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How to make a solar charger for the battery with your hands
I have an old friend who is engaged in water tourism. Long ago I gave him a solar panel to charge the batteries of the camera.
Then I acquired five solar cells from domestic producers, consistently put them together, and then added the diode KD213. The result is a battery with a current of approximately 300 mA with a voltage of about 9 volts.
The mechanical elements of the battery were connected with strips of blue electrical tape, the battery was formed in the accordion, and my friend for she had made a makeshift cover. Since then passed 15 years, during this time the battery has been in many campaigns, successfully charging different Ni-Cd batteries.
In recent times it has become fashionable to use the lithium power supply for led lights and photo-video devices. All is good, but lithium batteries need careful handling. To charge them it is necessary carefully — to voltage of 4.2 volts, discharge also to a certain voltage, since the deviation from standards can irreversibly damage the battery or even start a fire.
My friend goes on a hike and a headlamp that runs on 18650 batteries. In the lantern there is no charging mechanism, so he approached me with a request to come up with the possibility of charging these items in the field. Was also tasked with charging phones-smartphones and other gadgets.
After studying the proposals for the Ebay.com was discovered an amusing device – the battery capacity of 10000 mAh, in one case which was a solar battery and electronics that controlled the charge-discharge of the battery and provided with current up to 2A voltage 5 volts on the two USB connectors.
The device was ordered as the price is 1000 R seemed quite adequate. His full name: Solar Panel Power Bank Charger Battery for Mobile Samsung Iphone5s HTC 10000mAh.
In addition, I discovered a charge for 18650 battery, which consisted of a good casing-holder and the charge controller built into the USB connector. The device is called New USB 18650 Battery Function Charger cost me approximately 80 p.
The original idea was that on a Sunny day Power Bank charging the internal battery, and then passed the energy through the charging 18650.
Both units were delivered from China fairly quickly and I began to study them. Charging for the 18650 did not bring any surprises – a magnificent body, while it charges the 18650 capacity of 2400 mAh with a current of approximately 300 mA from a USB port.
But the PowerBank was a marriage. I measured the capacity using the method of full discharge with a constant current of about 300 mA – get a 1200 mAh battery, then as has been stated 10000 mAh.
However, the case was made for the glory! All customized almost perfectly, so that there is a monolith. Cover created from metal. It was decided to disassemble and see what's inside.
And there was enough high-quality electronics — Board charge controller of the lithium element that has been combined with a stabilizer-Converter 5 volt 2 A. sorry, could not determine all types of circuits, however, the impression was formed that the Board was originally designed for multi-element lithium batteries with individual controls charge-discharge of each of the elements. But all this wealth was not used, as the lithium cells were simply connected in parallel. By the way, soldering the battery fell apart almost from one touch of the soldering iron. Then he saw the items separately – in my opinion, Frank marriage.
As it turned out, Converter to 5 volts, built on a modern chip, which operates at a frequency of 500 kHz. Measured simultaneously, the maximum output current 1.6 A came out, which seems quite adequate at the stated 2A.
The photo above shows the discharge circuit, which consists of a variable wire wound resistor of 33 Ohm and a pair of resistors of 2 ohms (total of 1 Ohm) connected in parallel in order to control the discharge current.
Current consumption enough to set once at the beginning of the experiment, as the PowerBank is the stabilizer of 5 V. besides, the Board has led indicator for battery power level, which can operate both in charging mode and in discharge mode. As is customary bright blue hue "red-eye".
Overall, happy with everything except the battery. Wrote to the seller demanding the return of money for the marriage of the battery. The seller first wrote that, I wasn't taken into account the loss due to incorrect methods of measuring capacitance, however after the second letter, in which everything was laid out on shelves, has returned part of the money.
Since the PowerBank was dismantled, it was decided to try how it will work with the old solar battery and 18650. The results of the experiment pleased: the controller worked absolutely fine with a 18650 battery, and solar battery of fifteen years ago could provide the charging current is 370 mA. The measurement was made on March 10 in Moscow. There is speculation that the summer sun will be able to give more charge current.
Current measurement charge and discharge was made using the sequential installation of the resistor 0.1 Ohm in the circuit of the battery. In my case the resistor is 0.1 Ohm consisted of two devices connected in parallel 0.2 Ohm. The voltage drop across the resistor measured by multimeter. The current is converted to milliamps of millivolts by multiplying by 10.
Measured the current, which gave "native" solar cell – it was much lower, however, this was expected because the surface area is less.
As a result, optimal design was as follows: cropped body with a circuit Board, a holder for 18650 battery and connected the solar cell separately. On the 18650 battery holder is header, second part was cut from the USB connector, and soldered to the solar battery. Of 18650 battery holder comes out four wires – two from the solar cell and two from the actual battery. This was once used duct tape in black. Blue at the time, served for 20 years and even after that is in excellent condition, view how you will behave in black.
A couple of hours with a drill, Dremel and plumbing scissors – and ready here this design:
Fully assembled view:
Get a system that is able to charge 18650 solar battery, and a source of 5 volts (USB), to give a stable 5 volts to charge different gadgets (PowerBank kit includes several adapters). Not without a glitch if the device is without batteries for a long time, then it is not included from the button. But the glitch is treated, if remove-insert the battery one or two times. The resulting device will be tested in the next campaign on the Western or Eastern Sayan, or some other exotic places in Russia.
