A battery charger is used as to recharge batteries by forcing with the help of controlling the flow of electric current. The electric current forced into the battery varies according to the technology being used and the requirements of the battery. Lets take the example of a current that is able to charge a 12V battery. The requirements for such a battery would be quite different then the one which is used in mobile phones.
In order to charge your battery correctly, you need to understand what kind of technology your battery is based on. Because if your charger is not a suitable one, it will shorten it's life or permanently damages it. Protecting your battery from overcharging is also an important concern. The manufacturer of a battery or a battery charger can decide if this should be a part of a battery or a battery charger.
The approximate charging time of a battery, or how much time a specific charger takes charge, must be mentioned. The source from which power is generated should be mentioned, whether it is the DC power, using a vehicle for charging, wind and even solar power sources. For devices which need high power, the performance of the battery plays a vital role.
Marine Battery Chargers are different due to the different circumstances in marine environment. You can easily find a number of technologies technologies used within marine battery chargers.
• Ferro Resonant
It uses a magnetic system with a low frequency, which in turn ends up making them heavy.
• Linear
The linear battery chargers use a transformer with a lower frequency to reduce the input voltage. To charge the batteries, these types of chargers use transistors, controlling the flow of current and voltage in the process. The biggest drawback consumers face while using this particular charger is the limitation of the input voltage, which is not at all suitable for marine equipment.
• Switched Mode Chargers
This method is quite different from the two methods mentioned above and uses techniques used in your television sets and personal computers. First of all, the input has to be converted into high voltage with the help of special transistors. After that the voltage is reduced to match the level required to charge your battery. The method is costlier then the previously mentioned two methods due to which there is a decrease in the running costs.
Marine Battery Charger Technologies