Unfortunately, almost all motorists face the problem of discharging the battery at the most inopportune moment. The reasons for this trouble can be different. A car enthusiast may forget to turn off the headlights, use multimedia and energy-intensive electrical appliances in the cabin for a long time, and so on. There are several ways to quickly recharge batteries. And one of them is the use of special solar panels. To charge a car battery, such devices are now used by many car owners.
Simple ways to recharge
The battery in the car, as you know, is charged from the generator while driving. Of course, this does not happen as quickly and efficiently as when using an external stationary source. But still, the battery in this case can be charged up to 90%.
Some motorists, faced with the problem of starting the engine, also simply ask to “light” their colleagues on the road. In addition, you can recharge the battery from home-made devices assembled using, for example, laptop or smartphone power supplies.
Benefits of using
From the generator, the battery is recharged quite efficiently. But the drivers most often encounter the problem of its discharge, nevertheless, at a time when the car is not moving. Other motorists on the road at this moment may simply not be there. Assembling homemade chargers using gadgets is beyond the power of every driver. Therefore, to be safe from such an unpleasant situation as the inability to start the car, it is worth using the solar battery.
Such devices are compact and relatively inexpensive. It is allowed to charge traction batteries or conventional ones from solar panels. In large cities, such a device can be purchased at the car shop. Residents of small towns usually order batteries of this kind via the Internet.
What is a solar battery for charging batteries
In homes, panels of this type have been used for quite some time to provide electricity to residential premises. Chargers for cars of this variety appeared on the market just a few years ago. However, the design of solar charging today is quite convenient.
Using solar panels to charge a car battery is extremely simple. The battery to such a device can be connected via terminals. Also on sale today there are models that can be easily charged through the cigarette lighter.
Do-it-yourself recharging of the battery from the solar battery is a procedure, therefore, absolutely simple. The method of use for each specific battery is indicated in the instructions from the manufacturer.
Actually, such a device itself is a flat panel, it will be very easy to find a place for which in the car. Some of these batteries can also be made from flexible materials.
Where can I place
Most often, solar panels for charging a car battery are placed on the roof of the car. The total area of such panels is usually about 1 m 2 . In hot countries with lots of sunny days, car owners even install whole solar mini-power plants on the roof. In such machines, the battery during movement is not charged from the generator, but from the panel. This allows you to make the car engine work a little more efficient.
In Russia, this is the principle of recharging, since the climate in our country is not too hot, of course, is not used. On the roof, motorists of our country usually install simple panels. You can charge batteries from them as needed.
Sometimes it happens that you cannot place a panel on the roof of a car. For example, this happens when any items are transported here. In this case, the panel can simply be carried with you in the trunk. Solar batteries for batteries are compact, can be folded and do not take up too much space.
In some cases, solar panels for charging batteries (12 volts, for example) can be installed in the car. However, in this way usually only panels of not too high power are placed, designed not for batteries, but for charging various kinds of electronic devices.
Design
There are two main types of such panels on the market today: those designed to fully charge the battery or simply reanimate it with the ability to start the engine. The first type of battery has a high output power and is quite expensive. Motorists rarely use such solar panels. More often, domestic car owners acquire unpretentious models designed only for resuscitation of a car.
In any case, all panels of this type supplied to the market consist of special photocells that, when illuminated by the sun, create a potential difference. In series connection, these parts of the battery design provide a constant voltage, and in parallel, they increase current strength. The parameters necessary for charging the battery are achieved, thus, by assembling the photocells into the module.
Additional items
In addition to the panel itself, a controller is usually included in the design of solar panels for charging a car battery. This item is needed to adjust the battery charge. Also, an inverter that converts direct voltage to alternating voltage is an element of the solar battery design. Accumulators are responsible for the energy storage in such modules.
Principle of operation
How do solar panels function to charge 12V batteries? The solar cells that form the basis of any such panel are two layers of semiconductors having different conductivity. By means of contacts soldered to them on both sides, they are included in the common circuit. One of the layers of semiconductors (n) is a cathode with electronic conductivity, and the second is, respectively, an anode (p) with a "hole".
What happens when a panel is placed in the sun? In this case, “holes” begin to move (atoms that have lost an electron). Due to this, a current is created. In reality, “holes”, of course, do not move. Such an illusion is created by electrons moving from one such atom to another.
The contact point of the semiconductors in the photocell is called the pn junction. When the n-band is illuminated, the electrons receive additional energy and begin to penetrate this boundary. As a result, the number of “holes” and electrons changes, which leads to the appearance of a potential difference.
Battery calculation: current
Calculation of solar panels for charging batteries - the procedure is quite simple. Too complicated calculations when buying such a device usually do not have to. But to choose such a panel, of course, you need to correctly. Unfortunately, batteries recharge from such batteries for a very long time. Even using the most powerful modern model, one hundred percent result can be achieved only after 9-11 hours.
Machine batteries are charged with a current equal to at least 0.1 of the capacity. Large current values cannot be used for this. Otherwise, the battery will quickly fail. The dangers of spoiling the battery when using a solar battery practically do not exist. The current strength in such panels usually does not exceed 1 A. This is actually very small. Due to the low current strength, it is best to use such batteries for emergency reanimation of the battery or just to support its charge.
Voltage
Usually car owners who decide to use the panel in this way buy a 5-6 W model. If the battery is supposed to be used to fully charge the battery, it would be better, of course, to consider an option, for example, at 30-60 watts. From such a device, the battery will be charged for a long time, but still one hundred percent.
In most cases, experts recommend purchasing 12V solar panels to charge car batteries with a length of at least one meter. For a modern middle-class car, such a battery is likely to be quite enough. It is such models for Russia today that are considered the best option.
On the roofs of large cars, for example, minibuses, several panels combined into a module can simultaneously be located. This allows you to achieve more battery power and, accordingly, more efficient and faster charging. Combining the panels into a module, due to their special design, is not difficult at all. You do not even need to use any additional tools for this.
Manufacturers
The most popular companies that produce solar panels for charging 12V batteries, have earned good reviews from consumers, currently in Russia are:
SunForce (Canada). A good opinion about the panels from this manufacturer among motorists was formed primarily due to their high power. With dimensions of 97 x 35 x 4 cm, panels of this brand are capable of delivering a voltage of 17 watts.
Flexible TCM-15F. These models have earned good reviews, including for compactness. Their dimensions are 60 x 27 x 0.5 cm. Their power is 15 watts.
Charging lithium batteries from solar panels of these manufacturers, like any other, is fast enough. The panels themselves of these brands are assembled from quality materials, are reliable and last a long time.
Some recommendations from experts
When buying such a device, experts and experienced car enthusiasts are advised to pay attention to the brand of its manufacturer. In any case, you should not buy batteries from unknown companies. The fact is that some Chinese "masters" make solar panels for cars using cheap low-quality plastic. Such batteries in the future, of course, will not last long. Being constantly in the sun, the cases of such panels will simply begin to melt and crack soon.
When buying a panel, among other things, it is worth paying attention to whether the controller is included in the kit. This element, of course, increases the cost of the panel. In principle, if the battery is needed only as a safety net, you can purchase a model without a controller. But still experienced motorists advise a little overpay and purchase a panel supplemented by this element (or buy it separately).
The controller can come in handy, for example, for long outdoor recreation. In this case, the battery can be connected to this element and put on the roof of the car. Thanks to this, you do not have to start the car daily to recharge the battery. At the same time, it will be possible to freely listen to music from the car on vacation. And, of course, it is imperative that the solar battery with the controller be purchased by those motorists who want to use such a device to fully charge the battery periodically.