Date:         Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:58:43 -0700
Reply-To:     "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: 1 Solar Panel: Alternate Charging Between 2 Aux. Batteries?
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTimkZ6JLGJA0PGa4=ErGPjMXJbp5JTv9FbVdFQP+@mail.gmail.com>
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Interesting question. Looked at as a system, there is amps-in and
amps-out and it would not matter how you partition, or not, those two
functions. However, the batteries are not simple animals and don't work
linearly due to all kinds of electrochemical reasons including, I think,
alchemy, voodoo, and string theory, so that's a bit of a complicating
factor, but my gut feeling is it would not matter on a practical level
how you do it.

Dennis Haynes is my hero when it comes to matters of lead and acid so
I'll sit back and see if he can be of more help.

--
Rocky J Squirrel
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR



neil n wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> I realize there's lot of variables, and I'm not quite sure how to word
> this question but....
>
> If a DC appliance draws x amps in 24 hours, and you have two aux.
> batteries, would it be more electrically efficient to:
>
> size and design the solar charging system so that appliance draws x
> amps from battery A (receiving no charge) then is switched to battery
> B (receiving no charge) while A is charged, then repeat this cycle.
>
> Or: A and B batteries in parallel, appliance connected to both, and
> solar charging system sized for that.
>
> Curious if one could save some money by purchasing 1 quality higher
> output solar panel that could charge each battery by x amps/day as
> opposed to 2 panels charging these two batteries (in parallel) while
> appliance is connected.
>
>
> Neil.
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines