Every car owner knows that a vehicle requires increased attention. It is necessary to change the oil on time and carry out a vehicle inspection. And at the end of the summer season, car owners have a question: how to properly charge a car battery? Let's look at this process in more detail.
The batteries are charged from a rectified current source. It is possible to use various rectifiers that allow voltage or charging current adjustment. Two methods of charging the battery are used: at a constant voltage or at a constant current value. Both methods have the same effect on battery life. When choosing a device for charging car batteries, you must be guided by the information below.
Batteries must be charged with a current that corresponds to 1/10 of the rated capacity. To maintain the current at the same level, you need to use a regulating device. This method has a drawback. Every 2 hours you need to adjust the current strength, and at the end of the charge there is abundant gas evolution. To reduce it, the current should be reduced stepwise as the charging voltage increases. Many drivers are interested in the charging time of a car battery. If the nominal capacity is 90 Ah, then charging will take about 10 hours.
If the voltage reaches 14.4 volts, then the charging current must be halved. If the battery has a capacity of 60 Ah, then the current will be 3 A. At this current, charging continues until gas evolution begins. If the batteries do not have holes through which you can add water, then you can further reduce the current by 2 times at a voltage of 15 volts. The battery is 100% charged if the voltage and current remain constant during charging for 1-2 hours.
How to charge a car battery this way? The battery voltage at the end of charging depends on the charging voltage. If the voltage is 16 volts, then the battery will be charged almost completely within a day. When the current turns on, its strength can be over 50 A. It all depends on what capacity the battery has. That is why the charger has circuit solutions that keep the current limit in the range of 20-25 A.
During the charging process, the voltage at the ends of the battery becomes the same as the voltage of the charger. The charging current of the car battery decreases and tends to zero. Thanks to this, the charging process takes place without human intervention. The criterion for completing the charging process is a voltage of 14.4 volts at the ends of the battery. A green signal also lights up, indicating the completion of the process.
Part of the car battery charging circuit is a compound transistor. It may belong to the KT827 series. The output voltage is determined by a variable resistor. The output current of such circuits is determined by the power and type of transformer. Their minimum power is 200 W. The transformer has 3 main terminals.
Some charger circuits are thyristor controlled. It occurs due to a phase shift. Such schemes are quite simple. The structure can be mounted in ordinary hardboard. Thyristors, as well as diodes, must be mounted on a heat sink. This is how you charge a car battery yourself.
The solar battery is installed on the dashboard of the car. It is connected to the cigarette lighter socket. Such a device is very useful when the vehicle is parked for a long time to charge the battery. This is especially true in winter. Thanks to the correctly selected module power, a charge controller is not needed. To solar charge a car battery, you will need a solar battery with a power of 6 watts; cable connecting to the on-board network of the machine; decoupling diode.
Such a module can charge a battery with a capacity of no more than 75 Ah. A charge controller is not required.
If you need to recharge the battery all day, then you need to use a different module. Its power does not exceed 60 watts. For such cases, you need to use a charge controller. It will protect the battery from overcharging. This way the car battery will be properly charged.
The winding itself (which in an uninterruptible power supply plays the role of the primary winding) here will be a step-down winding, that is, a secondary winding. The transformer is a conventional step-down network transformer; in this mode of operation, an alternating voltage with a nominal value of 24 Volts 8-15 Amps is generated at the terminals of the secondary winding, depending on the power of the transformer.
When using a battery in a car, it is charged at a constant voltage. Car manufacturers, in agreement with battery developers, set the charging voltage level to 14.1 ± 0.2 V, which is lower than the intense gas release voltage. As the temperature decreases, the charging efficiency at a constant voltage decreases due to an increase in the internal resistance of the battery.
Therefore, the car battery does not always restore its capacity completely after being discharged. Typically, the battery charge level in winter is 70-75% if the voltage at the battery terminals is 13.9-14.3 V with the engine running and the high beams on. Therefore, in severe winter conditions (at low temperatures, frequent and long starts of a cold engine and short runs), it is advisable to periodically (preferably at least once a month) charge the battery from a stationary charger and at a positive temperature.
