SLYY225 December   2023 BQ25756

 

  1.   1
  2.   Overview
  3.   At a glance
  4.   Battery charging for new USB-C applications
  5.   Optimizing the charging and discharging of portable power stations
  6.   Battery charging for solar applications
  7.   Diversifying battery-charger applications
  8.   Conclusion
  9.   References

Battery charging for solar applications

More battery-powered electronics creates a need to charge batteries in any kind of environment. Referring back to the camping example, solar panels can charge a portable power station if no outlet is available; however, there are several factors that affect solar charging, including:

  • Different solar panel ratings.
  • Variable weather conditions.
  • Partial shade.

It is important to find the maximum power point (MPP) from the solar panels – the point where the solar panel IOUT multiplied by the solar panel VOUT is the highest – in order to extract the highest charge current to charge the battery.

To discuss this further, let’s talk about the current-voltage (IV) graph for solar panels in Figure 7. The y-axis represents the IOUT of a solar panel, while the x-axis represents the VOUT of the solar panel. The objective of the IV graph is to find the MPP that the solar panel can produce based on weather conditions. Figure 7 demonstrates how the IV graph can change depending on weather conditions.

GUID-20231114-SS0I-3RCV-LLD2-FMHJHXXVWTW2-low.png Figure 7 IV curve based on weather conditions.