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- #LITHIUM BATTERY PULSE CHARGING HOW TO#
- #LITHIUM BATTERY PULSE CHARGING FULL#
- #LITHIUM BATTERY PULSE CHARGING SERIES#
Where they become different in charging profiles is Stage 3. A lithium battery can be charged and discharged several times a day, whereas a lead acid battery can only be fully cycled once a day. In cyclic applications, the charge time is very critical. Overall, the lithium battery charges in four hours, and the SLA battery typically takes 10. The SLA battery takes 6 hours to complete Stage 2, whereas the lithium battery can take as little as 15 minutes. Stage 2 is necessary in both chemistries to bring the battery to 100% SOC. Shown in the chart above, the Lithium battery is charged at only 0.5C and still charges almost 3 times as fast! As shown in the chart above, the Lithium battery is charged at only 0.5C and still charges almost 3 times as fast! The Stage 1 of a lithium battery can take as little as one hour to complete, making a lithium battery available for use four times faster than SLA. Stage 1 of the SLA chart above takes four hours to complete. Stage 1 battery charging is typically done at 30%-100% (0.3C to 1.0C) current of the capacity rating of the battery.
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Even though these two stages are similar and perform the same function, the advantage of the LiFePO4 battery is that the rate of charge can be much higher, making the charge time much faster. LIFEPO4 BATTERY CHARGING PROFILEĪ LiFePO4 battery uses the same constant current and constant voltage stages as the SLA battery. In an application where the battery is in storage, float charging keeps the SLA battery at 100% State of Charge (SOC), which is necessary to prevent sulfating of the battery that therefore prevents damage to the plates of the battery.
#LITHIUM BATTERY PULSE CHARGING FULL#
Stage 3 is used if the battery is being used in a standby application, the float charge is necessary to ensure the battery is at full capacity when the battery is called upon to discharge.
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The last stage, the float charge, is necessary to keep the battery from self-discharging and losing capacity. This stage terminates when the current falls below 5% of the battery’s rated capacity. During this stage, the current draw gradually decreases as the topping charge of the battery continues. Stage 2, constant voltage, begins when the voltage reaches the voltage limit (14.7V for fast charging SLA batteries, 14.4V for most others). Stage 1 charging is typically done at 10%-30% (0.1C to 0.3C) current of the capacity rating of the battery or less. The constant current/Stage 1 portion of the charge is crucial before moving onto the next stage. The rate of change in voltage continually changes during Stage 1 eventually beginning to plateau when the full charge voltage limit is approached. In Stage 1, as shown above, the current is limited to avoid damage to the battery. The most common charging method is a three-stage approach: the initial charge (constant current), the saturation topping charge (constant voltage), and the float charge.
#LITHIUM BATTERY PULSE CHARGING HOW TO#
Let’s go back to the basics of how to charge a sealed lead acid battery. SEALED LEAD ACID (SLA) BATTERY CHARGING PROFILE There are many differences when comparing lithium and SLA batteries.
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However, extra caution should be exercised when using SLA chargers to charge lithium batteries as they can damage, under charge, or reduce the capacity of the lithium battery over time. CAN A LEAD ACID CHARGER CHARGE A LITHIUM BATTERY?Īs you will learn in this blog, there are many similarities in the charging profiles of SLA and lithium.
#LITHIUM BATTERY PULSE CHARGING SERIES#
This means we recommend using a lithium charger, like the LiFe Charger Series from Power Sonic, when charging lithium batteries. Power Sonic recommends you select a charger designed for the chemistry of your battery. Did you know they can also charge four times faster than SLA? But exactly how do you charge a lithium battery, anyway? If you’ve recently purchased or are researching lithium iron phosphate batteries (referred to lithium or LiFePO4 in this blog), you know they provide more cycles, an even distribution of power delivery, and weigh less than a comparable sealed lead acid (SLA) battery.
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