For a fully charged battery, the density of the electrolyte is 1.28±0.01 g/cm3. It decreases linearly as the battery discharges; it is 1.20±0.01 g/cm3 for batteries whose state of charge has decreased to 50%. A completely discharged battery has an electrolyte density of 1.10±0.01 g/cm3.
If the density value in all batteries is the same (with a spread of ±0.01 g/cm3), this indicates the degree of charge of the battery and the absence of internal short circuits. If there is an internal short circuit, the density of the electrolyte in the defective battery bank will be significantly lower (by 0.10-0.15 g/cm3) than in other cells.
To measure the density of liquids, hydrometers with replaceable densitometers are used to measure the density of various liquids, for example, antifreeze with a density of 1.0 to 1.1 g/cm3 or electrolyte with a density of 1.1 to 1.3 g/cm3.
When measuring, the float should not touch the walls of the cylindrical part of the glass tube. At the same time, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the electrolyte. The density measurement results in +25°C. To do this, the correction specified in the specialized literature must be added or subtracted to the densitometer readings.
If the measurement turns out that the NRC is below 12.6 V and the electrolyte density is below 1.24 g/cm3, the battery must be recharged and the charging voltage at its terminals checked with the engine running.
Full and trouble-free operation of the battery equally depends on the presence of undesirable impurities in lead, the suitability of alloying elements used in the production of electrodes, the perfection of technology and equipment, and proper maintenance of the battery. The vast majority of acid-based car batteries used are classified as maintenance-free; therefore, the car enthusiast has little left to do - control the state of the electrolyte and choose the right voltage and current to charge the car battery.
In most cases, service centers and auto stores, offering car batteries from 55 to 100 Ah, strive to make the purchase of a new battery attractive to a potential client, so the product is offered filled with electrolyte and charged. Workers will check and install the selected battery model into the vehicle. Sometimes they try to confirm the battery charge level using the built-in color charge indicator - the “eye”.
Advice! Do not trust the readings of the “eye” when purchasing a battery; check using a load plug and a voltmeter.
Perhaps this is convenient. There is no need to fuss with electrolyte, a charger, or carry rather heavy devices. For example, a 55 Ah car battery weighs up to 15 kg, while 60 Ah, 70 Ah and 100 Ah batteries weigh 16 kg, 18 kg and 25 kg, respectively.
Website advertisements and numerous wishes from experts of all brands and stripes say that nothing else needs to be done, the battery will work properly throughout the entire period of use. Manufacturing plants do not charge ready-made batteries; the necessary properties of the battery electrodes are formed on special production lines and mounted in ready-made housings without electrolyte.
This is a so-called dry-charged car battery; to use it, you just need to fill in the electrolyte, and you get a fully charged battery - you don’t need to charge the battery with any current. This method is convenient for transportation and storage, delivery to automobile factories and dealerships.
In addition to the convenient form of purchase, it is important for us how long the new battery will live and work, especially since nothing is known about the fate of the purchased car battery. It is difficult to determine what current was used to charge your new 60 Ah car battery before the battery was sold. Almost all car batteries with filled electrolyte are stored in warehouses with a 20-30% charge deficit. There is only one reason - as a rule, one charger with minimal service and control functions is used for all car batteries. Most likely, car batteries of 55 Ah, 60 Ah, 70 Ah and 100 Ah will be charged with the same current and voltage. Some batteries will be overcharged, while others will remain incompletely charged. What current should be used to charge a 55 Ah and 100 Ah battery? The current parameters should differ in magnitude by almost half.
Advice! Do not use cheap Chinese chargers with a transformer and a pair of diodes. They are almost always the cause of failure of new batteries.
Charging parameters, with what current and voltage should the car battery be charged?
After purchasing a new car battery, do not rush to install it on the car. New products really do not like incomplete charge. Connect a charger with a voltmeter and an ammeter, and manually set the charging parameters. In the first hour of charging, the current should drop to a minimum level, and gas formation will increase slightly.
Attention! Use a universal rule - the charging current at the initial stage should be one tenth of the nominal battery capacity. At the end of charging, the current will decrease to 1-1.5A. The voltage should remain no higher than 14.6V.
For example, what current should be used to charge a 70Ah or 75Ah car battery.
For new batteries, the best value is 7 A, for batteries aged from 1 to 3 years, at least 7.5-8.0 A.
