Features of charging a car battery. Recommendations for use

04.09.2021

A maintenance-free battery is really different from its serviced counterpart, the point here is in its special structure. You will almost never know what it means to add an electrolyte to it or measure its density. Hence the name maintenance-free, that is, it does not require any maintenance, it is completely autonomous. However, many of my readers are interested in how to charge it and is it possible to do this? After all, now there are a lot of different manufacturers of such batteries, and they are installed on new cars in 90% of cases...

Let me start with the fact that the battery can be recharged “any way”; I would even say that it is designed for this. Let's remember the structure of the car's on-board network. The battery (at start-up) transfers energy to the ignition system and the starter, which spins the engine (it starts). Then, after starting, the generator begins to generate electricity, which recharges our battery.

Maintained or unmaintained, this is the second question, the main thing is recharging, which replenishes the lost energy during startup. I will even say more - if you discharge the private maintenance free battery“to zero” (), then it will simply kill it, after several such cycles. Therefore, the charge must always be present and in the normal phase, .

Then what is the problem?

Many people are not afraid car charger, and the so-called homemade one. That is, with ordinary stationary chargers. What problems arise at this stage:

It is impossible to track the boiling of the electrolyte . YES, this is really a problem, because when it boils, we understand that charging is over. You just have to look into the jar, but you can’t look into the unattended one, because it’s simply closed (sealed). We don't see what's happening inside.

Can't track density . Again, for the reason that if in a serviced one you simply unscrew the plugs and measure the density with a hydrometer, then this will not work here.
Battery tightness . Also scary! What happens if the electrolyte boils, where will the vapors go? What if the hull ruptures?

These points are justified, which is why it is important to know how to charge such batteries.

How to charge a maintenance-free battery

Here the old antiquated methods (with bubbles in the electrolyte) will not work. It is important for you to know and understand how to charge car battery, that is, the principles of charge ().

But for understanding, I’ll remind you a little - there are only two charging methods. This constant voltage and direct current.

Constant tension. This is when you set a constant voltage, say 14.4 Volts, and the current is automatically adjusted. That is, at the beginning it can be 10 Amperes, and at the end of the charge 0.2A.
Direct current. Here, on the contrary, the tension can jump. We set, say, 2 Amperes, the current at the beginning of the charge will be 15 Volts, and by the end it may drop to 14.4 Volts.

Now all chargers are mostly automatic; they work according to the first point, that is, constant voltage, but the current varies.

By the way, regular serviced batteries are charged in the same way, but how long does it take to charge a maintenance-free one?

How to calculate charging time?

This is a more interesting question; the real inconvenience is that you need to clearly understand how discharged your maintenance-free battery is. That is, we calculate its capacity. But how to do that?

Again, it’s simple - you and I know that a 100% charge is a voltage of 12.7 Volts. But a completely discharged battery is 11.7 Volts. Of course, you can discharge even more, but this is not recommended; in general, 10 Volts is already a serious discharge.

Accordingly, 0.1 X 5 = 0.5. Now add 11.7 + 0.5 = 12.2V. This is a kind of discharge up to 50%.

Now a little about capacity, for batteries it is 55 – 60 – 75, etc. ampere*hour. That is, he can deliver this amount of current in one hour. If we have a 50% discharge, it means that we have used about half the capacity - for example, from 60 Amps it took 30, etc.

That is, to replenish 50% of the capacity, we need to supply a certain current and “fill” the battery. You can supply 30A in one hour (in our example), but this will kill the battery. The recommended charge is 10% of capacity. In our case, this is 6A. And since we need to replenish 30A, then 30/6 = 5 hours. That is, at this current we need to charge it for five hours.

I probably confused you, but the main thing is to learn how to determine the degree of battery discharge. Remember the lower limit is 11.7V, the upper limit is 12.7V.

Automatic charging stations

Of course, the automatic machines will do everything for you; there is no need to worry about what current to supply and adjust the voltage. He will do everything automatically. And to be honest, there has been no VOLTMETER or AMMETER there for a long time; they were removed as unnecessary.

Such a charger will supply the maximum current in the first hour, in the second hour the current is two to three times less, but in the sixth or seventh hour, the current can generally drop to a minimum, about 0.05A. Therefore, even if your maintenance-free battery is on such a charge, it will never boil, because the currents when “filling” are minimal, and I read somewhere that they may be completely absent, that is, they turn off.

What happens if you recharge?

