Battery simulator

As we know, proper maintenance of the battery helps to optimize its life cycle. The charger is the equipment that performs the recharge of the battery to fully recover the extracted energy, so it is important to optimize the battery life. Verify that the charging operation is carried out properly means that the battery charges faster and take more time to discharge. So electric traction vehicles (electric trucks, elevators, golf carts, material handling equipment, etc.) which the battery is recharged, will operate in optimal conditions.

So that the charger works properly is fundamental to charge the battery. It should be stored in a safe place so that it does not deteriorate, do not leave it near moving vehicles and properly collect the cables so that they are not crushed under the wheels.

But the verification of the correct operation of the charger has been a constant problem for technical services  of these equipments. In order to perform this test they must have at least one battery available, which was a problem.

Also, it is not appropriate to test the charger using a battery, beacuse  it is difficult to adjust the charging options and to simulate different working conditions. However the Amperis battery simulator eliminates the need to connect a battery to the charger for testing. It allows to know the status of the battery for better maintenance and repairs. This optimizes daily capacity and battery life.

The equipment is a simple and flexible electronic device, designed to test battery chargers of any voltage and power quickly. Simulating the behavior of a battery during the charging process and allowing the technician to check the performance safely and accurately of any charger.

The uses of the battery simulator are summarized below:
• test battery chargers (of any current or voltage) eliminating the need to connect a battery to the charger for testing; simulates the behavior of a battery during the charging process and allows the technician to perform complete tests quickly, safely and accurately of any charger.
• discharge batteries (greater than 24V)
• other utilities (determine battery capacity or identify faulty batteries or cells in sets of batteries).

Important features: the IGBT high frequency controller (which allows the equipment to work with constant current and voltage), the programmable digital panel, its robust, compact and portable construction (it has wheels) and the intelligent protection system.

On the front panel of the equipment we can find the following items:

-Digital Voltmeter.

-Automatic amp-meter.

-Test voltage selector (12-24-36-48-72-80 V).

-Potentiometer of fine adjustment of tensión.

-Current selection potentiometer (0-200 A).

The steps to test a battery charger using the Amperis battery simulator are:
First the user selects the battery voltage to simulate, using the potentiometer for the voltage adjustment. While the digital display shows the current value. A separate potentiometer is available to select the maximum current that the equipment can absorb.

Once the voltage is selected, the user connects to the input of the simulator the charger to be tested. It will detect that a battery has been connected and the charging process will start. The equipment maintains the constant voltage at the selected value. While the analog ammeter indicates the current supplied by the charger (If the current tends to exceed the fixed maximum value, the equipment increases the voltage to limit the current).

In order to simulate the behavior under any charge condition, the user has the advantage to modify the current and voltage freely. The real curve of the charger is achieved in a few minutes.

Special features, for maximum reliability and flexibility of the battery simulator:
• It has a self-test of the electronic circuits of power in charge, and makes an automatic stop in case of failure.
• It has thermal protection of all electronic components and the resistance bank in case of overtemperature (for example: if there are problems in the fans the equipment goes into stand-by mode).
• It has a double steel enclousure of 2 mm to achieve a maximum thermal insulation: during work, the outside is kept at low temperature (maximum temperature <10 ° C) and cooled by forced ventilation.
• Its 4 hard wheels (rubber covers) allow you to move easily.

The input voltaje range is large: 85-135 or 180-250 VAC, the frequency can be 50 or 60Hz, the AC input is single-phase and the maximum power is 250W.

All these features and specifications make the Amperis battery simulator a perfect solution to test the operation of any industrial battery charger.