solar power charge controller

Solar Power Charge Controller

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Introduction

A charge controller, or charge regulator is basically a voltage and/or current regulator to keep batteries from overcharging. It regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery. Most "12 volt" panels put out about 16 to 20 volts, so if there is no regulation the batteries will be damaged from overcharging. Most batteries need around 14 to 14.5 volts to get fully charged.

The solar energy is converted to electrical energy by photo-voltaic cells. This energy is stored in batteries during day time for utilizing the same during night time. Main project ideas is to deals with a controlled charging mechanism which over charge, deep discharge and under voltage of the battery.

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Block Diagram







Hardware Components For Solar Power Charge Controller

• Solar panel

• Op-amps

• MOSFET

• Diodes

• LEDs

• Potentiometers

• Battery







Circuit Diagram







Solar Panel

Expose the cell to light, and the energy from each photon (light particle) hitting the silicon, will liberate an electron and a corresponding hole.

If this happens within range of the electric field’s influence, the electrons will be sent to the N side and the holes to the P one, resulting in yet further disruption of electrical neutrality.

This flow of electrons is a current; the electrical field in the cell causes a voltage and the product of these two is power.







OP-Amps

An operational amplifier ("op-amp") is a DC-coupled high-gain electronic voltage amplifier with a differential input and, usually, a single-ended output.

• Internally frequency compensated for unity gain• Large DC voltage gain 100 dB• Wideband with 1Mhz (Temperature compensated)• Wide power supply range:• Single supply 3V to 32V• or dual supplies ±1.5V to ±16V• Very low supply current drain (700 μA) essentially independent of supply voltage• Low input biasing current 45 nA (temperature compensated)• Low input offset voltage 2mV and offset current:5 nA• Large output voltage swing 0V to V+ − 1.5V







MOSFET(IRF 510)

The Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor is a devise used for amplifying or switching electronic signals

The basic principle of the device a voltage on the oxide-insulated gate electrode can induce a conducting channel between the two other contacts called source and drain.

It is by far the most common transistor in both digital and analog circuits, though the bipolar

junction transistor was at one time much more common.







Diodes

The 1N4148 is a standard small signal silicon diode used in signal processing.

The 1N4148 is generally available in a DO-35 glass package and is very useful at high

frequencies with a reverse recovery time of no more than 4ns.

This permits rectification and detection of radio frequency signals very effectively, as long as their amplitude is above the forward conduction threshold of silicon (around 0.7V) or the diode is biased.







Potentiometers

A potentiometer is an adjustable resistor which consists of a wiper that slides across a resistive strip to deliver an increase or decrease in resistance. The level of resistance will determine output of current to the circuit.







BATTERY

An electrical battery is a combination of one or more electrochemical cells, used to convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy.

The battery has become a common power source for many household, robotics and industrial applications.

Larger batteries provide standby power for telephone exchanges or computer data centers.







Why 12 Volt Panels are 17 Volts

The reason is that, the panels will provide power only when cool, under perfect conditions, and full sun.

This is not something you can count on in most places.

The panels need to provide some extra voltage so that when the sun is low in the sky.







Why 12 Volt Panels are 17 Volts

You have heavy haze, cloud cover, or high temperatures, You have heavy haze, cloud cover, or high temperatures.

A fully charged "12 volt" battery is around 12.7 volts at rest (around 13.6 to 14.4 under charge).

The panel has to put out at least that much under worst case conditions.







Charger Controller Types

Charge controls come in 3 general types, They range from the small 4.5 amp (Sunguard) control, up to the 60 to 80 amp MPPT.

• Simple 1 or 2 stage controls

• 3-stage and/or PWM

• Maximum power point tracking (MPPT)







Functionality of Solar Power Charge Controller

A solar panel is used to charge a battery.

A set of op-amps are used as comparators to continuously monitor panel voltage, load current etc.

Indications are also provided by a green LED for fully charged battery.

A set of red LEDs to indicate under charged, overloaded and deep discharge condition.







Charge controller also uses MOSFET as power semiconductor switch.

This is to ensure cut off the load in low battery or overload condition.

A transistor is used to bypass the solar energy to a dummy load while the battery gets fully charged.

This protects the battery from getting over charged.

Functionality of Solar Power Charge Controller







Application of Solar Power Charge Controller

Solar street light system

Solar home system

Hybrid system

Solar water pump system







Solar street light system

In this system that uses PV module to convert sunlight into DC electricity

The system consumes only DC electricity

It incorporates solar charge controller to store DC in the battery bank to supply during sunlight is not visible or night time.







Solar Home System

In this system energy is generated from PV module to supply for home appliances.

The system incorporates solar charge controller to store DC in the battery bank and suits for using in any areas where utility grid is not available.







Hybrid System

In this system that consists of multiple energy sources to provide full time, backup power or other purposes.

It incorporates solar charge controller to store DC in the battery bank.







Solar Water Pump System

It uses solar power to pump water from natural and surface reservoirs for home, village, water treatment, agriculture, irrigation, livestock and other applications.





solar power charge controller

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