Okay, we've sorted out the automatic chargers. But what will happen if you constantly recharge with an old “charger”, where you strictly set the current and voltage? That is, at 6 Amps you need to recharge, say, 6 hours, but you “crap”, 8 or even 10!

Of course, the electrolyte inside will boil, this is a purely physical principle. However, the battery will not burst (like a balloon), as many people think! It has a special valve inside, which in case of emergency designed to throw off - too much high pressure. It opens exactly when you have a long and very powerful recharge, which, by the way, can also kill the battery - the case will survive, but some of the electrolyte will evaporate, you need to understand this!

I’m a teapot, I don’t want to calculate all sorts of amperes, what should I do?

I can understand, it’s not always easy to charge a maintenance-free battery - all you need is calculations of time and current. But even here the manufacturers took care of you, they made batteries with green windows (or many call them lamps) just for people like you. The principle is simple: when it is normally charged, the green indicator is on, when it is discharged, it is black, and if there is not enough electrolyte, it is white. , it's very detailed.

Can I charge at home?

Well, the last question - is it possible to charge at home? After all, let's say the serviced brother - to put it mildly, because when boiling, harmful and even explosive gas is released.

Despite its fairly simple device, a car battery still remains one of the most complex and incomprehensible parts of a car. Motorists have a lot of traditional questions related to its proper operation, and one of them is the question of whether it needs to be charged, how often to do it, and whether it is always necessary to remove it for this. Any battery needs periodic charging and, basically, this requires removing it - for example, when carrying out mandatory Maintenance.

It will also require charging if it just sits down and is unable to provide adequate starting current. This often happens when some electrical device is running in the car all night - radio, headlights or dimensions, interior lighting. In other cases, the battery does not need to be charged. Subject to regular monitoring of battery voltage, which It is recommended to carry out 4-5 times a year. To do this, it is enough to use an ordinary ammeter. In cold weather, the frequency of monitoring can be increased.

Charging the battery - remove it from the car or not

In general, it is much more convenient to charge a battery that has been removed from the car. This way you can carefully inspect it for damage to the case, clean it, check the electrolyte level and its density - and all in comfortable conditions. But owners of cars with a huge amount of complex electronics try not to do this, citing possible problems with electronics arising after the charged battery is returned to its place. To be fair, it should be noted that such fears are well founded.

The fact is that most complex on-board electronics are extremely sensitive to power outages. There are many cases where a newly supplied battery damaged sensors, controllers or on-board computer. Owners of such cars try by hook or by crook to charge the battery without removing it from the car. Or they go to the other extreme - they don’t charge the installed battery at all, hoping that the on-board charging system will do it.

This is far from true. The fact is that while the engine is running, the battery is recharged by the generator. But at the same time it is necessary to ensure maximum safety of the process. In order for the gas emission process to remain under control and not exceed normal values, a special regulator is located near the generator, which is responsible for ensuring that the charging current does not exceed 14 V, while for fully charged batteries need 14.5 V. Thus The car battery is never 100% charged

Correctly charging the battery without removing it

So, the answer to the question is it possible to charge a battery without removing the terminals - yes. Therefore, you need to understand how to do it correctly, quickly and safely. To begin with, it is worth keeping in mind the fact that even the ignition key removed from the lock does not block the supply of energy to some devices. Fine, The supply voltage for all auto electronics does not exceed 12 V, while the charging current for the battery is 1.5-16 V. Therefore, if you are not sure that all electronics are de-energized, it makes sense to remove the negative terminal from the battery - this will save the devices.

When charging the battery without removing it from the car, you must proceed as follows:

remove the battery from the protective cover, remove the metal bolts, clean the top surface, including the terminals;
check the electrolyte level; if there is a shortage, be sure to replenish the deficiency with distilled water - otherwise there will not be a 100% charge;
prepare the charger - it must be disconnected from the network; when connecting, strictly ensure that the polarity is observed;
plug in the charger.

Attention! With this method of charging the battery, it is unacceptable to use homemade or outdated models of chargers, since it is extremely important to ensure “high-quality” current and accurate maintenance required voltage. This is the only way to charge the battery without removing it from the car.

How long does it take to charge properly?