Modern chargers allow you to charge the battery by 90-97%. In complex charging schemes, it is possible to obtain even 105% of the capacity declared by the manufacturer, but such a result requires deep knowledge of the chemistry of a lead-acid battery and special equipment, which in most cases is not economically feasible.
Since the invention of the acid battery principle, constant voltage has been used. After the widespread use of maintenance-free batteries, a serious problem has arisen in ensuring their service life at the level declared by the manufacturer. The use of techniques developed for a classic serviceable car battery quickly rendered even new drives unusable. To solve problems over the past decade, charger manufacturers have proposed various modifications of the basic version:
Which of the following currents is best to charge a car battery? Any of the above methods is good in its own way in a certain situation.
A wide variety of battery cells have been tried for a long time to charge with asymmetric current; the method has proven to be effective as a way to combat sulfation, allowing one to restore the lost capacity of “older” drives. It doesn't have any special advantages for charging a new battery. Experts highly recommend using voltage asymmetry to prevent plate sulfation. It is optimal to alternate three or four charges using the usual method and one with current asymmetry.
Pulse current, as well as the method of stepwise voltage change, is most effective at the final stage of charging, when the battery has a capacity of 90-95% of the nominal capacity. This charging method is considered promising as part of a complex charging system proposed by German specialists from the VARTA corporation. The essence of the procedure is to constantly monitor the charging current and diagnose using sensors and a microprocessor built into the battery. The method involves interaction with the car’s computer, involves controlling the charging currents of the car’s generator, is designed to increase the battery life cycle by 20% and, possibly, reduce fuel consumption.
The accumulation of charge in a battery is not a linear and constant process. Maintenance free batteries are designed in such a way that optimal voltage 14.2 - 14.6 V, recommended by many practitioners, higher than the previously used 13.2-13.8 V on older drive designs.
With a stabilized voltage, the main controlled parameter remains the current strength. A few hours after the start of charging, the initial current will decrease stepwise to a certain critical value, approximately 30% of the primary one. Experts recommend stopping the charge at these moments for a short period of “battery rest” to equalize the concentration of ions in the electrolyte and the pores of the electrodes. If you have a “smart” charger, the electronics will try to compensate for the drop in current during charging, which will reduce the time, but can lead to boiling of the cans. At this moment, the recharge and heating of the element sharply increases. Continuation of the “boiling” process, especially within 5-6 hours, can permanently damage the battery.
For your information! The designs of generators of modern car models are designed for maintenance-free batteries and almost always withstand the design parameters of the charging current.
Definitely “killer” advice includes information widely distributed on the Internet and periodicals about the best options for charging batteries:
About, how to charge a car battery Every car owner should know. This is necessary not only to increase the battery life, but also to ensure the safety of the entire automotive electrical system. The answer to the question of how to properly charge a battery depends on several factors, including the type of battery, its capacity, the value of current and voltage for which the battery is designed, etc. You will learn about all this if you read this material to the end.
Before moving on to practical tips and recommendations, it is necessary to briefly dwell on theoretical issues. So, batteries are charged in one of two possible ways - using direct current and using constant voltage. Let's consider each of them separately.
As the name suggests, a variable charger sets the charging current to 10% of the battery capacity (for example, a traditional 60 Ah car battery is charged at a constant current of 6 Amps). In this case, the voltage value will change during charging.
One of the disadvantages of this method is that it is necessary to periodically (about once every one or two hours) adjust the current value, which can also change. As for old maintained batteries, gas will be released from their electrolyte, and the more charged the battery is, the more intense the gas release will be. By the way, intense release of gas from the electrolyte is one of the signs of a fully charged battery.
Initially, the voltage output from the charger will be relatively low and will increase as charging progresses. At the moment when the voltage reaches 14.4 Volts, it is necessary to reduce the current by half (if it was 6 Amperes, then it must be reduced to 3 Amperes). The charging process must be carried out before intense gas evolution from the electrolyte begins. When the voltage reaches 15 Volts, the current value must be reduced by another half (to 1.5 Amperes in the example given). This must be continued until the voltage reaches a constant value and stops increasing. The second signal that the battery is fully charged will be the fact that the voltage and current values do not change for one to two hours. How long to charge can be calculated using a special calculator:
Another charging method is to set a constant voltage on the charger. This value depends on the type of battery. When the battery is connected to the charger, the current value will be maximum (and it will be greater, the more discharged the battery is). As a rule, chargers have circuit solutions that forcefully limit the charging current to about 20...25 Amperes. This is done to preserve the functionality of both the charger and the battery. As charging proceeds, the voltage at the battery terminals approaches that supplied by the charger, and the current approaches zero. This happens according to the exponential law.
