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Pulse charging 4 batteries at once.
By Jerry, Section Homebrewed Electricity Posted on Mon Mar 29th, 2004 at 10:56:31 PM MST
Its not working?

Hi fellow pulsers. I connected 4 small garden tractor batteries in perelell last night. I set the current at 16 amps. They ran for about 20 HRs.
Amperage stayed the same but voltage was about 14.5v. One of the batteries with a slightly shorted cell was hogging all the current.
I seperated them and I'm charging them one at a time. The first one had a SG of extreamly low. after 2 HR its on the high side of low heading for the fair reading of SG and voltage is at 16v. I set the amperage on this one at 10a.
I'll let it run a day or 2 to see what happens. Hope it comes back if not I'll try the other 3.
I was given an old golf car last sommer. It had 6 six volt batteries. They were all dry and dead. I'm going to flush them out and top them of with electrotite or what ever you call it (Napa 5 gal. $15 ready to use) battery juice. I'll pulse them to see if they come back?
Neet thing about this pulser it works over a range of voltages. Just set the amps you want and let it run.
JK TAS Jerry

Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. (none / 0) (#1)
by Gordy on Mon Mar 29th, 2004 at 11:12:06 PM MST
(User Info)

Jerry,

With the other batteries you've pulsed back to life. You mentioned that the SG comes back up. This makes me wonder about those golf cart batteries, if you put in fresh acid mix then desulfate, won't that drive the SG way high???

Gordy

Re: Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. (none / 0) (#2)
by bob g on Mon Mar 29th, 2004 at 11:41:50 PM MST
(User Info)

Jerry i am with Gordie on this one,

the specific gravity will go high

alteratively you might consider flushing the batteries with water, then refill them with fresh water followed by the pulsing.

check the specific gravity of the water and continue to pulse until there is no further rise in the specific gravity level. This will indicate how much of the sulfation has been reconverted to acid, or at least all that is going to be converted.

i would then drain the battery and then refill with fresh electrolyte.

following this regemin you shouldnt get a rise in specific gravity over normal charged high level.

just a thought and some input from sources that i have read up on when trying to recover sulfated batteries.

good luck and keep us posted

bob g

[ Parent ]

Re: Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. (none / 0) (#3)
by RatOmeter on Tue Mar 30th, 2004 at 04:12:48 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.rato.us

Wow. Sometimes the anwer is just right. I was thinking of saying just the same thing then read down a bit and you guys summed it up. The key here is that to desulphate it, you've got to reverse the chemical process and 'deplate' it by charging, when you put fresh electrolyte in it, it will be at ' full charge' acid concentration... there will be 'no place' for the old lead sulphate to go.

Definitely flush it with distilled water to get out any crud that might have settled out first. I don't know enough about the chemical process to be sure here, but you might next put a much diluted (with distilled water) solution of electrolyte in it for the desulphate stage and then watch the SG.

You've got two objectives, one is to desulphate the plates and the other is to end up with the right SG, just shy of 1.3 for a full charge.

[ Parent ]

Re: Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. (none / 0) (#4)
by Jerry on Tue Mar 30th, 2004 at 09:12:16 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.dplusv.com/Photo-03.html

Hey Thanks Guys.

Never thought of that. But it all makes sence. The Napa electrolite is the right mix they say.

I'll do the distilled water thing first and proceed after that.

The single small battery is at 16.5 volts this morning. The SG has come up to 1250 and the case is only a little warm.

I'll take it off the pulser tonight and load test it tommorow.

Thanks again Guys. The good people on this board do the thinkin for you when you don't have the time to think for your self.

JK TAS Jerry

Airheads Page

[ Parent ]

Re: Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. (none / 0) (#5)
by franknbuger on Tue Mar 30th, 2004 at 12:42:46 PM MST
(User Info)

Hello! Most battery problems are because the terminals get corroded. The charge cant get through so they sulfate.Many years ago we used a formual to desulfate batteries:....
Dump out and save old acid from battery....Fill with water...Put 1 tablespoon of epsom salts in each cell.....Charge over night @ 6 amps...If it worked,refill them with new electrolite, and put them to use.
At the time it seemed to help.I was working at a barrery shop and we did a lot of them like that.If I could only remember if it worked or not.I dont have any sulfated battries but I am going to try this next chance I get.
Frankenbuger

Pulse charging 4 batteries at once. | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial)

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