Ohio Research Confirms Canadian Pulse Charge Benefit Research done in Ohio has confirmed that a Canadian pulse charger can improve performance significantly on used lead acid batteries. Chris DeHaan, a Battery Research and Management specialist at Bowling Green State University, came up with what he termed "very surprising" favorable results from tests this summer at the College of Technology's Electric Vehicle Institute at Bowling Green State University. The small device tested was a Can-Pulse Charge Partner made by Solartech Products Ltd., of Manitoba. The system applies electronically regulated low amperage pulses when the battery reaches normal charge voltage. Solartech says this removes sulfation during the charging cycle giving renewed life to aging batteries and preventing a sulfate layer on new ones DeHaan experimented with two common lead acid starting lighting accessory batteries picked at random. The batteries were about three years old, had been exposed to heavy use in electric vehicle service, had been idle over the past year, and were in failing capacity. They were run through a series or charges and discharges simulating normal use. Results from one test indicated that the battery whose recharging was done under CAN-Pulse showed a 40% increase in capacity over the battery that had received an ordinary charge. In a reverse procedure, the battery which had received the ordinary charge, was Can-Pulsed while the battery which had been revived with the pulse charger, was given a regular charge. In this test, the second battery's capacity expanded 20% under pulsing, while the other battery, the first recipient of pulse charging, remained without capacity gain under ordinary charging. A description or the pulse charger was carried in the February 1997 issue or EV News. The device is available from Solartech Products Ltd., 2729 Assiniboine Ave.. Winnipeg, MB, RSJ 0B1, Canada: Tel 204-885 4852, fax 204-888-2048, e-mail info@solartech.com Chris DeHaan can be reached at the Electric Vehicle Institute, College of Technology, Bowling Green Stats University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403 0300, tel 419-372-8931, fax 419-372-2800. Back to the Information Page.