CHARGING ALGORITHM (LEAD/ACID)
1 - Initialization:
the device checks if one or more cells
are shorted, in order to verify that the battery is in a
proper condition to be recovered and recharged.
2 - Recovery:
if the battery is deep discharged (starting
from 1.5V), the device tries to recover it, taking it back to
a higher voltage, necessary for the execution of the
following step.
3 - Soft Charge:
if the battery is in a condition of
significant undercharge, the device provides a light
pulsing current to the battery, to overcome this critical
phase.
4 - Bulk Charge:
during this phase, the device provides
full current to the battery, recovering about 85-90% of
the battery capacity.
5 - Desulfation / Absorption:
during this phase the
device provides a "controlled overcharge" to recover the
remaining 15-20% of the battery capacity, through the
desulfation/recovery of the lead-acid cells (for low or
medium sulfation).
6 - Battery Analysis:
the device stops providing current
to the battery for a short time, in order to verify whether
the battery is able to retain the charge received during
the previous phases. This test is periodically repeated
during the maintenance.
7 - Maintenance:
the device keeps your battery in the
best charge conditions for very long periods when your
vehicle is left unused, without any possible drawback
(battery overcharge/overheating, electrolyte loss...).
8 - Equalization:
every 30 days during long term
maintenance, the device executes an equalization charge
in order to balance the battery lead-acid cells, avoiding
electrolyte stratification within the cells.
TEST OF THE BATTERY AND OF THE VEHICLE’S
CHARGING SYSTEM
The output on the right side of BC PRO 4S -
corresponding to the unit with LCD display – allows you
to execute a complete analysis of the battery (at rest and
while cranking the engine) and of the
alternator/regulator system.
To execute the testing procedure, please follow the
steps below
:
1.
Turn off the device
2.
Connect the output on the right side of BC PRO 4S to
the battery installed on board the vehicle
3.
The LCD display will turn on showing the message
“BC TESTER”. Follow the instructions on the display.
The device executes automatically the following testing
procedure:
1.
Test of the battery voltage at rest
2.
Test of the battery cranking power
3.
Test of the charging system (alternator/regulator)
Please note that while executing the testing procedure
it’s not possible to use the other units of the charger (the
device has to be turned off or disconnected from 220V).
TEST PROCEDURE
1.
Test of the battery voltage at rest
: it measures and
computes the average battery voltage at rest.
Instructions
: in order to obtain a significant result,
the battery has to be unused for 2 hours or more
.
Results
displayed on the LCD:
Battery voltage at rest
Estimate of the battery state of charge as a
percentage
2.
Test of the battery cranking power
: It measures the
minimum battery voltage during the engine cranking
and its relevant duration in milliseconds.
Instructions
: crank the engine as soon as the display
show the message "Start Engine".
The duration of the engine cranking has to be less
than 1 second
.
Results
displayed on the LCD:
Evaluation of the battery cranking power (excellent,
good, fair, poor)
3.
Test of the vehicle’s charging system
(alternator/regulator)
: It verifies the right
functioning of the alternator/regulator, by measuring
the battery voltage when the engine is running.
Instructions: run the engine at about 2500 rpm
during the 30 seconds following the engine cranking
.
Results
displayed on the LCD:
Battery voltage while the alternator is recharging
the battery
Evaluation of the operation of the charging system:
"Test successfully passed"
"Charge ok but a bit weak"
"Charge weak: please check"
"Charge high: please check"
4.
Voltmeter mode
: the device shows the battery
voltage in real time, allowing the user to check
whether the alternator works correctly at different
“rpm” values.
During the Cranking Power Test, if the battery voltage
drops down too much, the device may reset. The battery
may have not enough power: please recharge it, or to
substitute it.
ACCESSORIES
The default harness can be extended with an interesting
collection of accessories to allow a very easy and quick
connection to the battery. In particular, we recommend
the
cable extender 2 meters long
(code PROL2MT),
particularly useful for the connection to the battery on
board while executing the tests.
A
wall mounting bracket with fast dismounting system
(code WLMTG) is also available to hang BC PRO 4S to the
wall.
For information, please visit the "Accessories" section on
www.batterycontroller.co.uk web site or ask your local
dealer.
