How do Batteries Get Charged-Introduction and Charging

A battery can be described as a device that converts chemical energy to electricity. Batteries such as lead-acid store the chemical energy in a liquid solvent. On the other hand, lithium batteries store energy in a lithium core. That said, batteries have become an integral part of our daily lives. Without them, vehicles, machines, cell phones, and other electronics are left in standby mode. Charging helps us to enjoy their performance. In addition, they need to maintain charging to achieve their expected life span. But how do batteries get charged? Keep reading to learn more.

How to get battery charged in car?

Charging a car battery is not about hooking up a charger. You need to know how long you are supposed to charge a dead battery, which terminal to hook up on the charger, and the terminal to remove first for a safe process. 

Follow these steps to charge a car battery: 

Preparation

Safety is important when working on electronics. Protect your eyes from battery fluid, sparks, or falling materials. Gloves will also help you to avoid cuts while working.

You need to prepare the battery for the charge. Ensure you are in a well-lit and ventilated area. Moreover, gather the right tools to get the job done. Determine whether you need to remove the battery from the car. Some batteries can be charged from their holding trays, while others are far away, like under the seat or in the trunk.

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Switch off All Car Electronics

Once the battery is ready for charging, turn off all the accessories that affect it while charging. This includes interior lights, stereo, and other electronics that can cause the battery to experience an electrical arc.

Remove Ground/negative and Positive Cables 

Confirm if the power is off, then remove the two cables. The negative cable is black and has a "-" symbol, while the positive cable is red and has a "+" symbol.

Clean the terminals.

Use a terminal cleaning brush to clear debris and dirt from the terminals. Furthermore, you can make your own cleaning solution like water and baking soda. The process will neutralize the battery acid hence avoiding malfunction issues that occur when charging or reconnecting terminals.

Connect the battery charger.

Hook up the charger to your battery. Some chargers come with specific instructions. You can also follow these guidelines:

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●Power the charger off before use

●Hool up the positive cable to the positive terminal. Do the same for the negative cable to the negative terminal.

●Check if both cables are connected correctly. Switch on the charger.

●Set the charging process at the lowest rate. You can also set a timer for proper charge time.

Once complete, remove the battery charger.

Turn off the power before touching anything. Remove the cables connecting to your battery. Start with the positive cable, then the negative. After removing the cables, replace the cables on the battery's terminals. Screw weak bolts and nuts. Set back the battery if you removed it from the tray.

How to get the battery charge dropped?

The simple way to discharge a lead acid battery is by turning on electrical accessories such as fans and lights. The process will generate 20-30 amps that will drain the battery. If there is more sophisticated equipment, you can discharge the battery at a higher rating of 100 amps. Let the voltage flatten to below 6 volts.

Alternatively, if you need to fully discharge a normal car battery( 12V, 60A hr), you need a large resistor( 20 ohms, 10 W) to connect it to the battery terminals. Leave it for four days. A 10 W resistor will perform the process since (12×6 =) 7.2W power is discharged.  Therefore, perform it in a well-ventilated area, far away from ignition sources and equipment.

How does a charger know when a battery is full?

For Nickel Metal Hydride(NiMh) cells, it reaches a charging plateau. Then the charging power is cut. Most chargers monitor the voltage of the charger.

For Nickel-cadmium(NiCAD) cells, the cell voltage is monitored by the charging circuit. During intervals, the battery is measured after the charging voltage is cut off. The battery charger determines a voltage plateau at a peak voltage.

On the other hand, lithium requires more intelligence to charge fully. If you put a cell under(3.0V) on a battery charger, a low charging current is applied. This is because very drained lithium batteries are not safe when charged quickly. Fast charge is applied when the cell voltage is above 3.0V. Moreover, the full charging current breaks in intervals to monitor the battery voltage. When the battery is at its peak voltage, that is, 4.1V-4.3V, the charger goes to constant voltage mode. When the current drawn by the cell drops to a certain current, the battery is fully charged.

For Lead-acid batteries, there two criteria that determine when a battery is fully charged are the peak charging voltage and the final current level. 

Battery charging methods for lead acid batteries

Flooded batteries can be charged using the techniques below:

●Constant voltage

Constant voltage means that the battery is charged on a continuous or non-continuous basis. Continuous charging is best used when standby power is needed to operate. On the other hand, non-continuous charging is used when charging on an intermittent basis.

●Constant current

Constant current is suitable for applications where you know the discharged ampere-hours of a continuous discharge cycle.

●Taper current

It is often used for cyclic or multiple numbers charging.

Guidelines when buying a charger 

Use a proper charger, depending on the battery chemistry. Ensure that the battery voltage goes with the charger.

A high-wattage charger lessens the charge time but causes stress.

Check the charging temperature. Lithium-ion should not go beyond 10 degrees Celsius. Lead acid should be lukewarm, while nickel-based should be warm and cool at the end.

Charge at room temperature. Don't charge below freezing. 

Charge when the battery state of charge is low. When the battery reaches a 70% or higher state of charge, the charge acceptance decreases.

A good charger should have a temperature override in order to end the charge on a damaged battery.

Conclusion 

Most of us have encountered the incovieneance of a dead battery. Fortunately, you don't need a mechanic to help you run the battery. Anyone can do it as long as they have the right equipment, like a battery charger.