Medical Devices, CPAP Machines

[HWJ]

I was wondering if anyone has experience using electronic devices long term in the vehicles. I have to sleep with a CPAP device. It uses a 90W, 24volt, 3.75Amp power adapter which isn't any different from a standard laptop adapter. The only problem is that it would have to run for at least 8 hours a night.<br />Maybe find some way to do a 12volt to 24volt conversion? Or put two deep cycle batteries in series?<br />Need some way to charge them too. I doubt the alternator could handle charging three batteries when the engine is running.<br /><br />I have a couple of 15watt, 1amp solar panels but they aren't much good except for trickle charge.

 

[Guest]

Howard....I was using a CPAP for the last several years but was just moved to a BIPAP. What I am wondering is what it is you have that requires that much juice? My first one was a Puritan-Bennett 420G and ran on 12v and had a AC to DC converter for line voltage.....now I have a Respironics Bi-flex that is also 12v and has an AC to DC converter this one draws 60W when using the humidifier....<br /><br />What I do when either in the van or traveling anywhere, is leave the humidifier at home and use the rig without it...I use a little saline spray to lube up...<br /><br />What it means is that i can get by with just a standard 12v house battery.<br /><br />When I was thinking I would camp at altitude...I would also need to plumb O2 into my CPAP as well. I have a Sequal portable O2 concentrator to travel with when needed but when all was totaled up for power needs, it came to 90 AH in an 8 hour period. Yikes...Well, I put two 6v T105 Trojan golfcart batteries wired in series. Charged with two 50W panels on the roof. It worked fine.<br /><br />I finally realized that I really didn't care that much about camping that high so i pulled the Trojans and put the marine 12v house battery back in.<br /><br />If you want to talk more about you can pm me....<br />Bri

 

[wrcsixeight]

That would be 7.5 amps at 12 volts, for 8 hours is about 60 amp hours out of the battery(s) each night. &nbsp;If you have to use an inverter to power it, add 15% more to the consumption.<br /><br />The alternator can return a portion, but after 80% State of Charge is reached, the last 20 % can take hours &nbsp;and hours of driving to reach 100%. &nbsp;After many days of not reaching 100%, they batteries will fail to power the Cpap all night and &nbsp;will live a short life.<br /><br />A 130 watt solar panel can do about 60 AH a day flat on the roof in a sunny environment.<br /><br />I believe they sell &nbsp;12 volt C pap machines, so you can eliminate the inverter losses

 

[HWJ]

The CPAP has a humidifier module built in and I seem to need it, otherwise my nose gets raw. So its probably 12v per part of the module.<br />Chances are I might be able to use AC and plug in some nights while in the city, but I may have 3-4 days straight without it.<br /><br />So maybe I need to invest in better panels to charge the battery system more effectively. They just need to be small enough to be roof mounted.

 

[blars]

Your CPAP may not use that much power, case labels are maximum not average.&nbsp; So things might not be so bad.<br /><br />DC-DC converters can be made in any configuration, actually the hardest and least efficiant are when the voltages are close.&nbsp; (Such as running a 12v +/- 5% device off of a 11-15v house battery.)&nbsp; A car laptop charger of the proper ratings may work for your application.