If you can definitely charge the battery without removing the terminals, then with the time it takes to fully charge, everything is not so clear. The time it takes to charge each battery varies. Thus, particularly powerful batteries take much longer to charge than low-capacity batteries. The time it takes to fully charge is also influenced by the degree of its discharge - if there is a complete absence of energy in the battery, it will take quite a lot of time to charge it. Of course, strength also matters. charging current, and temperature environment, and the charger itself. You can watch the practical charging process and its time in the video:

The purpose of the charge also matters. For example, if you urgently need to charge the battery without removing it from the car, then in order to start the engine, you can do the following:

disconnect the wires from it;
connect the charger, then turn it on;
set the current value to the limit;
wait 15 minutes;
disconnect the “charger”, connect the wires and start the car.

This measure is forced, and you should not resort to it too often. For better quality and full charge It's better to remove the battery. After completing all the necessary preliminary steps (cleaning, checking and adjusting the electrolyte), leave it connected to the charger for the whole night. Just don’t forget to leave the plugs unscrewed. The end of the charging cycle is best judged not by time, but by the charger.

Important! The arrow of its indicator should be located on the left side either at 0 or below.

New battery - should it be charged?

A newly purchased battery can also be charged without removing the terminals, but many car enthusiasts are concerned about the question of whether this is necessary. It’s worth starting with the fact that it will be new only for the buyer. Before the moment of purchase, it could “gather dust” in the store for many months, and if after purchase it is immediately installed in the car, its power very soon may not be enough to start the engine, especially in winter time. That's why It would be more correct to charge it first, and only after that start using it.

Regardless of which battery is charged and how - by removing it from the car or not, all precautions must be taken, since improper charging can end very badly. The first thing it is important to pay close attention to is good ventilation. During the “recharging” process, the battery releases into the surrounding air a huge amount of chemical compounds that are extremely aggressive to humans. These include sulfur dioxide, arsenic hydrogen and many others, and in addition, a huge amount of hydrogen, which, when combined with oxygen, forms an explosive mixture.

In addition, it is necessary to work with the battery only with gloves, since sulfuric acid can cause deep chemical burns to the skin. Naturally, if you start the charging process with the lids of the cans closed, the battery is very likely to explode. In the event that the charge is carried out homemade devices, you must also remember the approximate time for the end of the charge, since overcharging is just as harmful to the battery as a complete discharge.

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Every driver has had a situation in his life when the engine does not start due to a discharged battery. This happens more often in the cold season. If it is not possible to charge the car battery from a charger, they use “lighting” from the battery of another car.

When you have a long way to go, this helps.

When traveling short distances, such recharging of the car battery is ineffective, since the discharged battery does not have time to charge in such a time.

For car batteries today there are a lot of devices that help charge the car battery. charger- from inexpensive models produced in China to branded automatic ones.

How to choose the optimal charger from the available variety? It’s a good idea to get advice from a specialist, but you also need to navigate the main selection criteria yourself, allowing you to properly charge your car battery with a charger.

What to look for when buying a charger

First, you need to decide on the charging scheme, because some devices can charge car batteries with a constant current, others with a constant voltage. The first chargers fully charge the capacity, but are dangerous due to overheating of the electrolyte, which negatively affects the duration of operation.

There is no risk of overheating if chargers with constant voltage are used. However, this option does not allow for full charging due to a drop in current at the end of the charging cycle.

But there is no time to despair, since combined “charges” are being carried out. At DC they charge the battery by stabilizing the voltage and reducing the current. It is clear that the price for such chargers is the highest.

When choosing the power of the charger, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the maximum value of the charging current is 10% of the battery capacity, i.e. it corresponds to 6.5 A for a 65 Ah capacity.

The next question is which charger to give preference to – pulse or transformer.

The second is reliable, but has large dimensions and weight. The first one is much lighter and much more compact - pulsed, but its reliability depends to a large extent on the manufacturer.

Finally, food. There are two options - classic, powered by mains and current transmitted through “crocodiles”, and exotic (less commonly used), with charging from the cigarette lighter. To charge the battery from it, the cigarette lighter is powered not through the generator, but from the battery.

How to charge the battery?

The process of using a device to help charge a car battery at home is extremely simple. If there is an outlet within the length of the charger wires, the battery does not even have to be removed to charge the car battery at home.

Simply connect its negative wire to the terminal of the same name, and the positive wire to positive terminal. Even if the battery needs to be removed, this does not cause problems. You just need to protect it from impacts, and your clothes from contact with the battery, or more precisely, with the electrolyte, which will instantly burn holes.

A mistake made by motorists when trying to install and remove the battery while the engine is running. The resulting voltage drops in the on-board network lead to the failure of all electrical equipment. Also don't reheat cold battery, lowering it into hot water. Due to temperature changes, the active mass falls off the plates.

