Balancing Circuit Update

The purpose of the balancing circuit is to stop the batteries from over loading.  The current from the solar panel will be blocked from going into the battery pack when the battery pack is at it's maximum voltage.  




Below is the diagram in PSPICE of the balancing circuits attached to the batteries and solar panel.  Click on the image for a larger view.  Click here to view the PSPICE Model used.


The drop across 1 diode is 0.7 volts; by putting 5 diodes together, that gives us a 3.5 volt drop.  The diodes will shut off when the voltage of the battery reaches 3.5 volts.  This will stop the current from the solar panel from going back into the battery that is already fully charged.

The parts list for this circuit is shown below:

Materials	Manufacturer	Description	Amount per Model	Cost per Model
Diodes	Radio Shack	1N4001 Micro 1A Diodes	5	$2.50
Board	Radio Shack	Dual Mini Board w/ 213 Holes	1	$1.99
Total				$4.50

Katie Gallo          kgallo@uvm.edu
Tom Lanagan     tlanagan@uvm.edu