ABSTRACT

This project describes the design and construction of an automatic Battery charger. Automatic Battery chargers are not particularly cheap, but the protection they afford in protecting batteries against overcharging and possible battery damage is highly desirable. However the work carried out through the construction and design of an inexpensive alternative to the commercially available fully Automatic Battery Chargers, which will automatically monitor the state of the battery and cut off the charge current at the desired point when the battery is fully charged.

  TABLE OF CONTENT

Content                                                                                                                      Page

Cover page i

Declaration ii

Certification iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgement v

Abstract vi

Table of content vii

Chapter one

Introduction 1

1.1 Project Motivation 4

1.2 Aim and Objectives 4

1.3 Problem Statement 5

Chapter two

Literature Review 6

2.1 Theory and Design 7

2.1.1 Definition of a Battery 7

2.2 Chemistry of a Lead-Acid Cell 8

2.2.1 When Discharging 8

2.2.2 When Recharging 10

2.3 Effect of Temperature on Battery Operation 11

2.3.1 Battery Failure 12

2.4 Transformer 12

2.5 Rectification 14

2.5.1 Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier 15

2.6 Zener Diode 17

2.7 Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) 19

2.8 Capacitors 21

2.9 Diodes 22

Chapter three

3.1 Methodology (Circuit Construction) 25

3.1.1 AC to DC Unit 25

3.1.2 Charge Monitor 28

Chapter Four

4.1 Result and Discussion 30

4.1.1 Test for the Transformer 30

4.1.2 Test for the Rectifier 30

4.1.4 Operational Amplifier Test 30

4.2 Problems Encountered 31

4.3 Components Used 31

Chapter Five

5.0 Application, Conclusion and Recommendation 32

5.1 Application 32

5.2 Conclusion 32

5.3 Recommendation 32

5.4 References