Hotstart KBC74TC-4 User manual

Hotstart
Battery Charger System
Installation & Operation Manual
216207-000 rev. 3
Hotstart
Battery Charger System

HOTSTART
E. 5723 Alki Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
Customer Support: [phone]
NOTICE
When ordering replacement parts for your
heating system, always reference the heating
system’s Model Number and Serial Number.

CAUTION ALL CONNECTIONS IN THE JUNCTION BOX SHOULD BE CHECKED
PRIOR TO INSTALLATION. VIBRATION DURING SHIPMENT CAN CAUSE
SCREWS TO LOOSEN. ALL CONNECTIONS IN THE JUNCTION BOX
SHOULD BE CHECKED AT REGULAR INTERVALS. EXCESSIVE
VIBRATION WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE CONNECTIONS TO LOOSEN.
WIRING TO CHARGING SYSTEM TO BE PERFORMED BY A QUALIFIED
ELECTRICIAN AND CONFORM TO ALL NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL
ELECTRICAL CODES.
THE AC GROUNDING LUG MUST BE USED FOR SAFETY ON ALL
INSTALLATIONS.
East 5723 Alki Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99212 USA
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Table of Contents
Identifying Your System ...................................................................................................1
The Hotstart Battery Charger..........................................................................................2
The Charger..............................................................................................................................................2
Battery Temperature Compensation......................................................................................................3
Charger Control Module .........................................................................................................................4
Installation and System Start-Up.....................................................................................5
Basic System Installation .........................................................................................................................5
Mounting................................................................................................................................................5
Main Power Supply ...............................................................................................................................5
Connection Breaker Box........................................................................................................................6
Temperature Probe Cable (Optional).....................................................................................................6
Charger System Start-Up ........................................................................................................................7
System Maintenance & Troubleshooting ........................................................................8
System Maintenance.................................................................................................................................8
Electrical Connections...........................................................................................................................8
System Mounting...................................................................................................................................8
Cleaning Cooling Passages....................................................................................................................8
Troubleshooting........................................................................................................................................8
Replacement Parts List............................................................................................................................9
Appendix A.......................................................................................................................10

Identifying Your System
Each Hotstart Battery Charger System has an identification plate located on the front of
the unit. An example of the identification plate is shown below. When ordering
replacement parts, be sure to reference your battery charger system’s model and serial
number shown the identification plate.
MODEL NUMBER BREAKDOWN
MODEL – KBC74XX-X
(BLANK) – NO TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
TC – TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
INPUT VOLTAGE
2 – 240VAC
3 – 380VAC
4 – 480VAC
5 – 575VAC
1

The Hotstart Battery Charger
The Hotstart Battery Charger System is designed for Locomotive and Industrial engines
that require battery startup. The Hotstart Battery Charger System is designed and
constructed for ease of operation and requires minimal maintenance. It is a permanently
installed system with no battery disconnecting required. It uses solid state circuitry
assuring high reliability.
NOTICE
The Hotstart Battery Charger is designed to maintain a DC voltage. It is
not designed for restoring batteries that are completely drained, damaged,
or corrupted. Drawing more than 50 Amps for an extended length of time
will cause the circuit breaker to trip.
The Charger
The Hotstart battery charger is designed to convert
single phase AC power from a line source to a
controlled DC voltage output. Battery voltage and
charge current are monitored continuously by solid
state circuitry to provide high charge current when the
battery is drained, and trickle charge current when it is
full.
As the battery charges, its need for charge current
diminishes. The control module senses the battery
voltage and tapers the charge current. The digital panel
meter displays the amperage delivered to the battery.
Additionally, there is a CHARGE light and a FULL
light that indicate relative charge levels (refer to the
Startup Section for details on these lights). The charger
will continue to taper the charge current and maintain a
trickle charge of 2-5 Amps. The level of trickle charge
will change based on the battery’s needs and will
automatically revert to higher charge levels if the
battery’s voltage drops.
This 50 Amp variable controlled automatic charging
system is overload protected. The circuit breaker box houses two circuit breakers,
which independently protect the charger transformer’s primary and secondary
windings. The DC output is controlled and protected by an internal current
limiting system. No switches, timers, or adjustments are required.
The Hotstart Battery Charger measures 37” x 13.5” x 8.5” and weighs 130 lbs.
2

Battery Temperature Compensation
Battery chargers with a TC in the model number have a feature that will
automatically adjust the output voltage as a function of battery temperature with
an optional temperature probe cable. The temperature probe is mechanically
attached to one of the battery interconnect posts, and the other end of the cable is
plugged into the connector located on the front face of the Control Module.
Both NiCd and lead acid chemistries are supported with Voltage/Temperature
curves suited for each. The type of the probe determines whether the charger is
set up for NiCd or lead acid charging. In either case, at room temperature (70 °F),
the voltage is set to 72 Volts. As the temperature of the battery decreases, the
voltage increases. As temperatures increase above room temperature, the voltage
applied to the battery decreases at a lower rate. If the temperature probe is
disconnected from the Control Module, the charger reverts to a constant 72V
regardless of the battery temperature.
The part number for the NiCd cable is TPCN-XX and the lead acid is TPCL-XX.
3

The Hotstart battery charger must not be used as a booster during
locomotive startup. High levels of current will result in exceeding the
design limits of the unit. The circuit breakers will not react quickly enough
to prevent damage to the control module.
CAUTION
NOTICE
It is not recommended to use the Hotstart battery charger to power
accessories. These loads will divert some of the current that is intended for
battery charging, and will prevent the battery from reaching a full state of
charge. The Hotstart battery charger is designed to provide automatic,
unattended maintenance charging of the battery system.
Charger Control Module
The lowest section of the Battery Charger is the Control Module. It contains the
solid state circuitry that automatically adjusts the current delivered to the battery.
It is wired to the transformer, the ammeter and the battery leads.
Model KBC74-X KBC74TC-X
Replacement Part Number: PRP224014-001 PRP224014-101
4

