Automatic battery charging circuit

This is one of the most cost effective (cheap) and simple emergency light circuit developed for CircuitsToday This is an automatic emergency lamp with day light sensing, means it senses darkness/night and turns ON automatically. Similarly it senses day light and turns OFF automatically. A simple emergency lamp which does not require any special equipment; even a multimeter to assemble and use. Any individual who can do a good quality soldering must be able to build this circuit successfully. This can be easily accommodated in the defunct two 6 watt tube National Emergency Lamp or any PL tube type emergency lamp. The difference will be in the working; it will work non stop for more than 8 hours. Deep discharge is taken care by the LED characteristic and over charge protection is taken care by the fixed voltage regulator.This uses a simple 3Pin fixed regulator which has a built in current limiting circuit. The only required adjustment is the preset which has to be set to ensure the LEDs just light up (it should be left at that position). The 5mm LDR is just mounted on top of the emergency light as shown in the photograph. LDR is used to avoid it lighting up during day time or when the room lights are ON. 2 LEDs are used in series; the dropping resistance is avoided and 2 LEDs light up with current that is required for a single LED, by which energy is saved to a great extent. Note: This circuit is developed by Mr.Seetharaman for readers of CircuitsToday. This particular circuit has been kept so simple for people who has limited access to components or in other words this is an emergency light that you can build with minimum components. In addition to circuit diagram, He has shared photographs of the prototype he made in National emergency light and a PCB design. Description: This is the circuit diagram of a low cost emergency light based on white LED.The white LED provide very bright light which turns on when the mains supply is not there.The circuit has an automatic charger which stops charging when the battery is fully charged. The IC LM 317 produces a regulated 7 V for the charging of Battery.Transistor BD 140 drives the out put.Transistor BC 548 and Zener diode controls the charging of the battery. Tips: It is always better to connect a heat sink with BD 140.Before using the circuit out put of LM317 must be set to 7V by adjusting the potentiometer. To understand the above circuit in a better way, it can be divided into two parts. 1. LED lamp circuit 2. The Battery charger circuit LED Lamp circuit

1. All are white hi bright LEDs rated for 3Volt @ 25mA

2. The total current requirement is 12 X 25 = 300mA 3. This current has to flow through T2 BD140 PNP transistor 4. The minimum current gain (hfe) of this transistor @ 500mA is 50 5. Hence the base current Ib requirement is Ic / hfe, 300 / 50 = 6mA 6. Base emitter drop of T2 at 500mA is 0.77 volt 7. With the fully charged battery at 6.9volt terminal voltage (for cycle operation use) the voltage available across the new bias resistance is (6.9 0.77) 8. Hence the bias resistance is = 6.13 / 6 = 1000ohms 9. As the battery drains the final terminal voltage will be 5.4volt 10. The bias resistance will be (5.4 0.77) / 6 = 770 ohms Hence a 680 ohms was preferred for bias resistance with drained battery also it will give enough brightness. 11. The very important information about BD140 is, as you view the pins, metal portion of the transistor facing down left is emitter centre collector and right is base. Most of the constructors make this mistake, relying on the convention that left base and right emitter. If you have made this mistake please correct it.

Once this portion is checked for reliable operation we will proceed to charger portion.

The Battery charger circuit

1. The battery requires a full terminal voltage of 6.9V at this point charger should cut off. 2. That is the voltage across the chain ZD1, R2 and T1 be should be 6.9 volt 3. T1 be voltage of 0.7 volt plus drop across R2 and zener voltage should be 6.9V 4. T1 be current = Ic / hfe 5. Ic is 1.25 / 180 = 7mA 6. Ibe = Ic / hfe of T1 i.e = 7 / 70 = 100uA 7. Drop across R2 =1.2 X .1 mA = 0.12volt

8. Hence Zener voltage = 6.9 (0.7 + 0.12) = 6.08 the near by preferred zener voltage is 6.2 volt 9. Say the battery voltage at full charge will be 7 volt with 6.2 volt zener diode 10. To calculate R16 value for charging at 1 /10 th of the rated current of the battery 4.5AH / 10 = 450mAH 11. Transformer 9volt AC the voltage across C1 will be 9 X 1.414 = 12.6 volt 12. The drop across LM317 at 450mA current for good regulation is 3volt 13. The drop across protective diode D5 is 0.7 volt. 14. The voltage available at cathode of D5 is 12.6 (3+0.7) = 8.9volt 15. The battery after fair discharge will be at 6 volt 16. Hence R16 = (8.9 7) / 0.45 = 6 ohms 17. The nearby standard value for operation is 5 ohms. 18. At the end point of battery 5.4 volt the maximum charging current can be of (8.9 5.4) / 5 = 0.7 amps well within the higher charging limit of the battery. 19. With this circuit over night the battery will get charged fully. 20. Over charging is taken care and protected by T1

Hope with the above guide line you can make your light work successfully. More Modification!!! Automatic LED Emergency Light with Under Voltage Cut Off Protection:

Further modification is LED Emergency Light with an under voltage cut-off protection to protect battery from deep discharge. Once the battery terminal voltage falls below 5.7 volts the LEDs will be switched off. Take a look at the modified circuit shown below.