Gel battery charger

[Kiwi Bruv]

My next project is to buid a battery charger. I want to use an 08 and make a smart charger.

Does anyone have any info or resources on how to charge a gel battery.

I know that I need to bulk charge to about 80% battery cap (10.8v), then switch to constant current until charged (13.5V) and then float or trickle charge.

 

[BeanieBots]

For rapid charging of lead acid cells, you need to charge at constant current (@ < C/4) to around 14.1v and then float charge at constant voltage of 13.8v. You really should take temperature into account as well because the exact voltages depends on the temperature of the battery.

Battery charging is always a controversial issue so I suggest you do a Google on battery charging and read all the different opinions of the "experts". Bare in mind that the way you charge a battery depends on if you are interested in long battery life, getting maximum charge from that particular cycle, maintaining a battery for emergency use or getting the charge into it in the shortest possible time. You cannot do them all at the same time. It will always be a compramise.
The method I have described is the one used for getting charge into a lead acid battery in the shortest possible time without doing too much damage to the battery.