Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #11095
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: John Bachman bachman@anatek.mv.com
Date: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 1:15 AM
Subject: Re: Voltage Multiplication
>I am afraid that you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or, more
appropriately between low volts and low power.
>
>If there is no other power source (a reasonable assumption for a solar
powered unit) then you have only the power of the panel to work with. 1
volt at 250 ma is 1/4 watt. Any scheme other than more panels that results
in increased voltage will also produce less current as the power available
is limited by the panel. If you came up with a way to get 5 volts (a
switched mode DC-DC converter could do it) that was 100% efficient
(unrealistic) you would have only 50 ma available. A more realistic
efficiency at these voltage levels would be around 40% meaning that you
would have only 20ma available - cannot do much with 20ma.
>
>4 more panels would get you to 5 volts at 250 ma.
>
>Sorry about that, but it is what it is.
>
>John
>
>At 04:38 PM 2/28/00 , you wrote:
>>Im using some low voltage high current solar panels
>>thay are rated at 1volt 250ma and work prety well
>>however there is little that can be done with 1 volt
>>and connecting multiple cells up in this case is not
>>an option.
>>
>>Has anyone managed to built a voltage multiplication
>>circut?
>>
>>I was even thinking about building a small osilator with
>>a "Major Henry" coil attached and using the back EMF?
>>(maybe use a smaler inductor on a ferrite bead).
>>
>>Any thoughts?
>>
>>Regards
>>Andrew Hooper
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