The choice of constant voltage value depends on the degree of discharge of the battery. For example, at a voltage of 14.4 Volts, the battery will be charged 75...85% in one day. At a voltage of 15 Volts - by 85...90%, and at 16 Volts - by 95...97%. To fully charge the battery in a day, you need a voltage of about 16.3...16.4 Volts. Please note that for many modern maintenance-free batteries there is an artificial voltage limit, for example, equal to 14.4 Volts. Under such conditions, it will take more than a day to fully charge the battery.
Regardless of the type of battery, to charge it, you must use a source of constant current (constant voltage) with the ability to adjust these values. It is best to use special chargers for this, sold in car stores or markets. It is important that a charger designed for charging a battery designed for 12 Volts DC makes it possible to increase the charge voltage to 16...16.5 Volts. This is necessary in light of the fact that otherwise it will be impossible to charge a modern maintenance-free battery to its maximum capacity (100% of its capacity).
Battery (car battery)
A car battery is a vehicle's energy source that is responsible for starting the engine. The main faults are sulfation, terminal oxidation, short circuit. It is checked with a multimeter and charged with constant current or voltage.
First, let's consider the simplest type of battery - “antimony” (antimony is added to the plate material) and “hybrid” (antimony, calcium, and sometimes silver are added to the plate material). Accordingly, a regular charger is suitable for charging them. The charging current must be selected depending on the battery capacity, it must be 10% of its value (for example, a battery with a capacity of 60 Ah must be charged with a constant current of 6 Amps). The constant voltage value should be in the range from 13.8 to 14.5 Volts. During charging, the current value will drop, and this will happen according to an exponential law. This fact is also the answer to the question - how long to charge the battery. Accordingly, the duration of the loading process depends on several factors:
The higher the charging current, the faster the battery will charge. However, in this case the probability of its discharge will also be higher. Therefore, many car enthusiasts set the current value to around 2 Amperes (approximately, depending on the capacity), and leave the battery with the charger overnight (about 6...10 hours). This approach will eliminate “overcharging,” which is very harmful to the battery, and will also provide better charging (in the future, the battery will retain its charge longer).
Please note that before the charging process, it is advisable to clean the battery terminals from plaque and rust (if any), even for preventive purposes. This will ensure better electrical contact. And after charging, it is advisable to treat the battery terminals for this.
The battery charge level must be monitored regularly and the corresponding value must be checked at least once a month. Moreover, this does not depend on the time of year or the ambient temperature, although it is in the cold that problems with the battery arise much more often.
Before the charging process, it is necessary to unscrew the plugs on each of the cans (for batteries being serviced), and also remove the plug in order to ensure the free release of electrolyte vapors and not to create excess pressure inside the battery. After removing the plugs, you need to check the electrolyte level in each jar. If its level is low, you need to add distilled water until it completely covers the battery plates.
It is not advisable to charge serviced batteries at home, since during the process of boiling the electrolyte, gas is released that is harmful to the human body (in high concentrations it is explosive). Accordingly, it is advisable to charge in a garage or in well-ventilated areas. As for maintenance-free batteries (the caps on the banks cannot be unscrewed), they can be charged in the apartment, since similar gas is not released under normal charging conditions.
Before charging the battery, you must ensure that it is truly discharged. There are several ways to do this:
In a discharged battery, sulfation of its lead plates occurs, which leads to a sharp decrease in its service life, that is, durability.
Many car enthusiasts, especially beginners, are interested in the question of whether it is possible to charge the battery without removing it from the car. It is important to separate concepts here. As for its physical removal (for example, moving it closer to the charger), charging can be carried out directly on its seat. However, if we are talking about disconnecting car terminals, then this must be done! You especially need to disconnect the negative terminal, although both are better. This is due to the fact that even in a situation where the engine is not started, the electric current from the battery still passes into the electrical system of the car, powering the corresponding elements.
