Ever wondered how a lead-acid battery’s charge duration is calculated? This is the formula to calculate the charge duration:
Battery Charge Time = Battery Capacity / Charging Current
Time (Hours) = Amp Hours / Amps
So if you had a 100Ah battery charged with a 10A charger the duration of the charge would be calculated as in the example one below:
First Example:
Battery Amp Hour Rating / Charger Amp Rating:
100Ah / 10A
= 10 hours
In this example, for simplicity we have made 2 assumptions:
- The battery has a zero charge which never happens unless you have a dead battery.
- The battery charger has a charge efficiency of 100%. Usually, battery chargers have a charge efficiency of about 60 – 80%. (Our chargers have an efficiency above 80%).
Second Example:
Battery Amp Hour Rating / Charger Amp Rating
x Efficiency Loss
100Ah / 10A x (10/8)
= 10 hours x (10/8)
= 12.5 hours
In example two, we take the efficiency loss into consideration:
- Charger with an 80% efficiency.
- Charger Amp Rating 10A x (80/100) = 8A