Abstract: In an arrangement for charging a battery in a battery plant, a resistive network is situated in the charging path of a battery being charged to guarantee a minimum total resistance of the added resistance and the battery's internal resistance regardless of the thermal effect of reducing the battery's internal resistance. A diode path bypasses the resistive network during discharging of the battery to reduce power dissipation. Charging current is controlled in response to a temperature of a heat sink on which the resistive network is mounted. Ambient temperature is used as a control or in another arrangement as a controlling factor in controlling charging current. Battery temperature may also be used as a control or in another arrangement as a controlling factor in controlling charging current.

Abstract: A battery charging system controls and modifies the output voltage of the charging rectifier in response to differing temperature ranges of the battery. At a low range of temperatures starting at a low temperature (e.g. within a range of 0 to 25.degree. C. to about 53.degree. C.) the rectifier voltage decreases as the temperature increases to prevent charging current from rising as the battery temperature increases. This change is performed in accord with a linear graphical slope relating the change of charging voltage to temperature. A suitable charging voltage decrease rate may be 3 mV/.degree. C./cell with a range of 1.5 mV/.degree. C./cell to 5 mV/.degree. C./cell being acceptable. Reduction of the charging voltage within this range reduces the aging effect of high temperature operation of the battery. The charging voltage applied to the battery is held at a constant value over a subsequent range of temperatures (e.g. 53.degree. C. to 75.degree. C.