Firstly, during charging, some of the electrical energy from the battery will go into the system. This will naturally increase charging time. Secondly, there is always a risk of a power surge or other similar troubles, which can negatively affect the condition of the elements of the car's electrical system. This is especially true for expensive cars (business and premium class), the design of which has a lot of built-in electronics. She will be at risk.
Calcium batteries (also designated Ca-Ca) are practically maintenance-free and are relatively new devices on the automotive market. They have many advantages (high starting currents, significant capacity, the electrolyte does not evaporate from them), but they also have disadvantages. One of them is that if they are charged incorrectly, then after 3…4 deep discharge cycles their capacity decreases significantly. Accordingly, the charging process is critically important for them.
Since calcium batteries are made using a special technology, their charging process is special. So, for this it is necessary to use chargers capable of delivering direct electric current with a voltage range of 16.1...16.5 Volts. Accordingly, if any power supply produces a maximum voltage value of 14.8 Volts, and then the electronics “cut it off”, then in this case the battery will be charged to 45...50% of its capacity. If the same value is 15.5 Volts, then charging will occur at 70...80% of the capacity. Accordingly, you will never reach a normal 100% charge (an excellent charger for charging calcium batteries is the Orion Vympel-55 with a programmable cycle).
It is interesting that the electric generators of modern passenger cars are not able to produce such a high voltage. Usually it does not exceed 15 Volts. Accordingly, a calcium battery cannot be charged when installed in a car. The generator simply does not allow it to discharge. However, given the harsh domestic winters, cold and harsh operating conditions can do their dirty work and discharge the calcium battery. Therefore, it needs to be recharged periodically (about once a month)! However, to do this you need to have a charger with programmable modes. You need to recharge according to the following algorithm:
Gel batteries are another type of modern battery that has advantages over traditional acid batteries (they are designated GEL). Basically, they are used as power supply for car multimedia systems and batteries for scooters, motorcycles, and ATVs. They can also be used in uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for computers, gas boilers and other household appliances. The advantages of gel batteries include:
As for the disadvantages, gel batteries have only two of them:
Many car enthusiasts who use such batteries are interested in the question of how to charge a gel battery? In fact, there are few differences from charging traditional batteries.
The reason that the battery is destroyed when the voltage increases is that under these conditions the gel, which acts as an electrolyte, begins to melt. And the higher the voltage, the stronger the melting. And the longer the time of excessive recharging, the worse it is for the electrolyte gel.
If the gel battery is serviceable, then it is necessary to unscrew the plugs from its cans (containers) so as not to create excess pressure inside it. The charger probes must be connected to the corresponding terminals on the battery (observing polarity). Next, you need to set the appropriate current and voltage values on the charger. As the battery charges, the voltage in it will increase. It must not be allowed to go beyond the limits of meaning cycle use. If this happens for a short time, then you need to reduce the current in order to reduce the voltage. Under such conditions, the battery can usually be fully charged in 10...12 hours.
Often the label indicates the value Standby Use, which indicates at what voltage the battery can be in standby mode. The manufacturer implies that the battery can be stored for a long time without recharging, but to maintain its performance without load, it must be periodically recharged with a low voltage. Typically this range is around 13.5...13.8 Volts. Failure to comply with this requirement will lead to irreversible consequences, in particular, rapid loss of battery capacity and rapid failure.
The optimal solution for charging a gel battery is to use special electronic chargers that will automatically control the value of the charging current and voltage, and, if necessary, limit them. In addition, such chargers select the charging mode based on the degree of discharge of the battery, as well as external factors such as ambient temperature. There are chargers on the market that are specifically designed to work with gel batteries. In particular, they have a temperature compensation function and a function for controlling the charging process in stages in automatic mode.
Please note that if a gel battery is installed on the machine, then it is necessary to periodically check the functionality of the generator. If it fails, the battery can fail literally in a matter of hours. You can buy terminals with a relay regulator as additional protection.
In hybrid batteries, one part of the plates is made using “antimony” technology, and the other is made using “calcium” technology (sometimes with the addition of silver). The battery is low maintenance, but it still has plugs. Accordingly, it is necessary to check the electrolyte level once every two to three months and, if necessary, add distilled water to it. Among the advantages, it is worth noting its resistance to deep discharge and the ability to produce high starting current. As for the price, it is acceptable, and approximately two times less than calcium.
