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The Battery Project
As part of the 52 in 52 project, I created this torch style
table lamp that incorporated a battery, so it works in or
out of its base. This was the first effort in approaching an
on-off grid product that could serve when power was present,
but also act as a portable light.
Unfortunately, the first series of this product utilized
lead-acid emergency light batteries connected in series to
create 12V. This proved to be a poor choice. Not only was it
too heavy for practical use, it failed to maintain a charge,
and as the batteries aged, the charger struggled to keep up,
resulting in a degrading charge state, an over-worked
charging system, and eventually outright failure. Resolving
this has been a project over the last several months.
This current version utilizes a Lithium Ion batteries, which
are much lighter. With the addition of a smart circuit to
monitor and maintain the batteries, and a charger rated at
150% of the connected LED load, this new iteration functions
perfectly after repeated cycles from dead to full charge.
Based on this, we will be developing other products of this
type, as the new package of charger and battery finally
produces a usable solution.
The
original D4 product from the 52 in 52 project. |
