AMP HOURS EXPLAINED (amp hours vs watt hours)
TLDRIn the video, Nate from explorers.life explains the concept of wiring batteries in parallel and series, and how it affects the total capacity and voltage of a battery bank. He clarifies that despite different configurations, the overall capacity remains the same, and introduces the formula for calculating power in Watts. Nate further demonstrates how voltage impacts the amperage drawn by appliances and the importance of understanding these relationships for effective system design.
Takeaways
- 🔋 When two 100 amp hour batteries are wired in parallel, their amp hours add up to 200 amp hours while the voltage remains the same (12.8 volts).
- 🔌 Wiring batteries in series results in the addition of their voltages while the amp hours remain constant, leading to a 24 volt battery bank with 100 amp hours.
- 💡 The capacity of the two battery banks (one in parallel and one in series) is the same; they both have a capacity of 2560 Watt hours.
- ⚡️ The formula Amp hours × Volts = Watt hours is used to convert battery capacity into a common unit of energy (Watt hours) for easy comparison.
- 💡 The amount of power (in Watt hours) consumed by a device remains the same, regardless of the voltage at which it is supplied.
- 🔧 A 12 volt battery bank powering a 100 watt light bulb for 1 hour consumes 7.81 amp hours.
- 🔌 A 24 volt battery bank powering the same 100 watt light bulb for 1 hour consumes 3.90 amp hours, showing that higher voltage systems can use smaller wires due to lower amperage.
- 🔥 When powering high wattage devices like space heaters, understanding the voltage and current requirements is crucial for proper system design and component selection.
- 🌐 Inverting voltages (e.g., from 12 volts to 120 volts) for AC devices allows for lower amperage draw from the battery bank, which can be advantageous.
- 🔋 The operating voltage of the battery bank should be considered when calculating amp hours used, as the same power usage will result in different amp hour consumption depending on the voltage.
- 📚 Converting amp hours or amps to watts or Watt hours provides a more direct comparison of power usage across different systems and devices.
Q & A
What is the capacity of two 100 amp hour batteries when wired in parallel?
-When two 100 amp hour batteries are wired in parallel, their amp hours get added together, resulting in a total capacity of 200 amp hours at the same voltage, which is 12.8 volts in this case.
How does the wiring of batteries affect their combined capacity and voltage?
-Wiring batteries in parallel adds their amp hours together while keeping the voltage the same, whereas wiring them in series adds their voltages together while keeping the amp hours the same. This results in different total capacities and voltages depending on the wiring method used.
What is the formula to convert amp hours to watt hours?
-The formula to convert amp hours to watt hours is Amp Hours * Volts = Watt Hours. This allows for a comparison of energy capacity across different voltages.
How does the voltage of a battery bank affect the amperage required to power a load?
-Higher voltage battery banks can deliver the same power (watts) with lower amperage because the voltage does the work that would otherwise be done by a higher amperage at a lower voltage. This can be advantageous for using smaller wires and reducing energy loss.
What happens when a 1200 watt space heater is powered by a 12 volt battery bank without an inverter?
-Powering a 1200 watt space heater directly from a 12 volt battery bank without an inverter would require a very high amperage draw (95 amps), which is not practical and could quickly deplete the battery bank.
How does an inverter change the amperage draw when powering a 120 volt appliance from a 12 volt battery bank?
-An inverter converts the 12 volt DC from the battery bank to 120 volt AC, which results in a significantly lower amperage draw (10 amps for the example given) to power the same 1200 watt appliance.
Why is it important to calculate power usage in watt hours rather than just amp hours?
-Calculating power usage in watt hours provides a more accurate comparison of energy consumption because it takes into account both the voltage and amp hours, giving a truer representation of the power used.
What is the total amp hours consumed by a 100 watt light bulb running for one hour on a 12.8 volt battery bank?
-A 100 watt light bulb running for one hour on a 12.8 volt battery bank consumes 7.81 amp hours, calculated by dividing the watts (100) by the voltage (12.8).
How does the voltage of a battery bank affect the design of a system?
-The voltage of a battery bank significantly affects system design because it determines the amperage required to deliver the same power, influencing wire size, energy loss, and overall efficiency.
What is the main takeaway from the video regarding battery banks and power usage?
-The main takeaway is that the amp hours used from a battery bank should always be calculated based on the battery bank's operating voltage, and converting amp hours to watts or watt hours provides a more accurate comparison of power usage across different systems.
Outlines
🔋 Battery Wiring and Capacity
This paragraph introduces the concept of battery wiring and how it affects the overall capacity of a battery bank. It explains that two 100 amp-hour batteries can either operate at 100 amp-hours or combine for 200 amp-hours based on the wiring configuration. The speaker, Nate, uses the example of wiring batteries in parallel or series and how this changes the voltage and amp-hour capacity. The key takeaway is that despite different voltages, the total capacity remains the same when calculated in watt-hours, which is done by multiplying amp-hours by volts.
💡 Understanding Watt-Hours and Power Consumption
In this paragraph, Nate delves into the concept of watt-hours and how it relates to power consumption. He uses the analogy of a light bulb to explain that watt-hours represent the amount of energy used over time. The speaker clarifies that the same amount of power (100 watts) can be consumed over different lengths of time, resulting in varying watt-hour usage. The paragraph also discusses the impact of battery voltage on the current (amps) drawn from the battery and how a higher voltage battery bank can use smaller wires due to lower amperage, highlighting the importance of voltage in system design.
🔌 Calculating Power Usage from a Battery Bank
The final paragraph focuses on the practical application of calculating power usage from a battery bank. It emphasizes the importance of using the battery bank's operating voltage when determining amp-hours consumed. Nate provides an example of powering a space heater from a 12-volt battery bank and the significant difference in amp-hour consumption when using an inverter to run a 120-volt heater. The key takeaways are the need to calculate amp-hours based on the battery bank's operating voltage and the value of converting amp-hours or amps to watts or watt-hours for a direct comparison of power usage.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ampere-hour (amp hour)
💡Parallel wiring
💡Series wiring
💡Voltage
💡Watt
💡Watt-hour
💡Amperes (amps)
💡Battery bank capacity
💡Power usage
💡Inverter
💡System design
Highlights
Two 100 amp hour batteries can be configured to provide either 100 or 200 amp hours depending on the wiring.
When batteries are wired in parallel, their amp hours add up while their voltage remains the same.
Wiring batteries in series results in the addition of their voltages while their amp hours stay the same.
The capacity of the battery banks remains the same, whether they operate at 100 amp hours or 200 amp hours, depending on the wiring.
The formula amps times volts equals Watts is used to understand power consumption.
Converting battery banks to Watt hours allows for a clear comparison of their capacity.
A 100-watt light bulb consumes 100 watt hours of power when operating for one hour.
The amperage drawn from a battery bank depends on the voltage of the battery bank.
A 24-volt battery bank can power appliances more efficiently due to lower amperage at higher voltage.
System design is influenced by the choice of voltage to optimize power delivery to different loads.
Powering a 1200-watt space heater directly from a 12-volt battery bank requires 95 amps.
Using an inverter to power a 120-volt space heater from a 12-volt battery bank reduces the amperage to 10 amps.
The battery bank's capacity should be calculated based on the operating voltage of the battery.
Comparing power usage in amp hours or amps to Watts or Watt hours provides a more accurate comparison.
The video provides insights into designing systems with both 12 and 24-volt configurations.
Full system installation videos with examples of 12 and 24-volt systems are available in the video description.
Transcripts
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