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Chapter 12: Battery Maintenance Equipment
 With the increasing volume of batteries in circulation,
battery manufacturing is outpacing the supply of suitable equipment
to test these packs. This void is especially apparent in the
mobile phone market where large quantities of batteries are
being replaced under warranty without checking or attempting
to restore them. The dealers are simply not equipped to handle
the influx of returned batteries, neither is the staff trained
to perform this task on a customer service level. Testing and
conditioning these batteries is a complex procedure that lies
outside the capabilities of most customer service clerks.
With the move to maintenance-free batteries and
the need to test larger numbers of batteries, the function
of battery test equipment is changing. Lengthy cycling is
giving way to quick testing, improved battery preparation
and better customer service. This shift in priority is especially
apparent in the rapidly growing consumer market. In this chapter
we examine modern battery analyzers and how they adapt to
the changing needs of battery service.
Conditioning Chargers
Charging batteries is often not enough, especially
when it comes to nickel-based chemistries. Periodic maintenance
is needed to optimize battery life. Some innovative manufacturers
offer chargers with conditioning features. The most basic
charger models feature one or several bays with discharge
opportunity. More advanced chargers include a display to reveal
the capacity.
Some chargers offer pulse charge methods. This
is done to improve charge efficiency and reduce the memory
phenomenon on nickel-based batteries. Optimal charge performance
is achieved by using a pulse charge that intersperses discharge
pulses between charge pulses. Commonly referred to as ‘burp’
or ‘reverse load’ charge, this charge method promotes
high surface area on the electrodes and helps in the recombination
of the gases generated during charge.
Some manufacturers claim that the pulse charge
method conditions and restores NiCd batteries and makes the
periodic discharges redundant. Research carried out by the
US Army has revealed that pulse charging does reduce the crystalline
formation on the NiCd battery. If properly administered, batteries
charged with these pulse chargers prolong service life. For
batteries with advanced memory, however, the pulse charge method
alone is not sufficient and a full discharge or recondition
cycle is needed to break down the more stubborn crystalline
formation.
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