MEAN WELL recommendations for using chargers

From time to time, the question comes up - is it possible to use some ordinary pulsed AC / DC converter instead of a charger. There is no direct prohibition on such use, but, nevertheless, the manufacturer's recommendation is unequivocal - only chargers should be used to charge batteries. For the optimal choice of charger, it is important to understand both the physical principles of the process of charging batteries, and some of the features of chargers that simplify the charging process and make it safe.

Any charger operates in two basic modes, which are easiest to illustrate using the example of a two-stage charging curve ( PB-600 , PB-1000 series chargers):

Charging curve in two stages

In the first stage, the charger operates in the current stabilization mode (Constant Current), as the voltage on the battery being charged rises to the set (or maximum for the charger) level, the charger operation mode switches to the voltage stabilization mode (Constant Voltage), that is into the second stage. Why you should not use pulse converters for charging - the vast majority of these are devices with voltage stabilization, the current stabilization mode in them is implemented only as a protective mode (Overload Protection). And with a significant decrease in load resistance, the pulse converter turns off (or switches to intermittent mode, hiccup mode). In other words, an attempt to charge a heavily discharged battery with a conventional switching AC / DC converter may end before it even starts.

What features of MEAN WELL chargers make charging easier?

1. The presence of charge curves of two, three and eight stages. In addition to the two-stage curve discussed above, the most commonly encountered and used is the three-stage charge curve: Three-stage charge curve The presence of the third stage allows the battery to be used in buffer mode, for example, for uninterruptible or backup power systems. In this case, the charger is constantly or for a sufficiently long time connected to the battery and maintains its charge level at the maximum value. This mode allows you to improve the properties of the lead-acid battery (to carry out its partial recovery), as well as to carry out its automatic recharging in case of irregular and occasional use of the battery.
2. The output voltages of chargers from MEAN WELL are optimized for the most popular types of rechargeable batteries (including gel, AGM, Li-ion) with nominal voltages of 12, 24, 48V.
3. It is possible to set the level of the maximum output current of the charger and the level of charge voltage. On the example of new chargers of the NPB-120 , NPB-240 , NPB-360 series: Selecting charge stages and adjusting output parameters Setting the output voltage level for simple chargers allows you to adjust the charger for use with most types of lead-acid batteries according to the recommendations of battery manufacturers. And setting the maximum output current level will significantly expand the range of rechargeable batteries in terms of their capacity.
4. Additional means of protecting and monitoring the condition of rechargeable batteries are reverse polarity protection in case of a battery connection error, short circuit protection (failure or deep discharge of the battery), overvoltage protection and overheating protection. All these protections are optimized specifically for the operation of chargers, and allow you to make the battery charging process as safe as possible.

The final recommendation is aimed at the safety of the charging process - it is important to remember that during the charging process, quite complex chemical processes occur in batteries at relatively high charging currents, so it is important to ensure good ventilation of the room, good electrical wiring, no sources of open flame and, preferably, the entire charging process carried out under the supervision of personnel.

More detailed technical characteristics are presented in specifications for chargers , and for questions related to the selection and use of MEAN WELL products, please contact Meanwell@chipdip.ru .