Installation and System Start-Up
The Hotstart Charger System comes pre-wired for ease of installation. This section
describes proper installation of the basic Hotstart Battery Charger. If you need additional
assistance installing or starting your particular system application, please contact:
Customer Service at [phone]
Basic System Installation
Basic installation requires:
1. Mounting the battery charger
2. Connecting the AC power source to the charger’s AC power circuit breaker
terminals L1 and L3
3. Connecting the battery leads to the battery charger terminal blocks at +BATT
and –BATT
4. Installing the temperature probe cable (optional)
5. Testing the operation of the charger
CAUTION Vibration during shipment of the Hotstart Battery Charger System can
cause screws in the control box to loosen. Please check all connections in the
control box.
Mounting
The Hotstart battery charger should be mounted in an area away from exposure to
direct moisture and dust contamination. Such an environment can cause internal
corrosion or restricted air flow and shorten the life of the charger. The charger
should be mounted in a vertical position with the control module at the bottom
and breaker box at the top. This will allow any moisture to run off and not enter
the interior of the charger. Also, this positions the air intake/exit openings
downward.
Main Power Supply
Connect the specified single-phase voltage to the breaker located in the main
breaker box of the battery charger system. The main power source
(240/380/480/575V AC) supplies the charger’s power transformer. This
transformer drops the primary voltage to a suitable secondary voltage for
charging the battery and operating the control circuit of the battery charger. The
transformer and control circuits are overload protected. The primary and
secondary windings of the transformer are breaker protected. Wiring information
is listed on the wiring diagram (in Appendix A).
5

Transformer Primary Winding Breaker
This breaker is located inside the breaker box which is above the transformer
housing. It protects the power transformer from overloading and short circuits.
Replacement Part Number: PRP231023-020 (240V)
PRP231023-015 (380V)
PRP231023-010 (480V)
PRP231024-010 (575V)
Transformer Secondary Winding Breaker
This breaker is inside the breaker box. It protects the power devices in the control
circuit. The breaker box lid has a green light that indicates when this breaker is
active.
Replacement Part Number: PRP231022-050
Connection Breaker Box
AC
A breaker box and breaker is supplied
for your AC power input at terminals
L1, L3 and the ground lug. The
breaker supplied is sized for the input
voltage.
DC
The same breaker box is supplied to
connect the B+ (+BATT) and
B– (–BATT) battery leads. A terminal
strip is marked inside for connecting
the appropriate leads.
Temperature Probe Cable (Optional)
One end of the temperature probe cable is mechanically attached to an
interconnect on the battery. The plug end is attached to the connector located on
the control module. Since the details of the battery attachment varies for different
battery types, refer to the detailed installation instructions that come with each
temperature probe cable.
6

Charger System Start-Up
Step 1 Check and tighten all electrical connections.
Step 2 Energize the battery charger by turning the breaker switch on.
Step 3 The green light on the breaker box lid illuminates when the secondary
power breaker is on (active).
Step 4 Observe the three red indicator lights on the charger:
•The ammeter will show the charging amperage.
•The POWER light illuminates any time power is applied to the
charger.
•The CHARGE light indicates the charger is charging the battery at 5
Amps or more.
•The FULL light indicates the battery is fully charged. As the battery
approaches its full charge, both lights may be on. When the battery is
fully charged, the CHARGE light will turn off.
NOTICE
If parasitic loads on the battery (lights, instruments, etc.) exceed a few
Amps, the FULL light will not illuminate.
7

System Maintenance & Troubleshooting
This section describes maintenance and troubleshooting procedures for the Hotstart
Battery Charger System.
System Maintenance
Disconnect all power prior to performing any system maintenance.
WARNING
Electrical Connections
Excessive vibration will eventually cause terminals to loosen. Periodically check
and tighten all electrical connections.
System Mounting
Excessive vibration may cause mounting bolts to loosen. Periodically check and
tighten all mounting bolts.
Cleaning Cooling Passages
In the event the forced air cooling passages get a dust or lint buildup, wipe the
exterior surfaces with a clean dry cloth. The interior cooling passages can be
blown clean with dry air. Never attempt to use liquid cleaners inside the unit.
Troubleshooting
Symptom Possible Causes Solutions
Charger is not
charging Main breaker tripped
Secondary breaker tripped
No power
Reset or test circuit breaker
Reset or test circuit breaker
Test the line power source
8

Replacement Parts List
BATTERY CHARGER REPLACEMENT PARTS
ALL MODELS 240V 380V 480V 575V
TRANSFORMER - PRP235037-000 PRP235037-001 PRP235037-000 PRP235043-000
PRIMARY BREAKER - PRP231023-020 PRP231023-015 PRP231023-010 PRP231024-010
SECONDARY
BREAKER PRP231022-050 - - - -
CONTROL MODULE
WITHOUT
TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION PRP224014-001 - - - -
CONTROL MODULE
WITH TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION PRP224014-101 - - - -
ADAPTER PRP229060-001 - - - -
PILOT LIGHT PRP231004-002 - - - -
BREAKER BOX - PRP229109-001 PRP229109-003 PRP229109-004 PRP229109-002
9

Appendix A
This appendix includes the drawings that pertain to your particular Hotstart Battery
Charger system. Replacement part numbers are included on these drawings. These
drawings are located in the back of this manual:
•Complete assembly drawings
•Control box assembly drawings
•Control box wiring diagram
10