equalizing and exercising [RE-wrenches]

Fri Aug 25 07:25:54 PDT 2006

Hi Geoff
Yes the lead acid batteries come in two types, lead
calcium and lead antimony. All sealed batteries i
think are lead calcium, all fork lift batteries are
lead antimony, other lead acid batteries can be lead
calcium or lead antimony. 

The lead antimony battery was developed for uses where
battery might recieve physical vibration or impact in
that the antimony adds strength to the plates.   I do
not know why calcium is added to the plates.  I
believe all auto batteries are lead calcium and it is
reported and observed that auto batteries do not have
many deep cycles.  Whareas solar batteries have many
deep cycles.  

I have noted that lead antimony has a much higher self
discharge rate than lead Calcium.  I think the higher
discharge rate leads to faster self stratification,
and therefore needs more frequent equalization and
electrolite stiring.  

If batteries are used for stand alone you want many
deep cycles, if they are used for standby you want
long term uncycled life.  

I hope other wrenches will join in as I would sure
likt to know more answers.
Darryl

--- Geoff Greenfield <Geoff at Third-Sun.Com> wrote:

> 
> Thanks Darryl
> 
> I should have specified that I was dealing with Lead
> acid.  As an
> off-gridder, the concept of batteries "needing" some
> cycling was pretty
> foreign to me.  We are definitely adding an exercise
> regime to our
> battery/grid tie customers instructions... A bit
> hard to set up as most of
> them are techno phobic... Part of me wants them to
> watch voltage and part of
> me wants to just look at "typical" (what is that?)
> back up loads and come up
> with a time period (overnight).
> 
> So Outback has the auto equalize function on the
> mx-60, but a grid tie
> system is held down by the inverter (and automated
> EQ is potentially
> catastrophic as well)  BUT with the advent of the
> smart shunt could new mate
> programming include a user initiated (or timed and
> reminded and user
> allowed) exercise and equalize function?  One of the
> hardest things I do is
> try and coach a technophobe through equalizing
> etc....
> 
> 
> For a brighter energy future,
> 
> Geoff Greenfield
> NABCEP Certified Energy Practitioner
> 
> THIRD SUN SOLAR & WIND POWER Ltd.
> 340 West State Street
> Athens, OH 45701
> 
> www.third-sun.com
> (740) 597-3111
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:22:15 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Darryl Thayer <daryl_solar at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: equalizing and exercising [RE-wrenches]
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Geoff
> I have been reluctant to comment because I do not
> know
> the answer, but it seems battery chemistry has an
> influence.  I have a customer with lead calcium
> technology batteries who went 3 years with only
> float,
> I tested and then I equalized and now 1 more year
> and
> the batteries seem to still have good performance. 
> (I
> tested with a short term 100 amp load) I did not do
> a
> discharge capacity test.
> 
> I have another customer with batteries that are lead
> antimony technology and 3 years on float the
> batteries
> were total loss. batteries were dry.
> 
> Both were set up at 54.0 volts float.
> 
> I have a third customer with 8d paralleled lead
> calcium and float was set at 52.6 (customer changed
> setting following others advice) after 3 years the
> batteries were definitely low on charge and at first
> refused to accept a charge.  but after perhaps 1 to
> 2
> months at 57 volts they began to accept, and now
> they
> seem functional.
> 
> I do not know if the chemistry is the culprit, it
> seems unlikely, but is one of the biggest
> differences
> in these systems.
> 
> --- Geoff Greenfield <Geoff at Third-Sun.Com> wrote:
> 
> >
> > We are instructing our customers with grid-tie
> > battery back up set ups to
> > exercise 2 x a year with a "simulated" overnight
> > grid outage to bring down
> > battery voltage.  Then kick back into normal mode
> > for a bulk charge cycle.
> >
> > Question #1 - how often?  2x per year is my gut
> > answer but....
> >
> > For the same situation but with flooded lead acid
> I
> > would like to add an
> > equalize cycle right after.
> >
> > Question #2 - should we bulk, float and then EQ
> the
> > next day?
> >
> > Question #3 - how often?
> >
> > Question #4 - how low SHOULD an effective exercise
> > cycle be?  in AH% or in
> > battery voltage?
> >
> > Thanks to all who share their time - and thanks to
> > all of us in this
> > industry in this important time!
> >
> > For a brighter energy future,
> >
> > Geoff Greenfield
> > NABCEP Certified Energy Practitioner
> >
> > THIRD SUN SOLAR & WIND POWER Ltd.
> > 340 West State Street
> > Athens, OH 45701
> >
> > www.third-sun.com
> > (740) 597-3111
> >
> >
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