More on battery management [RE-wrenches]

[Windy Dankoff]

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Kelly,

Appropriate charge controller and inverter/charger voltage settings?  
Check some of the equipment manuals from leading manufacturers like  
Blue Sky, Outback, etc. Their default settings for various types of  
batteries are typical. And, their methods are optimized for general  
purposes.

I learned RE battery management by living with a wind system in the  
70's. I read the old Jacobs and Wincharger manuals (calling for  
relatively high V settings and equalizing).  I kept one eye on the  
voltmeter, another on the charge current, and another (third eye?) on  
my trusty hydrometer, the last word. I could see how the charge  
control relay would kick back way before batteries were full unless V  
was set to our well-established highs.

Restoring abused batteries? A huge topic bordering on black art.  
Anyone know a good reference?

Well, here are some clear tips -- Batteries showing swollen plates?  
(Positive terminals bulging, hard bulging sides, meaning bad  
sulfation) -- scrap 'em! Those physical signs can be seen by the  
customer and can save everyone wasted effort.

S. gravity chronically uneven? (label the lowest cells for future  
ref.) -- anticipate premature failure of those cells and don't put  
too much effort into the whole set.

Time of year -- batteries barely functional in summertime? Maybe OK  
but won't meet winter demands. Suggest customer get by for the summer  
but save their pretty pennies for replacement in the fall.

Windy


> From: Kelly Larson <solarwrench at asis.com>
>
> Hi Joel.  Thanks for the tip on the book.  I'll be ordering it  
> tomorrow.
>
> The issues that Windy brought up are definately part of what I am  
> still
> feeling out.  Where the off-grid use departs from standard practice
> seems to be complex.  What are the appropriate settings?  When  
> something
> goes wrong what does one do to fix it?
>
> Like when a bank that supposedly has been taken care of has a lower  
> than
> expected specific gravity, even when fully charged, (boiling for  
> hours),
> what do you do to correct that?
>
> Kelly


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