Reducing Battery BAnk Voltage

backroad

What's the simplest, most efficient way to reduce voltage on a 48 volt battery bank?
My coolers run on 12v and my water pump runs on 24v. The simplest and most efficient way may not be the best?

BB.

Re: Reducing Battery BAnk Voltage

Generally, some sort of DC to DC converter:

Electronic Transformer style (24 to 12, or 12 to 24)
Traditional DC to DC Converter/Power Supply

You could possibly even use a solar charge controller (use 48 volt on PV input to "charge" a 12 or 24 volt battery bank (I await somebody who knows better than I if a MPPT type controller is appropriate for this type of application).

Pretty much never "tap" another (lower) voltage from a battery bank--will unbalance the charge between cells and lead to early failure.

-Bill

PS: Add the old convert the unit to 120 VAC and use an inverter.

PPS: Wind-Sun does not list these others... But there are other voltage/current "Electronic DC Transformers" available too from the above company (and other products)...

mike95490

Re: Reducing Battery BAnk Voltage

I had to do this to for a 12VDC lighting project, and used a dozen 48v - 12VDC-DC converters. The PV array charged a large 48V battery bank, which then powered all the 12V converters. Same could be made for 24V loads. The converters were about 93% efficient, 12V 10A output.
raw converter
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=454-1190-ND
Construction:
http://www.naturalstudies.org/Photo_galleries/LED_driver/

Malasombra

Re: Reducing Battery BAnk Voltage

You can add 12v elements in series to reach those 48v, at least is a possibility for your coolers.