Does DC or AC work best for charging most industrial batteries?

[narayan821]

TL;DR

I have a source of electricity that's alternating but at variable frequencies. So an asynchronous alternating current of sorts if you will. Can industrial rechargeable batteries be charged like this efficiently? Or would DC current work best? Or normal AC?

I have a source of electricity that's alternating but at variable frequencies. So an asynchronous alternating current of sorts if you will. Can industrial rechargeable batteries be charged like this efficiently? Or would DC current work best? Or normal AC?

 

[berkeman]

Batteries are DC devices. They are charged with DC voltages and currents, but the characteristics and levels of the charging voltages and currents depend on the battery chemistry. What chemistry are these batteries? How have they been recharged in the past?

EDIT/ADD -- Check this website out for much more information on batteries...

https://batteryuniversity.com/

 

[DaveE]

Batteries require a circuit to control their charging. Some types can have simple circuits, some quite complex. The output of the charging circuit depends on the battery type, and application. The charging circuit requires power to operate, so the input to the charger is determined by what kind of power source the charger was designed for.

Your question equates the battery type to the power source. It doesn't work that way. You will select a charger that can accept the power source you have available and can supply the proper charging current to the battery type you have.

 

[Baluncore]

I have a source of electricity that's alternating but at variable frequencies. So an asynchronous alternating current of sorts if you will.

It has become very easy now to convert any source of electrical energy into a DC supply.
It may be that extracting some energy will reduce the efficiency of some other part of a dynamic system. What is the energy source you are thinking of harvesting?

 

[Rive]

I have a source of electricity that's alternating but at variable frequencies. So an asynchronous alternating current of sorts if you will. Can industrial rechargeable batteries be charged like this efficiently?

You will need a charger anyway.
These days the first part of the circuit of the chargers are about converting the incoming 'whatever' into DC.
This circuit should be able to deal with DC and some not too high frequency AC too, not just with the usual 50/60Hz.

Variable frequency, you say? Is it some wind or water related thing?
Then your problem is not just about charging, but about maintaining the optimal operating point//getting the maximal available power out of the device.
In such case - honestly, it's just better to get a charger which is built for this. That's not just 'should be able to deal with' but it'll be in the rated range and you'll get a paper about it.