As for the charging process, it is standard and not difficult. So, it is necessary to charge with a current whose value is 10...30% of the capacitance value. As mentioned above, for 60 Ah the current should be 6 Amperes (if you need to charge faster, you can increase it to 18 Amps). It would be optimal to set the current value to 2 Amperes. The voltage value will be in the range of 13.8...14.2 Volts. The charging end signal will be a voltage value of 14.2 Volts and a current value of 0.3...0.5 Amperes.
You cannot set high charging currents, otherwise the electrolyte will boil, which is extremely harmful for the battery plates; they heat up and the active mass may fall off from them.
A special feature of hybrid batteries is that in the summer they need to regularly check the electrolyte level. This is due to the fact that, unlike its old “brothers”, such a battery produces a higher operating voltage. And if in winter this only helps to start the engine without problems, then in summer it turns into free energy. This is fraught with the fact that the electrolyte may boil and begin to evaporate, and the acid concentration increases. Because of this, the plates heat up and become exposed, thereby becoming damaged. Therefore, in the summer, in addition to recharging, it is necessary to monitor the electrolyte level in the hybrid battery banks.
New batteries made using AGM technology are confused by many car enthusiasts with gel batteries (denoted as GEL). In fact, these are two different types of batteries. One of the advantages of such batteries is high starting currents (up to 500...900 Amperes), which allows you to start any engine in cold weather without any problems. Another advantage is faster charging (about three times). And it charges perfectly from a car generator. And its service life is 3...5 years longer than that of a conventional acid battery.
As for charging AGM batteries, there are three options. In particular:
A few words about chargers. As with gel batteries, current and voltage levels must be closely monitored. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase an electronic charging unit in advance, preferably with two modes. This will not only minimize the participation of the car owner in the charging process, but will also ensure safe and efficient charging. If you decide to buy a mechanical charger, you will need to manually carefully monitor and adjust the current and voltage values.
Many modern batteries are maintenance-free. This means that they cannot check the electrolyte level and the condition of the plates. In general, the process of charging maintenance-free batteries is not much different from a similar procedure with old batteries. Charging can be done with either constant current or constant voltage. The best option would be to use an electronic automatic charger for this, for example, with a charging indicator light (a green light indicating the end of charging). It will not only make the car owner’s work easier, but will also ensure the correct current and voltage values, as well as charging time.
However, if you use a mechanical charger, then calculating the charging time is important in this context. To do this, you need to calculate the degree of its discharge. A voltage value at the battery terminals of 12.7 Volts indicates a 100% battery charge. If the same value is equal to 11.7 Volts (it could be lower, but this will already be a deep discharge, which is harmful for many batteries), then it can be taken as 0%. Accordingly, for example, a voltage of 12.2 Volts will indicate a charge of 50% capacity.
The optimal charging current is 10% of the capacity. In the example repeatedly given above, this would be 6 Amps for a battery with a capacity of 60 Ah. For example, if the measured voltage at the terminals is 12.2 Volts, that is, the battery is 50% discharged, then this means that to fill its capacity we need to supply 30 Ah. Therefore, 30 Ah must be divided by the current value of 6 Amps, resulting in 5 hours. Theoretically, you can apply all 30 Amps to reduce the time to one hour. However, you cannot do this, as this will “kill” the battery.
It is important to understand that overcharging is harmful for any battery. That is, for example, what will happen if you wait not 5 hours, as in the previous example, but 7 or 10? In this case, the level of capacity and charging will not change, but the process of boiling of the electrolyte will begin with its evaporation. And if it can be topped up in a serviced battery, then this cannot be done in an unserviced one; accordingly, such a situation cannot be allowed either! The boiled electrolyte will evaporate through the safety release valve when critical pressure is reached inside the battery cans. However, its body will remain intact (it will not explode, as many car enthusiasts think). But a low electrolyte level will reduce the battery capacity and reduce its overall operating life. According to the instructions, recharging is allowed for a maximum of 15...30 minutes.
At first glance, it may seem that charging the battery is a simple procedure. It would seem that what’s wrong with this - you just need to connect the battery to the network and wait until it is charged 100%. However, there are some nuances in this matter that need to be taken into account. What current should be used to charge a car battery? Below you will learn about this.
