To the uninitiated, such a question may even seem strange. How could the idea of using 12-volt fixtures and lamps in living quarters come about when the standard domestic voltage in our country is 220 volts? Let's try to figure this out.
Advantages and reasons for the popularity of 12 volt voltage
Rated and maximum power
The only limitation will be the power required by the device, which must be adequate to the power of your inverter. You can choose from different models at this address. The so-called nominal power is displayed on the converter. We can assume that c is the power that the converter can provide throughout its operation.
In conclusion: estimate the consumption of the devices you want to connect and estimate the margin of safety. "Perfect" alternating current represented by a "smoothed" sinusoidal curve. The worse the signal, the larger the step curve. Thus, a "pure sine" signal is the most perfect waveform. Conversely, the worst signal is a "square" signal, which is called a pseudosine waveform.
First of all, 12 volts is an extra-low voltage, which is considered conditional. For this reason, in rooms with a high or increased degree of danger, the use of 12-volt lamps is welcomed by the PUE standards.
Bathroom, kitchen, outdoor yard - these are the places where low-voltage lighting has always been preferred. And in cramped and damp basements, it is completely impossible to operate a 220-volt network, and it is mandatory to install a step-down transformer even for power.
At the level of converters, when nothing is specified, it is often a current with a trapezoidal signal. Then there are signal converters called "quasi-sine", and then "pure sine". The price is obviously going up. So yes, if you have the budget, go for pure sine.
Technically, harmonic distortion ratio quantifies the quality of a signal. It is expressed as a percentage, the closer to zero the better. Unfortunately, this is not often indicated in the descriptions. For example, on the converter that I have under my eyes costs 800 euros, it is less than 3%.
12 volt wiring does not require a reverent attitude, allows you to save on protective materials, such as or. And in general, the soul is much calmer when you know that the maximum that can happen in your lighting circuit is ridiculous short circuit with the failure of a cheap transformer or protection operation.
Converter efficiency is given as a percentage. It's also interesting to have multiple power converters, but that's not essential. Likewise, if your converter needs to supply a lot of power, it should be connected through the alligator clips on the battery or through direct wiring, but especially not the cigarette lighter.
It will cost about twenty euros, the signal will be of poor quality, but sufficient for these applications. As far as power, you see according to your budget! Do not take below 600 watts, it would be a pity. When the transducer is permanently connected to the auxiliary battery, the ideal position is relatively close to the battery, but isolated from the battery by a section. It is best to avoid proximity if any fumes are emerging from the battery. To do this, the battery should be placed in a ventilated compartment, and the converter - in this compartment from the outside.
Fires, serious injury to people electric shock in the lighting circuit 12 volts are practically excluded.
These lamps radically changed the views on lighting as such. That is why they have acquired the name "point" because their light must literally come from one point. And the traditional incandescent lamp, which was popular at that time, can only be called a dot with a big stretch. Whatever you say, this is still an impressive bulb, unless, of course, its power is at least 60 watts.
And the battery, in all this?
Don't forget that your converter will draw electricity from your battery, whether it's a starter or a booster battery, so to have enough autonomy, consider investing in larger batteries. The higher the battery capacity, the longer it will last when not being charged.
How to make a photovoltaic system: a guide to building a small photovoltaic system with a budget of 100-200 euros. Homemade photovoltaics can be an inexpensive solution to using solar energy. In this guide, we will see how to buy all the components to make a small household photovoltaic system with a budget of 100 euros. The same system can be implemented by purchasing a more powerful panel or a more expensive prefabricated kit. The circuit we will see will allow you to build a domestic photovoltaic system of only 20W, but as expected, at a cost of 150 euros you will get a 50W plant and reach 230 euros, you will be able to build a 120W photovoltaic system.
Therefore, the idea arose to use compact ones in spotlights. Bulbs of halogen lamps contain not only an inert gas, but also vapors of some halogen, for example, iodine. During the evaporation of tungsten from the filament of a lamp, the halogen reacts with metal atoms, forming tungsten halide. This same halide again settles on the filament, decomposes on it from exposure to high temperature and returns pure tungsten to the filament.
How to make a photovoltaic system
The construction methods are the same, and the price is indicated by the battery capacity and the power of the selected photovoltaic panel. The solar panel must be mounted on a pole so that it can be fixed at right angles. In Italy, the optimal slope for installing solar panels is 30-35 degrees. The more south we are, and the closer we get to 30 degrees, the more we go north, and the closer we get to 35 degrees.
It is advisable to use cables with a minimum length of 2.5 mm, and if the charging regulator you purchase is protected, it is better to insert two fuses: one goes between the photovoltaic panel and the charging regulator, the other between the recharge regulator and the inverter.
