Techniques for Charging Batteries
For those who have never attempted to charge a battery before, doing so can be confusing. A variety of methods and techniques can be used to charge a battery, some of which work better in one situation than another. Learning when to use each charging method can help you to get the most out of your battery's life.
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Constant Voltage
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A charger that makes use of constant voltage is a DC power supply and is usually present in inexpensive car battery chargers. Lithium ion and lead-acid cell systems utilize constant voltage. Constant voltage is one of the simplest forms of battery charging.
Constant Current
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A charger that utilizes constant current makes use of varied voltage, which, when applied to a battery, can serve to create a constant flow of voltage. When the voltage reaches its peak, the charger switches off. Constant current is usually reserved for batteries made of nickel-cadmium or other nickel-metal hybrids.
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Taper Current
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Taper current charges a battery with an unregulated source of voltage. As cell voltage builds up, the current begins to lessen. Since overcharging a battery can cause damage, taper current is not a recommended method of charging. In general, taper current is reserved solely for SLA batteries.
Pulsed Charge
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A charger that utilizes pulse charging sends pulses to the battery, which can be controlled precisely by changing the length of each pulse. A short rest between each pulse allows the battery to reach stability, making pulse charging much easier on batteries than many other forms of charging. Pulse charging is also thought to help prevent undesirable chemical reactions.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit A battery loader against white background. image by Saskia Massink from Fotolia.com
