After some googling, I actualy found an 18v PbAcid charger and got it yesterday. Spoke to the guy and gave him my specs (I'm a newbie at this, so please bare with me), and this is what I purchased... http://www.powerstream.com/ Go to Battery Chargers and find the only 18V PbAcid Charger there.
Here's where I'm stuck. I have 3 6 volt Pb Acid Batterys with about 5 amps in series (I put Red to a Black and that Red to another Black. The remainig 2 connections from 2 different battery's, one Red and One Black was set up to my scooter and it worked beautifully. I think it stopped working when I lost juice - got around a bit and then it just died.
SO...when I got the charger I thought I'd be able to just connect the Red clip on the charger to the Red wire on the series and same for black. The LED light stayed on green (as if it was charged) the entire time. I thought that was odd, so I tested the battery's separately, 2 of them had charging to go (LED light changed to red) and one of them stayed Green.
so Now I'm trying to charge each battery separately, but it's taking a while. How long should each battery charge for? Is there an easy way to wire these bad boys so that I don't have to do them separately? Red to Red to Red to Charger, Black to Black to Black to Charger.
Finally, the Grand Finale. Once I do get them wired correctly, I'm going to want to place them in my scooter and run the wires to the motor (so it runs) & to the adapter that I bought so that I can easily charge the battery http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=306
Is what I'm trying to do possible? Run wires in series that will sit in my scooter and go directly to my source (Motor) and run wires that will run from my batteries to the charger using that connector.
I appreciate any help that can be offered....Once I get this solution fixd, I think I'll be all good.
Thak you,
David
It is possible that you have DAMAGED one of your batteries, perhaps by discharging it too far, and then allowing it to remain in that state too long, resulting in the battery SULFATING internally. A sulfated battery will have much higher internal resistance, which reduces/prevents it from drawing charging current. Sometimes, after a very LONG period of charging, such batteries may recover somewhat, but usually replacement is required to obtain full performance. Lead-Acid batteries should never be stored in a discharged state, and 6 volt batteries do not fare well if discharged below 5.4 volts. PROMPTLY re-charge (within 24 hours) these batteries for best results! If you connect your batteris in series, and attempt to charge them, it is very likely that the bad battery will exhibit a much HIGHER voltage across itself when charging is attempted, a sign that it has been severely discharged/sulfated.---Good luck, Bob Curry.
Robert M. Curry
Thanks Bob...It was only a few days that they were not charging...what should I do...allign them in series and charge of one by one? How would I know if it is damaged?
If you have a charger made for a 6 volt battery, connect the bad battery to it, and allow it to attempt charging for about 3 days-(72 hours)-sometimes, a lengthy charge will restore some function. Voltage across a GOOD 6 volt lead-acid battery during charge should start around 5.5 volts when dead, and increase to above 6.5 volts but less than 7.5 volts at end of charge,, if charging is done at normal room temperature, 65 to 75 degrees F. Colder temperatures result in HIGHER charging voltages, and hotter temperatures require lower charging voltages. If you see 8 volts or above across a 6 volt battery in your series string of 3 such batteries when charging is attempted, that battery has a problem! Do NOT connect a single 6 volt battery to an 18 volt charger! You could connect all 3 batteries in PARRALLEL to a SIX VOLT charger, and then, after charging them, re-connect the batteries in SERIES for use. (First, you must get all 3 batteries to perform properly as individual batteries)-Bob
Robert M. Curry
The only charger that I have is an 18v Pb Acid Charger...here is the exact chargers specs. This doesn't sound good for what I have...
Model PST-3PA3022, PST-3PA3022R
Name 18 Volt charger for lead acid, sealed lead acid, etc.
Type Battery Pack Charger for R/C, Robots, ride-on toys, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters and instruments.
ROHS ROHS available on special order
Rated input voltage 90-264 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Battery size 18 volt nominal SLA, VRLA, Gel, AGM, or flooded
Input Frequency 50-60 Hz
Battery voltage 18 volts nominal
Battery size 0.7 AH to 20+ AH
Charging current 1.6 amps or 1600mA
Charger type Lead Acid Chemistry
Charging algorithm Constant current/constant voltage/float
Stage 1 constant current 1600 mA ± 100 mA
Stage 2 constant voltage 22.1 volts ± 0.25 volts
Stage 3 float charge 20.65 ±0.20 volts
"Charged" light turns on and float charge starts when the charge current is below 0.20 amps ±0.05 amps when the battery charge voltage is above 21 volts.
Rejunenation Desulphate or repair PST-3PA3022R only: Automatic rejuvination function is under microprocessor contro and does not need a switch. If the battery will not accept a charge the voltage is automatically raised in a controlled manner to 28.5-33V and limited to 200 mA
Style Desktop
Output power 130W maximum
Output voltage 22.2 volts maximum during charge, 33 volts maximum during desulphation repair
Output options included Alligator clips or 5.5 mm OD x 2.1 mm ID barrel More barrel connectors available separately, see belowNote: The Minimoto uses the unusual configuration of negative center for the barrel connector. Please double check your application.
Weight 250 grams, 0.25 kg, 0.55 pounds, 8.8 oz
Cooling Natural convection, no fan
Efficiency >80%
Size 117 x 61 x 37 mm, 4.6 x 2.4 x 1.5 inches
Environment -10°C to +40°C operating, -40°C to +70°C storage
Temperature rise <40°C rise on case under any line voltage and maximum rated load
Vibration, Impact 5mm, 50Hz, 600 Seconds, 1 meter drop 3 times
Protections Reverse Polarity, Short circuit protection, Over Voltage Protection, Output current protection
Safety CE marked, designed to EN60950, GB4946, UL1950
MTBF 30,000 hours by MIL-STD calculation
HiPot, ESD Hi-Pot 3000 V, 1 minu7te, ESD 8000V
LED Indications Power on, but no battery connected Green
Charging Red
Finishing charge Green flashing
Desulphating if it doesn't turn red within 3-5 days the battery is not recoverable Red flashing
Charged/Float Charging Green
Polarity reverse or short circuit Red & Green (yellow) flashing alternately
How do you think about LiFePO4 EV battery?
The 18 volt charger being discussed could charge a LiFePo4 battery having 6 cells in series. Provision for cell balancing should also be provided, unless a balance circuit is included with the battery. (batteries bigger than 20 ampere hours capacity would not be advised, as this charger would charge them very slowly! A 15 amper-hour battery would require about 10 hours to fully recharge from a discharged state.)--Bob Curry
Robert M. Curry