Here's the document in question.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
That sure looks like a maximum discharge current spec to me.
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I agree. That's the current that can safely flow through that particular type of terminal, which basically has to be a discharge (except in the standby case).
We should consult the charts and data in the rest of that manual for the actual recommended charge current for the entire battery, which in normal service is 4.3 A (i.e. 17.2 A·h capacity at a 0.25
C rate of charge).
Charging at 6 A may not necessarily kill the battery or be unsafe, but it is outside the manufacturer's specifications for normal use. You should contact an EnerSys application engineer for guidance; they may be able to advise that 6 A or more is acceptable, at the cost of shorter battery life. (If that's indeed what EnerSys says, feel free to post the correspondence here and forward it to
frcparts@usfirst.org so that they can keep it in mind for future years' rules/safety manuals.)