Automobiles, Cars
Gel battery: reviews. Gel battery: device and specifications
Almost every one of us heard about the existence of gel batteries. Everyone says that they are very effective and have a number of advantages. Despite the fact that such a battery for more than 30 years, the most popular they have purchased today. But if almost everyone has heard of such a product, not everyone has seen the device in operation. In order to understand something, it is necessary to read the testimonials. The gel battery is quite an extensive topic for conversation, so let's deal with everything in order.
What are the differences from the traditional battery?
This question is certainly of interest to every potential buyer, which is quite logical. It would be extremely unreasonable to buy a product without understanding what its features and main differences from the traditional solution are. We all know that in a lead-acid battery, current flows through positive and negative plates, and it flows through an electrolyte that is in a liquid state. To avoid a short circuit, a plastic separator is provided in the structure, located between the positive and negative plates.
But you should pay attention to the fact that the device of the gel battery is somewhat different. The main difference is that the electrolyte is in a thickened state and is a kind of jelly (gel). At the plant, such an electrolyte is specially dried, and in the process of use it gradually hardens. Due to the unique structure, the electrolyte does not evaporate and is constantly in the body. As for the hydrogen and oxygen vapors that are formed as a result of the chemical reaction during operation, they turn into water and are subsequently absorbed into the gel. This process is called recombination. To release excess pressure there is a special valve in the housing. As you can see, the device of the gel battery is quite unusual, although the principle of the traditional battery is preserved. Well, now a few more interesting moments.
Another couple of features of gel batteries
One can not help saying that this type of battery has a very unusual separator. It is made of microporous plastic, in which aluminum additives are added.
This gives the septum a special resistance to an aggressive environment and reduces internal resistance. In addition, the separator is resistant to vibration loads and mechanical damage, for which he earned high expert ratings and positive feedback. The gel battery has one more distinctive feature - high-purity lead in its composition. This greatly increased the operational properties of the product.
Of course, the device received most of the positive feedback not for the beautiful case, but for its unique characteristics. The main feature is an increased number of charge / discharge cycles and, as a result, a long service life. Many motorists note that the unit has been working for many years without failures, and this, undoubtedly, is positive feedback. The gel battery can be stored for a long time in a discharged state, and also installed not only in a horizontal position. All this makes the product unique in its kind. Well, now we will talk about what the owners of cars think about such batteries.
Gel battery for the car: owner feedback
This section is especially interesting. The fact is that gel batteries are often installed on cars, both for freight and passenger cars. The reason is that this device has a large capacity and a long service life. However, the biggest plus motorists see is that the starting current here is much higher than that of traditional batteries. This is extremely important in extreme weather conditions, for example, in high frosts. Do not do without such a battery and people who like to install additional equipment in the vehicle in the form of subwoofers, air conditioners, etc. In this case, you need a gel battery for the car. Reviews say that such a device can greatly help out with a large consumption of electricity.
But many motorists say that the on-board electronics should be very accurate. It is for this reason that there is not even a talk about installing gel batteries on domestic production, especially on "classics." Thus, the charge voltage should be constant, about 14.4 V. On vehicles VAZ, and on some foreign cars, this figure can fluctuate in the range of 13-16 V, which will lead to battery malfunction. Nevertheless, not always the unambiguous nature of the reviews, the gel battery in some cases quickly deteriorates if it is constantly stored at minus temperature (less than -20 degrees Celsius).
How to choose a charger
Any, even the most high-quality battery will sooner or later fail, if it is not properly charged. Here, self-made storage devices can no longer be used, since they will very quickly lead to an aggravated condition of the unit. Recharging leads to the failure of battery cells, as well as a lower level of electrolyte. As for the harmful effect of a small current, it is not. Of course, such a battery will be charged much longer, but it is unlikely that it will have any negative impact. In fact, the life of the battery is determined by the environmental conditions in which the device is used, as well as the correct charging. For this simple reason, the battery charger for the gel battery should not be self-made, but bought in the store. In addition, there are cyclic and buffer modes of recharging the battery.
It happens that you need to use the battery urgently, and it is discharged. In this case, you can somewhat speed up the process. True, you need a special memory with a temperature limiter, which will prevent the battery from heating up. In addition, it is strongly recommended to use a timer and make sure that there is no overcharge. Please note that if the battery charger for the gel battery is properly selected, its approximate service life may be 4-6 years. Well, now consider another important point.
How to charge a gel battery
Such batteries, as noted above, have a number of distinctive features and characteristics.
