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Is it Possible to use 48V input and 12V output?
By HenryVG, Section Newbies Posted on Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 06:46:24 PM MST
Can I run 48 V into a battery bank and draw out 12V to my Inverter?

I'm looking at flying my first wind turbine and my preferred high location is a long ways from where my batteries must be located. I'm trying to reduce the cost in wire by winding the generator at 48V and running a smaller guage wire to the battery bank, rectifying there and combining cells (rejuvenated golf cart batteries) to get 48V. But can I them do a different combination to draw off 12V for the 1000W inverter I already have?

Is it Possible to use 48V input and 12V output? | 4 comments (4 topical)

Re: Is it Possible to use 48V input and 12V output (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by beepipes on Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 08:21:06 PM MST

Cant' remember the name - OutBack? One of the charge controllers out there will let you feed a higher voltage into the controller for charging. Don't have the book handy I read it in.

regards,
Pat

48-12 volt (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by Shadow on Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 06:48:17 AM MST

I have a small DC-Dc converter,but its only good for 160 watts. You would need alot larger one. It may be fairly costly. Here is a link to where I got mine.

http://zahninc.com/spec48-12-160.html

Re: 48-12 volt (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by Flux on Mon Jan 15, 2007 at 01:45:10 AM MST

You are in a messy area. As Shadow said, you can use a 48/12 converter to drive modest loads at 12v. It is totally impractical to expect to drive a 1000W inverter by such means.

The options as I see it are :-

Use transformers and step down to a 12v battery, costly and watch the problems with low frequency.

Use a buck converter between alternator and 12v battery, best method but you will have to build it, I don't know of a commercial device yet ( coming soon I suspect)

Charge a small 48v bank and use a commercial buck converter to charge a main 12v bank.
Needs more batteries and efficiency may not be brilliant.

Put the 12v inverter on ebay and buy a 48v one and solve future problems now.

Other bad methods such as sequentially loading one battery of the 48v bank will work but you will pay the price in battery life.

Flux

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the info (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by HenryVG on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 02:06:45 PM MST

I was afraid that the answer was "No" .

Now I see it is.

Looks like it's time to either shorten the tower-battery run or get the 48V inverter I should have gotten in the first place. I'm sure I'll find a use for the 12V 1000W-Now I can have an electric coffeemaker on the sailboat!

Now, to post the question about inverters so I don't buy a couple 48V ones....

[ Parent ]

Is it Possible to use 48V input and 12V output? | 4 comments (4 topical)

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