Dual voltage supplies

[Bruce MumfordParticipant @brucemumford61966]

Mobile Marine Rosegarth

[Bruce MumfordParticipant @brucemumford61966]

I am about to install the electronic systems in the tug and have two 12 vdc batteries and will connect them to an action Electronics P103 to ensure one battery does charge the other. Problem is I also need a 24Vdc supply for the smoke generator! Thought I coud also put the batteries in series but don't think will work. Ideas please.

[Armando LoniParticipant @armandoloni78860]

Assuming that you were originally thinking of using the two 12V batteries in parallel to double up on capacity…… Use separate batteries for motors and smoke generator – might as well make the ballast required useful! Or perhaps connect them in series to give 24V (with the capacity of one battery) for the smoke generator and rely on your speed controller (if rated for the power) to keep the motors running at the speed expected for 12V?

Dave M might correct me on the latter – he's the man, really!

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

As far as I know it's not possible to run two batteries together both in parallel and in series at the same time. I'd love to see the circuit if it is! Your best options are:
1. Run the smoke generator from the output of the P103 (i.e. 12v) BUT with an additional 12v battery in series in the smoker's circuit. That will give you 24v at the smoker; or
2. Buy a DC/DC converter and instal it in series to increase the voltage in the smoker's circuit.

Dave M

[Armando LoniParticipant @armandoloni78860]

Dave – what I meant was, if the two packs were connected in series, a 24V supply could be made available to both the smoker and the motors; if the two motors are then in series to each other, they would see 12V each……

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

The problem with connecting two motors in series is that you need a speed controller that will handle 24v+ (to allow for fully-charged cells) and that one motor/running gear combination will always be slightly more efficient than the other. This will result in one motor slowing down and the other speeding up. I would advise against it. There is nearly always space in a tug for a smaller 12v battery to augment the main 12v supply; smokers don't take even an amp so a huge battery isn't necessary. Personally I'd buy a 12v smoker to start with, or fit a DC/DC converter if I already had the 24v type.

One last throw of the dice; the ACTion P93 Multicontroller will handle 24V (and 10A) and has a 50% ESC output mode. This will effectively supply 12v to the motor. More details here (click on P93 Info button) **LINK**

DM

[lnvisiblemanParticipant @lnvisibleman]

Does this help??

Ignore the power of my motors. Value of diodes will depend on the current required, any electronics supplier will let you know what you need.

 Extra diodes can be added to the fogger circuit if you want extra protection .

Mike

Edited By lnvisibleman on 27/04/2014 17:12:16

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