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How to Make a Battery Surge

Because the chemical reaction that occurs in a nickel-cadmium, or NiCd, battery produces byproducts that decrease the surface area available for current-producing reactants to do their job, all rechargeable batteries eventually lose their capacity to hold a charge. Rather than throwing a tired rechargeable battery away, applying a large electric shock to the battery--known as surging or ̶0;zapping̶1;--can partially reverse the process. Although a battery surge won̵7;t restore the battery to the same capacity it had when it was brand new, you̵7;ll be able to extend its usable life with a surge. Wear protective gear and be very careful because the battery may explode.

Things You'll Need

Voltage meter
White-dot inverter transformer
Insulated copper wire
Wire stripper
47,000 mF capacitor
Red trigger transformer
Alligator clips

Instructions

- 1
  Determine which contact point on the rechargeable battery is the negative contact point using the voltage meter. Test the cell's overall voltage. If it's empty and its voltage is below 1.06 volts, surging the battery won't renew it to a like-new state.
- 2
  Connect the positive lead from the 6-volt inverter transformer to the 47,000 mF using insulated copper wire and a wire stripper. Connect one lead from the red trigger transformer coil to the negative connection on the transformer using copper wire and a wire stripper.
- 3
  Wire the leading edge of the capacitor to an alligator clip using insulated copper wire, and connect another alligator clip to the open contact on the trigger transformer.
- 4
  Attach the alligator clip wired from the capacitor to the positive contact on the rechargeable battery, as determined in Step 1. Attach the trigger-side alligator clip to the rechargeable battery̵7;s negative contact.
- 5
  Plug the transformer into an AC power source and allow it to start charging the capacitor. Using the voltage meter, monitor the charge on the capacitor, unplugging the transformer when it reaches a charge of about 90 volts. Press the trigger transformer̵7;s trigger button to complete the circuit and discharge the capacitor̵7;s charge, surging the rechargeable battery.
- 6
  Repeat Step 5 a second time to complete the surge process. Measure the voltage on the NiCd cell. If the empty cell's voltage is below 1.2 volts, repeat Step 5.

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