Thus, the wear of the filament of halogen lamps is very small compared to the wear of the filament of conventional lamps. This makes it possible to heat the lamp filament to a higher temperature, at which the smaller lamp becomes brighter. It became possible to create a bright and durable compact halogen lamp.
It was then that it turned out that low-voltage compact halogen lamps, the thread of which is thicker and designed for more current, are really durable and reliable. Therefore, the idea of installing luminaires with 12-volt halogen lamps, powered by, as a rule, electronic lamps, was implemented in the household lighting circuit. A similar scheme was already very popular when modern and reliable compact 220 volt halogen lamps began to be mass-produced.
More powerful photovoltaic system
With the photovoltaic system just seen, the power is 20 watts and the capacity is about 41 watts. The battery will be able to fully charge during the entire winter day, and in the summer it will take half the time. If you intend to produce cleaner energy, you should opt for more powerful photovoltaic panels and pair them with a higher capacity battery.
In both cases, being self-contained photovoltaic systems, they can be used anywhere.
More powerful photovoltaic system
With the photovoltaic system just seen, the power is 20 watts and the capacity is about 41 watts. The battery will be able to fully charge during the entire winter day, and in the summer it will take half the time. If you intend to produce cleaner energy, you should opt for more powerful photovoltaic panels and pair them with a higher capacity battery.
So, what are the advantages of 12 volt household lighting networks? They consist of:
Safety and, as a result, the possibility of operation in hazardous areas;
Less stringent requirements for electrical wiring;
No need for qualified maintenance (a 12-volt lamp can be installed even by a person who is far from electrical engineering - there is no health risk, after all);
Implementation options additional protection lamps against current and voltage overload thanks to the transformer.
Disadvantages of 12 volt lighting
I needed it for some purposes boost converter with 12V to a standard mains voltage of 220 volts. After searching the forum, I decided to make a computer power supply from spare parts. I note right away that it is better to take a larger transformer - a small one can flash in a peculiar way and usually draws about 20 watts in normal mode, or even less. Radiators are installed at a load of more than 50 watts, when the transistors heat up above normal.Electric converter circuit 12-220 volts
Structurally, the device board can be mounted in any case that provides protection from human contact. See the picture on the photo or look for the file on the forum.
If we feed a TV or a light bulb, then we can not use a rectifier at all. By the way, this converter also starts a CFL compact fluorescent lamp - I tried it with a 15 W lamp. All parts, except for the transformer, were taken new - so there were no special problems. In the future, it is planned to make two more copies, taking into account the identified features in detail and schematically.
A small description of the circuit and its operation from a respected ear forum user: The circuit is a push-pull pulse converter, assembled on the TL494 PWM controller (and its analogues), which makes it quite simple. At the output are high-performance rectifier diodes doubling the voltage. You can also use it without diodes, getting AC voltage. For electronic ballasts constant pressure and the polarity of switching on is not relevant, since in the ballast circuit at the input there is diode bridge(although the diodes there are not as "nimble" as in our converter).
12 volts in 220, a ready-made high-frequency step-down transformer from the power supply unit (PSU) of the computer is used, but in our converter it will, on the contrary, become step-up. Step-down transformer can be taken from both AT and ATX power supplies. From practice, transformers differ only in dimensions, and the pinout is identical. A dead PSU (or a transformer from it) can be found in any computer repair shop.
C1 is 1 nanofarad, coding 102 on the case;
R1 - sets the width of the pulses at the output.
R2 (together with C1) sets the operating frequency.
We reduce the resistance R1 - we increase the frequency. We increase the capacitance C1 - we decrease the frequency. And vice versa.
Transistors are powerful MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) field-effect transistors, which are characterized by a shorter response time and more simple diagrams management. IRFZ44N, IRFZ46N, IRFZ48N work equally well. A radiator is not needed, since continuous operation does not cause noticeable heating of the transistors. And if there is a desire to put it on a radiator, then, attention, do not short-circuit the flanges of the transistor cases through the radiator! Use the insulating spacers and bushing washers from the computer PSU.
However, for the first run, the radiator will not hurt; at least the transistors will not immediately burn out from overheating in the event of wiring errors or a short circuit at the output. Protection of the circuit against overload and reverse polarity can be implemented through a fuse and a diode at the input.
For example, I used the popular field irf540n as keys. The conference is discussing the converter circuit and there you can ask questions that arise during the assembly. Assembly and testing: redmoon .
Discuss the article CONVERTER 12 VOLT TO 220
