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How to make your own battery starter. Master class on making a starting device for a car with your own hands. What is expected in the near future

Nobody argues that the battery for any car is an extremely important element. But not every car owner knows that any battery, regardless of its cost, newness or brand, requires periodic maintenance. In addition to the battery itself, the generator, which constantly charges the battery during vehicle operation, also requires constant attention. As a result, quite often you can encounter the fact that the battery is not charged enough to start the engine without problems.

This problem is especially acute in winter, when not every car owner is able to start a car without outside help. This may be due to problems such as:

  • undercharging of the battery as a result of malfunctions of the car generator or other device;
  • lack of electrolyte, the volume of which must be periodically replenished;
  • incorrect electrolyte density;
  • destructive processes in the battery that interfere with the normal charging process.

All of the above is not a “sentence” for the battery, and can easily be eliminated with regular maintenance.

Starter charger - is it necessary to have it in the garage?

As a rule, most motorists periodically face the problem of difficult starting or its complete impossibility. With the onset of cold weather, the situation worsens sharply. There are not many ways to solve the problem that has already arisen, and you can start the engine when your own battery is dead as follows:

  • from the “pusher”;
  • by towing;
  • light the battery from another car;
  • quickly charge the battery with high current - a special device is used.

All these methods are far from ideal, and are impossible in some cases. For example, it is impossible to tow a car with an automatic transmission, but it is undesirable to tow a car with an injector. In order not to look for a donor for lighting a cigarette, which car owners are extremely reluctant to do, it is useful to have a battery charger in the garage, which allows you to quickly and safely start the engine in any frost and in any condition of the original battery.

The car battery jump starter has a compact size and high efficiency, so in case of any problems with the battery, it becomes the best option for starting the engine. All you need is an electrical outlet to operate it. It’s easy to use a portable charger for a car battery - just connect the positive wire to the corresponding terminal of the battery, and the negative wire to ground, closer to the starter. After turning on the ROM, you can easily start the engine, even if the battery is very “weak”.

ROM - buy or make it yourself

With all the advantages of factory-made devices, they still have some disadvantages. These include, first of all, the high cost of powerful devices, and those that are cheaper often have too little power and are not suitable for winter use. As a way out of this difficulty, you can consider the option of making your own starting and charging device for the battery, which does not require special knowledge in the field of radio electronics.

Of course, there is an obvious plus - this is the combination of a starting and charging device in a single housing. But if you have a separate “charger” for the battery, it is quite advisable to make a charging and starting device for the battery with your own hands. To make a simple, but quite powerful starting device, you will need one transformer and a pair of diodes. Estimated power of the created device must be at least 1.4 kW- this is enough to start the engine with almost zero battery charge. The ROM circuit is extremely simple, but from year to year, devices assembled in this way seriously help out many car enthusiasts.

Before assembling this starting device, you should prepare a sufficiently long power cable.

Advice! For it, it is optimal to use 2x2.5 copper wire - a smaller cross-section is undesirable.

To ensure ease of use, you can install switch S1, but it must withstand a load of at least 10A.

Output parameters are important indicators for reliable operation

The above diagram of a charging and starting device for a car battery is quite simple, but to create an effective device it is necessary to carefully calculate the output parameters - this will ensure easy starting and will not damage the battery itself. When trying to start, the engine “eats” quite a lot of energy - at least 100 A, with a voltage of up to 14 V. Accordingly, the power of the transformer must be at least 1400 W. A charging and starting device for a car battery of this power will easily start the engine without a battery at all.

Of course, a portable battery charger and jump starter, even of such power, does not replace a battery, which is still needed when starting. The starter can consume up to 200 A when starting, and part of this power will be provided by the battery, even if not fully charged. After successful spinning of the crankshaft, the energy consumption of the starter drops by almost half, and the starting device can cope with this task on its own. By the way, starting chargers purchased in a store provide no more than half of this power, and with a severely discharged battery they simply will not cope with the task of starting the engine.

