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The following report documents a test that was conducted by Chris DeHaan at Bowling Green State University, College of Technology, Electric Vehicle Institute. The test was conducted to determine if there are any beneficial results using the Can-Pulse Charge Partner for users of lead-acid batteries.

Two common lead-acid Starting-Lighting-Accessory, (SLA), batteries were picked at random from a lot of six batteries. These batteries were purchased in 1994, making them roughly 3 years old. They had been exposed to heavy use in an electric vehicle application. For the last year, they had been taken out of service, and remained idle. As a result, their capacity was failing, presumably due to the sulfation process.

To begin the test, the two batteries were labeled. The battery that was to receive the pulsing from the Can-Pulse Charge Partner was named BCANP1 (battery with Can-Pulse). The battery that did not receive the pulse was labeled BWP1 (battery without pulse). The names were chosen to insure proper data file names could be kept on each of the batteries.

The batteries' performance was measured on a computerized battery test stand under a 200 amp resistive load for the first 6 tests to simulate moderate usage. The computer measured kilowatt-hours, amps and the voltage of the battery. The data was also recorded manually for use should the computer test stand fail. With this data, the graph that accompanied his report was produced. The last two tests were conducted at 350 amps to simulate heavy loading. A five percent margin of error was allowed for this report.

The first test that was conducted (graphs labeled Bcanp1-1, and Bwp1-1*) was done so to determine the state of each battery. The two batteries were charged up in parallel with each other. The batteries were allowed to trickle charge, but the Can-Pulse Charge Partner was not used on BCANP1. Each battery was tested using the computerized battery test stand after 20 hours. The battery labeled BCANP1 showed slightly more capacity than the battery labeled BWP1.

To assure that each battery received the same treatment, each battery was charged in parallel with a 100 amp 12 volt charger until the charger shut down. (The charger that was used shut down when the batteries were drawing less than 1 amp.) After the main charger shut down, the batteries were disconnected, and placed on separate 12 volt trickle chargers. The battery that received the pulse (BCANP1) was hooked up to the pulsing unit at this time. Each battery was allowed to trickle charge for 20 hours

The second test that was conducted (graphs labeled Bcanp1-2, and BWP1-2), was done so with the Can-Pulse Charge Partner in place on BCANP1. After 20 hours, the batteries were tested, and the battery that was pulsed showed a forty percent increase in capacity over the battery that was not pulsed.

Test three (graphs BCANP1-3, and BWP1-3), and test four (graphs BCANP1-4, and BWP1-4) were conducted in the same manner with the same charging procedures. After the fourth test it became apparent that the battery that was pulsed had increased in performance by forty percent, while the battery without the pulse had not. As the performance for both batteries leveled off, it was presumed that the total capacity for both batteries had peaked.

It was decided that in order to determine how the Can-Pulse Charge Partner had effected BCANP1, the test would have to be reversed. The Can-Pulse Charge Partner was placed on BWP1, and the charge partner was removed from BCANP1. The remaining tests were conducted in this fashion.

Test 5 (graphs BCANP1-5, and BWP1-5) and test 6 (graphs BCANP1-6, and BWP1-6) were conducted in the manner discussed in the proceeding paragraph, with the same charging procedure. The BWP1 battery that started to receive the pulse showed a twenty percent increase in capacity on the first test of the new charging configuration. A second tests were conducted to see if there was additional improvement. The conclusion was that the battery had gained maximum capacity after the fifth test. The capacity for battery BCANP1 remained the same after it had been pulsed.

Test 7 (graphs BCANP1-7, and BWP1-7) and test 8 (graphs BCANP1-8 and Bwp1-8) were conducted to see how the batteries held up under a 350 amp nominal load. Both batteries showed similar results.

The results of these experiments show that there was in fact an improvement in the capacity and performance of the subject batteries when the Can-Pulse Charge Partner was used in conjunction with charging.

Chris DeHaan can be reached by email at: cdehaan@bgnet.bgsu.edu

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