Feedback Control Battery Charging

This paper describes a system capable of charging a lead-acid battery by cell control of the charging current without damage to any cell of the battery. This is accomplished by monitoring the temperature, voltage, specific gravity, and electrolyte level. The charging current in this current-controlled battery charging system is determined by measurements made in the battery during the course of the charging cycle. The parameters measured are voltage, electrolyte level, temperature, and specific gravity. The measurements are made with the use of a probe in one (selected) or more cells. If any of these parameters exceeds specific values, the charging current is either reduced or turned off, on either a proportional or a step basis, depending on the preset programmed requirement.