Samlex America SC-10 - Manual (Page 4)

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GENERAl INFORmATION
Description
The SunChargers SC-05 and SC-10 are portable solar panels designed for trickle charging
of 12 V nominal rechargeable Lead Acid batteries like those used in cars, boats, RV’s,
motorcycles, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) and Powered Water Crafts (PWC). These can also be
used as DC power sources to charge small electronic devices like cell phones, iPods, iPhones,
PDAs etc. The rechargeable batteries inside these small electronic devices are charged
through their charging adapters.
Self Discharge and Trickle charging of Lead Acid Batteries
Self-discharge of a battery is the electrical Ampere Hour (AH) capacity that is lost when the
battery simply sits idle or in storage without any external load connected to it. Self-discharge
is caused by electrochemical processes within the battery and is equivalent to the application
of a small external load. For example, a lead-acid battery stored at 30 o C / 86 o F would self
discharge at around 1% per day. The self discharge increases with rise in temperature.
In order to compensate for the above self-discharge, a fully charged battery that is idle
or is in storage will require trickle charging at a very low Trickle Charge Current of around
C/100 Amps (where C is the Ampere Hour Capacity of the battery) to maintain the fully
charged state.
For example, an 80 to 100 Ah automotive SLI battery (Starting, Lighting and Ignition) will
require trickle charging current of around 0.8 to 1 A
NOTE: As explained above, the trickle charging current provided by a Trickle Charger
is a very low current with a value of around C/100 A and this very low value current
will just be sufficient to compensate for the self discharge current. This current will not
be able to charge a discharged battery. For full scale charging of a battery, a standard
charger will be required.
Features
• Efficient Design and Superior Quality
◦ Efficient poly-crystalline PV cells – 34 cells in series for the 4.8 W, SC-05 Panel and 36 cells in
series for the 9.6 W, SC-10 Panel
◦ Solar cells are encapsulated by layers of EVA and fiberglass that provide excellent moisture
resistance and electrical isolation.
◦ A Blocking Diode is built-in thus preventing current from flowing back from the battery
to the solar panel in darkness. Hence, the panels can be connected directly to the battery
without using an external Blocking Diode
◦ Top layer of clear, UV resistant, PVF (Poly Vinyl Fluoride – Trade Name – Tedlar) provides good
light transmission and protection from cuts and scratches