It is not recommended to interrupt the charging process until it reaches the end. This is due to the fact that in this way the useful volume is lost. Therefore, at the next charge instead of 100% you will receive no more than 95%, and this is not good. Do not forget that the first thing to do is to purchase a stationary memory for gel batteries. It is noteworthy that it is possible to adjust the voltage, and there are multi-stage charge algorithms. In principle, this is all that can be said about how to charge the gel battery. Here everything is quite simple.
What is it, the ideal charger?
There are several "golden" rules that you must know about. So, it will be much easier for you to navigate and find a suitable charger for a gel battery. In fact, there is nothing difficult here, the main thing is to pay attention to several determining factors. First, it is the ability to install and adjust the charging current. You can say that today all the memory have such an opportunity, but it is not so. To not buy something that does not suit you, check with the seller. Secondly, the presence of the function of thermal compensation. True, it is only needed if the battery is charged in an unheated room. Thermocompensation is not needed if the temperature does not drop below 10 and does not rise above 30 degrees Celsius.
But this is not all. It is worth paying special attention to the charge stages, which are on the memory. For gel batteries they must be at least 3. In the first stage, charging is carried out by direct current with increasing voltage, on the second stage - by constant voltage with decreasing current. The third stage is the buffer mode, that is, the maintenance of the charged state of the battery. If the charger for the gel battery is exactly this, then you will make the right purchase.
What is the difference between Gel and AGM batteries?
Not everyone knows that these are two completely different batteries. The first - gel, the name of the second is translated as "absorbent glass mat." By and large, there is a fiberglass between the plates. In the "bonded" state, an electrolyte is placed in the glass fabric, so that such a battery can be operated not only in a horizontal position. It is worthwhile to draw your attention to the fact that AGM batteries have nothing to do with gel batteries. So, the batteries made of fiberglass serve about 5 years, these are the cheapest options, the more expensive ones (automotive ones) - about 10 years. Withstand about 200 charges / discharges at 100% discharge, 800 cycles at a discharge depth of 30%. This indicates that it is advantageous to store such a battery charged.
Gel batteries, reviews about which are more positive, we have already considered. Silica gel - filler - has a huge number of pores that hold back the electrolyte. Due to the absolute filling of the space between the plates, the possibility of short-circuiting or shedding of lead plates is excluded. There is no need to confuse AGM and GEL with each other, since they really do not have anything in common.
A bit about the features of gel batteries
Already a lot was told about what consumers say about Gel-batteries. You probably noticed that the performance of such batteries is quite high, especially when compared with traditional batteries. All this translates into high cost devices. So? LX 12-105MG at 105 A / h will cost about 12 000 rubles, more powerful models of the same brand, for example, at 260 A / h will cost already 28 000 rubles and more. It is not necessary to speak once again and that much depends on the manufacturer. If gel batteries for cars of domestic production have one value, then foreign equivalents are more expensive by 10-20%.
Do not forget that you will have to buy a special charger. It should have many features, which we have already talked about. Ideally, charging the gel battery should be very accurate, without impulses and with high quality of voltage. It is extremely important to avoid overheating and overcharging, as this has a detrimental effect on this type of battery. For motorists, it will be interesting that if there is not enough space you can put the battery in a position where it is convenient for you. Of course, you can not turn it completely, but nobody puts it on its side.
About the prices, and something else
Since we completely understood the device and the principle of the action of gel batteries, it would be worth to say a few words about the cost of such units. Just remember: this battery can not be cheap. If you consider a battery brand Sunlight Power Gel at 62 Ah, it will cost you about 8-9 thousand rubles. At the same time, exactly the same, but the traditional lead-acid battery will cost no more than 4-5 thousand rubles. Do not forget about AGM, which are competitors of Gel. It is worthwhile to draw your attention to the fact that glass-fiber batteries are 20-30% cheaper than gel batteries, and are inferior only in the number of charges / discharges. Here also it is necessary to reflect. The fact is that the characteristics of gel batteries are unique, and the operational capabilities are great, but the price for such devices is very large.
Conclusion
So we have considered the question that interests us. As you probably noticed, despite the positive feedback from the majority of owners, it is far from always expedient to purchase gel batteries. Technical specifications, of course, at altitude, and in some cases this is the only normal way out. For example, with an accurate on-board electrician and a lot of equipment in the car or on the boat, you can put such a plan battery. If you operate the vehicle at a temperature of -20 and below, then the life of the gel battery will be significantly lower than the declared. Of course, only you can choose as a result, but you need to think several times before you make such an acquisition. In addition to all this, you need to buy a charger that will cost at least 3 thousand rubles. If you need a long life with a deep discharge, it is better to choose gel batteries. Reviews say that for today for such purposes this is one of the best solutions.
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