[RE-wrenches] battery venting; Corrosion

Fri Jan 6 08:00:01 PST 2012

Kent,

Thank you for pointing at the units. Please note that:

*         You are looking for cc/hr/Ah/cell rates at float and equalization voltages.

*         Gassing is a function of charging current (FLA: an ampere-hour of overcharge, i.e. during float or equalization mode, results in about 0.33 cc of H2O total gassing per cell)

*         For constant voltage (float or equalization) the current is a function of temperature and stage of battery life (plus any failure modes that begin to occur toward end-of-life)

I'll work up a response after a series of meetings.

John

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Kent Osterberg
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 7:59 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] battery venting; Corrosion

John,

Could you clarify units? "0.418 Liters/AH" is that per charge cycle? per hour? per minute? per cell?

Kent Osterberg

Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.

www.bluemountainsolar.com<http://www.bluemountainsolar.com>

On 1/5/2012 4:18 PM, John DeBoever wrote:

Hello Wrenches,

Here are some very general guidelines on the subject for consideration:

o   Free flow ventilation is required within lead acid battery room / enclosure:

Batteries produce Hydrogen during charge, depending on the specific design and application

The gassing appears approximately around 80%-90% SOC, depending on the specific design and application

The amount of gassing increase with the battery ageing

Hydrogen becomes explosive at a concentration of 4%

Hydrogen levels must be kept below 1% or 2% percent

Flooded batteries typically produce .418 Liters/AH of Hydrogen at STC, depending on the specific design and application

VRLA batteries typically produce .004 to .013 Liters/AH of Hydrogen at STC,  depending on the specific design and application

o   Cleaning maintenance guidelines:

Batteries are attract dust, dirt, and grime. Keeping them clean will help one spot trouble signs if they appear and avoid problems associated with grime.

1. Check that all vent caps are tightly in place.

2. Clean the battery top with a cloth or brush and a solution of baking soda and water. When cleaning, do not allow any cleaning solution, or other foreign matter to get inside the battery.

3. Rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.

4. Clean battery terminals and the inside of cable clamps using a post and clamp cleaner. Clean terminals will have a bright metallic shine.

5. Reconnect the clamps to the terminals and thinly coat them with petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to prevent corrosion.

6. Keep the area around batteries clean and dry.

Hope this help,

John

John F. DeBoever
Global Projects & Technical Director - Renewable Energy
Trojan Battery Company

12380 Clark Street
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Tel: +1-562-236-3000 Ext. 3139
Cell: +1-845-514-7600 - NY office time zone: USA EST (GMT-5)
Fax: +1-562-236-3239
jdeboever at trojanbattery.com<mailto:jdeboever at trojanbattery.com>
www.trojanbattery.com<http://www.trojanbattery.com/>
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    Happy Holidays

-----Original Message-----
From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org<mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of bob ellison
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 12:18 PM
To: 'RE-wrenches'
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] battery venting; Corrosion

I have had great luck by heating Vaseline to the hot liquid state then brush it on all the exposed lead and I dip the cable ends also.

Doing this I have had 1 terminal that got corroded out of several hundreds.

That gets you a thin coat and lasts for years.

"Clean and tight" is nice but it gets corroded at some point, and I hate cleaning 1 terminal or 20!

Later,

Bob Ellison

-----Original Message-----

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org<mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>

[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power Systems

Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 10:37 AM

To: RE-wrenches

Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] battery venting; Corrosion

Almost all RV's have a small, poorly vented battery box with 4 GC2 batteries. We see corrosion all the time. When we replace batteries, we use zinc coated copper terminals and apply a thin layer of grease with a toothbrush to every exposed portion of the connectors. This simple step, with the occasional reapplication, keeps all terminals as fresh as the day installed for many years. I am speaking from experience of hundreds of installations.

Larry Crutcher

Starlight Solar Power Systems

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