unusual way to charge a car battery - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

Thunderchild · 27th June 2006, 06:32 PM

ok you will say I am nuts but strraight from the mains thru a rectifier 220V DC to battery with a normal liightbult in series. ok i know this is a very wasteful method in veiw of charging a battery but say I needed a light too ? I would get about the same light and the bonus of a charged battery with the downside thhat it would be dangerous to touch the battery terminal as oposed to a normal charger. this may work great a trikle charger say a low power bulb used now and then. OK i'm nuts but i won't blow a thing up would i ?

ThermalRunaway · 27th June 2006, 07:42 PM

[quote=OK i'm nuts but i won't blow a thing up would i ?[/QUOTE]

Hmmmm, I wouldn't count on that!!!

Personally I'd avoid that idea like the plauge. Can you imagine accidentally sending 240V DC through your vehicle electrical system? Bye bye ECU, bye bye complex cruise control electronics, and electric windows, and alarm immobiliser system, and engine managements control electronics.

Bye bye a huge wadd of cash!!!

Brian

ThermalRunaway · 27th June 2006, 07:44 PM

Oh and another thing, what about when you initially switch the thing on? Who's to say that all of the H.V. would immediately appear across the bulb? For fractions of a second, perhaps H.V would appear at your vehicle's fuse box. So even if you are EXTREMELY careful, I would STILL avoid that idea like the plague!

Brian

JimB · 27th June 2006, 11:12 PM

A rather rough and ready technique, but if the battery was not on the car, and you did not touch the battery while the mains was switched on, yes it should work OK.

JimB

k7elp60 · 28th June 2006, 02:02 AM

I agree the battery should be out of the vehicle. I am not sure but it is possible that some damage could occur to the battery when the power is first
turn on. The typical cold resistance of the lamp filament is about 1/10 the the hot resistance. That is why incandescent lamps fail whenfirst turned on.
So for an instant the current into the battery would be high and the voltage my be high.
Although I have seen many older circuits that use a lamp in series with a power supply to charge batteries. The lamp seems to limit the charge current
to a safe value. All those that I have seen were low voltage supplies and not a mains operated circuit.

Thunderchild · 28th June 2006, 07:23 PM

hm well even in the case of a 100 W bulb we are talking like 0.5 A so even if 10 times the current was to go thru that is the regular 5 A, of course the battery will be off the car

Oznog · 28th June 2006, 10:55 PM

The worst part is there's nothing to make the current stop, or even slow down, when the battery is fully charged. This overcharge will kill the battery quickly.

Russlk · 28th June 2006, 11:21 PM

I used that system for years with no problems. If you leave the battery on the charger for months with a 100 watt lamp, it will evaporate the water, so keep an eye on it. And, protect it from curious children!

mramos1 · 28th June 2006, 11:51 PM

Seems like everyone is doing it. And this guy is gonna patent it.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...t/14731378.htm

Russlk, I would be after this guy man..

I just do not see me charging my cellphone with a bunch of lights on in the room as I sleep and the chance I might wake up and touch it.

Comment:

So we are talking 110VAC or 220VAC though a 100 watt light bulb to a DC battery of any kind (1.5VDC 140ma to 12VDC 55AMP)????? Please let me know. And what about deep cycle, li-po, etc.. Or is this just lead acid. No diode and no polarity?

(mramos is looking for a long extention cord and old battery... The little silver one explode and can be fun; while calling the kids out to the yard.)

stevez · 29th June 2006, 02:12 PM

When a light bulb fails it does not always go to an open circuit right away. Every now and then when a light fails at home, I notice quite a flash followed by the opening of the circuit breaker. I have to presume that a significant amount of current was flowing, if only for a moment.

**Nigel Goodwin** · 29th June 2006, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevez

When a light bulb fails it does not always go to an open circuit right away. Every now and then when a light fails at home, I notice quite a flash followed by the opening of the circuit breaker. I have to presume that a significant amount of current was flowing, if only for a moment.

It's VERY common for a light bulb to go S/C as it fails, this is why the triac's in light units often fail when a bulb goes - and why the MCB trips when a bulb fails!.

stevez · 29th June 2006, 03:12 PM

Possible failure is one very good reason not to use a capacitor followed by a rectifier to do the same thing.

Thunderchild · 30th June 2006, 08:31 PM

hm well that thing that is getting a patent is a bit nuts to me as he is using it primarily to charge and using like 2000 % the current he needs to, my idea was use the light with the side angle of a charged battery as well this guys sounds a bit nuts unless it is some universal switching supply.

mramos1 · 30th June 2006, 10:23 PM

I still have to ask. I never thought about AC from the (US 110VAC) house through a light bulb to my car battery to charge it. And I have done a lot of weird stuff in the garage.

What voltage and current range battery work with this? Just AC to the battery thru an light bulb.. The light bulb must be key.

**Nigel Goodwin** · 30th June 2006, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mramos1

I still have to ask. I never thought about AC from the (US 110VAC) house through a light bulb to my car battery to charge it. And I have done a lot of weird stuff in the garage.

What voltage and current range battery work with this? Just AC to the battery thru an light bulb.. The light bulb must be key.

You've NOT read the thread, it's mains through a RECTIFER!, then a bulb to the battery! - so it's DC.

