BATTERY: INDUSTRIAL CHARGER & PROGRAMMABLE POWER SOURCE

With the democratization of mobile devices, the drop of manufacturing cost of batteries, as well as the growing awareness on environmental topics issues, the technology of batteries and chargers has witnessed a tremendous breakthrough in the past few decades; numerous of new batteries have seen the light of day, and innovative charger applications are born as accompaniment.


From Electric Vehicle Charging (EV Charging) infrastructure to Energy Storage System (ESS), the modern chargers are utilized in numerous different sectors nowadays and are pushing the society further towards the more sustainable and renewable energy options.

HOW CHARGER IS DIFFERENT FROM REGULAR POWER SOURCE

While common Power Supplies are designed to provide a fixed and constant DC voltage, chargers require a more complex design with different charging phases to assure the longevity of batteries and safety during operation.

To meet the specific charging needs of different types of batteries, industrial chargers are generally designed with several charging phases, including principally a boost voltage-constant current phase, a constant voltage phase, and a float voltage phase.

More advanced industrial chargers use a microcontroller (MCU) design, which detects the charging status of the connected batteries and allows further adjustment between different charging phases.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that chargers are the only option for charging applications nowadays. Advanced technology in power supplies has made it possible to adapt a programmable power supply, with adjustable voltage and current, to the specific charging demands in the field too.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CHARGER

Choosing the adequate DC power source for the battery is critical if one wishes to maintain the battery’s performance. In the following paragraphs, we will be listing down a few criteria which are considered essential when it comes to the selection of proper chargers for the system.

 

A. Battery Charging Profile

Each battery type has its own specific charging needs and requirements. These requirements are normally defined by the battery manufacturer and listed in their specification. Hence it is important to start by identifying the battery charging profile before further diving into choosing the suitable charger. For the 2 most popular battery types used, we listed 2 example charging curves below:

 

  • Lead-Acid Battery requires chargers with minimum 3 charging stages. 
lead acid battery stage 1

Image 1: Three Stages for Lead-Acid Battery

  • Lithium-based Battery requires generally chargers with 2 charging stages: first with constant current, followed by constant voltage.
lead acid battery stage 2

Image 2: Two stages for Lithium-based battery (LiFeP04, LiCoO2)

For more information read our “Lead-acid and lithium battery charging” article.

For more information about selecting the right charger for your battery please refer to our  “Selecting a charger from your battery” article.

Tip: MEAN WELL offers a Smart Battery Charging Programmer (SBP-001) which allows users to configure via a user-friendly interface, the charging curve of selected MEAN WELL chargers and power supplies (e.g. Intelligent RCB-1600 charger, HEP-1000 for Harsh environment, ENC…etc.). With SBP-001 programmer, the user can set the output current and voltage to further simulate the charging curve for different batteries.

Intelligent Charger DBU-320

Image 3: Intelligent Charger DBU-3200, configurated via SBP-001 and its user-friendly interface (Click to download)

B. Regulations

According to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), numerous regulation standards exist for the purpose of ensuring safety, efficiency, reliability, and interoperability of electrical, electronic, and information technologies; depending on the application of the end device, the mandatory regulations can differ from one to another.

For instance, IEC/EN 60335-1 is the basic requirement for Household appliances’ design, aiming to prevent foreseeable hazards ones could encounter when using the end device. Furthermore, IEC/EN 60335-2-29 defines the requirements in detail for battery chargers intended for household battery charging.

Specific charger applications such as AC EV Charger might require an additional power source to power the auxiliary and communication modules inside the such charger. For these kinds of applications, one has to evaluate on the system level if power supplies with more strict requirements are needed, such as the IEC/EN 61558-1 certification and compliance with OVC III (Overvoltage category III) protection level. Power Supplies with OVC III compliance can be integrated without adding an extra isolation transformer on the input side and gives your products the best out in terms of flexibility and costs in a minimized space. In addition, using such power supplies in AC Charters gives greater flexibility in terms of installation as these would allow the charger to be permanently connected to a distribution panel.

As for chargers intending to power up UPS systems and battery test systems, IEC/EN 62368-1 and IEC/EN 62477 are generally the safety regulations to comply with.

In addition, the standards related to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) emission and immunity are equally important to take into consideration. In case the charging system is certified according to the IEC/EN 62368-1; the EN 55032 and CISPR 32 standards must be confirmed; in case the system needs to be certified for the IEC/EN 60335-1, the emissions and immunity according to the EN 55014 have to be met. Other major EMC regulations which must be complied with are the IEC/EN 61000-3 and IEC/EN 61000-4.

Therefore, clarifying the specific requirements for safety and EMC regulation standards will greatly facilitate the selection of the battery charger process.

Safety Regulation No. MEAN WELL Series
EN62368-1 HDR-15/30/60/100/150
ENC-120/180/240/360
NPB-120/240/360/450/750/1200/1700
RPB-1600 / RCB-1600 / DBR-3200/ DBU-3200
HEP-600C
CSP-3000
PHP-3500
RST-10000/ 5000
BIC-2200
TDR-240/480/960
WDR-60/120/240/480
Adapter Charger: GC30/120/160/220/330
OVC III (based on EN61558) HDR-15/30/60/100/150
*PHP-3500
OVC III (based on EN62368) IRM-30/45/60/90
EN60335-2-29 / EN60335-1 NPB-120/240/360/450/750/1200/1700
EN60335-1 IRM-60/*90
*PHP-3500

*=Regulation Designed Ready, NRE needed by users request

C. Installation

The working environment and condition are essential to the reliability and lifetime of both battery and charger; engineers must take into consideration the eventual working and storage condition of the battery charger to further choose an adequate model for the design.

For instance, chargers designed as 5G vibration-proof are more suitable for installation located in a mobile device. E.g., wheelchair, E-bike, mobile working station, camper van…etc. Whereas waterproof and dust-resistant IP67 chargers and power supplies are generally recommended for application under humid and dusty environment, both indoor and outdoor. 

On the other hand, it is not to forget that the working temperature is equally important to the longevity of battery charger and battery as the other working conditions mentioned earlier. Therefore, one should think about selecting a power source with adequate thermal dissipation design (e.g., convention cooling, forced air flow, conducted colling, water cooling…etc..) for the system too. 

Last but not least, the selection of battery charger is sometime limited by the available space or specific installation method too; a 19-inch rack cabinet will probably need an 1U Battery Charger (e.g., 1U-tall RCB-1600) to save space and a DIN Rail cabinet will most likely adapt a DIN RAIL power source (e.g., HDR series with OVC III  protection)…etc.  

Future postings and articles:

In the upcoming future, MEAN WELL will also share its knowledge regarding the booming Energy Storage System (ESS) field. For instance, how to use MEAN WELL Chargers (programmable 67~400VDC) in a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) application, as well as the know-how on digital communication protocols (e.g., PMbus and CANbus), which can further perform voltage and current control for the Energy sector. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHARGING POWER SUPPLIES

Explore our blog for insightful technical notes about Charging Applications.

Got questions?

Look at the section below to find the most frequently asked questions (with answers)
we received in Charging Applications.