Iota Balanced Battery Bank Charging Instructions

From the IOTA Power Products Technical Library

www.iotaengineering.com

Method 1 for Balanced Charging

The rst and easiest method to achieve ‘Balanced Charging’ is to simply reverse direction of one set of leads and wire

them starting from the opposite end of the battery bank (see Figure 3). By doing this you have achieved the criteria of

‘Balanced Charging’- each battery will draw current through exactly three interconnecting leads. However, this method of

wiring is still not perfectly balanced.

While the total number of interconnecting leads is equal for each battery, some of the links still draw more total current

than others, and therefore will experience drops in voltage along their length.

This wiring method is still a large improvement over the traditional method, and may be suitable for most applications (es-

pecially if space is a concern and extra wiring is not a possibility). Another wiring method exists, however, that allows for

‘Perfectly Balanced Charging.’

Method 2 - Perfectly Balanced Charging

In addition to the need for a consistent number of interconnecting leads for each battery, the length (and wire gauge) of

the battery leads should also be consistent to achieve ‘Perfectly Balanced Charging.’ This nal wiring method illustrated

in Figure 4 shows modied connections to reduce additional resistance.

The benet of this wiring method is that each battery draws current from one long lead and one short lead before reach-

ing your charger. In this way, the total number of interconnecting leads between each battery and the charger is the same,

and the total length of these leads is the same for each battery. Note: it is also important that the wire gauge of these

leads is also consistent, otherwise changes in resistance will still exist.

Continued on next page >

Figure 3 - Balanced Charging

Each battery draws power from the same

number of interconnecting leads. However,

the batteries are not yet drawing equal

amperage.

Draws 13.35 Amps

Draws 11.6 Amps

Draws 13.35 Amps

Figure 3 - Perfectly Balanced Charging

Each battery is drawing equal amperage, and

draws power from the same number of

interconnecting leads.

Draws 12.5 Amps

Approximate Amperage Drawn Per Battery

if the Charger is Providing 50 Amps.

Approximate Amperage Drawn Per Battery

if the Charger is Providing 50 Amps.