Important: to extend its service life, the battery must be wiped with a soft cloth, trying to prevent dirt from getting into the electrolyte.

Charger

After dismantling the battery, remove the top cover, having previously unscrewed the protective plugs. Then the battery, while charging, will not “boil” and explode. It is recommended to check the electrolyte level before the procedure using the min – max marks located on the body. This is necessary so that the plates do not burn out and lead to the loss of a significant part or the entire container forever.

After adding water (if necessary), attach the “crocodiles” to the terminals, after making sure that the charger is disconnected from the mains. Disconnection occurs in the reverse order: disconnect the charger from the network, remove the “crocodiles”, and assemble the battery.

There is no need to be alarmed if you hear sounds similar to boiling while charging the liquid in the battery. If you notice that the battery is getting very hot, you need to disconnect the charger and let it cool. Later, the cycle can be continued.

What is important to know in order to properly charge a maintenance-free car battery

Maintenance-free batteries, i.e. eliminating the need to add water, they charge the charger, which has the ability to automatically maintain charging voltage(required) and limiting the charge current (desirable).

As in any case, it is imperative to observe the polarity when connecting the device for charging, clean the battery from contamination and warm up the electrolyte, i.e. A battery brought in from the cold must be “warmed up”.

Another nuance is charging a maintenance-free, deeply discharged battery. You cannot immediately charge it with the rated current, since the acid has gone into the plates, water remains between them, and simple electrolysis will take place. In this case, the charge will “stick” to the surface of the plates and will not allow it to penetrate into their thickness. When a small current is turned on, the charge will be restored throughout their entire thickness.

Charging is very important even for a newly purchased battery. After all, no one knows how long it lay in the warehouse. It is enough to hold it at low current for a couple of hours.

Video: Correct charging car battery

As a rule, they don’t think about where to charge the container. And you should do this in a ventilated area. An apartment is least suitable for charging. After all, when charging, the battery releases stibine and arsine (antimonous, arsenic hydrogen).

In addition, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide and other toxic substances are released. Their high concentration is dangerous to health. In addition, having accumulated on clothes, carpets, furniture, they have a negative effect for a long time.

Therefore, garages, the street and a ventilated room (preferably with a draft) are most suitable for charging.

Pro tip: the best charger is the one that has an ammeter and a voltmeter. To avoid overcharging the battery, do not use voltage above 14.4 Volts. Approximately the charging time for a battery - 65 A/h can be calculated as follows: the current is 10%, which means it is equal to 6.5A. And the time is 10 hours (65: 6.5). But this is conditional, so the level and heating of the electrolyte must be monitored.

How to determine which charger circuit is suitable for a car battery

There are many schemes that allow you to charge a battery, but you can charge a car battery without a charger using available means - a powerful lamp and a network. It takes a long time, but it helps in a critical situation.

If a gel battery is used, it can be charged from a charger with a circuit that is a classic voltage stabilizer, at the output of which there is a programmable current limiter, current separating resistances R2-R6, an L200C microcircuit, a resistor (from 14 to 15) that adjusts the output voltage.

The transformer is selected so that a voltage of 15 volts is obtained at the output of the secondary winding. When using diodes placed in a metal case, they can be installed not only on the radiator.

The charger circuit for a car battery consists of several separate circuits and is not complicated, so it is not difficult to assemble it yourself.

This circuit has a function that makes it possible to automatically turn off after reaching full charge.

Lead-acid batteries are critical to operating conditions. This condition is considered to be charge-discharge. When recharging, their electrolyte boils away, which threatens to destroy the positive plates.

When you need charging away from the garage, but there is no device, you can “make it” using improvised means. For this you will need: powerful diode 10A, installed on the radiator, and an incandescent lamp rated for 220V.

If the load power needs to be increased, the lamp is replaced with an electric heater

The next scheme is somewhat more complicated. It uses a boiler or an electric stove as a load.

Suitable for her diode bridge from the power supply of an old computer. On the contrary, it is better not to use Schottky diodes due to the high reverse voltage - 50-60 V, which is why they burn out instantly.

In the automation circuit, the charger is used for power supply operational amplifier 9 V microcircuit type 142EN8G (DA 1). For every 10 degrees change in the temperature of its body, the output voltage responds by increasing by hundredths of a volt.

