Battery Charging
975-0209-01-01 3–7
Battery Charging
The RV Series Inverter/Charger battery charger uses three-stage charging to
provide rapid and complete charge cycles without undue battery gassing. The
three stages are bulk, absorption, and float.
Stage One: Bulk Charge (Constant Current)
This stage begins when qualified AC is applied to the AC input of the inverter.
The bulk charging stage charges the batteries at a constant current. The level of
charge for this phase is set using the Max Charge Rate menu on the RC/GS or
RC7. The constant current phase ends when the batteries reach the bulk charge
voltage. During this stage the Charger LED glows orange.
Stage Two: Absorption (Constant Voltage)
Absorption begins when the bulk voltage setting has been reached. At this point
the charge current begins to taper off at whatever rate is required to hold the
voltage constant. During this stage the Charger LED blinks orange. The
absorption phase ends in one of two ways.
1. Normally, as the charge cycle progresses, the current required to hold the
battery voltage constant gradually reduces. When this current equals the
internal return amps setting, the voltage is allowed to fall to the float voltage
setting—stage three. This is a variable stage that can be affected by DC load
and battery condition.
2. After a time interval determined by the Battery Capacity setting. With a
125 Ah battery bank, the charger will leave the absorption phase after 1 hour.
With a 1000 Ah battery bank, the charger will leave the absorption phase after
3 hours.
Stage Three: Float Voltage
Float voltage maintains the batteries at a voltage that will hold full charge but not
gas the batteries. The charger remains in the float stage until the AC input is
removed. During this stage the Charger LED flashes green four times per second.
Temperature-Compensated Charging
The RV Series Inverter/Charger is designed to provide temperature compensated
battery charging for optimal battery charging when used with a battery
temperature sensor (BTS). The BTS attaches to the side of your battery and
continuously measures the temperature of the battery and adjusts the charger
output for a more accurate, temperature-compensated charge.
Note: When DC loads are placed on the battery, the charger will deliver currents up to
the Maximum Charge Rate setting while maintaining the float voltage.
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