David Bowling's Continuous Charging Device

[profitis]

@bowling..p.s. i hope your lead acids are totaly sealed when running my friend.if there is the slightest air inlet anywhere they will exceed the stated amphour ratings by quite a margin due to oxygen gas taking over as oxidizer when PbO2 runs out at the cathode.specific gravity tests on the acid should reveal much info yes.

[Hoppy]

David,

You say " I know how long they will run that load before they won't run no more."

To get a fair comparison of running 'on system' to 'off system' the same running conditions would need to be copied in terms of actual running times, rest times and loadings. It makes a lot of difference running a load continuously to intermittently in terms battery life. To do this a lot of data needs to be taken when running on the 3BGS before a fair 'off system' comparison could be attempted. Another factor is load sharing. The 'Peukert' effect comes into play here, where batteries in the system are being drained unequally, as would be the case with a 3BGS setup. Some batteries could be loaded under their C20 rating and some in excess of this rating. Running a load under the C20 rating will add 'virtual' capacity to a battery, whereas running over will decrease nominal capacity where this is based on the C20 loading.

[Dbowling]

You people never cease to amaze me. No matter WHAT I say, you are going to come back with something else. I ran the exact test you are talking about. I ran loads that are FAR below the C20 rate of discharge. I ran both systems for the same amount of time. I let them rest for the same amount of time before running again. This is all documented on the thread at EF.


But you know what? I didn't need to do that test AT ALL. It says right on the battery what its amp hour rating is. If I know the amp hour consumption of my load, I know how many amp hours it will run on ANY battery under PERFECT conditions, which include temperature, charge, discharge rate, blah, blah, blah. If I give EVERY battery the absolute benefit of the doubt and assume it puts out the MAX amp hours listed on the battery, which we all know it doesn't, the modified 3BGS can take those EXACT SAME batteries and run that same load for 10 or 20 times as long. And I say the primaries are still fully charged at the end. But does it REALLY matter if they are?


If I leave here, I give you guys the last word, and I hate that, but that's the way it goes, and I have better things to do. I can't say this has been fun, because all it does is annoy me, but like I said, I felt I owed it to some folks. I have paid that debt, so you guys DO get the last word. I am always at EF on the 3BGS thread. Stop on by.

[profitis]

@bowling your only true friend will be the specific gravity tests.do them and do them carefuly.they are the only measurements that wont lie to you .every single lead atom that burns will consume an acid molecule and deplete its concentration.you can calculate to perfection exactly how much power was spent this way.make dam sure the vents are shut tight when running and when you open them for samples,close them quick afterward.dont ever leave them open too long,the lead sponge wants to suck air in and self-discharge.Pb+O+H2SO4=PbSO4+H2O

[profitis]

@hoppy dont worry about all that.the only thing we need to know are the specific gravity results.