The cross-section of the core used in this design is 36 cm2. The wire used for the primary winding must have a cross-section of at least 2 mm 2. It would be great if a transformer with such characteristics was factory-made. The original secondary winding must be removed and replaced with a self-wound one. In this case, a banal selection method is used. After, for example, 10 turns are wound, the transformer is connected to the network and the resulting voltage is measured.

It must be divided by the number of turns already made independently, i.e. 10 - the voltage on each turn is obtained. Then you need to divide 12 by the resulting voltage, the result is the required number of turns of each arm. Copper wire in high-quality insulation is suitable for secondary winding. with a cross section of at least 10 mm 2. After completing the work on creating the secondary winding, diodes are connected, which can be taken, for example, from an old welding machine. If all the work is done correctly, the control current measurement in the homemade ROM will not exceed 13.8 V.

How to prevent critical battery discharge

Despite the fact that the circuits of the charging and starting device for batteries are not difficult for self-assembly, it is better to try to avoid the use of starting charging devices. To do this, any battery, from the moment it is put into operation, requires constant maintenance. It is worth noting that all the procedures performed are not complicated and can be performed independently:

  • At least 6 times a year you should measure the voltage on the battery with a multimeter;
  • Monitor the electrolyte level 3-4 times a year;
  • fully charge the battery on a special charger;
  • monitoring the density of the electrolyte is the most important indicator that largely determines the performance of the battery.

All these activities should be regular, which will always allow you to be confident in your own battery. To carry out the tests, you will need a minimum amount of “equipment”:


To adjust the level in a timely manner, you will also need distilled water, which is added to the jars when there is a lack of solution, and a concentrated electrolyte, used when the density drops below the calculated value for a particular region.

For those who like to operate the car in winter, using a starting device is suitable. With this device, you will not only extend the life of your battery, but also be able to start your car in winter, even when the battery charge is low.

Everyone knows that in cold weather, the battery reduces its output by 25-40%, and if the battery also has a low battery charge, then the car may not start at all, due to the complete lack of return of charge, which is needed to start the starter in moment of rotation of the engine propeller shaft. The starter, at the moment of cranking, consumes approximately 80A, but at the moment of starting, the energy consumption is much higher.

Starter circuit Quite simple, but has some nuances in the manufacture of a network transformer. To make it, it is recommended to use toroidal iron from any type of LATR, this will give smaller dimensions and reduce the weight of the starting device. When cutting iron, try to ensure that its perimeter is from 230 to 280 mm. Please note that there are different types of transformers and this figure may vary.

It is advisable to round off sharp edges on the edges a little with a regular file, then wrap them with winding. You can use varnished cloth or fiberglass as a winding.

A typical winding in a transformer has about 260-290 turns, made of PEV-2 wire with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm. You can choose any wire, the main thing you need to take into account is that it is insulated with a varnish coating. Distribute the winding evenly, three layers at a time, using interlayer insulation. After completing the primary winding, you should connect the transformer to the network and measure the no-load current.

The result should be about 200-380mA. If the current measurement reveals a lower indicator of the one presented, then some of the turns should be unwinded, but if the result gives a higher indicator, then accordingly you will need to wind a few more turns until you finally get the required result.

If during operation of the transformer you detect heating in the area of ​​the turns, it means that interturn short circuits were allowed during the winding, in which case you will need to re-wind the winding.

We wind the secondary winding with stranded, insulated copper wire, the cross-section of which should not exceed 6 square meters. mm., as an example, you can use PVKV rubber insulating wire. We perform the winding in 15-18 turns.

We wind the secondary winding simultaneously with two wires, this will help to achieve a more symmetrical winding, which in turn will give the same voltage in both windings.

Charging and starting device presented in this article allows you to start the car in winter. As you know, starting the internal combustion engine of a car with a dead battery in winter requires a lot of effort and time.

The density of the electrolyte, due to long-term storage, decreases significantly, and the sulfation process occurring inside the battery increases its internal resistance, thereby reducing the starting current of the battery. Plus, in winter, the viscosity of engine oil increases, which requires more starting power from the car battery.

