Desulfaters? [RE-wrenches]

[Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection]

<x-flowed>Windy,
It's a good set-up, but using a hydrometer until it reads low is a 
pretty vague measurement. I've though about this many times and 
discussed it with Richard P., just never go around to doing it. I 
would do it with two battery banks and two E-meters equipped with the 
LLO or relay circuit. Most battery manus rate their batts down to a 
certain cell voltage which they call fully discharged. