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The charging characteristics of the valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery driven by solar energy were experimentally studied through the pressure-control method in this paper. The aims of the research were to increase charging efficiency to make the most of solar energy and to improve charging quality to prolong life of battery. The charging process of a 12 V 12 A·h VRLA battery has been tested under the mode of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. Results show that the pressure-control method can effectively control PV charging of the VRLA battery and make the best of PV cells through the maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The damage of VRLA battery by excess oxygen accumulation can be avoided through the inner pressure control of VRLA battery. Parameters such as solar radiation intensity, charging power, inner pressure of the battery, and charging current and voltage during the charging process were measured and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valve-regulated-lead-acid (VRLA) battery charging performed in high-temperature environments is extremely risky under overcharge conditions, and may lead to a subsequent thermal runaway. A new pressure-controlled charging method was adopted and the charging characteristics of the pressure-controlled VRLA battery in high-temperature environments were experimentally studied. The concept was tested in a large temperature gradient to obtain more details about the effects of users’ accustomed charging and discharging modes on battery capacity. The premature capacity loss (PCL) phenomenon under high temperature exposure was analyzed. The results showed that the capacity loss could be recovered by charging using a large current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]