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In order to function for a long time, it is necessary to use a good and necessary battery charging current. The current strength of a 60 Ah battery in a car should not exceed the norm, otherwise the car owner may encounter certain problems. It should be noted right away that charging a car battery is not so difficult, especially if you understand something in chemistry and physics. Before charging the battery, you must carefully study its operational features and properties.
You also need to study the characteristics of the charger itself, but the most important point is to know what current is best to charge a 60 Ah device or any other. First of all, remember that a car battery must be permanent in any case. If you do not know how to limit this impulse, you can use special rectifiers. These devices are necessary to regulate voltage and other indicators.
When buying or renting a charger, you need to carefully familiarize yourself with its characteristics and capabilities. For example, the charger required to work with 12-volt batteries allows you to increase the voltage level to 16.6 volts, if necessary. As a rule, this is required in order to charge any maintenance-free device.
So, if you decide to independently charge a car battery with a charge current of 60 Ah or more, it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with the methods of carrying out the procedure. In practice, two methods can be used for this purpose - either with a constant current or with a constant voltage. There are no fundamental differences in these methods - both methods are complete. Of course, with the right approach and compliance with all technologies.
First, let's look at a charging diagram for a car or truck battery while keeping this parameter constant. One of the distinctive characteristics of this method is that the car owner needs to monitor the parameter on the charger from time to time and adjust it if necessary. As a rule, the inspection and control procedure should occur every one or two hours, but not less often.
What current should I use to charge a car battery? The procedure for charging a car battery is carried out taking into account the constant value of the above indicator. This parameter is equal to 0.1% of the total battery capacity when it is discharged continuously for twenty hours. Accordingly, if the capacity is 60 Ah, then the current for charging the device should be 6 amperes. To maintain the constancy of this indicator throughout the entire process, it is necessary to use a regulator, which is equipped with many chargers.
To keep the vehicle battery charged at a higher level, experts advise using the function of stepwise reduction in impulse strength. Activating the step reduction function is relevant when the resistance indicator begins to increase.
Separately, recommendations regarding maintenance-free devices of the latest generation should be highlighted. In this case, you should increase the voltage parameter to 15 volts, while reducing the current parameter in the car battery by half. In other words, if the capacity of your device is 60 Ah, then the low current parameter should be set to 1.5 amperes.
After charging the battery with an asymmetric current, the device can be considered ready for operation when all parameters remain unchanged for one to two hours. In the event that the device is not serviceable, then the corresponding state will occur when the voltage level is 16.4 volts (author of the video - Learning to drive a car. All secrets for beginners).
What current should I choose in this case? This method completely depends on the value of the above parameter provided by the charging device.
If you recharge the battery throughout the day, the process will be carried out as follows:
To understand that the device is fully charged, the main indicator for this will be the voltage level at the device outputs. This value should be 14.4 volts. If the charger is equipped with a light indicator, it will inform the motorist that the procedure is complete with a green light. According to many experts, maintenance-free batteries should be recharged to approximately 95% - in this way they will be able to work out their entire service life, while the voltage value should be at least 14.4 volts.
Remember that when charging the device being serviced, it is advisable to unscrew all the plugs on it before starting the process. If the plugs are tightened tightly, this can cause excess pressure in the system, which in theory can lead to an explosion. It is not necessary to unscrew the plugs completely, just loosen them.
In winter, topics related to car batteries are especially relevant, because a cold start can quickly discharge it. Many people change old batteries (), buy new ones (the main thing) - but most try to recharge them and continue to use them. Fortunately, modern batteries last quite a long time (about 4 - 5 years), but this period can be much reduced! If you apply the current incorrectly and calculate the charging time incorrectly, the battery can quickly fail. Therefore, today we have detailed information about how long it takes to charge your battery...
I would like to immediately make a reservation - with a special charger, at an approximate temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, this is important, because if the temperature exceeds 35 degrees, then it is better not to start the process (here is the dependence of the temperature of the electrolyte and the surrounding air)! The thing is that the electrolyte has different densities at different temperatures (by the way, you can look at it -). However, I suggest remembering the principles of charge and discharge.
