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Here's my situation: I have 4 solar panels wired in series that output on average ~15V @ 0.25A. I need to use a dc/dc converter to output 7.8V @ 1.1A.
The question is: What happens to the current that gets put into a linear regulator? Does it stay the same, or does it drop some?
If you wired the panels in 2 sets of 2 ie. A->B series, C->D series, then AB -> CD parallel, you could get ~7.5V @ 0.5A i believe (series doubles voltage, parallel doubles current) someone please correct me if I'm wrong. -HyperNerd
Also, if I only charge at .5C, I'll only need ~2.1W, right? Or is cutting both in half actually a fourth?
Also, does the 3% charge current thing still apply if it's charging at say 0.45C?
Yes, you can charge your batteries at 0.5C, but since the voltage is only 7.5V or up to 8.5V, you can't use the LM317 because it need the differential between the input voltage and the output voltage is approximately 3V. you need a Low Dropout Adjustable Regulator like LM2941.
And at only a dollar eighty too!
If the robot moves on wheels, then how about dynamos on the wheels to generate power, or if it is a flying bot then mini turbines?