Problems with ordinary battery chargers
Battery chargers have been with us almost since the first batteries were invented. These simple machines take the given input of electricity and give out a steady voltage to charge the batteries. They are simple to make and reliable in terms of being able to charge the batteries.
However chargers can have their drawbacks too:
- They are bulky and heavy.
- They can use a lot of electricity to recharge.
- They are not precise.
- They can produce heat which evaporates the water and can dry the plates out, leaving them inactive and therefore reducing the size of the battery.
What are high frequency chargers?
With new generations of batteries, the requirements for precise and controlled charging of these batteries are greater than ever before. Advances in the micro processor field have led to a newer generation of microprocessor controlled high frequency battery chargers.
When compared with regular chargers:
- High frequency chargers are very compact and light.
- They are more efficient and can be programmed to give a more precise charge.
Advantages of high frequency chargers
Of course, high frequency chargers have a lot more benefits than the older more common type of battery charger.
- Since these chargers are compact and light, they can be installed right on board the vehicle, which makes it possible for vehicles to be charged anywhere.
- They can charge a battery in a very short time. (This is important in applications where the turnaround of a battery has to be quick or when there is no spare battery available).
- High frequency chargers use less electricity to do the same job as older chargers as they are more efficient. Less electricity used to charge the same battery can over a few years save the difference in the cost of the charger.
- Less topping means reduced maintenance time/cost and less distilled water cost.
- These chargers have temperature compensated voltage control, which means that they prevent the excessive heating of the battery while charging which minimises the venting and water loss in batteries. This also causes minimum gassing in the batteries.
- Because of the programmable nature of these High Frequency chargers you can keep the batteries fully charged as much as possible.
- Also by setting a measured overcharge percentage it is possible to maintain a perfect charge over time. This extends the life of the battery with much less maintenance and allows the battery to perform better.
- These programmable high frequency chargers can also be programmed to give the batteries an equalisation charge which helps in maintaining batteries that are deeply discharged on a regular basis.
The advantages of high frequency chargers can save you money over time. When you consider that they can keep batteries ready to go, lessening down time, they can prolong the life of your batteries which saves money in the long run and they usually also have lower maintenance costs, they do make good sense.
While high frequency chargers may not be for everyone they are certainly worth considering if your business depends on battery run machinery.
Find out more about Powercell’s range of high frequency chargers.