Please don't take my questioning the wrong way Andy. I'd be quite happy to discover a previously unknown piece of equipment that helps to recover batteries, but I'm still none the wiser about this "zero volt charger".
Seeing as you are the only person that knows, when should a zero volt charger be used and what exactly does it do?
Thanks.
My comments will be made here ONLY for a 36 volt Nominal Li-ion e-bike battery, as I have up to now, not actually SEEN or HANDLED a "0 Volt Charger" for any other voltages, but I am fully sure that they exist, as technically there should be no problem in that area at all.
And also as I do not believe in writing here about anything I am not 100% personally sure about, hopefully thereby setting a good example for all members!
A "0 Volt Charger" for 36 volt batteries, will recover many, but not all, batteries that are voltage wise, below the level that still allows a normal charger to do its job in recharging the battery.
(This is a safety feature as the battery MIGHT be defective and the charge current might start an uncontrollable fire!)
This will usually be when the Battery charge level has sunk to around 30 volts or less for a 36 volt battery.
But still voltage wise, above the dreaded point where serious internal damage starts to happen to the cells.
Texas instruments states that point will be at about 24.4 Volts or lower. But as one individual cell in a battery may be at a higher voltage wise, and another lower, especially if the BMS is not of good quality or working correctly, or the cells were rejects bought from an unknown Chinese battery factory for example, as apparently some Bike Shops tend to use, I feel that 25 volts may be a slightly better number IMO, to rely on, but no guarantee...
We could, just for fun, call this area of voltage between say 25 volts and 30 volts "Li-ion Battery Limbo", but it has very little to do with dancing, unless the disappointed owner is so enraged perhaps!!
Usually the normal average Li-ion charger indicates with a red/green LED the current state, Red = Charging and Green = Charged.
Green implying that the battery is fully charged, to max of 42 volts. This is also the voltage that will be measured on the charger leads, when measured with a reasonable Multi Meter, when NOT connected to the battery!
But if the battery is in "Limbo", it will simply not charge and the battery is basically "empty", and the Green LED is still ON. Confusing for the amateur!
The 0 volt charger is able to charge the battery in a special manner,
which I am not willing to discuss here, just in case an amateur here attempts to replicate it, which might cause a VERY serious fire.
Even defective cells have some very powerful chemicals in them, and
Li-ion batteries are something to be reckoned with if a fire starts!
Very difficult to extinguish!
They usually need to be cooled with water for some hours (depending upon the size) to slow the reaction down as much as possible, but, it will continue to burn.
Unless the WHOLE battery can be sunk in a bath full of water for an hour or so.
The smoke produced is noxious, and needs to be avoided at all costs....
The fight is to basically save the bike, but the battery is beyond a normal humans control within seconds....
Many do not know this!!
This man did something wrong while replacing a controller, an easy job, if you do it correctly!
If no water bath available, this is what can happen:-
The battery fire occurred while changing a broken controller. After connecting the battery to the system it caught on fire and was unstoppable. Cooling it down with water was the only option. That’s how I kept the damage to a minimum.
The following videos appears to be first a really badly made BIG battery, and the guy just falling off the bike:-
Some good tips for ANYONE with an e-bike or a business with such bikes, though sadly, not ALL chargers work eactly as he says, though many believe that any charger "cuts off" power, but most only "cut down" power....:-
I am of the personal opinion that even some bike shops in the EU do not have people fully and correctly trained in this (any!
) area of such batteries, judging by the "quality" of some of the posts here anyway!
I would like to add that I have no personal financial, only technical interest in such chargers, but I do also feel that a good education is the secret to life, so I am willing to share that they work in many cases, and can be purchased online.
But please never forget that an accurate reading of the battery's voltage should be made and if it is close to or below 25 volts, a new or re-celled battery will probably be a better idea IMHO.
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Quick explanation of "Limbo" according to the Catholic Church, of which I am NOT a member, but I feel it "fits!":-
"In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin limbus, edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is a postulated viewpoint concerning the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned."
en.wikipedia.org
If you still have questions, I will try to answer them, provided it has nothing to do with just how this special charger does its special job!!
Regards
Andy
