Campbell Scientific PS150/CH150 12 V Charging Regulators - Manual (Page 20)

PS150/CH150 12 V Charging Regulators
5. Operational Overview
A 12-V 7Amp-hr rechargeable battery is included with the PS150, whereas the
user provides the rechargeable battery, such as the BP12 or BP24 offered by
Campbell Scientific, Inc., for the CH150. See Section 4.2, Battery Packs, for
rechargeable batteries offered for the CH150 by Campbell Scientific.
Charging power for the PS150/CH150 is typically supplied by an unregulated
solar panel, AC/AC transformer, or AC/DC converter. The CHARGE –
CHARGE terminals are connected to a diode bridge, accommodating either
AC or DC voltages from a charge source. Because of the diode bridge, polarity
does not matter when connecting sources to the CHARGE – CHARGE input
terminals. In order to protect AC/AC or AC/DC sources when charging
discharged batteries, the CHARGE – CHARGE input terminals offer an
approximately 1.1 amps DC (1.2 A RMS) current limit. The SOLAR – G input
terminals are intended for connection to solar panels, or other high-current DC
sources. Polarity definitely matters on the DC only SOLAR – G input
terminals, with positive connected to SOLAR and the return or negative
connected to G, with reversal protection included. The SOLAR – G input
terminals have an input current limit of approximately 3.6 amps, making the
PS150/CH150 well suited for 70 watt or smaller solar panels. The
PS150/CH150 can be simultaneously powered from both the CHARGE –
CHARGE and SOLAR – G input terminals, as the internal diodes will route
power from the source with the highest input voltage. This allows for an AC
mains powered application with a solar panel for back-up. If the reverse is
needed – solar power as the primary supply and AC as the secondary supply –
then a solar panel should be used with a 24 vdc output and an AC, or AC to
DC, source with a voltage output less than the solar panel voltage.
An AC/DC converter charge source could be connected to either the CHARGE
– CHARGE input terminals or the SOLAR - G input terminals. The best input
terminals to use with a given AC/DC converter should be based on the
converters output current capability. For example, the CHARGE – CHARGE
input terminals provide a current limit of 1.1 A DC on the charging source..
Whereas the SOLAR - G input terminals have a fixed 3.6 A DC typical current
limit, providing faster battery charging for a charge source that can deliver up
to 3.6 A DC current without damage.
The SOLAR – G terminals are optimal for solar panels because of the high-
current charging capability when solar resources are available. A Maximum
Power Point Tracking algorithm is also utilized when the PS150/CH150 detects
the charging source is connected to the SOLAR input.
The +12 V output terminals are intended to power a datalogger and any
peripherals. Power to these output terminals is controlled by a toggle switch,
with the total output current limited by a 4.65 A solid-state circuit breaker (see
Section 4.1, Specifications). The A105 Additional 12 V Terminals Adapter
may be used to provide extra 12 V and ground terminals where the power
supply is used to power several devices, noting that the hold current limit on
the 4.65 A solid-state circuit breaker still applies.
12