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Archiver

What's the easiest way to keep a battery from being overcharged by a solar
cell?

Thanks,

Brice
Educational & Personal Robots
http://www.cyberbound.com

Archiver

>What's the easiest way to keep a battery from being overcharged by a solar
>cell?
>Thanks,
>Brice
>Educational & Personal Robots
>http://www.cyberbound.com

What kind of battery?

If it is a gel cell, you need to limit the float voltage (~13.8 volts
for a 12 volt nominal battery). A simple voltage regulator set for
that voltage may be all that you need. ---- A more sophisticated
circuit will allow the battery to fast charge for a while at a higher
voltage (up to 14.4 volts), and then switch to the lower float
voltage. An overcharged gel-cell will start to "boil" inside,
outgas, and dry up. In any case there are limits on the charging
current as well, for example, a 5 amp-hour gel-cel battery should
not be charged at a rate faster than 1 amp.

The procedure for a nicad is very different. There you need to limit
the current to a safe maximum level, and then switch to a trickle
charge level.

-- Tracy