1.Distinguish battery types
Lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4):
The battery voltage is usually 3.2V (single cell), and is often used in series.
Appearance: Generally rectangular or square, commonly used in power tools, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems.
Lightweight, high capacity, usually safer, and long life.
Lead-acid battery:
Voltage: Commonly 12V, 24V, 48V, etc., commonly used in automobiles, UPS power supplies, lighting equipment, etc.
Appearance: Black or gray hard shell, usually heavy, will heat up when charging and require ventilation.
Short life, about 500-800 cycles.
Lithium battery (generally refers to Li-ion battery):
Voltage: Single cell is usually 3.6V or 3.7V, used in series to meet higher voltage requirements.
Appearance: Cylindrical, square or wrapped in a soft bag, widely used in mobile phones, laptops, power tools, etc.
Superior performance, fast charging speed, long life, and high capacity.
2. Find the corresponding charger
According to the characteristics of different batteries, pay special attention to the following points when choosing a charger: voltage, charging current, charging control method etc.
1) Lithium iron phosphate battery charger（Lifep04 charger）
Charging voltage: The charging voltage of each monomer is 3.6V-3.65V. If it is a 12V system, the output voltage of the charger is usually 14.6V (3.65V * 4 series monomers). If the battery system is higher, such as 24V, 48V, etc., the charger output voltage will increase accordingly.
Charging current: Usually 0.5C-1C of the battery capacity. For example, if the battery capacity is 10Ah, the charging current is generally 5A-10A.
Features:
Charger selection: You need to choose a charger that specifically supports lithium iron phosphate batteries. These chargers usually have intelligent charging management functions to prevent overcharging.
Battery Management System (BMS): Generally, lithium iron phosphate batteries are equipped with BMS to ensure the safety of the charging process.
2) Lead-acid battery charger
Charging voltage: The charging voltage of 12V lead-acid battery is usually between 13.8V-14.4V; 24V system is 27.6V-28.8V.
Charging current: Generally 0.1C-0.3C of battery capacity. For example, for a 10Ah lead-acid battery, the charging current is usually 1A-3A.
Features:
Charger selection: Lead-acid batteries need to choose a charger that can adjust the voltage and has timed floating charge to prevent overcharging or low charging.
Charging method: Mostly three-stage charging (constant current, constant voltage, floating charge) method.
3) Lithium battery charger
Charging voltage: The charging voltage of lithium battery cells is usually 4.2V. If it is a 12V system, the charger output voltage is 14.6V, and the 24V system is 29.4V, etc.
Charging current: The charging current is usually 0.5C-1C of the battery capacity. For example, for a 10Ah lithium battery, the charging current is usually 5A-10A.
Features:
Charger selection: Lithium battery chargers usually need to be equipped with a battery management system (BMS) function to prevent overcharging, over-discharging and battery damage.
Charging method: Lithium battery chargers generally use constant current-constant voltage charging method.
3. How to choose a charger
When choosing a charger, the following factors should be considered:
1). Battery type matching: Make sure that the charger matches the battery type (lithium iron phosphate, lead acid, lithium).
2). Output voltage: Make sure that the output voltage of the charger matches the charging voltage of the battery system. For example, a 12V lead-acid battery requires a charger with a 12V output.
3). Charging current: Select an appropriate charging current according to the capacity of the battery to avoid excessive or low charging current that affects the battery life.
4). Charging method: Select a charger with multi-stage charging management, such as constant current and constant voltage charging methods, especially for lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries.
According to the technical requirements of the battery and charger, choosing a suitable charger is the key to ensuring battery performance and safety.