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27th June 2006, 06:32 PM	(permalink)
Thunderchild	unusual way to charge a car battery ok you will say I am nuts but strraight from the mains thru a rectifier 220V DC to battery with a normal liightbult in series. ok i know this is a very wasteful method in veiw of charging a battery but say I needed a light too ? I would get about the same light and the bonus of a charged battery with the downside thhat it would be dangerous to touch the battery terminal as oposed to a normal charger. this may work great a trikle charger say a low power bulb used now and then. OK i'm nuts but i won't blow a thing up would i ? __________________ I AM the exeption that disproves the rule in many ways but the rules still apply (unfortunately) my site:www.simons-photography.com http://rushdenrotaract.org.uk

27th June 2006, 07:42 PM	(permalink)
ThermalRunaway	[quote=OK i'm nuts but i won't blow a thing up would i ?[/QUOTE] Hmmmm, I wouldn't count on that!!! Personally I'd avoid that idea like the plauge. Can you imagine accidentally sending 240V DC through your vehicle electrical system? Bye bye ECU, bye bye complex cruise control electronics, and electric windows, and alarm immobiliser system, and engine managements control electronics. Bye bye a huge wadd of cash!!! Brian

27th June 2006, 07:44 PM	(permalink)
ThermalRunaway	Oh and another thing, what about when you initially switch the thing on? Who's to say that all of the H.V. would immediately appear across the bulb? For fractions of a second, perhaps H.V would appear at your vehicle's fuse box. So even if you are EXTREMELY careful, I would STILL avoid that idea like the plague! Brian Last edited by ThermalRunaway; 27th June 2006 at 07:46 PM.

27th June 2006, 11:12 PM	(permalink)
JimB	A rather rough and ready technique, but if the battery was not on the car, and you did not touch the battery while the mains was switched on, yes it should work OK. JimB __________________ Experience is directly proportional to the value of the equipment ruined.

28th June 2006, 02:02 AM	(permalink)
k7elp60	I agree the battery should be out of the vehicle. I am not sure but it is possible that some damage could occur to the battery when the power is first turn on. The typical cold resistance of the lamp filament is about 1/10 the the hot resistance. That is why incandescent lamps fail whenfirst turned on. So for an instant the current into the battery would be high and the voltage my be high. Although I have seen many older circuits that use a lamp in series with a power supply to charge batteries. The lamp seems to limit the charge current to a safe value. All those that I have seen were low voltage supplies and not a mains operated circuit. __________________ The great thing about electronics is unlimited ways to do the job. The only limit is one\'s imagination. I generally think my way is best. Show me a different way. I have an open mind.

28th June 2006, 07:23 PM	(permalink)
Thunderchild	hm well even in the case of a 100 W bulb we are talking like 0.5 A so even if 10 times the current was to go thru that is the regular 5 A, of course the battery will be off the car __________________ I AM the exeption that disproves the rule in many ways but the rules still apply (unfortunately) my site:www.simons-photography.com http://rushdenrotaract.org.uk

28th June 2006, 10:55 PM	(permalink)
Oznog	The worst part is there's nothing to make the current stop, or even slow down, when the battery is fully charged. This overcharge will kill the battery quickly. __________________ I thought what I'd do was I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.

28th June 2006, 11:21 PM	(permalink)
Russlk	I used that system for years with no problems. If you leave the battery on the charger for months with a 100 watt lamp, it will evaporate the water, so keep an eye on it. And, protect it from curious children! __________________ see my website: www.geocities.com/russlk

28th June 2006, 11:51 PM	(permalink)
mramos1	Seems like everyone is doing it. And this guy is gonna patent it. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...t/14731378.htm Russlk, I would be after this guy man.. I just do not see me charging my cellphone with a bunch of lights on in the room as I sleep and the chance I might wake up and touch it. Comment: So we are talking 110VAC or 220VAC though a 100 watt light bulb to a DC battery of any kind (1.5VDC 140ma to 12VDC 55AMP)????? Please let me know. And what about deep cycle, li-po, etc.. Or is this just lead acid. No diode and no polarity? (mramos is looking for a long extention cord and old battery... The little silver one explode and can be fun; while calling the kids out to the yard.)

29th June 2006, 02:12 PM	(permalink)
stevez	When a light bulb fails it does not always go to an open circuit right away. Every now and then when a light fails at home, I notice quite a flash followed by the opening of the circuit breaker. I have to presume that a significant amount of current was flowing, if only for a moment. __________________ stevez

29th June 2006, 03:12 PM	(permalink)
stevez	Possible failure is one very good reason not to use a capacitor followed by a rectifier to do the same thing. __________________ stevez

30th June 2006, 08:31 PM	(permalink)
Thunderchild	hm well that thing that is getting a patent is a bit nuts to me as he is using it primarily to charge and using like 2000 % the current he needs to, my idea was use the light with the side angle of a charged battery as well this guys sounds a bit nuts unless it is some universal switching supply. __________________ I AM the exeption that disproves the rule in many ways but the rules still apply (unfortunately) my site:www.simons-photography.com http://rushdenrotaract.org.uk

30th June 2006, 10:23 PM	(permalink)
mramos1	I still have to ask. I never thought about AC from the (US 110VAC) house through a light bulb to my car battery to charge it. And I have done a lot of weird stuff in the garage. What voltage and current range battery work with this? Just AC to the battery thru an light bulb.. The light bulb must be key.