Inverter cuts out at high engine revs

[LiftyK]

I’m currently on a hired canal boat. It is fitted with a Sterling inverter which delivers mains electricity only when the engine is running. New leisure batteries were just fitted. Now I see strange behaviour:

1. At 2/3 to maximum engine revs, the inverter stops. Slow engine revs and it burst back into life.
2. While the engine is running, the leisure batteries are showing about 15.5 volts,

It is no big hardship but I’m baffled how the alternator can throw out a voltage that can be too high for the inverter. Any thoughts please?

 

[VicS]

If the alternator is giving 15.5 volts I'd suspect a faulty regulator and be worried about what might happen to the batteries.

I guess the inverter is designed to cut out if the input voltage is too high???

 

[adamlang]

Looking at the photo's at the link below the 12v models have a high voltage cut out between 15-16v.

110V 50Hz Pure Sine Wave Inverters 12 & 24V 1600W

Is there maybe a voltage sensing cable that needs to be connected to the new battery, part of an external regulator perhaps.

 

[LiftyK]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the inverter specification. I did report the situation to the hire company but they weren’t bothered by the high voltage like I was, saying the batteries would be ok to 16 volts. Meanwhile we found a temporary solution in running a good number of loads to bring down the voltage which keeps the inverter running when required. Of course in this modern age the inverter is used almost exclusively for charging phones, tablets and computers (nothing important on a canal holiday ?).