When used, sealed lead-acid batteries drain their charge over time and need to be periodically restored. Aspects of this process will be considered as part of the article.
What is called charging
This is the name of the process, which is reverse discharge. When charging lead-acid sealed batteries, they are stored in energy while being powered by an external current source. In the end result, the charge accumulates, which is equal to the capacity. What do the chargers for sealed lead acid batteries look like? They are an energy converter and two outputs, each of which is connected to the
anode and cathode. A sealed maintenance-free lead-acid battery, when connected to the network, will begin the process of restoring and converting electrical energy (supplied from the network) into chemical. So that in the future, as soon as the need arises, he can carry out the reverse process and provide power to various devices and devices.
Easy and safe to charge
To do this, use the current-voltage method. What does it consist of? The battery is initially charged with direct current. When the necessary indicators are achieved, constant voltage support begins to go. To find out the initial charging current, it is usually enough to carefully inspect the case - this parameter is indicated there. Usually this value is up to 0.3
battery capacity. To make it more clear, imagine that we have a device with a parameter of 100 A / hour. Then the charge current should not exceed 30A. But this is a safe maximum, many manufacturers use the ten percent rule in their chargers. This allows you to charge batteries without the least fear of doing something wrong and disable it. And how much do you need to charge? If the initial current is 20% of the capacity, then the battery reserve will be restored by 90% in about 5-6 hours. The remaining 10% will take about a day. These are the features of its functioning that the charger has for sealed lead-acid batteries. Is there any way to speed up this process? Yes, and we will now consider how.
Fast charge lead acid sealed batteries
The norm is considered to be direct current charging at a voltage of 13.8. This is no longer recommended due to possible negative consequences. But if they do not scare you, then you can increase the voltage to 14.5 V (this is for 12 V batteries). As a result, the battery at 20% charge in 6 hours. This method is used exclusively when working in cyclic mode.
Temperature effect
Everything that was written above applies only to the case when the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius. For other indicators, it is necessary to introduce compensation of the charging voltage. Lead-acid batteries can be charged in the range of -15 to 40 degrees. The higher the temperature, the lower the voltage should be to avoid overcharging. In the opposite case, this indicator, on the contrary, should be increased to avoid undercharging. A sealed maintenance-free lead-acid battery because of this, it is desirable to charge it in conditions of 20 degrees Celsius plus or minus a few. Of course, you can calculate every time, but it is not always convenient. According to the temperature parameter, they often choose their homes as an ideal place, but then it is necessary to take care of the high-quality ventilation of the charging place both during this process and a few hours after its completion.
Consequences for non-compliance with safety instructions
The methods described above are aimed at fast and safe charging. At the same time, the task is to maximize the conservation of the lead-acid battery by minimizing its aging factors. Now let's look at the deviations. What happens if you use a current greater than the maximum allowable? Initially, it should be noted that sealed lead-acid batteries will not be able to fully charge. Also, due to a decrease in the efficiency of the gas recombination mechanism, the electrolyte will lose water. Therefore, even a single charge is enough to reduce the resource of work.
And what happens if you reduce the current to 0.5 percent of capacity? Sealed lead-acid batteries will charge in this case, but this process will continue for several weeks. In addition, the device will be in a state that is equivalent to a discharged one. And this leads to sulfation and accelerated aging. Of course, a single charge with a small current is not enough for serious damage, but it is better not to use them. It is also necessary to monitor the final voltage so that the device does not undercharge and reduce its resource.
And why do lead-acid batteries have such a temperature range for charging? The fact is that when they exit them, the gas recombination mechanism stops functioning, and the electrolyte loses its water.
Was everything well done
To get a good result, it is necessary to observe the required parameters in the necessary framework. The main place in this matter should be occupied by current and voltage (consider temperature). Then, sealed lead-acid batteries will charge successfully and will last a long time. If there is electrolyte, white plaque or bubbles around the safety valves , then the restoration of the device's characteristics was incorrect. You can use the tester to determine the status. The restoration of sealed lead-acid batteries is carried out using special chargers (which may take several days) or additional mechanical actions (somehow add electrolyte).
Conclusion
As you can see, the process of charging lead-acid batteries cannot be called complicated. With safety precautions, it will not be easy to get something wrong. But in the end, I would like to recommend charging them in separate rooms, and if the devices are restored in a residential building, you need to take care of high-quality ventilation during the process, as well as several hours after it. These safety measures are necessary because, albeit at microscopic doses, but lead can enter the air, and through it into the body, from where it is very slowly eliminated and constantly has a toxic effect.