Battery Charger

A battery charger is a device that stores energy in an electric battery by running a current through it, with the charging protocol, including voltage, current and duration, set by the chemistry of the battery being charged. Simple chargers supply constant direct current with no monitoring and risk overcharging, while fast chargers use control circuitry to charge quickly without damaging cells. Smart chargers use temperature or voltage sensing and a microprocessor controller to adjust current and voltage and prevent overcharging, and trickle chargers deliver small currents to maintain batteries that are otherwise idle. Specialized designs include solar, induction, pulse and USB based chargers built for particular applications.