In daily life, those who travel frequently may have encountered this situation, because a few months in a row out of business, the family lawn mower or caravan for a long time no one to use, and returned home to find that the performance of their batteries greatly reduced or even cannot be used. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who have had a headache with this. But don’t worry, you can solve this problem by installing a trickle charger.
So what is a trickle charger? Do trickle chargers work with all batteries? You should have a lot of questions, so let me answer them and take you on a deep dive into the concept of a trickle charger, its uses, and its pros and cons.
Can a trickle charger be used for lithium batteries?
Trickle chargers are primarily for lead acid batteries and are not applicable to lithium batteries. In fact, lithium batteries eliminate the need for trickle chargers in many ways. An unsuitable trickle charger can cause overcharging or battery damage if it is forced to charge lithium batteries.
What is a Trickle Charger
A trickle charger, also known as a float charger, is a type of charger that slowly charges a battery with a small, steady current. A trickle charger ensures that the battery remains in good condition and ready to use even if it is not used for an extended period of time. Unlike traditional chargers that charge quickly at high currents, trickle chargers primarily use low currents to provide steady, long-lasting power to the battery. The purpose is to protect the battery and extend battery life.
Purpose of Trickle Charger
Trickle chargers are primarily designed to power batteries that have not been used for a long period of time, to counteract the natural discharge phenomenon of the battery to prevent the battery from being in a state of total loss of power and to maintain its charge. Trickle chargers differ from regular chargers in that they release a small and steady current, so they can be connected to the battery for long periods of time. Trickle chargers are ideal for vehicles that are not going to be used for a long period of time.
Advantages of trickle chargers
1. It extends battery life. Trickle chargers charge the battery with a smaller current, which helps to inhibit the polarization of the battery, thus extending the life of the battery. At the same time, the trickle charger can prevent the lead-acid battery from sulfation state, sulfate because the battery is not used for a long time and its accumulation will make the performance of the lead-acid battery drop dramatically.
2. Protect the battery. Trickle charging can effectively reduce the temperature during charging to avoid overheating of the battery, and also avoid damage to the battery caused by overcharging. After the battery has not been used for a long time, using a trickle charger to charge the battery can effectively protect the battery, so that the battery is maintained in the best state.
3. Avoid overcharging. Trickle chargers can be connected to the battery for long periods of time to charge the battery without worrying about overcharging. When the battery is fully charged, the trickle charger will automatically cut off the current. If you have something that requires you to go out for a long time and you are worried that your car’s battery will be damaged due to prolonged disuse, you can try using a trickle charger to charge the battery.
Disadvantages of trickle chargers
1. Slow charging speed. If you want to use a trickle charger to charge your battery, be prepared to spend dozens of hours. For example, a 2A trickle charger will take 50 hours to fully charge a 100Ah battery that has run out of power, while a regular charger will only take a few hours to fill it up. So trickle chargers are only suitable for situations where the device is not urgently needed.
2. Inferior products are not safe. Most trickle chargers have the ability to prevent overheating and overcharging, and will automatically cut off the current supply when the system detects that the battery is overheating or is full. However there are some poor quality products that are not fitted with these features, which may damage the battery or may even cause a fire if it is charged for a long period of time. So if you want to buy a trickle charger it is best to buy one from a well-known brand.
Charging process of lithium battery
Lithium batteries require the use of a charger that is compatible with them. Li-ion batteries are best charged when the charge drops to about 20%. Charging is generally divided into 4 stages.
Stage 1 Trickle Charge. When the battery voltage is below a certain threshold, the charger will charge the battery with a very low current. The main purpose is to pre-charge and prevent the battery from polarizing.
Second stage constant current charging. When the battery voltage reaches the threshold value, the charger will increase the current for constant current charging, the size of the charging current in this stage depends on the capacity of the battery and the charging rate, the current size is generally between 0.2A and 1.0A. The main purpose is to charge quickly and prevent overheating.
The third stage of constant voltage charging. At this point the battery is almost full, the charger will reduce the charging current and maintain the voltage stable at about 4.2V. The main purpose is to prevent the battery from overcharging.
The fourth stage of charging is terminated.
Conclusion
Trickle chargers are not suitable for the charging process of lithium batteries, but are more suitable for the charging process of lead-acid batteries. Nowadays, all electronic devices can be powered by lithium batteries. In the long run, lithium batteries, which are stronger than lead-acid batteries in every aspect, are destined to dominate the battery market in the future.