In order to charge it, you need to understand how it works - no, I won’t break it down into its various components now, everyone already knows that there are lead plates inside. We need to understand what, for example, 55 Ampere hour and 12 Volts are.
If the voltage is 12V, then we can state that the battery discharge is approximately 40 - 50%, but with such indicators you can drive. If your car is in good working order and the generator provides normal “charging”, then the voltage will quickly be restored. I would also like to note that the indicator of 11.5 - 11.6V indicates “”, this is very “unpleasant” for the battery. The process of “sulfation” of the lead plates inside begins, which simply reduces the capacity of the battery - maybe so much that the car simply won’t start.
That is, we understand that the normal readings are 12.7V (charged), it is with this voltage that 60 Amperes will be delivered for an hour, and then it will drop to 11.6V (discharged). Then charge and re-use.
This is also an important line, the whole point is that you need to charge each type differently, or rather prepare for the charging process. SO:
First type These are so-called maintenance-free batteries. They have an electrolyte inside and it is, as it were, “sealed” inside, that is, it cannot evaporate. If it turns into steam, it then condenses on the walls and re-precipitates into the main electrolyte. This is the most problem-free type. No need to worry about level replenishment, density, etc.
Second type – (which goes into the past) – served. It does not have a sealed housing, so the electrolyte (or rather the water from it) can evaporate, thereby lowering the level. This option is one of the most problematic; you need to know how to care for it and charge it! For example, if the level is low, charging should not occur! Proper preparation is needed.
Before you charge the battery, you need to properly prepare it, because if you remove it, you need to check everything at once. As I wrote above, we will talk specifically about the battery being serviced.
After the preparatory work, you can proceed to charging. However, it is worth noting that it comes in two options - using direct current and using constant voltage, the time can vary greatly from these parameters. Unless, of course, you have a universal charger, you have minimal settings there.
I think there is no need to explain that you connect the negative terminal of the battery to the negative terminal of the “charger” with the positive terminal in exactly the same way. Many people adhere to this option, because the “Amperage” that we supply to the battery is a very important parameter - it should never be exceeded, and if it is greatly underestimated, the battery will take a long time to charge.
I would also like to warn you that the voltage must be higher than the nominal voltage - that is, from the charger we get about 13.8 - 14V, about the same as a car generator gives. Only then will the charge begin; if the voltage is less than 12 (and even more so 11V), then nothing will happen, but will most likely worsen the discharge.
SO : The optimal voltage is considered to be 10% of the total battery capacity, that is, if you have 75 Ah, then you need to charge with a current of 7.5A.
Thus - if your battery is completely discharged (voltage less than 11.7V), then it should charge in 10 hours! However, the time may be reduced depending on the discharge level.
In the version with a serviceable battery, this is quite easy to determine - as soon as bubbles appear from the surface of the electrolyte in the banks, this means that the charge has been fully completed.
I would like to add on my own behalf - in ancient times (about 20 years ago), my father very often charged the battery at home, especially in winter. He set the 60Ah option to a current of 2A and left it overnight, so the battery took the required amount of energy from this small current. It should be noted that the discharge was not deep then. Therefore, if you just want to “feed” your battery, for example, the voltage at the contacts is exactly 12V, set it to a current of 1 - 2A overnight!
However, now there is another method that also requires a minimum of human intervention.
This option is gaining increasing popularity - it is this principle that is implemented on many Chinese devices, where there are practically no “VOLTAGE” and “AMPERAGE” indicators, but only glowing “dots” or a scale that indicates the charge. This device is designed specifically for maintenance-free batteries, because you will not be able to watch the boiling of the electrolyte and the release of gas from it, because everything is sealed. Therefore, the first option is not entirely good. Here the voltage and amperage are automatically adjusted.
SO : The voltage can float in the range from 13.8 to 14.5V, the higher the voltage, the faster the charge.
So in the first hour the battery can absorb from 50 to 60% of the nominal capacity. That is, if it is 60A, then 60X60% = 36A
In the second hour - the voltage drops and the charge occurs more slowly, about 15 - 20%
The third hour is even lower, about 7 – 8%
The fourth is almost full capacity at 90 - 96%.
The subsequent hours are not really needed, the current strength can “drop” to 0.2A, charging to 100% will take almost the same 10 hours.