For an automatic shutdown system, it is enough to assemble the circuit on half of the microcircuit with a voltage reading of 15.6V. The terminals of the fourth microcircuit are connected to two voltage dividers - R7, R8 (4.5 V comes from it) and R4-R6. R5 - a trimming resistor is needed to determine the automatic response threshold of 12.54 V. The required hysteresis between the voltage that turns on battery charging and its completion is provided by R9 and VD7

Operating principle of the circuit

Until the voltage at the terminals of the battery being charged reaches 16.5, at pin 2 of A1 it is enough to open transistor VT1, which is responsible for triggering relay P1, which turns on contacts K1.1, which connect the primary winding of the transformer through a capacitor block. From this moment charging begins.

As soon as the value becomes 16.5 V, the voltage at output A1.1 decreases and does not allow keeping VT1 open. Because of this, the relay will turn off, and contacts K1.1 through capacitor C4 (charge current 0.5A) connect a transformer. The charger circuit is in this state until the battery voltage drops to 12.54V. Then the relay will turn on again and charging will begin. Thanks to switch S2, it is possible to disable auto-regulation (if necessary). This will eliminate the possibility of overcharging the battery, even if it remains connected to the charger for a long time. This mode is very relevant for those who drive a car exclusively in warm weather. At the end of the season, the battery is charged and turned off with the onset of spring. Even if the voltage disappears, after it appears, charging will continue.

When there is no load, the voltage increases, but the principle of automatic shutdown of the A1.2 circuit assembled on the other half of the operational amplifier does not change. Only the shutdown threshold value of 19V changes.

At lower voltage, i.e. If this value has not been reached, the voltage at output 8 A1.2 is sufficient for transistor VT2 to be open, and it is supplied to the relay.

If it is more than 19V, the transistor closes, the relay opens contacts K2.1, stopping the supply of voltage to the charger. When a battery is connected to power the circuit, the charger returns to working condition.

Battery charging time

Car owners filming old battery, and those buying a new one are faced with the question; “How long does it take to charge a car battery?” No one will give a definite answer to this, because it depends on the degree of discharge. To determine this parameter, the battery is equipped with an indicator.

Video: How long does it take to charge a car battery?

To use it, it is simple: the battery is charged – it lights up green, when it’s discharged – it lights up red. You can navigate by the ammeter of the charger - the most reliable and visual indicator. The deeper the discharge, the higher the current. The fact that it is fully charged is indicated by the arrow dropping almost to the zero mark (does not apply to a charger with direct current).

New battery for a car, like a used one, you need to charge it after preparatory work. To do this, electrolyte of the required density is poured into them to the specified level.

To do this, clean the terminal contacts of the battery being serviced from contamination using a soft rag moistened with ammonia or soda ash solution, wipe the battery itself, clean the top cover and unscrewed plugs (for a battery that has them for filling electrolyte), so that during charging, dirt does not get in, which will damage the device.

Unscrew the plugs only after completing this procedure. Afterwards, check the electrolyte level and density, adjust if necessary to the required value, i.e. add distilled water or electrolyte of the required density so that in the jars it is of the required size. The plugs don't close.

DC charging

The maximum temperature of the electrolyte of the battery being charged should not exceed 35 degrees. For used battery with deep discharge, as for the new one, the charging current is 10% of the capacity value (6A for 60 Ah). It is set for chargers that do not maintain the current value manually using a rheostat or switch.

Charging continues until gas evolution appears in the banks, which indicates that 14.4V has been reached at the battery terminals (or 2.4V in each section). Then, the current is reduced by half for a new battery and by 2-3 for a used one.

Thus, charging continues at a reduced current until an abundant release of gas appears in each of the cans. The two-stage method reduces charging time, reduces plate damage and gas formation.

It is important to understand that the lower the charging current, the longer it takes. Approximately, you can be guided by the fact that for a capacity of 55 Ah, charged with a current of 5.5 A, charging will last 10 hours.

For recharging, i.e. short-term transfer of charge from the “donor” to a discharged battery (at medium speeds) and a charging current of 30 amperes, the charged battery per minute will receive 0.5 amperes (1/60 * 30), assuming that the efficiency is 100%. They are enough for the starter for 9 seconds. That is, a fifteen-minute recharge does not help in any way (contrary to the assurances of specialists “with wires”) that the battery is charged.

For batteries with shallow discharge, a single-stage mode is suitable, i.e. a current equal to 10% of the capacitance is used throughout the entire cycle. As with the two-stage method, abundant gas release serves as a sign of completion of the process.

