I want to calculate approx run time of a D cell with a capacity of 13,000 Mah.
I assume that Time(H) = Capacity(Ah)/Current(A) equals a final battery voltage of 0 volts which will not work in my case.
I need a calculation for an ending voltage of around 2.0 volts. (At 2.0 volts, my clock starts losing time.)
Thanks
Maybe this would help stimulate some answer?
Andy
I assume you have two D cells in series, since you specify an ending voltage of 2 volts. A single D cell provides 1.5 volts.
Generally speaking the mAh discharge voltage for a single D cell would be around 1 volt, not 0 volts, but that doesn't matter too much. Read on.
The equation will give you ONLY an approximation.
The rate at which a battery discharges varies with the amount of current drawn. Unless the load is designed to draw constant current, the denominator (Current) in your equation is a variable so you can't solve it accurately. Add to that the fact that the discharge rate is not linear even at constant current, and you can see the difficulty with getting a precise and accurate answer. Look at some battery discharge curves to get a feeling for this.
Ed
No, the mAh rating comes with an explanation of the test conditions, you just need the full manufacturer's data sheets.
Sometimes there's a time/voltage graph, and you can chose the cutoff voltage and measure area-under-the-I-V curve. Sometimes there's a specified V when fresh, and V when dead (alkaline, typically 1.5V fresh, 1.0V dead; lithium, typically 3.6V fresh,
3.0V dead).------------------
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** The OP has indicted his load is a clock, dunno what kind but any battery clock will be engineered for absolute minimum DC current draw.Standard Quartz mechanisms are phenomenal current misers, alkaline AA cells last a year or more. Average currents being in the order of 100uA.
It follows that a D size cell would last much longer, maybe 5 or 10 years.
IOW, its entire shelf life.
Matters more how fresh the cell is when you purchase it.
.... Phil
Sorry for the late reply.
The clock uses about 25 Ma and the AAs lasted about 3 months.
Andy
That makes it a 54 GAh battery then. Some battery! Gentlemen, get your units straight!
M=mega, m=milli, and in ASCII text, u=micro, which I guess is what you really meant. If so, 54 mAh is very poor for an AA. A fresh AA should be able to deliver about 1 Ah in a clock, maybe more.
Jeroen Belleman
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** Oh dear - ROTFLSo you only switch the clock on when you want to read the time - to save the batteries ?
25mA for 2160 hours = 54 amp hours.What brand AAs do you buy ?
.... Phil
The clock is on continuously.
I buy whatever AA that is on sale.
Andy
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** Crikey - that must waste the battery !
** But where do you buy 54Ah ones ??
BTW:
a dead donkey is about to kick you.
.... Phil
A Duracell AA has 2850 mAh and a D 15000 mAh (*). So, a crude assumption is that your D cell will last about 15 months.
(*) Looked it up some time ago
Pere
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** What does 2850 / 25 / 24 = ??.... Phil
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