As you know, there are several ways to make starting a car easier in winter:

  • heat the oil in the car crankcase;
  • start the car from another car with a reliable battery;
  • push start;
  • use a charging and starting device (ZPU).

The option of using a starting device is more convenient when storing the car in a garage or in a paid parking lot, where it is possible to connect the starting device to the electrical network. In addition, this charger-starter It will not only help you start a car with a dead battery, but also quickly restore and charge it.

Basically, in industrial designs of a charger and starting device, the battery is recharged from a medium-power power source with a rated current of up to 5A, which, as a rule, is not enough to directly draw current from the car starter. Despite the fact that the internal capacity of car battery ROMs is very large (for some models up to 240 A/h), after several refills they somehow “sit down”, and it is not possible to quickly restore their charge.

This charging and starting device differs from the industrial prototype in its insignificant weight and the ability to automatically maintain the working condition of the ROM battery, regardless of the period of storage or operation. Even if the ROM does not have an internal battery, it can still provide up to 100A inrush current for a short period of time. There is also a good one with adjustable charge current.

To restore the battery plates and reduce the temperature of the electrolyte during charging, the charger and starter has a regeneration mode. In this mode, charging current pulses and pauses alternate.

Schematic diagram

The starting charger circuit contains a triac voltage regulator (VS1), a power transformer (T1), a rectifier with powerful diodes (VD3, VD4) and a starter battery (GB1). The charging current is selected by the current regulator on the triac VS1, its current is regulated by the variable resistor R2 and depends on the battery capacity.

The input and output charging circuits have a filter that reduces the degree of radio interference during operation of the triac regulator. Triac VS1 provides regulation of the charging current when the network voltage varies from 180 to 220 V.

The triac wiring consists of R1-R2-C3 (RC circuit), VD2 and diode bridge VD1. The time constant of the RC circuit affects the opening moment of the dinistor (counting from the beginning of the network half-cycle), which is included in the diagonal of the rectifier bridge through the limiting resistor R4. The rectifier bridge synchronizes the switching on of the triac in both half-cycles of the mains voltage. In the “Regeneration” mode, only one half-cycle of the mains voltage is applied, which helps clean the battery plates from existing crystallization. Capacitors C1 and C2 reduce the degree of interference from the triac in the network to acceptable levels.

Details

The charger and starting device uses power from the Rubin TV. It is also possible to use a TCA-270 type transformer. Before rewinding the secondary windings (the primary windings remain unchanged), the frames are separated from the iron, all former secondary windings (up to the screen foil) are removed, and the free space is wound with copper wire with a cross-section of 1.8...2.0 mm2 in one layer (up to filling) secondary windings. As a result of rewinding, the voltage of one winding should be approximately 15 ... 17 V.

To visually monitor the charging and starting current, an ammeter with a shunt resistor is introduced into the circuit of the charging and starting device. Network switch SA1 must be designed for a maximum current of 10 A. Network switch SA2 (type TZ or P1T) allows you to select the maximum voltage on the transformer in accordance with the network voltage. The internal battery of the 6ST45 or 6ST50 brand should be enough for 3-5 simultaneous starts. Resistors in the ZPU can be used like MLT or SP, capacitors C1, C2 - KBG-MP, C3 - MBGO, C4 - K50-12, K50-6. The D160 diodes (without radiators) can be replaced with others with a permissible current of more than 50 A, the triac is of the TC type. The connection of the charger to the car battery must be made using powerful “Crocodile” clamps (for operating current up to 200 A). It is important to use grounding in the device.

Settings

When setting up, the internal battery GB1 is connected to the device (observe the polarity!), and the regulation of the charging current by resistor R2 is tested. Then the charging current is checked in charge, start and regeneration modes. If the current is no more than 10...12A, then the control unit is in working condition. When connecting the charging and starting device to the car battery, the charge current should initially increase approximately 2-3 times, and after 10 - 30 minutes it should drop to its original value. After this, switch SA3 is clicked into the “Start” mode, and the car engine starts. In case of an unsuccessful attempt to start the engine, additional recharging is performed for 10 - 30 minutes, and the attempt is repeated.