There are other signs that are determined by instruments:

the electrolyte density remains unchanged for three hours;
at the battery contacts the voltage reached 15–16.2 V (2.5–2.7 V for sections) and did not increase for three hours.

To prevent overcharging, the density is checked every 2–3 hours, as well as the electrolyte temperature, which should not be higher than 45°C.

If this value is exceeded, the current is reduced by 2 times or the process is stopped for a while (until the temperature drops to 30–35 oC).

Another parameter that requires monitoring is the electrolyte level. From practice, the duration of the first charge new battery(depending on condition) is 25-50 hours. For used, the process lasts from 14 hours to 16 or more. For maintenance-free, charging is indicated by a current that has dropped to 0.2 A.

Video: How to properly charge a car battery

Without a storage device and an additional source of energy, none of the modern mechanisms, gadgets, or radiotelephones will work. In all types of vehicles - cars, diesel locomotives, airplanes - they serve to start engines and support the functions of electrical appliances. Reindeer, of course, are better, but you can’t travel further than the tundra with them...

Battery structure and operating principle

Is it possible to charge a car battery? Traditional energy storage devices consist of several compartments (cans) united by one strong plastic casing. Each jar filled with diluted sulfuric acid (electrolyte) contains lead plates. All departments are sequentially connected to each other in unified system. As a result of the interaction of metal and electrolyte, electricity is released. Then everything is simple:

current flows through the wires to the starter;
then to the spark plugs;
gasoline vapors ignite in the cylinders;
the engine starts;
the generator begins to generate electricity, which accumulates in the electrolyte.

Ideally, this is how everything should happen, but in some cases it is impossible to start the car - the battery is dead.

How to fix the situation

The cause of battery discharge may be a change in the density of the electrolyte or a general drop in capacity. Sometimes, especially after a long period of inactivity, the lead plates inside the cans crumble. Can a charged battery be charged? If you want to reduce the service life of the device, you can do this constantly. If you approach the process responsibly, it is better to avoid such situations, since when the components overheat, a strong release of gas occurs. The amount of liquid decreases, the proportions are disrupted, the reaction occurs incorrectly, and battery performance decreases.

If you keep the level and density of the electrolyte under control, and observe the operation modes of the mechanism during its inactivity, you will not need to answer the question “is it possible.” The battery is only acceptable for a phone or laptop. And even then within an hour and a half after the fullness readings on the indicator.

Is it possible to charge and how to do it correctly?

For efficient work Mobile electronic devices now require powerful autonomous power supplies. Careful use and correct recharging will extend the life of lithium-ion drives. The rules are:

you cannot allow the “empty battery” moment;
once every 3-4 months it is necessary to do a preventative complete zeroing;
store an unused source with a value of 35-50% of power;
use special devices for recharging;
do not keep in the sun;
alternate cycles of full and partial filling of the battery.

The listed measures will extend the service life of lithium-ion energy storage devices.

On diesel locomotives and motor ships

In industry, on railway transport and in shipping one cannot do without larger and more powerful electrical systems. Alkaline and work on the same principle, but differ in size. Is it possible to charge a charged battery of such modifications? The basic recommendations apply to all types of batteries. Regardless appearance, the materials of the case and the composition of the electrolytic filler, the schemes of the occurring chemical reactions are identical.

The main advantages include the ability to work and be stored at very sub-zero temperatures, fast speed power set.

Of course, the answer is yes. It is important to follow the regime and avoid overheating, which increases internal pressure, releases gaseous oxygen and decreases the current coefficient.

Existing methods of reviving the “heart” of the mechanism

Is it possible to charge gel battery under slow tension? Let's name the types and methods used:

“Slow” - the safest, but the longest is considered to be exposure to a discharge current of 0.1-0.2 C. This takes from 8 to 15 hours.
“Fast” - stronger current (1/3 C), 3-5 hours.
“Delta V” or “Accelerated” - in which the initial voltage supply is equal to the value of the storage capacity. In an hour and a half, the battery is fully charged. A rather risky method that can lead to overheating or destruction of the battery.
“Reversible” - most effective for alkaline devices with a “memory effect”. The process occurs with alternating short periods of discharge and long periods of charging.

In fact, for each type of battery there is a special device that supplies currents of the required strength and provides a suitable impulse and voltage. Digital technology has built-in indicators that automatically turn off the flow of electricity when the device reaches its nominal capacity. For energy sources used in cars, locomotives, airplanes and other vehicles, there are special devices to restore their functionality.

