b'To understand how to charge batteries, first we need toBattery Charging Basics:FOGHORN FOCUS understand how a battery works (see Figure 1). In the most basic sense, there is an anode, cathode, electrolyte and a Chargeinawell-ventilatedarea.Hydrogengasfromsemi-permeablebarrier.Theelectronflowfromtheanode charging is explosive. and through to the cathode passing through the electro-lyte. A standard 12V battery uses 6 of these cells. Charging Choose appropriate charge program and installation is simply the reverse of this process, instead of draining thefollow manufacturers specifications for recommended battery to power your devices, we are returning electronsvoltage thresholds and charge profile.backtothebattery.Batteriesalltendtofollowthisformularegardless of their chemistry. Lead-acid and lithium-ionChargelead-acidbatteriesafterusetoprevent (Li-ion)batteriesarebothcomprisedofarraysofnominal sulfation.Donotstoreatlowstateofcharge(SoC).2V cells to create the battery.Flooded battery plates must always be fullyWhenspeakingofLi-ionbatteries,whethertheyareLi- submerged in electrolyte. Fill the battery withPeO4, LiMn2O4, LiCoO2, or other, they are all composeddistilledorde-ionizedwater(neverelectrolyte) of arrays of cells, they require a battery management sys- to cover the plates if low. tem(BMS)tocontrolcharginganddischarging,andde-spite requiring a higher charge voltage than their lead acidFill water to designated level after charging to prevent counterparts,theyallusea2-stagechargingalgorithm. acid spillage during charging.PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PVA 2023 CongressionalFly-In NOVEMBER 14, 2023Join PVA on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,to participate in our annual CongressionalFly-In. Teams of PVA members and staff willFIGURE COURTESY ANALYTIC SYSTEMS meet directly with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and theirkey staff. Take this opportunity to talkdirectly with lawmakers discussing the issuesthat matter most to PVA members.Click here for more information andto register to attend.FOGHORN 10'