It is familiar to many of our compatriots, especially often encountered by those who regularly operate their cars in winter, during frosty periods. If the engine refuses to start, there are several ways to solve the problem, but one of the most effective options is to use a starting device (PU). We will tell you below how to properly make a starting device for a car with your own hands and what its operating principle is.

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Description of the starting device

What is this engine starting system, how does the module work and what is its purpose? Let's look briefly at these questions.

Purpose and functions

The purpose of the car charging unit is to ensure better engine starting. Such a need may arise in different cases, but as practice shows, our compatriots usually face such a problem precisely in cold weather. In addition, most modern charging modules also allow you to charge mobile gadgets - tablets, smartphones and other devices. They even have additional ports for this purpose.

Design and principle of operation

There are several types of charging modules:

  1. Pulse blocks, The operating principle of which is based on pulse voltage conversion. In such a module, the voltage first increases under the influence of the current frequency, after which it decreases and is converted. Such devices are usually characterized by low power and, as a rule, are used to recharge a discharged battery. But if the battery charge is very low, and it is frosty outside, then in this case, recharging the battery may take quite a long time.
    The main advantages of such blocks include low price, light weight, and compact size. As for the disadvantages, this is the low power of the module, as well as the difficulty of its repair, especially since, as practice shows, they can often fail due to unstable voltage.
  2. Transformer blocks— in this case, the main element of the device is a transformer, which is used to convert current into voltage. Such charging modules allow you to increase the charge of any battery, regardless of its discharge, even if it is almost full. In addition, devices of this type are immune to voltage surges; they can operate in any condition. The main advantages include the power of the modules and their reliability, as well as their unpretentiousness in terms of operation. As for the disadvantages, it is high cost, large size and weight.
  3. Boosters are another type of block. A booster is a portable battery that operates on the principle of a portable unit - first, the booster charges the battery, and the power unit is started from the battery. Boosters can be household or professional; they differ in volume and size. In household boosters, the capacity is quite low, but it is usually enough to start one engine.
    Professional devices are full-fledged chargers that can start several cars, and the on-board network in such cars can be either 12-volt or 24-volt. The advantage of boosters is their compactness and autonomy, however, due to their size, they can only be installed on flat surface.
  4. Capacitor modules. In this case, the procedure for starting the motor is carried out according to a rather complex principle; the circuitry of such devices is based on powerful capacitor devices. First of all, they are charged, after which the capacitors transfer the charge to start the motor. Capacitors charge quite quickly and just as quickly they release their charge to start the internal combustion engine. As a result of the fact that the cost of such modules is quite high, they are not so popular. Moreover, in practice, their frequent use can lead to accelerated wear of the battery (the author of the video is the carpow carpow channel).

Selection options

The starting device is selected based on the voltage of the battery used in the car. Passenger cars usually use 12-volt batteries, while tractors usually use 24-volt batteries. If you are in doubt about the type of battery you have, then you need to pay attention to the labeling of the device - it should indicate the numbers 12 or 24. To ensure normal starting of the power unit, you can purchase a regular household battery, but if you drive a tractor, then for such an internal combustion engine you need to buy a device with a high current.

However, the main parameter you need to pay attention to is the starting current. The current may be different, it all depends on the specific battery, so in any case you will need to study the markings. It should also be taken into account that the starting current may vary, especially if the battery is discharged and it is cold outside.

If you have decided on the starting current, then pay attention to the volume of the launcher. The choice of volume depends on the conditions under which the PU will be used. For example, for a passenger vehicle, the best option would be to choose a more compact device, the battery reserve of which will be low. As for the same tractors or SUVs, in this case it is better to give preference to PU with a large margin. Moreover, the higher this indicator is, the better (the author of the video is the Made in a Garage channel).

DIY instructions

If you decide to build a control panel for your car, then at a minimum you should have some experience in electrical engineering. Of course, you can save a significant amount by assembling the device yourself, but you will still need to spend money on its constituent elements.

