22 Years' Battery Customization
Sep 23, 2020 Pageview：494
An automotive battery is used in starting a car and is rechargeable. Its primary purpose is starting, lighting, and ignition. Car batteries are made to deliver a large amount of current for a short period. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the battery is charging and the alternator is in good condition. If your car battery fails to recharge, then you will get stuck.
It provides current to a starting motor, starting the internal combustion process, thus powering up the engine. After the engine starts, the car electrical system is still powered by the battery. The standard type of battery used in cars is the lead-acid type, designed to output 12 volts in most cars.
During its operation, the car battery discharges at a rate proportional to its usage. However, car batteries are intolerant of deep discharge, which causes the coating of lead plate electrodes and reduces the battery's life expectancy or lifespan. Therefore, the battery needs to be recharged occasionally in line with the manufacturer's recommendations.
Car owners desire their car battery to charge faster, safer, and efficiently. The number of amps needed to charge a car battery will depend on its size and how fast the charging process is intended. However, fast charging can buckle the battery plates.
Depending on battery specifications, charge rates differ. A 2-amp charge rate is used to charge small batteries. Using high charge rates for such batteries may damage the battery. On the other hand, using such a low charge rate on a large battery will mean an extended charging time. The battery seems to discharge at a faster rate.
If you want to maintain a car battery at a fully charged state, it is advisable to use a low amp charger rather than a high amp charger. At 40 amps, it is possible to start a car within a few minutes with a completely depleted battery.
At 4amps, the car battery is maintained and kept at low amperage for extended periods. This charging rate is suitable for small batteries using a trickle charge.
Most car batteries have a capacity of 48 ampere-hours. The period taken to charge the battery to full capacity will vary depending on the charger used. For instance, a 10amp charger will take 4.8 hours to fully charge the battery fully, a 6amp charger will take 8 hours, and a 2amp charger will take 24 hours to charge the battery fully. Clearly, the higher the amp setting, the less time it takes to charge a car battery fully.
Furthermore, charging at ten amps can charge a half-discharged car battery in 2-3 hours. It is not advisable for car batteries to be fast-charged using high amperage because it can lead to overcharging and reduced efficiency.
There are also ways of determining accurate charge times.
Check for the battery amount of amp hours. First, you need to check the battery reserve capacity from the manufacturer's manual. For example, if the reserve capacity is 80 minutes, multiply by 60, which equals 4800 seconds. Then 4800 x 25 amps = 120,000 Coulombs. Afterward, 120000/3600 = 33.3-ampere-hours.
Determine the battery's open-circuit voltage with the help of a voltmeter. This means the voltage rating of a battery when it is not connected to any load. Ideally, an open-circuit voltage of 12.8 V is measured.
Determine charge time by rate of charge and ampere-hours needed. The internal resistance of about 20% is added. This means 33.3 x 0.2 = 6.7 amp-hours. The total amp hours is now 40 amp-hours. For a 10 amp charger, it will take 40/10 = 4 hours to charge the battery fully.
Charging hours vary depending on the type of battery and the charger. Some batteries are designed to tolerate overcharging, while others cannot. There are different kinds of battery chargers with their unique specifications.
Trickle charger - Delivers a small amount of current to charge a self- discharging the battery. They are not used to charge dead batteries. Also, other types of batteries may not use this kind of charger as it may lead to damage.
Simple charger - It is designed to have a lower and safer charging rate. Consequently, it takes too long to charge a car battery fully. Many car batteries will weaken if they are left charging for long hours using a simple charger. This is due to overcharging.
Fast charger - This charger rapidly charges the battery but may overheat. It is therefore designed with a cooling fan. Charging time is less.
Three-stage charger - It has three charging phases, which ensure accelerated charging and continuous charging.
Pulse charger - A series of current pulses is fed to the battery. This charger is designed to deliver high instantaneous voltages without the risk of overheating.
The higher the voltage, the faster the charging. However, care must be taken when choosing the type of charger for your car battery. If you want to charge your battery within a short time, you will need a high amp charger, which takes a shorter time. The most preferred for most car batteries is between 10-20 amps.
Lower amp chargers will take long, but charging is safe. For example, using a 2 amp charger will take about 6 hours to charge a 12-volt car battery. However, as earlier stated, this type of charger rating is only used for small batteries and harms car batteries.
Car battery performance and lifespan are dependent on charging practices, among other parameters. Choosing the right charger for your car battery is essential as it determines charging time. The manufacturer's guide on charging car batteries must be adhered to at all times to ensure safe charging and improved performance characteristics.
Lastly, different types of chargers come with varied prices. So, the cost must be taken onto account. It is advisable to use smart chargers as much as possible since they nearly guarantee an extended lifespan.
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