Replacing a 55 amp converter with a 45?
MY new trailer came with a WFCO 55 amp converter. My old trailer has a Progressive Dynamics 45 amp converter with a charge wizard. I want put the PD unit in my new trailer and the WFCO in my old. Shou...
Forum Discussion
The electrochemical characteristics of a particular BCI group size or construction technique makes batteries "behave" so independently different from one another that you'd think the fool things have personalities.
A reverse Peukert-like effect takes place with varying degrees of charge rate. This is why bubbling the electrolyte is so important. The process presents fresh electrolyte to microporous plate surfaces. The electrolyte absorbs plate sulfation and puts it back into solution. Saturated solution cannot hold much if any additional plate sulfation.
Electron flow is the delivery system that migrates sulfation from plates to solution and back again. With good circulation batteries with a high reserve of electrolyte to plate ratio charge faster, especially that all-important 90-100%, 1.275 - 1.280 final charge amount.
Many problematic BCI group sizes demand unsaturated acid to gain the final degree of charge. The only way to do this "quickly" is by applying higher voltage and allow gassing and thermal currents to flow not-yet saturated acid to the areas still containing appreciable amount of PbSO4 on the plates. This is an (overly) simple explanation of acid-starvation and how it affects charging rates, time and impedance characteristics. Battery design is an avalanche of compromises with initial cost being not the least insignificant.
Sustained high voltage is not good for battery life. Excessive positive plate shedding and antimony migration to negative plates are only two of many negatives. A battery that starts out being difficult to fully re-charge is going to have a short, expensive (wasted energy) life.
Manufacturers who build consistently better than average 29-31, 34, and 65 batteries almost always have superior 24,'s, 27's, and golf car batteries.
I can only hope this serves to clarify and not confuse...
A reverse Peukert-like effect takes place with varying degrees of charge rate. This is why bubbling the electrolyte is so important. The process presents fresh electrolyte to microporous plate surfaces. The electrolyte absorbs plate sulfation and puts it back into solution. Saturated solution cannot hold much if any additional plate sulfation.
Electron flow is the delivery system that migrates sulfation from plates to solution and back again. With good circulation batteries with a high reserve of electrolyte to plate ratio charge faster, especially that all-important 90-100%, 1.275 - 1.280 final charge amount.
Many problematic BCI group sizes demand unsaturated acid to gain the final degree of charge. The only way to do this "quickly" is by applying higher voltage and allow gassing and thermal currents to flow not-yet saturated acid to the areas still containing appreciable amount of PbSO4 on the plates. This is an (overly) simple explanation of acid-starvation and how it affects charging rates, time and impedance characteristics. Battery design is an avalanche of compromises with initial cost being not the least insignificant.
Sustained high voltage is not good for battery life. Excessive positive plate shedding and antimony migration to negative plates are only two of many negatives. A battery that starts out being difficult to fully re-charge is going to have a short, expensive (wasted energy) life.
Manufacturers who build consistently better than average 29-31, 34, and 65 batteries almost always have superior 24,'s, 27's, and golf car batteries.
I can only hope this serves to clarify and not confuse...
