DC BATTERY SULPHONATION PREVENTER CIRCUIT

The lead acid batteries are deprived of their capacity to accept the charge
when these are discharged for quite a long time due to a process involved
known as sulphation. The sulphate ions are deposited on both the electrodes
during every charging and discharging process. The sulphation occurs when
the sulphate ions donot undergo a completely reversible reaction and
reconverted into the electrolyte i.e H2SO4. [1] The crystallization of the lead
sulphate on the plates of battery is known as Sulphation. The efficiency of
the battery declines as the recharging is impeded. The crystals of the lead
sulphate deposited on the plates ultimately expand and cracks the plate.
Consequently destroying the battery. Eventually a greater area of the battery
plates cannot provide the current and the capacity is decreased substantially.
In addition to it the lead sulphate deposited on the plates is not converted
again into the sulphuric acid , known as the electrolyte. The formation of the
large crystals impedes the entrance of the electrolyte to the pores of the
plates. [2]
The desulphator desulphates the battery by giving it a unipolar high
frequency voltage. The working of desulphator is on the principle of resonant
frequency. The battery is desulphated when high frequency pulses are
applied between its terminals. The on time of the signal provided to the
battery has approx. 3 % on time and 97% off time. There is a gradual
reduction in the on time of the signal as the battery desulphates.[2]

BASICS OF LEAD ACID BATTERY

The anode of lead acid battery is made up of Pb and the cathode is made up
of PbO2. The electrolyte is 5.6 M H2SO4. Lead acid battery is a secondary
battery. A single produces 2 volts. In order to obtain 12V, 6 such cells are to
be connected in series.

REACTION DURING CHARGING

During the charging process, the lead sulphate deposited on the walls is
reconverted back into lead and sulphuric acid by a process known as

gassing. The gassing is a process in which water is converted into hydrogen

and oxygen.

REDOX REACTION DURING DISCHARGING

Following reactions occur during discharging. [3]

Anode Reaction

(aq)
SO PbSO 4 + 2 e
Pb(s) +
(s )

Cathode Reaction

2 PbS 04 (S) +2 H 2 O(l)

++ S O 4
PbO 2 +4 H
(S)

Overall Reaction

4 (aq) 2 PbSO 4 +2 H 2 O(l)

++ 2 SO
Pb(s) + PbO 2 +4 H
(s)

( s)

WORKING OF A DESULPHATOR

The working of the desulphator depends on the resonant frequency at huge

frequencies. The resonant frequency depends on the parameters of the Lead
acid battery. The high frequency is of the order of 30 to 40 Khz. This
resonance phenomenon can be explained by considering the resonance of
the string of a musical instrument. When a string is plucked it creates a
disturbance of a particular frequency. In case of the lead acid battery, you
can consider the sulphate ions present in the electrolyte just like a string. A
high frequency short electrical pulse or pluck causes the movement of the
sulphate ions present in the electrolyte back and forth. During these
vibrations there occur an enormous amount of collisions between the
sulphate ions present on the plates and the electrolyte itself. During this
vibratory motion of the sulphate ions the crystalline deposition of lead
sulphate on the terminals breaks down gradually.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
The circuit diagram of a desulphator is as follows[4]

12V Battery Desulphator Circuit diagram

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUIT
The beginning of the circuits shows a 555 timer IC which is used to generate
a pulse of required high frequency and duty cycle which is applied to
control the transistor Q1. The speed up capacitor increases the switching
speed of the transistor. The third section is to generate the current pulse.

When the transistor is switched off by the pulse coming from the 555 timer
IC, then the current is supplied by the battery and the capacitor gets
charged. The diode D1 averts the current to enter the inductor L1 when the
transistor is in OFF condition. The stored energy in the capacitor is
transferred to the inductor L1 when transistor is in ON state. When Q1 is in
OFF state then the energy stored by the inductor is used to charge the
battery as a high electrical pulse. This high electrical pulse resonates the
sulphates ions deposited on the electrodes and those present in the
electrolyte. Consequently the sulphate ions are dissolved back into the
electrolyte gradually. D1 is actually a fast recovery diode.

SIMULATION RESULTS
The simulation to produce the output signal of certain duty cycle is shown in figure. This signal
at the output of timer having certain duty cycle is given to IGBT to produce a PWM waveform
with approx 3 percent on time which is then applied across the desulphated battery. The Proteus
software was used to produce a PWM signal.

Simulation of 555 timer circuit to create PWM

Output of 555 Timer circuit generating PWM

If we want to change the duty cycle, change the resistance R1 attached with the timer. So, the
PWM is controlled manually here. Duty cycle is kept 3-5% at the start and then it is reduced
linearly as battery desulfates and zero when voltage of battery is at its correct value.

REFRENCES
[1] Jiramoree, T.; Paisuwanna, P.; Khomfoi, S., "A multilevel converter charger utilizing
superimposed pulse frequency method for prolonging lead-acid battery lifetime,"
in Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications and Information
Technology (ECTI-CON), 2011 8th International Conference on , vol., no., pp.768-771, 17-19
May 2011
[2] Concept of 12V and 24V battery desulphator given by Authors : Alastair Couper, Kaupo,
Maui HI 96713
[3] Schilling, S., "Ensuring Lead-Acid Battery Performance with Pulse Technology," SAE Technical Paper
2003-01-3417, 2003, doi:10.4271/2003-01-3417.

[4] Ka Lok Man; Eng Gee Lim; Leach, M.; Jin Kyung Lee; Kyung Ki Kim, "Simulation and
analysis of desulfator for smart battery system," in SoC Design Conference (ISOCC), 2014
International , vol., no., pp.173-174, 3-6 Nov. 2014
[5] Muhammad h Rashid Power Electronics Circuits, Devices and Applications