Solar batteries for charging a car battery: the principle of operation, features, manufacturers and expert recommendations

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Unfortunately, almost all motorists face the problem of discharging the battery at the most inopportune moment. The reasons for such trouble may 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. Today, many car owners use such devices to charge a car battery.

Easy ways to recharge

The battery in the car, as you know, while driving is recharged by the generator. Of course, this does not happen as quickly and efficiently as when using an external stationary source. But still, the battery can be charged in this case up to 90%.

Some motorists, faced with the problem of starting the engine, also simply ask"light" with their colleagues on the road. In addition, you can also recharge the battery from home-made devices assembled using, for example, laptop or smartphone power supplies.

Benefits of using

The battery is recharged quite efficiently from the generator. But with the problem of its discharge, drivers most often encounter all the same at a time when the car is not moving. Other motorists on the road at this moment may simply not be. The assembly of home-made chargers using gadgets is far from being possible for every driver. Therefore, to insure against such an unpleasant situation as the inability to start a car, it is worth using a solar battery.

Such devices are compact and relatively inexpensive. It is allowed to charge from solar panels of traction batteries or conventional ones. In large cities, such a device can be purchased at an auto shop. Residents of small towns usually order batteries of this variety via the Internet.

What is a solar battery for charging batteries

In houses, panels of this type have been used for a long time to provide residential premises with electricity. 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 your car battery is extremely simple. The battery can be connected to such a device via terminals. also inOn sale today, there are models that are easy to charge through the cigarette lighter.

Charging a battery from a solar battery with your own hands is therefore an absolutely simple procedure. 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 it in a car. Some of these batteries can also be made from flexible materials.

Where to post

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 m2. In hot countries with a lot of sunny days, car owners even install entire solar mini-power plants on the roof. In such cars, the battery is recharged while driving not from the generator, but from the panel. This allows you to make the car engine work a little more efficiently.

In Russia, such a principle of recharging, since the climate in our country is not too hot, of course, is not used. Motorists in our country usually install simple panels on the roof. You can charge the batteries from them as needed.

Sometimes it happens that it is not possible to place a panel on the roof of a car. For example, this happens when some things are transported here. In this case, the panel can simply be carried withyourself in the trunk. Solar panels for batteries are compact, can be folded and do not take up too much space.

In some cases, solar batteries for charging batteries (12 volts, for example) can also be installed in the car. However, only panels of not too high power are usually placed in this way, designed not for batteries, but for recharging various kinds of electronic devices.

Design

There are two main types of such panels on the market today: designed to fully charge the battery or simply resuscitate it with the ability to start the engine. The first type of batteries has a high output power and is quite expensive. Motorists rarely use such solar panels. More often, domestic car owners purchase simple models designed only for car resuscitation.

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 the current. The parameters necessary for charging the battery are thus achieved by assembling the photocells into a 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 element is needed to regulate the chargebattery. Also, an element of the design of the solar battery is an inverter that converts direct voltage into alternating voltage. Batteries are responsible for the accumulation of energy in such modules.

Working principle

How do solar panels work to charge 12V batteries? Photovoltaic cells, which are the basis of any such panel, are two layers of semiconductors with different conductivity. By means of contacts soldered to them on both sides, they are included in a 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 exposed to sunlight? In this case, “holes” (atoms that have lost an electron) begin to move. This creates a current. In reality, "holes", of course, do not move. This illusion is created by electrons moving from one such atom to another.

The point of contact of semiconductors in a photocell is called a p-n-junction. When the n-band is illuminated, electrons receive additional energy and begin to penetrate through this boundary. As a result, the number of "holes" and electrons changes, which leads to a potential difference.

Battery calculation: current strength

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 be done. But to choose such a panel, of course, you need to correctly. Rechargeable batteries are recharged from such batteries, tounfortunately for a very long time. Even with the most powerful modern model, 100% results can only be achieved after 9-11 hours.

Car batteries are charged with a current equal to at least 0.1 of the capacity. Large currents cannot be used for this. Otherwise, the battery will quickly fail. There is practically no danger of damaging the battery when using a solar battery. The current 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 resuscitation of the battery or simply to support its charge.

Voltage

Usually, car owners who decide to use the panel in this way, buy a 5-6W model. If the battery is supposed to be used to fully charge the battery, it would be better, of course, to consider the 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 these models that are considered the best option for Russia today.

On the roofs of large vehicles, for example, minibuses, several panels combined into a module can be located simultaneously. This allows you to achieve more battery power and, accordingly, more efficient and faster charging. Combining panels into a module, thanks to their special design, is completely simple. You don't even need to use any additional tools for this.

Producers

The most popular companies producing solar panels for charging 12V batteries that deserve good reviews from consumers at the moment in Russia are:

1. SunForce (Canada). A good opinion about the panels from this manufacturer among motorists has developed primarily due to their high power. With dimensions of 97 x 35 x 4 cm, the panels of this brand are capable of delivering a voltage of 17 watts.
2. Flexible TCM-15F. These models have earned good reviews, including for their compactness. Their dimensions are 60 x 27 x 0.5 cm. Their power is 15 W.

Charging lithium batteries from solar panels of these manufacturers, like any other, is quite fast. The panels of these brands themselves are assembled from high-quality materials, are reliable and last a long time.

A few recommendations from experts

When buying such a device, experts and experienced motorists 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 hulls of suchpanels will simply begin to melt and crack soon.

When buying a panel, among other things, you should pay 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 also purchase a model without a controller. But still, experienced motorists are advised to overpay a little and purchase a panel supplemented with this element (or buy it separately).

The controller can be useful, for example, during a long outdoor recreation. The battery in this case can be connected to this element and placed on the roof of the car. Thanks to this, you do not have to start the car every day 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, a solar battery with a controller must be purchased by those motorists who want to use such a device to fully periodically charge the battery.