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Showing posts with the label Charge

Lead Acid Battery Charge Monitor

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As per manufacturer’s data sheets, a 12V rechargeable lead-acid battery should be operated within 10.1V and 13.8V. When the battery charges higher than 13.8V it is said to be overcharged, and when it discharges below 10.1V it can be deeply discharged. A single event of overcharge or deep discharge can bring down the charge-holding capacity of a battery by 15 to 20 per cent. It is therefore necessary for all concerned to monitor the charge level of their batteries continuously. But, in practice, many of the battery users are unable to do so because of non-availability of reasonably-priced monitoring equipment. The circuit idea presented here will fill this void by providing a circuit for monitoring the charge level of lead-acid batteries continuously. The circuit possesses two vital features: First, it reduces the requirement of human attention by about 85 per cent. Second, it is a highly accurate and sophisticated method. Lead Acid Battery Charge Monitor Circuit Diagram:   The cir...

Scalable 12V Solar Power System and Battery Charge Controller

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An unconventional, scalable high efficiency 12V solar power system and battery charge controller with low voltage cutout to protect the battery. (ideal for systems of 50W or less). The most common solar charger consists of a Schottky diode to prevent the battery from draining into the PV panel and a shunt regulator that effectively short circuits the panel once the battery is fully charged. One problem with this approach is diode losses and the resulting heat. If a 50W 12V panel supplies 4A to the battery, the Schottky diode will drop about 0,4V across it dissipating about 1,6W of heat. This requires a heat sink and loses power to heat. The problem is that there is no way of reducing the volt drop, paralleling diodes may share current, but the 0,4V will still be there. The circuit uses a MOSFET in stead of the usual diode and the primary power loss is resistive. [ ]

Build a 10 Amp Solar Charge Controller SCC2 Circuit

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The SCC2 is a solar charge controller, it’s function is to regulate the power flowing from a photovoltaic panel into a rechargeable battery. It features easy setup with one potentiometer for the float voltage adjustment, an equalize function for periodic overcharging, and automatic temperature compensation for better charging over a range of temperatures. 10 Amp Solar Charge Controller Circuit Diagram With Parts List The goal of the circuit design was to make a charge controller with analog simplicity, high efficiency, and reliability. A medium power solar system can be built with a 12V solar panel up to 10 amps, the SCC2, and a lead acid or other rechargeable up to a few hundred amp hour capacity. The SCC2 can be operated at battery voltages other than 12V, it can work at 6V and 24V by changing a few parts. Operation at voltages between 6V and 24V is also possible. Specifications Maximum solar panel current: 10 Amps Night time battery drain current: approximately 1ma Nominal battery v...