During the process of charging the battery, it is necessary to monitor and change several parameters: charging current, charging voltage, voltage at the battery terminals, electrolyte temperature. The most convenient to use are chargers with automatic control, which are capable of providing the most complete charge of the battery in the optimal mode.
Note: The optimal charging current for a battery is 10% of its capacity. For example, the charging current of a 36 Ah battery should be 3.6 A. When the battery voltage reaches 14.4 V, the charging current should decrease to prevent the electrolyte from boiling.
A typical charger is a transformer with a DC rectifier. Chargers can use either conventional transformers or frequency conversion transformers (pulse). The first ones have a larger mass and dimensions, but are simpler in design; in these devices, as a rule, the output voltage depends on the voltage in the electrical network.
There are both fully automatic chargers and devices with a certain set of settings.
Automatic charger with the ability to set the charging current
Warning. Even if the charger is fully automatic, do not leave the battery charging process unattended. Charge the battery according to the instructions supplied with this charger.
When choosing a device, check whether it can provide the required current to charge your battery.
It is desirable that the charger be equipped with:
- protection against incorrect connection of wire terminals to battery terminals;
- overheating protection:
- protection against short circuit of wire terminals;
- charge control devices or indicators;
- stabilization of the charging current.
The charger wire terminals must provide a secure connection to the battery terminals, and the terminals themselves must be securely connected to the wires.
Note: To charge sealed maintenance-free batteries, a charger that supports a charging voltage of 16.0-16.5 V is required, otherwise the battery will not be fully charged.
To restore and charge deeply discharged batteries, the charger must have manual adjustment capability.
Chargers can be equipped with additional functions. Thus, diagnostic devices can be built into the charger to check the health of the battery.
Warning. Before charging, be sure to check the electrolyte level in the battery; charging a battery with a low electrolyte level will destroy its electrodes.
For car owners who use their car only in the summer or use it irregularly, with long breaks (a month or more), a charger model with a battery self-discharge compensation function will be useful. In this mode, a low charging current is automatically maintained to ensure gentle battery charging. Using this function instead of charging in standard mode (at high current) will extend the life of the battery.
To start the engine with a discharged battery, the charger can be equipped with a quick start system. Such devices are usually called starting and charging devices. Using such a device will allow you to start the trip immediately and charge the battery while driving. If there is no power supply to the parking place of the car, then a starting device with a built-in battery can be used to start the engine.
[The original article can be found on the resource: chevyman.ru]