Abstract
INTRODUCTION TO BATTERY CHARGERS
A battery charger is a device used to replenish the electrical charge stored in secondary (storage) batteries. A battery charger applies direct current at a necessary voltage and current to the electrodes of the battery.
It is relatively easy to charge a battery with direct current. All that is necessary is a resistor to adjust and control the rate of charge. Unfortunately, a battery can' t be charged with unmodified alternating current. With a few exceptions, batteries are charged using a "power converter" or transformer and alternating house current (115-volts or 230-volts) or a heat engine (like an internal combustion engine) of an auto. In the first case, AC is converted to DC using a rectifier, with or without a transformer. In the second case, the heat engine drives a DC generator or alternator. In some high capacity industrial battery charging situations, an AC-powered motor is used to operate a DC generator and charger. Battery charger efficiencies are typically 85% to 90%.
With this in mind, a battery charger consists of one or more of the following subassemblies.
- rectifiers
- transformers
- regulators
- microcontrollers.
- packaging
RECTIFIERS
A rectifier is an electrical circuit that converts oscillating current or AC into unidirectional current or DC through the inversion or suppression of alternate half waves. There are at least a dozen battery charger rectifier designs possible. In practice, however, the important battery charger rectifier configurations are tungar rectifiers and selenium/silicon solid-state rectifiers. Silicon diodes are a subcategory of the solid-state rectifier.
Battery charger rectifiers include the following items.
- 1. A tungar rectifier consists of a tungar bulb enclosing a tungsten-containing filament. The heated filament ionizes an inert gas in the bulb when AC is applied. Electricity is conducted when the current at the anode is positive and is blocked when the current at the anode is negative.
- 2. In a solid-state rectifier, current passes easily when the polarity of the current is in one direction. In the other direction, resistance is high and current does not easily pass. AC reverses polarity 60 times per second (60 hertz). When connected to a rectifier, half of the AC' s cycle passes through easily and half is blocked.
- 3. A selenium rectifier consists of a disk or plate, usually with four layers: (1) an aluminum base plate; (2) a thin selenium layer; (3) a thin blocking layer (where the conversion to DC actually takes place); and (4) a metal counter electrode.
- 4. A silicon diode rectifier consists simply of a small silicon pellet enclosed by a metal housing. A variety of leads or housing designs is possible. Microelectronic silicon diodes have also been fabricated.
Table of Contents
- BATTERY CHARGER CORPORATE PROFILES, DIRECTORY, AND MARKET
- VALUES
- RECTIFIERS
- TRANSFORMERS
- MICROCONTROLLERS
- PACKAGING
- MARKET VALUE
- INDEX OF COMPANIES
- ABB LTD. (ASEA BROWN BOVERI)
- ABSOPULSE ELECTRONICS LTD.
- ACCELRATE POWER SYSTEMS INC.
- ACTION BUSINESS SUPPLIERS INC.
- ADCON ELECTRONICS, INC.
- ADS POWER RESOURCE (SEE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS SUPPORT)
- ADVANCED ANALOGIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- ADVANCED BATTERY SYSTEMS, INC.
- AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
- AMERICAN BATTERY CHARGING, INC.
- AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORP.
- AMETEK SOLIDSTATE CONTROLS, INC.
- AMETEK PRESTOLITE POWER, INC. (A DIVISION OF AMETEK)
- APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
- APPLIED ENERGY SOLUTIONS
- APX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- AROTECH CORPORATION
- ARRGH!! MANUFACTURING CO., INC.
- ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT CORP.
- ASTRA PRODUCTS CO. INC.
- ASTRODYNE CORP.
- ASTROFLIGHT INC.
- ATMEL CORPORATION
- BATTERY SYSTEMS, INC.
- BITRODE CORP
- THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION
- C&D TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- CADEX ELECTRONICS.
- CELL-CON, INC.
- CLIPLIGHT MANUFACTURING INC.
- CLORE AUTOMOTIVE
- CONSTANT POWER MANUFACTURING CO., INC.
- CONTROL SOLUTIONS INC.
- DEPENDABLE POWER SYSTEMS
- DIVERSIFIED POWER INTERNATIONAL, LLC
- DONGAN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CO.
