A Guide To Selecting Industrial Battery Chargers For Material Handling Applications
by Jeff Harrison, AMETEK Prestolite Power, Troy, Ohio, How2Power Today, Aug 15 2017
Focus:
Specifiers of industrial battery chargers for material handling applications need to
understand how the requirements of their particular application influence the choice
of charger type. This article outlines the key considerations including what questions
need to be answered concerning the operation of forklifts within their facilities, and
describes at a high level the differences between the three major charger technologies
—ferroresonant, high-frequency and SCR. In addition to providing an overview of the
internal power supply technology found within these chargers, this article also calls
out some of the typical charger specifications and terminology. Different charging
conditions/battery usage scenarios are discussed. Furthermore, the article introduces
the concept of opportunity charging, which extends battery runtime by charging during
work hours. While this article is aimed primarily at specifiers of industrial battery
chargers, it may also be useful to novice designers of these chargers.
What you’ll learn:
- How to specify an industrial battery charger for use in forklifts in warehouse applications
- How to understand the differences between the three battery charger types—ferroresonant, high-frequency and SCR
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