Smart Battery Charging Is Better With Temperature Compensation
Automotive battery charging is primarily an electrochemical process. Yet it is not unusual for auto techs and fleet managers to carefully control one critical variable that dictates how effectively a battery receives and holds a charge: temperature. The chemical reactions inside a battery speed up as temperatures rise. When temperatures fall, those processes slow down.
A fixed-voltage retail charger treats every charging scenario the same. Whether it’s deployed in an unheated shop in the middle of January or on the back of a truck underneath the July sun, there is nothing different from one charge to the next. More advanced professional chargers, like the PRO-LOGIX line from Clore Automotive, include integrated temperature compensation that protects battery health and guarantees a complete charge regardless of temperature.
More About Temperature Compensation
Temperature compensation is an automatic control feature that is now fairly common among professional charging systems. It actively adjusts a battery charger’s output voltage based on ambient air temperature. Using lead-acid batteries as an example, here is why temperature control is so important:
- In Cold Weather – A car battery’s internal resistance increases significantly as temperatures go down. To force current through a battery, a charger must supply a higher voltage.
- In Hot Weather – Internal resistance decreases as temperatures rise. So in hot weather, chemical reactions occur more rapidly. A charger needs to send less voltage to get the battery to full charge.
A battery charger equipped with temperature compensation senses thermal shifts in the general area around the battery. It then fine-tunes the target voltage in real time. Even slight adjustments, some as small as several millivolts, can make a big difference.
Under- and Overcharging Destroy Batteries
One downside of using a standard non-compensated charger during extreme temperatures is battery damage. Both undercharging in cold weather and overcharging in hot weather can do serious harm.
- In Cold Weather – Batteries that fail to fully charge are subject to sulfation. This is the process of sulfate crystals building up on internal plates over time. It is more likely to occur because of winter undercharging.
- In Hot Weather – In hot weather, fixed high voltage tends to accelerate grid corrosion and water loss. In the most severe cases, an uncompensated high current can trigger thermal runaway. A battery could swell, crack, or even burst.
The professionals understand just how serious battery damage can be. That’s why so many of them are setting aside their older non-compensated chargers in favor of smart chargers from brands like PRO-LOGIX.
Why Professionals Depend on PRO-LOGIX
Automotive professionals have to be careful about how they recharge customer batteries. The same goes for fleet managers who are often tasked with overseeing dozens of cars, trucks, etc. The reality is that replacing ruined batteries is expensive, so there is no need to take any chances.
The professionals trust PRO-LOGIX because it brings unbeatable advantages to the table:
- True all-weather versatility.
- Multi-chemistry compatibility.
- Automated convenience.
PRO-LOGIX battery chargers offer true set-and-forget smart charging capabilities. Thanks to their multi-phase charging algorithms, they represent one of the safest ways to charge automotive batteries while maintaining battery life.
It’s About Precision Voltage Control
For the professionals, it’s all about precision voltage control. Modern automotive batteries are far more sensitive than their older counterparts. So are the onboard electronics all our vehicles feature. To fully charge a battery without damaging anything, professionals rely on smart technology.
The days of static chargers are quickly fading. The standard in the 2020s is smart charging, as demonstrated by PRO-LOGIX and its automatic temperature compensation feature. Is there really a better way to charge your car or truck battery?
