pulse tech for batteries

[ssullivan]

No input on the pulsers (but have had great success with the Iota PWM chargers).

As an aside, Velcro was mentioned above. It was actually the Burdock plant (Acrtium Lappa) that inspired the invention of Velcro.

[Chief Engineer]

Right up there with
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Ultrasonic Barnacle Chasers
Billy Joe Bob's Propeller Paint



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[camaraderie]

Chief...wait a minute. Are you saying those toilet paper filters don't work??!! I've been using mine and saved hundreds of dollars over the past ten years and only replaced two engines in that time. Stop speading false rumours!

[thims]

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clark 1961

[btrayfors]

Fun and games :-)

OK, for anyone seriously interested in Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology used in battery chargers (not the same as the little pulsers we've been talking about early in this thread), there are some good papers out there.

Here's one: Morningstar - The World's Leading Solar Controllers and Inverters

Just hit the "download now" button to get a copy of Morningstar's "Why PWM?" white paper, complete with tech notes, references, etc. Not a bad summary, IMO.

Morningstar and Iota are two manufacturers which produce PWM-based chargers suitable for marine use. I have two of the Iotas (a 45-amp model and a 55-amp model); both have performed beautifully and have maintained battery capacity very well over a couple of years without the need for equalization.

So well, in fact, that I'm thinking of adding another Iota to my house battery bank on the boat which is now maintained by a high-end smart charger (Victron Multi-Plus) which is great but which doesn't do as good a job of maintaining capacity and preventing sulfation as I believe does the Iota.

It's either that or more frequent equalization cycles on the house batteries.

BTW, PWM has been developed rather extensively in the PV (solar panel) industry.

Bill

[Dream Maker]

Has anyone seen the report done by Practical Sailor in January 2007 titled "Conditioners Help Combat Sulfate Build-Up"? The abstract of this report says they tested the Nanopulser and Solar Pulse products.

[Roy M]

Probably not a good idea to bring this subject up again. It's kind of like the Vatican vs. Galileo. You either believe one way or the other. Don't confuse the issue with further verification.

[defever]

i'm not concerned w/ bringing back bad batteries, i'm wondering if the use of these gizmos eliminate the need for equalizing the batteries once a month to eliminate sulfation. i'm full time on the hook and have 8 6V trojans that i try to equalize once/mo but have to run the gen set 10 hrs or pull into a marina and plug in---both cost $$$$$ to do and i'm trying to avoid that cost. got any comments?

[Roy M]

Short answer: yes, they eliminate equalization. Second answer: one conditioner per bank. Two banks? Two conditioners.