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Boost LiPo up to 12V, or boost solar up to 12V?

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mrburnzie:
Hello!
I'm having a small issue regarding the 12V rail on my project.
I have two options:
- boost the 3.7V lipo (1S pack) battery up to 12V
- boost the solar panel (5V) up to 12V (or 12.6V) to charge the 3S pack

The 12V is used to power a motor.
Most booster IC's are inefficient for 3.7V->12V conversion and don't allow a lot of current to flow.
Boosting the solar panel is a good option, until I need a balancing circuit for the 3S pack.

What do you recommend?

MosherIV:

--- Quote ---Most booster IC's are inefficient for 3.7V->12V conversion and don't allow a lot of current to flow.
--- End quote ---
Completely inaccurate!
Most modern boost converters are over 90% efficient.
What you mean is that they do not produce the current you want.

They are limited by power (P= V × I)
If you tripple the voltage, you reduce the available current by 3.

It is highly likey that the motor needs more power than the solar panel can deliver.
The battery maybe able to deliver the power but as you realised you are going to need a boost converter capable of the current output.

mrburnzie:
Okay, thanks for the clarification.
Do you have any cost-effective booster IC you could recommend?

SiliconWizard:
How much power does the motor require (average/max)? This will help selecting the solution. Another question is: how much time would be acceptable for a full recharge of the battery?

mrburnzie:
Average 1.2A, max 2A. The recharging role is just to keep the device alive. I'm looking into solutions to make everything as efficient as possible to keep the device up and running for a long time (1-2 years) on batteries (of course the solar panel is charging the batteries)

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