[RE-wrenches] Strings and series of batteries
Darryl Thayer
daryl_solar at yahoo.com
Wed Dec 2 10:26:12 PST 2009
I know that C&D battery does not like parallel strings and they have a device that measures the currents in each string
I investigated a fire from a battery bank of 48 volts 4 strings in parallel of 6 Volt 800 AH batteries. The parallel strings was indicated as bad practice and suspect as the cause of the fire. The battery bank was on a standalone system and had poor regulation on charging. (it was being charge controlled by a diversion controller)
Also the fire in New Jersey was a parallel string case of 12 volt AGMs in 4 or more parallel strings (anybody remember better than I?).
DT
--- On Wed, 12/2/09, Tom Elliot <telliot at wagonmaker.com> wrote:
> From: Tom Elliot <telliot at wagonmaker.com>
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series of batteries
> To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 11:58 AM
>
> Message
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I would be very curious to
> hear THE battery
> company's, or any battery company's, interest in
> warranty on a system where the
> strings of batteries are paralleled through a buss bar
> rather than physically
> through the bank. The vulnerability to failure of an
> off-grid system with
> only one or two series strings is high enough to be a
> concern. Then
> there's also the not un-trivial issue of handling large
> batteries
> safely.
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Tump
> Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 2:32
> AM
> To: 'RE-wrenches'
>
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series
> of
> batteries
>
>
> Surrette Battery, THE battery company
> suggests NO MORE the 3 parallel
> in a string & would like to see 2
> preferably.
> If
> there are more the 3 then they really not interested in
> warrantee
> issues.
> Jamie
> where are you??????
>
> Now a
> days there are plenty of options for a good size/AH BB that
> can be configured in
> 1 or 2 parallel strings.
> Its just that us old guys are having a
> harder time w/
> gravity!
>
>
> Tump at swnl.net www.SWNL.net
> Solarwinds
> Northernlights
> Serving Mid
> Coast Maine & Northern
> California
> Me.# 207-832-7574 Cl.#
>
> 610-517-8401
>
>
>
> Blair "TUMP"
> May
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> Installer"
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of
> Dana
> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 12:58 PM
> To:
> 'RE-wrenches'
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Strings and series of
> batteries
>
>
>
> On a
> similar subject here –
>
>
> Long ago, I
> had a Trojan battery rep. state that they did not like to
> see more than [12]
> L-16s in a series –parallel bank system. This was due
> to too many points of
> connection / resistance and bad communication
> due to multiple flow
> paths.
>
>
> Has anyone
> else heard similar or contrary
> information/recommendations?
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
>
>
> Dana
> Orzel
>
>
> Great Solar Works,
> Inc
> www.solarwork.com
> E
> -
> dana at solarwork.com
> V
> -
> 970.626.5253
> F
> -
> 970.626.4140
> C
> -
> 970.209.4076
>
>
> I
> will be the shift
> in how the world uses power! - Dana
> Orzel
>
>
>
>
> From:
> re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of Larry
> Crutcher, Starlight Solar
> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:42
> AM
> To: RE-wrenches
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] concord
> batteries, EQUALIZE Them!
>
>
> If the
> 180 watt panel will
> provide enough current to run the recovery process, then
> give it a try. What I
> expect is that your current will vary throughout the day.
> Not sure if this is
> a critical point or if it will just prolong the process.
> Pay attention to the
> temperature. I use a laser temp probe on the
> terminals every 30 minutes
> to verify.
>
>
>
>
>
> Another
> thing to monitor is the
> current. It will probably start very low and build
> over time due to
> high resistance from sulfated plates. During this time
> the voltage might get
> really high and then lower some. Don't worry about
> the voltage. After a while
> the current will begin to drop. This means the
> recovery process is
> working.
>
>
>
>
> I just
> realized that this
> battery bank must be 4 in series and ten parallel
> strings. This is a horrible
> design that can never work right without extensive
> monthly maintenance. The
> strings with higher resistance will not be charged
> properly. Because of this,
> many strings will be undercharged every day. EVERY day!
> So even if you recover
> these batteries, someone will need to test and equalize
> at least every month.
> I really want to stress this point as multiple parallel
> batteries are the ruin
> and waste of many thousands of tons of batteries each
> year. I never design for
> more than two strings in parallel. Do this and be
> happy.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Larry
> Crutcher
>
> www.starlightsolar.com
>
>
> larry at starlightsolar.com
>
>
> (928)
> 941-1660
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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