The importance of electrolyte quantity and quality

A common problem for motorists is battery failure due to a violation chemical reaction in banks. Why is this happening? There are only two reasons, and they are associated with a violation of the composition or quantity of the electrolyte:

change in density due to water boiling away due to frequent overheating;
leakage of liquid if the housing is damaged or if it is strongly tilted vehicle.

In improperly operated devices, the plates themselves may crumble, contact connections between banks may be destroyed, or a short circuit may occur.

The density of the electrolyte is adjusted by adding distilled water to each compartment. By adding catholytic fluid of the required composition, the functionality of the battery is restored with the entire case intact.

Features of the latest batteries

The system of lead-calcium energy sources is designed in such a way that during operation in them the process of gas release and, accordingly, water loss is reduced to a minimum. This allows you to extend the shelf life of the electrolyte to 15-25 months. One of the important operating conditions is to adjust the generator output voltage to a reading of 14.4 V.

Is it possible to charge a maintenance-free battery? The shell of the device does not have lids or holes for filling liquids; it is hermetically sealed. The voltage level is shown by an indicator located inside above one of the cans. The condition of the battery is determined by changes in its color:

the peephole glows green - it means everything is in perfect order;
the color darkens or turns black - it’s time to increase the current level;
the indicator has turned yellow or colorless - the device has become completely unusable, all that remains is to throw it away.

It becomes clear that any device requires careful and careful handling. And to the question “is it possible to charge a maintenance-free battery” the answer will be “necessary”, and on time. Otherwise, you will have to spend money on buying a new device.

Differences between gel batteries and liquid batteries

The main advantage of a modified acid device is the thick electrolyte that envelops the plates inside the cans. Whenever the vehicle tilts (except for upside-down turns), such a battery continues to work. The case is damaged, a crack has appeared from an impact - no problem, you can simply seal the hole. This does not affect the condition and quantity of such catholyte, since the thick substance does not flow out. This feature is a big advantage when using batteries in extreme conditions. Gel batteries are used in military aircraft, scooters, and modern cars.

Despite the slow current delivery, the battery requires recharging from time to time through special device. Can a gel battery be charged? The incoming voltage must be permissible value. Exceeding the threshold readings is fraught with peeling of the electrolyte substance from the lead plates and failure of the device. At correct operation and the recharging conditions are met, the battery can withstand up to 1000 cycles, lasting up to 10 years.

How not to act

Connect the charger contacts to opposite values
First plug the charger into the network, and only then connect it to the battery.
Upon completion of the process, first disconnect the positive contact.
Ignore the readings of instruments and indicators.

Can a charged battery be charged? It seems that after reading all the recommendations, this question will become unnecessary, since the answer suggests itself.

If you ask a similar question to anyone who has at least some idea about the car and the battery, you can get the most detailed advice. For some reason, many people think that this issue is so trivial that it’s even a shame not to know it. However, statistics show that more than half of the batteries do not withstand the service life declared by the Manufacturer and have to be replaced prematurely with new ones.

And the main reason is improper charging during the operating period. Let's figure out how to charge the battery, and do it CORRECTLY.

Let's make one point clear right away. It is believed that if the car's generator works without failures, and the car is used regularly, then this is quite enough to maintain the proper level of battery charge. This opinion is fundamentally wrong, and here's why. Generator on its own technical specifications is not able to provide 100% charging, that is, the battery will always be partially charged, which significantly reduces its service life.

Remove the battery from the car

Often, car enthusiasts neglect this and charge the battery without removing it from the car. But in vain, and here's why.

Firstly, the battery needs to be systematically inspected, from all sides, and not just from above. It is possible that the electrolyte will splash (corrosion of the “mounting” socket frame will appear), or a crack in the housing (the result of constant vibration and unreliable fixation at the location).

Secondly, the product must be cleaned of dirt and dust. The fact is that the “patina” formed on the case, between the terminals, is conductive, which means that the degree of self-discharge of the battery increases, which negatively affects its service life.

Therefore, before charging the battery, it should be serviced. It is good to collect accumulated dirt, which contains acid, with a swab dipped in a weak soda solution. If foaming occurs, this indicates that not all the acid has been removed from the surface of the housing.

By the way, the terminals also require periodic maintenance, since lead oxidizes, and, therefore, more current is required when starting the engine, which leads to increased battery discharge.

If, after all, the battery is charged at the installation site, then the suitable (mains) wires from its terminals must be removed.

