Quote:
Originally Posted by 2007HCHOttawa
- The solar charge would go to the 12 V battery so less energy from the ICE or IMA charge would be used to top it up.
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Presumably correct. however see below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2007HCHOttawa
- If the car is left out in the sun for a while ... would the charge then flow down to the IMA battery once the 12 V battery is topped up? [I know I'm treading into phev terrain here]
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Nope. If you plug a solar panel to the power socket then no charge will be delivered to the 12V battery. This is because the accessories power circuit is interrupted by a relay that only closes when the key in the ignition and on position I.
I do have an Eliminator solar panel (Canadian Tire) that charges the 12 volt battery but this is because I pugged it directly into the 12V power lines that can be tapped in the fuse panel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2007HCHOttawa
- If the charge doesnt flow through to the IMA battery ... what happens when the 12 V battery is topped up? How does the solar panel system deal with the generated energy?
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Charging the IMA battery pack requires intrusive engineering. It can be done, but it would require care much care so that it does not damage any of the exiting circuits & modules. Also the IMA circuit is totally disabled whenever the key is off the ignition. Because of this, the BCM module can not be used to regulate the IMA battery charge and you must find another regulation mechanism that can co-exist with the car's native systems when they are on.
It is unlikely that a small solar panel will cause an overcharge situation for your 12V battery. Unless it is a 5W or larger panel the charge you get can be equated to a trickle charge which is of no danger to the battery.
However, if you have a higher wattage panel then you'll need a charge regulator (also found at canadian tire or another store).
Cheers;
MSantos