1 for adjustment range and factory
setting). Adjust the output voltage from the front panel using the tool on the back of the front panel door (see Figure 1) to
adjust the V. FLOAT ADJ potentiometer while monitoring the + and – VOLTAGE MONITOR test points with a precision digital
voltmeter.

• Adjustable Current Limit - The current limit is adjustable over a wide range (see Table 1 for adjustment range and factory
setting). Adjust from the front panel using the C. LIMIT ADJ potentiometer using the tool on the back of the front panel door
(see Figure 1).

• Temperature Compensation - Optional temperature compensation probes (Models TEMPCO-10 (10 ft. long), TEMPCO-50
(50 ft.), TEMPCO-100 (100 ft.) and TEMPCO-200 (200 ft.), not supplied) provide automatic adjustment of the float voltage to
accommodate temperatures from 0° to 35°C for lead-acid batteries. For other lengths, consult factory.

• CHARGER ON indicator - on while a-c input power applied to unit and unit is operational.

• Charging Current ammeter - indicates charging current

• Input protection - Two line fuses are provided.

• Battery connection protection - If battery connections are reversed, an internal diode network across the output is forward
biased; the resulting current flow causes the front panel circuit breaker to pop open. The connections must be switched and
the circuit breaker pushed in to reset.

• Form C Relay Contact - Used for Battery Charger fault alarm.

• ON-OFF Control - Local On-Off circuit breaker and isolated Remote On-Off control of Battery Charger output.

II — INSTALLATION

If desired, the battery charger output voltage and current limit can be preset prior to mounting at a separate location.

PRESETTING THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE (FLOAT VOLTAGE)

1. Open the access door to gain access to input/output connections by pulling the latching retainer.

2. With a-c voltage not present and the battery disconnected route the a-c source line, neutral and ground wires through the appro­priate openings in the bottom of the chassis and secure to L (L1), N (L2), and GND terminals of the AC INPUT terminal block, respec­tively.

3. Connect the local ground connection to the ground stud (see Figure 1) using the 10-32 x 3/8 ACF Brass Hex nut provided (Kepco P/
N 102-0007)

4. Turn a-c power on and connect a precision digital voltmeter (DVM) to the + and – VOLTAGE MONITOR test points at the front panel.

5. Monitor the DVM and set the float voltage as desired using the tool mounted on the back of the access door to adjust the V. FLOAT
ADJ potentiometer at the front panel. It is recommended that the unit be tagged with the float voltage.

6. Turn a-c power off and disconnect DVM. If unit is to be mounted at a different location, disconnect ground and a-c input connections,
then close the access door and snap in the retainer.

PRESETTING THE CURRENT LIMIT (CHARGING LIMIT CURRENT)

1. Open the access door to gain access to input/output connections by pulling the latching retainer.

2. With a-c voltage not present disconnect battery from the output terminals.

3. Place a short-circuit (jumper link, No. 8 AWG wire, minimum) between (+) and (–) DC OUTPUT terminals.

4. If not already connected, route the a-c source line, neutral and ground wires through the appropriate openings in the bottom of the
chassis and secure to L (L1), N (L2), and GND terminals of the AC INPUT terminal block, respectively.

5. Turn a-c input power on. Monitor the front panel ammeter and set the current limit as desired (see NOTE) using tool mounted on the
back of the access door to adjust the C. LIMIT ADJ potentiometer at the front panel.

NOTE: The unit incorporates a foldback characteristic for current limit to reduce power dissipation when there is a short across the

output terminals. From a shorted output (e.g., for a brand new battery), the current limit increases linearly from 10% less than
the full current limit to the full current limit as the battery charges. Consequently, if the desired current limit is I

0.9I

with shorted output.

LIM

, adjust for

LIM

6. Turn a-c power off and remove the short-circuit between (+) and (–) DC OUTPUT terminals.

MOUNTING THE BATTERY CHARGER

Two slotted holes, 8 inches apart, are provided on the upper rear chassis (See Figure 1) to wall mount the unit. The unit also has four feet
for bench top operation. The unit has forced air cooling from a single fan located within the integral RKW power supply as well as ventila­tion holes in the chassis which must be kept clear from obstructions to ensure proper air circulation. Enough space must be provided
around the chassis to allow the hot air to exhaust from the components inside the chassis.

1. Open the access door to gain access to input/output connections by pulling the latching retainer.

2. Route the a-c source line, neutral and ground wires through the appropriate openings in the bottom of the chassis and secure to L
(L1), N (L2), and GND terminals of the AC INPUT terminal block, respectively.

3. Connect the local ground wire to the ground stud (see Figure 1) using the 10-32 x 3/8 ACF Brass Hex nut provided (Kepco P/N 102-

0007)

4. Proceed to CONNECTING THE BATTERY or, if the battery will be connected later, close the access door and snap in the retainer.

KEPCO, INC.  131-38 SANFORD AVENUE  FLUSHING, NY. 11355 U.S.A.  TEL [phone]  FAX [phone]

www.kepcochargers.com  email: [e-mail]

2 228-1593 REV 4 010510