- DURACELL INTERNATIONAL
- DYCO ELECTRONICS INC.
- DYNAGE POWER & MAGNETICS
- EAGLEPICHER CORP
- ENGINEERING DESIGN & SALES
- ELCON INSTRUMENTS, INC. (SEE PEPPERL+FUCHS INC.)
- ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS SUPPORT, INC.
- ELGIN ELECTRONICS (SEE ABB LTD.)
- ENERSYS (INCLUDING INVENSYS)
- EXAR CORP.
- EXELTECH INC.
- EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
- FORE-PAR GROUP
- FREEDOM POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
- FREEPLAY ENERGY PLC
- FRIWO
- FUJI HI-TECH INC.
- FUJITSU LTD.
- GNB INDUSTRIAL POWER (SEE EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES)
- GOLD PEAK INDUSTRIES NORTH AMERICA, INC.
- GOODALL MANUFACTURING LLC
- HARDING ENERGY, INC.
- HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY L.P.
- HINDLEPOWER, INC. (FORMERLY HITRAN POWER SYSTEMS)
- HLK & ASSOCIATES INC.
- HM ELECTRONICS, INC.
- HOBART BATTERY CHARGERS (SEE AMETEK PRESTOLITE POWER)
- INTEL CORP.
- INTERMEC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
- IOTA ENGINEERING.
- ISL PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
- JEROME INDUSTRIES CORP.
- KEYSTONE BATTERY CORP.
- KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
- LA MARCHE MANUFACTURING
- LAPPEN AUTO SUPPLY CO. INC.
- LESTER ELECTRICAL INC.
- LIND ELECTRONIC DESIGN
- LUND INSTRUMENT ENGINEERING, INC. (SEE POWERSTREAM TECHNOLOGY)
- MAG-CON ENGINEERING INC.
- MARATHONNORCO AEROSPACE, INC.
- MARINE ELECTRIC SYSTEMS, INC.
- MATHEWS ASSOCIATES, INC./BATTERY ASSEMBLERS, INC.
- MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS INC.
- MCDOWELL RESEARCH, LTD.
- MCE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
- MICRO POWER ELECTRONICS, INC.
- MOTOR APPLIANCE CORP.
- MOTOROLA, INC.
- MYERS POWER PRODUCTS
- NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
- NEWMAR
- NEXERGY (PROMARK ELECTRONICS, DC BATTERY PRODUCTS, TAUBER)
- ONEAC CORP.
- PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC AEROSPACE & DEFENSE GROUP
- PANASONIC (MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.)
- PEPPERL+FUCHS GMBH
- PGI INTERNATIONAL
- POWER PRODUCTS INC.
- POWER-SONIC CORP.
- POWERSTREAM TECHNOLOGY
- PROMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.
- PULSE PRODUCTS
- PULSETECH PRODUCTS CORPORATION
- QUICK CHARGE CORP.
- RADIOSHACK CORP.
- RAYOVAC CORP. (SEE SPECTRUM BRANDS)
- SAFT (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D' ELECTRICITE)
- SCHAEFER POWER
- SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC CO.
- SELFCHARGE (SEE MICRO POWER ELECTRONICS, INC.)
- SIEMENS AG
- SKYTEL CORP.
- 2WAY MESSAGING
- SONY CORP.
- SOUTHWEST ELECTRONIC ENERGY CORP.
- SPECTRUM BRANDS (FORMERLY RAYOVAC CORPORATION)
- STACO ENERGY PRODUCTS CO.
- TAMURA CORP. OF AMERICA
- TANDY CORP. (SEE RADIOSHACK CORPORATION)
- TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, INC
- TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC.
- TRITRONICS, INC.
- UNIROSS
- UNITED MACHINERY AND SUPPLY CO., INC.
- UNIVERSAL POWER GROUP, INC.
- VALENCE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
- VANNER CORPORATION
- VENTRONICS INC.
- VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
- WERRES CORP.
- XANTREX
- XENOTRONIX INC.
- YUASA BATTERY, INC. (YUASA BATTERY AMERICA INC., YUASA-EXIDE)
- SELECTED ACRONYMS
LIST OF TABLES
- BATTERY CHARGERS: WORLDWIDE MARKET, 2006, 2007, 2008 AND 2013
