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The Panasonic NiMH charging manual warns that overcharging for long enough can damage a battery and suggests limiting the total charging time to 10–20 hours. [ 22 ] Duracell further suggests that a trickle charge at C /300 can be used for batteries that must be kept in a fully charged state. [ 23 ]
A battery charger, recharger, or simply charger, [1] [2] is a device that stores energy in an electric battery by running current through it. The charging protocol—how much voltage and current, for how long and what to do when charging is complete—depends on the size and type of the battery being charged.
The first generation rechargeable alkaline batteries were introduced by Union Carbide and Mallory in the early 1970s. [3] [5] Several patents were introduced after Union Carbide's product discontinuation and eventually, in 1986, Battery Technologies Inc of Canada was founded to commercially develop a 2nd generation product based on those patents, under the trademark "RAM".
A nickel–hydrogen battery (NiH 2 or Ni–H 2) is a rechargeable electrochemical power source based on nickel and hydrogen. [5] It differs from a nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) battery by the use of hydrogen in gaseous form, stored in a pressurized cell at up to 1200 psi (82.7 bar) pressure. [6]
Under certain conditions, some battery chemistries are at risk of thermal runaway, leading to cell rupture or combustion.As thermal runaway is determined not only by cell chemistry but also cell size, cell design and charge, only the worst-case values are reflected here.
Rechargeable batteries are (re)charged by applying electric current, which reverses the chemical reactions that occur during discharge/use. Devices to supply the appropriate current are called chargers. The oldest form of rechargeable battery is the lead–acid battery, which are widely used in automotive and boating applications.
Nickel–zinc batteries have a charge–discharge curve similar to 1.2 V NiCd or NiMH cells, but with a higher 1.6 V nominal voltage. [5]Nickel–zinc batteries perform well in high-drain applications, and may have the potential to replace lead–acid batteries because of their higher energy-to-mass ratio and higher power-to-mass ratio – as little as 25% of the mass for the same power. [6]
The energy used to charge rechargeable batteries usually comes from a battery charger using AC mains electricity, although some are equipped to use a vehicle's 12-volt DC power outlet. The voltage of the source must be higher than that of the battery to force current to flow into it, but not too much higher or the battery may be damaged.