Let's briefly consider the process of making PU at home:

  1. First, you will need a transformer device; its minimum power setting should be 500 watts.
  2. In the primary winding, the cable cross-section must be at least one and a half mm2; as for the secondary winding, it should be removed.
  3. Having removed the secondary winding, a new one is installed, and you will have to wind the wire around it yourself. The number of turns on the winding can vary - in this case the choice is made in a practical way. For example, you will wind ten turns of wire with any cross-section, after which you will need to connect a transformer device and measure the voltage. The result obtained is ultimately divided by ten - this way you can calculate the voltage on one turn. Then 12 volts should be divided by the number obtained as a result of the measurement - this will give you the number of turns of one arm.
  4. After the calculation manipulations have been carried out, the secondary winding should be removed and another one should be installed in its place, and the winding should be wound with a wire with a cross-section of 10 mm2.
  5. The next step will be connecting the diode elements. Alternatively, you can use diodes removed from welding equipment. Ultimately, the idle voltage level should be no more than 12 volts. If, as a result, this indicator is higher or lower, then it will be necessary to either rewind or rewind a certain number of turns.
  6. When the voltage is normal, you can begin the final stage of completing the assembly. If we take into account the fact that the current parameter at the output of the device will vary around 100 amperes, wires from the same welding equipment can be used as output cables.

Price issue

Video “How to make a pre-heater with your own hands?”

Detailed and visual instructions on how to build a pre-heater with your own hands in a garage are presented in the video below (the author of the video is Sergey Kalinov).

For motorists, a dead battery can be a real problem. You should also take into account that starting a car in winter is quite difficult. In this regard, there is often a need to use a starting charger. Today, many manufacturers are ready to offer this product. The characteristics of chargers vary quite a lot. However, you can make a model of this type absolutely independently. For this purpose, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the design of the device, as well as find out its basic configurations.

Diagram of a conventional charger

Includes a threshold transformer and a series of resistors. The instrument coil is most often used at 20 V. It should also be noted that the models have a damper. It is designed for resonant vibrations. Expanders in chargers are most often installed of the dynamic type. A wide variety of transistor blocks are used. To connect the model to the battery, clamps are used, which can vary quite significantly in shape.

6V device

The circuit of the starting-charger of this type of transformer assumes the use of a threshold one. However, first of all, you should make a durable case for the model. Making it yourself is quite simple. For this purpose, it became important to select sheets with a thickness of about 2.3 mm. In this case, the foundation needs to be further strengthened. To do this, many experts recommend using a foundation to build. After this, the transformer is installed. The coil should be next to it. In this case, it is best to select a low-frequency damper.

The output voltage must be at a level of 5 V. It should also be noted that ROM expanders for a car of this type are only suitable for dynamic ones. Field capacitors are used. To install them, first of all, all contacts are cleaned. Direct soldering of the elements occurs using a blowtorch. At the end of the work, the appropriate clamps are selected for the battery.

How to make a 10V charger?

Making such a starter-charger with your own hands is quite simple. In this case, you must first deal with the body of the model. Some people make it from boards. However, in this situation, much depends on the dimensions of the transformer. If we consider threshold analogues, they weigh a lot. Thus, the base of the device must be strong.

It is also important to make the model transportable. To do this, you need to fix the handles at the top for carrying the device. In this case, it is better to install the transformer in the center of the base. After this, the damper is installed. If we consider linear resonant analogues, then they must withstand a minimum output voltage of 10 V. In this case, the vector frequency should fluctuate around 44 Hz.

Next, to assemble a device of this type, you need to take an expander. Many in this situation prefer capacitorless modifications. However, in this case the load on the transistors will be quite large. It is more advisable to select aluminum type clamps for an autonomous start-charger. They are practically not subject to corrosion.

12V models

You can assemble this type of starter-charger with your own hands using electrostatic capacitors. Nowadays they are quite easy to get. For this device, it is necessary to make a platform in the housing. Before installing the transformer, a sealant must be laid on it. Only after this will it be possible to work on the inductor.

