<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Hi Mac I am a little stupid here so help me out. if the Apollo's are floating means the batteries are fully charged. OR they are charged to the voltage set on the Apollo. I have several Apollo charge controllers, they work like they are set. If the voltage set points are to low the batteries will be discharged all the time. I would set my absorb voltage at 58.4 volts and set the float at 54.4 and as many people here recommended they need to be watched to see how the state of charge is holding. The Apollo has a built in state of charge indication, if the batteries are older they need to be set with a lower charge efficiency, perhaps 85%. but nothing substitutes for hydrometer readings periodically. Unfortunately you said it is a very remote site and it may have very
strong seasonal variations, in load and resource. Also the Apollo inverter/charger has state of charge indication through the charge controller and the current shunt. I again wonder if the inverter charger is set for proper battery charging. It is classic for batteries to be undercharged to death. The apollo equipment has excellent internet accessibility contact apollo, if you have a way of connecting, to the internet. <br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span> As far as recovery of dead batteries, I have seen old dead batteries brought back to some performance never good, by putting on a high voltage charge. I say do this with the up most caution and it you are not confident in what you are doing do not do this. it does not always work. take a high voltage rectifier, Isolate the battery completely, Connect the rectifier in series with the 120 volt source and a 500 watt halogen
work lamp and then the Battery. (if you do not know the polarity do not do this) I have taken batteries that would not take a charge and performed this stunt and they have come back.. for some reason a heavily sulfated battery will not convert , this high voltage forces the charge current. The halogen lamp limits the current to 5 amps. Always were goggles and face mask and rubber apron, never allow spark near charging battery. This method can generate hydrogen and oxygen, have batte4ry in well vented place and make sure connections are solid. after the lamp glows bright shut off the charge and let H2 clear and then oan only then remove the connections. are doing. <br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <hr
size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> mac Lewis <maclewis1@gmail.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Friday, February 17, 2012 9:08 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Absolyte recovery<br> </font> </div> <br>
<div id="yiv468789758">Hi Chris,<div><br></div><div>I suspect that the charger in the Apollo Inverter/Charger is undersized, especially since all of the loads are -48V. Conversely, the array is very oversized and the controllers float most of the time. The charge controllers were working fine last I checked. It's difficult to access the site right now, it includes a 30 mile snow mobile ride. We intended to put a comprehensive remote monitoring system but it didn't get put in before the snow came. I want to get up there and help the system limp along until snow melt when we can do a thorough assessment.</div>
<div>The generator guy went up there and someone had pulled the stop switch on the genset. The battery voltage was around 5V on a 48V bank. Yikes!</div><div><br></div><div> Thanks for the contact info.<br>
<br><div class="yiv468789758gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 2:13 PM, Chris <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:chris@solarwindworks.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:chris@solarwindworks.com">chris@solarwindworks.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="yiv468789758gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div lang="EN-US"><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Hi Mac,<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">We had a cell failure on an Absolyte system we inherited and contacted;<u></u><u></u></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Jeff Lambert</span><span style="color: navy;"> <br>
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Product Support and Warranty</span><span style="color: navy;"> <br></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">East Penn Mfg. Co., Inc. - Unigy Battery Division</span><span style="color: navy;"> <u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: navy;">(</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: navy;">Office: <a rel="nofollow">(610) 682 – 6361 ext. 2848</a></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">| </span><b><span class="yui_3_2_0_16_1329494473260191" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Webdings;">È</span></b><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: navy;">Cell: <a rel="nofollow">(484) 955 – 2899</a> </span><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">| </span><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Webdings; color: navy;">Ç</span><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: navy;">Page: <a rel="nofollow">888-797-8039</a> </span><span
style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: navy;">(If no answer on Cell)</span><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: navy;"> | </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: navy;">*</span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: navy;">Email</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">:</span><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: navy;"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:jlambert@eastpennunigy.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:jlambert@eastpennunigy.com" title="blocked::mailto:jlambert@eastpennunigy.com"><span style="color: navy;">jlambert@eastpennunigy.com</span></a></span><span style="color: navy;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Jeff was very helpful.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">I do wonder if your charge controllers are getting the array power out to the battery bank, was there any damage to them too? Is the Apollo 4048 inverter/charger doing its job, is it undersized for the size of battery bank?<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Sincerely,<br>
<br>Chris Worcester<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;">Solar Wind Works<br>NABCEP Certified PV Installer<br>Phone: <a rel="nofollow">530-582-4503</a><br>
Fax: <a rel="nofollow">530-582-4603</a><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.solarwindworks.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.solarwindworks.com</span></a><br><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:chris@solarwindworks.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:chris@solarwindworks.com"><span style="color: blue;">chris@solarwindworks.com</span></a><br>
"Proven Energy Solutions"</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><u></u> <u></u></span></div>
<div style="border-right: medium none; border-width: 1pt medium medium; border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; padding: 3pt 0in 0in;"><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a> [mailto:<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>mac Lewis<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 16, 2012 12:43 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Absolyte recovery<u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div>
<div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"> Wrenches,<u></u><u></u></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal">We have inherited a Telecomm system in which the batteries have had a very hard life. A lighting strike knocked the system off line for about 5 months, and ground fault dragged the batteries way down about a month ago. Now, we are seeing about 10h of generator run time/day indicating to me that the batteries are not holding voltage at all.<u></u><u></u></div>
</div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"> I am uncertain of the exact specs at this moment, but it is a 24 Absolyte IIP batteries (5 years old), with a 5 kW array, two Apollo T80HV charge controllers and an Apollo 4048 inverter charger.<u></u><u></u></div>
</div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span>I don't have experience with these batteries. Is there any way to try to recover these batteries? Any good contacts with GNB would be useful.</span><u></u><u></u></div>
</div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span>Thanks</span><br clear="all"><u></u><u></u></div></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div><blockquote style="border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 0in 0in 0in 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0in;">
<div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal">Wrenches,<u></u><u></u></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal">We have inherited a Telecomm system in which the batteries have had a very hard life. <span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br clear="all">
<span><u></u><u></u></span></span></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">-- </span><u></u><u></u></span></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div>
</div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><u></u> <u></u></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><u></u> <u></u></span></div></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">Mac Lewis</span></span><span><b><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><u></u><u></u></span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 90, 120);">"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." </span><b><span style="color: rgb(104, 104, 104);">-Sócrates</span></b><u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div></blockquote></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><br><br clear="all"><u></u><u></u></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal">-- <u></u><u></u></div><div>
<div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div><div class="yiv468789758MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">Mac Lewis<b><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><u></u><u></u></span></b></div>
<div><span style="color: rgb(48, 90, 120);">"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." </span><b><span style="color: rgb(104, 104, 104);">-Sócrates</span></b><b><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><u></u><u></u></span></b></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div><br></div><div><font color="#305a78" face="'times new roman', serif"><br></font></div><div><br></div>Mac Lewis<br><br><span style="font-size: medium; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><div align="left">
<font color="#000000" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(48, 90, 120);"><font face="'times new roman', serif">"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." </font><span style="font-weight: 700; color: rgb(104, 104, 104);"><font face="'times new roman', serif">-Sócrates</font></span></span></span></font></div>
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