Sorry this was completely wisp unrelated, I only plan on connecting the
batteries once and awhile and don't need them to be floated, etc.

So I'm guessing it's safe to parallel a power supply and a battery when the
power supply is turned off?

On Fri, Apr 24, 2015 at 6:20 AM, Mark Radabaugh <[email protected]> wrote:

>  On the subject Lewis brings up...
>
> There are a variety of battery charging schemes:
>
> Single Stage, Two Stage, and Three Stage.
>
> The very short version of this:
>
> Single Stage - usually a float charger, low amperage, fixed voltage.  Not
> intended to supply current to a load.  Very slow to recharge batteries.
> When used to power a load as well as charge batteries will usually leave
> batteries undercharged.  May also cause poor equipment operation when AC is
> restored after an extended outage as the DC voltage will rise slowly - this
> can cause unpredictable operation of attached network equipment.
>
> Two Stage - High(er) voltage and current to charge battery, float voltage
> after fully charging battery.  Usually dangerous to your batteries when
> also powering a load - the charger can't tell the difference between the
> current going into the batteries versus into the load.  The charger always
> thinks the batteries are still bulk charging and leaves the voltage too
> high and will cook the batteries.
>
> Three Stage - Similar to two stage but also includes a boost voltage above
> the bulk charge to equalize the voltage in all of the batteries.   Can also
> cook batteries when trying to supply load current.
>
> Best version - a 3 stage charger with separate current sensing for the
> load and battery current, along with temperature monitoring of the
> batteries.   This allows the charger to know how much current the batteries
> are consuming so that it can determine charge state accurately.
> Temperature compensation is to adjust the float voltage for temperature.
>
> Mark
>
>
> On 4/24/15 9:06 AM, Lewis Bergman wrote:
>
> And as a side note, you should be worried about the opposite issue. Every
> supply is built to handle a load all the time. You need a supply that is
> designed to both handle a load and float batteries. A standard PS has a
> good chance of cooking your batteries if you constant load is much lower
> than your PS rating.
>
> On Fri, Apr 24, 2015 at 7:46 AM, Mark Radabaugh <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> DC power supplies rarely care if there is another source of voltage that
>> the power supply sees on it's input.    It is not unusual for a AC/DC
>> supply to have to power up into an existing potential.   Many DC loads, on
>> a brief power interruption, still have significant voltage that the power
>> supply is going to see when AC returns.
>>
>> * This comment is general and may not apply to every power supply *
>>
>> From experience the only supply I know that won't deal with power on the
>> output is one of the larger MeanWell AC/DC 48V supplies. The internal
>> voltage regulator is too slow to respond and ramps the voltage up over the
>> high voltage limit and shuts the power supply down if it's powered up when
>> there is already a battery voltage on the output.   If you power up the
>> supply and then add the battery it's fine - but not very practical.
>>
>> Every other AC/DC supply I have tried has worked fine doing what you are
>> asking to do.
>>
>> Mark
>>
>>
>> On 4/24/15 1:34 AM, TJ Trout wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I have a dc load that I need to power using a switching ac to dc power
>>> supply but I also occasionally need to power the load from batteries, I was
>>> planning to put the load, power supply and battery clamps in parallel, is
>>> that a acceptable solution ? Can I power the load from battery and back
>>> feed DC into the supply without damaging it? Would there be a significant
>>> drain back into the supply?
>>>
>>> If this isn't ok, what's better solution? Diode ? SPDT switch ?
>>>
>>> The load is 50V 100A so that makes diodes and switches a challenge to
>>> find. ..
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

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