Can I charge and discharge my battery at the same time?

[Hari_1]

Hello,

I am working on a Drone project. I am using a 3 cells Lithium Polymer Battery for the Drone operation.

Now, I have something on the Drone that can generate power - Solar cells. I want to charge my Lithium polymer battery from the solar cells when my Drone is flying.

So, I have a battery in my Drone, my Drone is flying, Solar charges my battery at the same time and I am utilizing that power too.

I want to know about - There is only one cable for charging and discharging in Lithium Polymer Battery. How can I do this?

Can anyone please share their knowledge over this charging technique while the battery is discharging?

Thanks for your help.

 

[itsmoked]

You use whatever charger would safely charge the batteries from the solar and you ignore the running aspect completely.

Just so you know the solar capacity of a flyable drone is pathetic with regards to what the drone will draw while running. Your time would be better spent creating a LARGE solar charger that could charge the spare battery while one is flying with another battery.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[IRstuff]

Your solar cells won't technically be "charging" your batteries, they'll be lessening the load on the batteries by supplying current directly to the load. At the end of the day, does it really matter where currents came and went?

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[IRstuff]

The only reason that works is that the panel capacity is large enough to provide BOTH motor current and charging current.

btw. student posting is forbidden

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

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[Hari_1]

Ya, I got the point that it does not much matter from where the current came and where it gets utilized.

So, you basically mean that I directly run my motor connecting to the Solar and also to my battery. In this case, at one point, when the battery is discharged and the only source remains active will be solar for motor operation. Moreover, I will not be able to get the judgment that up to what time will my Drone fly. At every point of time, the generation in solar will be different.

Now, if you see in the video, if they have done it by providing the generation directly to the load, their battery would have drained up. It won't get charged. It has clearly been shown that the battery charges when there is enough sunlight. It drains mainly at night time.

That is the reason, I am interested in this one.

(BTW, I am not a Student. Please refrain from any sarcasm and taunt) We all are here for queries, solutions, and support for each other's work. Let's discuss it well.

Thanks for sharing your points. Obliged.

 

[IRstuff]

their battery would have drained up. It won't get charged.

No, if there is sufficient capacity beyond driving the motors, the batteries will get charged. It's simple math.

If you are not a student, then why is there no EE on this project, since you're asking EE101 questions?

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[Hari_1]

Man, I asked this of course for the case of generating more power through solar than what I am using in operation.

Tell me one thing, I have inserted an image for your reference. According to that, please tell me where should I connect the solar wiring for charging my battery?

Thanks

 

[IRstuff]

Ok, that's something you could have led with; and in that case, you are still either charging the battery or not, but under no circumstance are you charging and discharging the battery at the same time.

What does your EE say? You show a napkin drawing of some random things with no specs whatsoever and expect a coherent and functional answer?

TTFN (ta ta for now)
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[itsmoked]

Do keep in mind that just hooking solar cells to LiPO batteries will destroy the batteries and possibly start a fire.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Hari_1]

@itsmoked - Agree. I can't hook up solar cells directly to the LiPo. That's exactly I just want to know what should be in between solar and a Lipo. Simple.

@IRstuff - Thanks for the information.

 

[itsmoked]

OK, Then you find a charge controller to charge the bats from solar and you hook that to the battery as close as you can reasonably do it then you hook that connection to the drive motors and that's it. The motors take what they want and the solar charges with everything it has. Eventually the motors stop and the solar catches up. The key being the solar is run thru a charge controller so it never OVER CHARGES the battery.

Meanwhile the ESC should be smart enough to not UNDER DISCHARGE the batteries.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Hari_1]

@itsmoked - That's so great from you.

I will get that charge controller. I hope it will work.

Thanks a lot for your help.