Unscrew the caps on the cans

You should also not forget about the need for their maintenance. In the center of each there is a small through hole, through which the products of gas formation that occur during operation are removed. If it is clogged with dirt, then the accumulated gas can simply rupture the housing.

In addition, you need to make sure that the electrolyte level is normal. If necessary, add water (distilled).

Connect the charger terminals

Here you need to pay attention to the polarity. The “positive” is connected to the “+” of the battery, the “negative” - to the “-”.

Charging process

This largely depends on the type of device. However, many car enthusiasts prefer to do it manually. The current is set to the maximum (depending on the nominal capacity of the battery), and as the voltage decreases it is added.

It should be noted right away that a lot depends on how the battery is used, to what extent it is discharged, and how often the owner charges it from an external device. The “quality” of the car’s generator also has an impact.

The charging mode with low currents is considered the most optimal. More on this below. It remains to add that it is necessary to systematically monitor this process. Sometimes a car enthusiast simply puts the battery on charge and leaves for a few hours. This risks the fact that the battery may charge earlier (and the recharging process will begin) or even “reset” the current to a minimum. Then you will have to increase it and wait until it is fully charged.

With what we now know, we can answer some common questions that new car enthusiasts have.

How do you know that the battery is fully charged?

The voltage at its terminals can be different (from 14.5 to 16.1 V). This depends on many components (electrolyte density, capacity and a number of others). Main criterion– constancy of the output voltage at its terminals while the charging process continues for 1 hour. It is measured by any type of voltmeter, regardless of its accuracy class.

Is it possible to do exercises at negative air temperatures?

Yes, since an electrolyte with the proper density never freezes. Example - the car is used not only in summer, but also in winter, and, nevertheless, recharging from the generator is not interrupted.

When charging from an external source, do I need to disconnect the battery from the on-board network?

Necessarily. Quite often, the battery is charged without removing it from its installation location. But here you need to take into account that, even with the ignition and ground turned off, some kind of electronic device. IN modern models cars have so many different features engineering solutions, that it is impossible to foresee everything, especially since not all Manufacturers describe such nuances in detail in the vehicle documentation. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and play it safe, otherwise the higher-than-expected “voltage” of the charger may damage something.

How often should the battery be recharged if it is removed from the car?

Many car enthusiasts do not use their " iron horses" in winter. During this time, a prudent owner removes the battery and stores it separately, in a warm room. But any device characterized by such a parameter as electrical capacitance gradually self-discharges.

Naturally, the electrolyte begins to react to low temperatures, and in a discharged state, in a cold room, the jars can simply freeze. Such a battery can no longer be restored. By the way, this is why it is necessary to remove it for the winter and put it in a “warm” place. Recommendations for recharging frequency vary. To avoid mistakes, it should be done approximately once every 3 months (provided that the battery is stored at above-zero temperatures).

If the battery is not removed from the car and it is not used, then it needs to be charged more often - once every 1.5 - 2 months. This is explained by the fact that it is possible to increase the self-discharge current through the on-board network. And if the wires are removed from the terminals, but it’s cold in the garage, then at least once every 2 weeks. It's more reliable.

What current should I set and how long should I charge?

There is a criterion that applies to all types of batteries - the charging current is 10% of the nominal capacity of the product. The most common batteries are 45 A/h (for passenger cars). Therefore, the optimal charge current is 4.5 A. If the discharge is complete, then at least 12 - 15 hours. In other cases - until fully charged. How to determine is indicated above.

Since the degree of rarefaction cannot be determined “by eye”, if the battery is not completely discharged, experts recommend using the “gentle” mode, that is, setting the current to 2 times less than the calculated one (for example, instead of 4.5 A, set it to 2.5). Naturally, it will take more time to charge, but the service life of the product will also increase.

Sometimes, to reduce charging time, car enthusiasts specifically provide increased current. Yes, this way the battery will charge faster. But this does not take into account the fact that chemical processes, occurring in this case, begin to occur more intensely, and this entails an increase in the temperature of the electrolyte. Overheating the battery significantly reduces its shelf life.

Experienced car enthusiasts prefer this “technology” - the current is about half an ampere, and let it “stand.” Although it takes longer, it is quite safe for the battery. In this case, charging is achieved at 100 percent.

It remains to add that if you do not allow the battery to systematically discharge to a critical minimum (10.5 V), then the product will reliably serve not only 5 guaranteed years, but also more. Normal electrolyte density within the normal range is 1.25 - 1.27; voltage at the terminals - depending on the type of battery.

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