BATTERIES | Charging Methods

In contrast to primary electrochemical power sources, secondary power sources have the ability to be recharged in order to deliver power again. In the charging process, direct current electric power is used to restore the active materials of the cell or battery to their high energy state. The method used for recharge will greatly influence the energy and power supply capabilities of a power source, as well as the number of cycles it will be able to perform. In other words, charging methods are crucial to the performance and life of secondary batteries. Depending on the power source technology and its use, the charge parameters (time, current, voltage, temperature, and so on) will more or less influence the performance or life, so that the optimum charging method for a given technology will always be a trade-off between the impact on the electrical performance, on the life, and the efficiency of the charge. Therefore, this article first presents general methods for power sources charging, followed by some information on the relation with the applications. Finally, it details the specificities for different secondary power sources technologies and provides some hints of ’the optimum charging method' for a given technology and its use.