It is most often selected with a primary winding. In this case, capacitors for the model are more suitable for the open type. They can withstand a maximum output voltage of 20 V. It should also be noted that expanders in this case must be installed last. Before doing this, it is important to secure the damper. In some situations, regulators are also used to control power.

In this case, you need a good power supply. It should also be noted that it can only be installed with a zener diode. In order to fix the clamps on the device, you can use a welding machine. At the end of the work, all that remains is to secure the device damper. It is usually installed near the transformer. As the instructions say, the starter-charger must be checked for grounding before starting.

Single-phase modifications

To make this type of starter-charger with your own hands, you will need an integrated transformer. Nowadays, these modifications are quite popular among motorcyclists. First of all, when assembling the device, it is recommended to prepare all the necessary tools in advance. In particular, for self-production, a high-quality one is selected along with a set of keys. For a 12-24V starter-charger, the housing is made of metal sheets with a thickness of at least 1.4 mm.

You can simply screw them together using screws. After this, it is important to lay a rubber seal on the bottom of the case. Next, it will be possible to directly install the transformer. To fix it, many experts recommend making a special insert. It is a U-shaped stop. To do this, you need to take boards about 3.5 cm wide. To fasten them correctly, you must first take measurements of the body. The next step is to install a damper on the 12-24V starter-charger.

In this case, it can be used of the resonant type. This component must withstand the output voltage at 20 V. It should also be noted that capacitors for the model are purchased only of the open type. They are able to maintain a minimum frequency of 45 Hz. At the end of the work, all that remains is to fix the power supply and solder the wires to fix it on the battery.

Two-phase devices

To assemble this type of starter-charger with your own hands, you will need to use a powerful transformer. In this case, the coil must withstand its maximum output voltage at a level of 20 V. A wide variety of dampers are suitable for the device. In this case, much depends on the type of capacitors. Some experts in this situation prefer open modifications. They can last quite a long time.

Resistors for the device are suitable only for integral ones. They are easy to find in stores, but they cost a lot. Next, to assemble the device, you will need to use a powerful expander. Dynamic type modifications are not suitable in this case. Induction models are considered more stable. In order to fix the clamps, it is necessary to use a cable with a diameter of about 0.4 mm.

Three-phase models

Circuits of this type involve the use of powerful transistor blocks. In order to install them, you must first prepare a site for them. In this case, the body can be built as an open type without a top. In this case, the car starter-charger can be transported on wheels. Transistors in this situation are selected as network type. The minimum output voltage they can withstand is about 15 V.

The frequency parameter of these elements on average does not exceed 40 Hz. The transformer for the model is selected as a standard threshold type. In this case, the coil must be designed for low frequencies. The damper for a car starter-charger of this type is selected to be resonant. It only needs to be installed on the seal. Some specialists additionally install indication systems for three-phase modifications. They are needed in order to look at the panel at the output voltage level.

Application of pulse transformer PP20

The device circuits include transformers of the PP20 series, as well as resonant-type dampers. Capacitors for this model are suitable only for the electrostatic type. It is necessary to begin assembling the device by welding the base. For this purpose, metal sheets are prepared with a thickness of about 2.2 mm. Coils with a primary winding are used quite often in this case.

In this case, a wide variety of display systems are suitable. In general, the above transformer can withstand an output voltage of 15 V. Only magnetic zener diodes are used. Aluminum clamps can be successfully used as clamps. Their conductivity is quite good, but they differ in shape. In this case, it is better to give preference to small-sized modifications.

Use of PP22 transformers

Transformers of the PP22 type are very common today. The coils in this case are used with copper winding. Their density is quite high, and they can last a long time. However, such devices still have disadvantages. First of all, it should be noted that models with the specified transformer suffer from increased output voltage. Thus, sudden surges in the network can lead to complete overheating of the capacitors.

Resistors also often fail. If the device has an indication system, the diodes will burn out due to overvoltage. It is necessary to install transformers on the model only with seals. At the same time, the toggle switch is suitable for the P2 series. In turn, indicators are often used in the IN3 class.