Is killing batteries three times too much?
I use a set of 6V golf cart batteries from Costco. The pair that is in my rig now is two years old and they only last a couple of nights before the low voltage alarm on my CPAP starts sounding. When t...
Forum Discussion
As a flooded lead acid battery engineer (long time gone) I monikered the term "Top Charge" to label "En Breve" an efficient process to perform multiple flooded lead acid battery maintenance tasks (MFLABMT didn't cut it). You may verify the rationale of the Top Charge protocol with any OEM manufacturer if you wish.
TOP CHARGING simply put is a periodic limited overcharging of the batteries. Top Charging is much less aggressive than equalization and is specifically intended to reduce needless erosion of battery positive plates that equalization causes. It is a simple and easy charging formula to follow, unlike equalization. I was conducting a discipline for determining a figure percentile, that showed regular top charging reduces the need for formal equalization, when I fell ill, in 1990 and subsequently removed myself from working full-time. However I am confident Top Charging reduces the need for equalization by 80% absolute minimum, and has a high probability of reaching 90% reduction in batteries that see regular 50% cycling, or accumulate long hours on low float voltages.
Is top charging a recognized industry standard (BCI)?
No
If you talk to an "Applications Engineer" in OEM, such as Johnson Controls, Trojan, US Battery, etc. would they recognize the name "Top Charging"?
No
Sadly after 24 years most of the engineers I had contact with are gone, retired or gone on to the great battery in the sky.
If you should discuss the philosophy of correct Top Charging protocol with a genuine lead acid battery engineer, would they listen to the explanation then give their nod of approval? An applications engineer and a genuine engineer are two different animals. The latter is a genuine engineer. An applications engineer is an educated salesman familiar with their product.
Yes, the genuine engineer would endorse it.
I hope this helps. The protocol has seen hundreds of sophisticated lab tests including kWh differential testing.
TOP CHARGING simply put is a periodic limited overcharging of the batteries. Top Charging is much less aggressive than equalization and is specifically intended to reduce needless erosion of battery positive plates that equalization causes. It is a simple and easy charging formula to follow, unlike equalization. I was conducting a discipline for determining a figure percentile, that showed regular top charging reduces the need for formal equalization, when I fell ill, in 1990 and subsequently removed myself from working full-time. However I am confident Top Charging reduces the need for equalization by 80% absolute minimum, and has a high probability of reaching 90% reduction in batteries that see regular 50% cycling, or accumulate long hours on low float voltages.
Is top charging a recognized industry standard (BCI)?
No
If you talk to an "Applications Engineer" in OEM, such as Johnson Controls, Trojan, US Battery, etc. would they recognize the name "Top Charging"?
No
Sadly after 24 years most of the engineers I had contact with are gone, retired or gone on to the great battery in the sky.
If you should discuss the philosophy of correct Top Charging protocol with a genuine lead acid battery engineer, would they listen to the explanation then give their nod of approval? An applications engineer and a genuine engineer are two different animals. The latter is a genuine engineer. An applications engineer is an educated salesman familiar with their product.
Yes, the genuine engineer would endorse it.
I hope this helps. The protocol has seen hundreds of sophisticated lab tests including kWh differential testing.
