Re: Equalizing... How many amps do I need??

["Joe Smalley" <joes@worldfront.com>]

One additional caution:

When you disconnect the circuit, the capacitor will still be charged.
Putting a 47K 1 Watt resistor across it (at the time of assembly) will
discharge it in a matter of minutes.

Joe Smalley
Rural Kitsap County WA
Fiesta 48 volts
NEDRA 48 volt street conversion record holder
joes@worldfront.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Smalley" <joes@worldfront.com>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 11:19 PM
Subject: Re: Equalizing... How many amps do I need??


> Hi Mark;
>
> You might be suffering from cold lead as much as lack of equalization.
>
> Equalizing is easy with a voltage doubler and a light bulb.
>
> This simple equalizer will take nearly forever to charge your battery but
> will make almost 380 volts.
>
> If you don't want a non-isolated charger, you will need an isolation
> transformer. 300 watts should be enough. You will need:
>
> --two diodes that will carry about 6 amps at 400 volts
> --one electrolytic capacitor rated for a couple amps of ripple current and
a
> minimum of 200 volts DC. I would use a three inch 2400 uF at 400 volts
> because I have a bunch of them.
> --100 watt light bulbs and sockets. Add more bulbs in parallel to increase
> the current. 2% of the C/20 capacity is about right.
> --A 5 amp 250 volt fuse and holder.
>
> To assemble this device:
>
> Connect one terminal of one light bulb to the hot side of the line plug.
> Connect the other terminal of the light bulb to the negative terminal of
the
> capacitor.
> Connect the positive terminal of the capacitor to the cathode terminal
(the
> bar end) of the first diode.
> Connect the anode terminal of the first diode to the neutral of the line
> plug.
> Connect the Anode terminal of the second diode to the positive terminal of
> the capacitor
> Connect the cathode terminal (the bar end) of the second diode to one end
of
> the fuse.
> Connect the other end of the fuse to the positive terminal of the battery
> connector.
> Connect the negative terminal of the battery connector to the neutral side
> of the line plug.
>
> To use the device:
>
> --Connect a voltmeter to the battery pack.
> --Top off the battery with the normal charger.
> --Disconnect everything from the car to prevent ground loops.
> --Connect the battery connector to the battery.
> --Plug the line plug into a GFCI protected 120 volt AC source.
> --The light bulb should come on dimly and the battery voltage should start
> to rise.
> --Record the battery voltage in 15 minute increments.
> --When the battery starts bubbling, equalization is occurring.
> --Stop equalizing when the voltage stops rising.
>
> Cautions:
>
> --Do not touch any terminals while in operation. There is a shock hazard.
> --Do not use an unprotected (non GFCI) outlet because of the shock hazard.
> --Do not leave unattended.
> --Water your batteries after charging not before. Some bubbling is
expected
> to occur and you don't want the bubbles to push acid out because the cells
> are too full.
> --Make sure the diodes and capacitors are properly sized.
> --Do not reverse the battery connections. You will blow the diodes.
>
> This is the cheapest equalizer I know about.
> There are risks involved with doing this.
> Understand the risks fully before you start.
> I have never tried this at over 36 volts, but it should work.
>
> Joe Smalley
> Rural Kitsap County WA
> Fiesta 48 volts
> NEDRA 48 volt street conversion record holder
> joes@worldfront.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <evblazer@softhome.net>
> To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 7:05 AM
> Subject: Equalizing... How many amps do I need??
>
>
> >
> > Warning: First battery pack so I have no idea what i'm talking about :-)
I
> > have 15 US and 4 Dynos.. (dynos have about 20 less cyles of them)
> >
> > I'm trying to find a charger to peek up some individual cells and
equalize
> > them which kind of brings me back to my "bulk" charger. I don't think my
> > current charger which only puts out ~1 amp at 180 volts which is like
2.36
> > per cell equalizes. I'll probably pull the worst battery and go down to
> 144
> > which would at least be 2.5 volts per a cell but i'll still only have ~1
> > amp at finish, it drops under 2 amps at about 170 volts.. Voltage and
> > Current knobs are on max..
> >
> > The batteries don't bubble or gurgle and they don't need water after
> almost
> > a whole year of driving them, okay only 4000 miles but it's in a blazer.
> So
> > is 1 amp enough? if so is 800ma.. reason I ask is I found a 10 volt
800ma
> > power supply that I could hook up to peak up the individual batteries
> > maybe. I've probably trashed my batteries but i'd like a few more months
> > out of them before I have to get a new pack, and new PFC-20 charger. I'm
> > down from ~30 miles to ~13 miles which can't even get me to the train
> > station and back, mid winter I was doing the 18 miles with some room so
> > spare. Any help would be most appreciated, please be kind :-)
> >
> > Mark Hastings
> > '83 S-10 EV Blazer (suffering from chronic undercharging)
> > www.geocities.com/evblazer
> >
>