Can I shorten the SLA battery charging cycle?

[ElectronicsGeek]

Hi there,
I have an electric bike. As per its manufacturer's instructions, the SLA battery needs a charging time of about 8 hours to reach 90% charged from entirely discharged battery. In my point of view, it is too long and not convenient, especially when I need to charge it in the day time.
So, anyone can let me know if I can increase charging voltage/current to shorten the charging time, for example down to 3 or 4 hours???
Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

ElectronicsGeek

 

[Gazza1]

Hi there,
I have an electric bike. As per its manufacturer's instructions, the SLA battery needs a charging time of about 8 hours to reach 90% charged from entirely discharged battery. In my point of view, it is too long and not convenient, especially when I need to charge it in the day time.
So, anyone can let me know if I can increase charging voltage/current to shorten the charging time, for example down to 3 or 4 hours???
Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

ElectronicsGeek

Can you be more specific on the type of battery. Make. Model, Ah rating and Wattage rating

 

[ante1]

Hi ElectronicsGeek,

Of curse you can shorten the charging time by increasing the current! But by doing so you might also shorten the life of the battery considerably! If you care for the battery and want to avoid damage you should stick to the manufacturers recommendations.

 

[hunt1]

ante is right,

faster charging will shotren the life of ur battery but i can give some tips for better utilisation

if the sla is not dicharged below 20 % DOD (depth of discharge) u can recharge it from 20 %dod to 80 %dod in around 2 hours .

the first 20 % (from 0 to 20) and the last 20%(80 to 100) of the battery take longer time to rechgarge because of the chemistry of the battery ( around 2-3 hours each)

make sure u are using a good quality smart charger .

hope my answer helped u .

 

[ante1]

Hi hunt,

It’s never a good idea to drain the batterys completely, this should always be avoided. Even down to 20% is somewhat low in my book, I prefer 40% minimum for a long healthy life of the batterys. If they are discharged completely (by accident) it’s very important to get them fully charged ASAP. Never leave a battery partially discharged if possible, sulphate will form rapidly. Of curse you should always consult the datasheets from the manufacturer. A “smart charger” is a great thing when used the correct way.