My install and review of the AIMS Prius 2kW Pure Sine Wave Inverter for Backup Power Generator

This looks good:
COOPER BUSSMANN Fuse, FRS-R, 30A, 600V, 13/16 Dia, P Holder - Fuses - 1A706|FRS-R-30 - Grainger Industrial Supply

However, I thought "Little Fuse" had some nice units:
Search Results - Littelfuse

I had also looked at a hybrid using a high-voltage MOSFET that with a relay and current detect would open the relay into the MOSFET which would then go to high resistance. In another life, I would have a 'big nice person' resistor that cuts the current down low enough that a second relay could open without 'drawing an arc.' Either way, there is almost no 'fuse' load during normal operation and then transfers to a non-ionizing MOSFET that like a stubber, ends the current flow.

Bob Wilson

 

A fuse is there to protect the wiring. So given the gauge of the wires from the traction battery to inverter, use the DC current rating for the length to establish the fuse value. To reverse engineer:

30A * 200V = 6kW # a little excessive​

15A * 200V = 3kW which seems more inline with this unit​

Bob Wilson

 

They look like Anderson connectors. Covers are readily available - you can get them at Genuinedealz or on eBay. Make sure you get the right size, as there are different sizes of connector depending on the current rating.

 

A cousin to that Bussman came with my Liebert UPS, solid state design which means no chance for arcing.

 

Yup, I believe so. Unfortunately it is buried inside a box so I can't verify the model number easily. But at one point I shorted the first one I got so I had to replace it, and as usual for me I did a little research first. I thought it was interesting that nothing actually "blows" with these things, they just stop conducting electrons like a diode in reverse.

 

The flying bridge is mostly empty inside, except for the shifter guts. I took it apart to mount the Stage 10 button shifter (great mod BTW - highly recommended!). The flying bridge has a large downward bulge under its center to accomodate the OEM shifter - with the Stage 10 shifter mounted, the down bulge is both unnecessary and invisible so I actually thought to cut it out and replace with a flat black riveted/glued plastic rigid sheet for more space under the flying bridge... might apply here for fitting the AIMS inverter (hadn't measured the theoretical fit yet). Might even work for an emergency "in & out" placement with judicious plastic heat gun adjustments... hmmm...

Oh yeah, I agree those connector look like Anderson connectors.

 

How does this inverter hold up to running sensitive electronics like tv's? I have seen reports on the internet that these pure sine wave inverters are a little bit less than pure. What sorts of loads have you put on it?

 

I just received my AIMS Prius 2KW inverter today. After all of the discussion about the fuses for protecting the HV battery pigtail and connector, I am not sure whether I want to install the pigtail permanently or just connect the inverter directly when I need it.

I do plan to connect it to the battery in a couple of weeks and test the inverter and the house loads I plan to use.

 

This is not something you want to do when the weather is bad and in an anxious hurry. The biggest gain is use of a solid-state fuse to handle the DC current flow.

Many, many years ago, my wife and I were fishing in 100F weather and my wife pushed in a cigarette lighter. The wire feeding the cigarette lighter started melting like a fuse and I was only just able to knock a terminal off the battery in time to avoid an engine compartment, electrically fed, fire.

Fuse technology is not that hard and replacing a blown fuse is way better than needing one and not having it in the circuit.

Bob Wilson

 

As always your comments are spot on. I will definitely use the proper fuses when I do connect the inverter.

My issue is that I do not know that I want to leave the pigtail connecter, properly fused, connected permanently. My biggest issue with electrical power outages has historically been with hurricanes and with hurricanes you have plenty of advanced notice. I should have plenty of time to connect the inverter and check everything before I need it.

It has been almost six years since our last hurricane (knock on wood) and power outage and I am just not sure I want to leave the pigtail connected to the battery for this kind of duration.

I will probably make this decision once I go through the process of getting to the HV battery and determining the amount of time and difficulty it takes to remove the cover and connect the inverter. From what I have read from others it is not that difficult or time consuming.

I am glad to hear you were able to avoid the engine fire. I can see where this made a lasting impression about the need to properly fuse all DC equipment.

Agree with the fuse technology. I deal with this every day at work.

Thanks for your input.

 

I like your idea of the semiconductor fuse in each + and - cable leads. These inline fuse holders and fuses are readily available.

 

The first time I made this connection to the HV battery it took me about an hour. The hardest part was tracking down some of the hidden bolts. See my signature link for full pics and description of this process. The second time I opened it up - to retighten the connections and add glue so they wouldn't loosen - it took me 45 minutes.

So if you have an hour, sure, you can wait. But making that connection is the most dangerous and time -consuming part of the problem. If you forget to remove the orange disconnect the bolts on the battery side of the relay will be live. DC is much more dangerous than AC. There isn't much room between those (potentially) live bolts and the ones on the other side of the relay where you should make your connection. Then as someone pointed out, during the stress of an impending disaster is not the time to be doing this. The very first 12 hour test I ran with my setup I was under no duress yet I forgot to turn off the A/C system even though I knew I needed to. So I wasted gas and skewed my gas consumption results. You can do far worse under duress - like connect the inverter backwards which will immediately fry it, assuming it is designed the same as most other inverters I've seen. Then there is also the matter of leaving everything half-disassembled during the disaster so you can easily disconnect later, OR you have to put everything back together and spend another hour later pulling it all apart again just to disconnect it.

As shown in the pics in my sig link, I can open my hatch, open the left wheel well compartment and plug in, in less than 30 seconds. Total time including turning off A/C, screen, radio, and dimming the speedometer, plugging in to the car and plugging into my UPS is about 3 minutes.

I used a standard 15 amp 120 volt connection so I could use a standard 25 foot heavy-duty extension cord. If you are worried about that, just use a less-standard connection like a twist-lock outlet, or a 240 volt "T" outlet (looks like a 15 amp 120 outlet but one pin is turned 90 degrees). But then you'll have to make an adaptor to use an extension cord or make your own extension cord.