Source: alternativenergy.ru
Then I acquired five solar cells from domestic producers, consistently put them together, and then added the diode KD213. The result is a battery with a current of approximately 300 mA with a voltage of about 9 volts.
The mechanical elements of the battery were connected with strips of blue electrical tape, the battery was formed in the accordion, and my friend for she had made a makeshift cover. Since then passed 15 years, during this time the battery has been in many campaigns, successfully charging different Ni-Cd batteries.
In recent times it has become fashionable to use the lithium power supply for led lights and photo-video devices. All is good, but lithium batteries need careful handling. To charge them it is necessary carefully — to voltage of 4.2 volts, discharge also to a certain voltage, since the deviation from standards can irreversibly damage the battery or even start a fire.
My friend goes on a hike and a headlamp that runs on 18650 batteries. In the lantern there is no charging mechanism, so he approached me with a request to come up with the possibility of charging these items in the field. Was also tasked with charging phones-smartphones and other gadgets.
After studying the proposals for the Ebay.com was discovered an amusing device – the battery capacity of 10000 mAh, in one case which was a solar battery and electronics that controlled the charge-discharge of the battery and provided with current up to 2A voltage 5 volts on the two USB connectors.
The device was ordered as the price is 1000 R seemed quite adequate. His full name: Solar Panel Power Bank Charger Battery for Mobile Samsung Iphone5s HTC 10000mAh.
In addition, I discovered a charge for 18650 battery, which consisted of a good casing-holder and the charge controller built into the USB connector. The device is called New USB 18650 Battery Function Charger cost me approximately 80 p.
The original idea was that on a Sunny day Power Bank charging the internal battery, and then passed the energy through the charging 18650.
Both units were delivered from China fairly quickly and I began to study them. Charging for the 18650 did not bring any surprises – a magnificent body, while it charges the 18650 capacity of 2400 mAh with a current of approximately 300 mA from a USB port.
But the PowerBank was a marriage. I measured the capacity using the method of full discharge with a constant current of about 300 mA – get a 1200 mAh battery, then as has been stated 10000 mAh.
However, the case was made for the glory! All customized almost perfectly, so that there is a monolith. Cover created from metal. It was decided to disassemble and see what's inside.
And there was enough high-quality electronics — Board charge controller of the lithium element that has been combined with a stabilizer-Converter 5 volt 2 A. sorry, could not determine all types of circuits, however, the impression was formed that the Board was originally designed for multi-element lithium batteries with individual controls charge-discharge of each of the elements. But all this wealth was not used, as the lithium cells were simply connected in parallel. By the way, soldering the battery fell apart almost from one touch of the soldering iron. Then he saw the items separately – in my opinion, Frank marriage.
As it turned out, Converter to 5 volts, built on a modern chip, which operates at a frequency of 500 kHz. Measured simultaneously, the maximum output current 1.6 A came out, which seems quite adequate at the stated 2A.
The photo above shows the discharge circuit, which consists of a variable wire wound resistor of 33 Ohm and a pair of resistors of 2 ohms (total of 1 Ohm) connected in parallel in order to control the discharge current.
Current consumption enough to set once at the beginning of the experiment, as the PowerBank is the stabilizer of 5 V. besides, the Board has led indicator for battery power level, which can operate both in charging mode and in discharge mode. As is customary bright blue hue "red-eye".
Overall, happy with everything except the battery. Wrote to the seller demanding the return of money for the marriage of the battery. The seller first wrote that, I wasn't taken into account the loss due to incorrect methods of measuring capacitance, however after the second letter, in which everything was laid out on shelves, has returned part of the money.
Since the PowerBank was dismantled, it was decided to try how it will work with the old solar battery and 18650. The results of the experiment pleased: the controller worked absolutely fine with a 18650 battery, and solar battery of fifteen years ago could provide the charging current is 370 mA. The measurement was made on March 10 in Moscow. There is speculation that the summer sun will be able to give more charge current.
Current measurement charge and discharge was made using the sequential installation of the resistor 0.1 Ohm in the circuit of the battery. In my case the resistor is 0.1 Ohm consisted of two devices connected in parallel 0.2 Ohm. The voltage drop across the resistor measured by multimeter. The current is converted to milliamps of millivolts by multiplying by 10.
Measured the current, which gave "native" solar cell – it was much lower, however, this was expected because the surface area is less.
As a result, optimal design was as follows: cropped body with a circuit Board, a holder for 18650 battery and connected the solar cell separately. On the 18650 battery holder is header, second part was cut from the USB connector, and soldered to the solar battery. Of 18650 battery holder comes out four wires – two from the solar cell and two from the actual battery. This was once used duct tape in black. Blue at the time, served for 20 years and even after that is in excellent condition, view how you will behave in black.
A couple of hours with a drill, Dremel and plumbing scissors – and ready here this design:
Fully assembled view:
Get a system that is able to charge 18650 solar battery, and a source of 5 volts (USB), to give a stable 5 volts to charge different gadgets (PowerBank kit includes several adapters). Not without a glitch if the device is without batteries for a long time, then it is not included from the button. But the glitch is treated, if remove-insert the battery one or two times. The resulting device will be tested in the next campaign on the Western or Eastern Sayan, or some other exotic places in Russia.
Source: alternativenergy.ru