Battery banks for alt energy lighting

[Old Scool Bus]

...
These batteries should only be charged with 1 or 2 amps because of their specs and the size of the terminals. That eliminates using a charging system on a bus. (for all practical purposes) ...

Umm, probably not.

Remember, just because an alternator is capable of producing, say, 100 amps, that's not how much current will flow into a battery.

If you consider the alternator an "unlimited current" source (a theoretical construct, but close enough to reality for this discussion), then the amount of current that will flow to the batteries when charging is dependent on only two factors (given a specific battery construction and chemistry):

1.  The voltage (not current) produced by the alternator.  This is set by the regulator.
2.  The state of charge of the batteries.

If you set your regulator for a maximum charge voltage of, say, 14 volts, and you've arranged these batteries into a 12-volt string, it's unlikely that they will draw more than an amp or two if they are above about 50% DoD (based on the size you indicated).

This is one of those cases where you just need to experiment.  Connect a discharged 12-volt string of batteries to a regulated power supply with an ammeter in series, then crank the voltage up to 14 while watching the meter.

Note that this is all irrespective of whatever other batteries are connected to the alternator; if those batteries are more fully charged, the regulator will actually call for less, rather than more, voltage.  So the only important factor is the upper limit voltage set on the regulator.

Of course, in this type of parallel arrangement, you will want to insert an appropriately rated diode between the alternator/main bank and this set of small auxilliary batteries -- you don't want power going the other way!

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

The whole point to this is just an interesting (to me) project & learning experience.
Tying it into the bus alternator I would think would cause some concerns & complexity that may fail and ruin something.

It's a separate system running very efficient lights only. It also saves my main battery power source from being over taxed and gives me redundancy.

But I really do appreciate your input and will use the info I can or applies to my project.

[oldmansax]

Some of you guys are way too smart!!!

I think the government should come up with a way to tax you & give the excess to us guys who just get by....     

TOM

[Old Scool Bus]

Some of you guys are way too smart!!!

I think the government should come up with a way to tax you & give the excess to us guys who just get by....     

TOM

Then Sean would have to sell his bus to pay his taxes 

Sax, I'll have to refresh on some things before I speak on motors. But with some DC motors they have a point in which they want to not rotate easily and some rotate smoothly without this point. There is a name for it but it slips my mind at this time. You want the kind that rotates smoothly.  Also AC motors can be rewound to work very well on wind generators but I have not played with that yet.  Some treadmill motors are desirable also.

[NewbeeMC9]

If you are going to use LED's and these batteries then I like it,  accidentally leave a light on and your not stranded.

Wind genny sounds good for stationary especially if wind at night.

Have you thought about peltier device for a generator? put coolant an one side and fins on the other and you are using your waste heat going down the road.  Easier and quieter

you can make a solar box and use it in the sun if your stationary. or by the campfire at night.


Something to think about.      

Be careful, much time, and energy has been spent outside of the box - thinking of a way to get in it

[Old Scool Bus]

Newbie, I haven't looked into Peltier  but that's an idea I should be looking into.

There's a lot of cool alt energy stuff out there that would be cool to incorporate into my project. I would like to find ways to use wasted energy even if it's  for trivial stuff, it can grow into bigger & better things.

[oldmansax]

Some of you guys are way too smart!!!

I think the government should come up with a way to tax you & give the excess to us guys who just get by....     

TOM

Then Sean would have to sell his bus to pay his taxes 

Now that's funny right there I don't care who you are!

ROFL!

There's an interesting subject for a theses... if a busnuts intellect were taxable, could he (or she) pay them by selling their bus.

TOM

[Old Scool Bus]

Here are the specs on the batteries.

http://www.houseofbatteries.com/pdf/DJW12-1.2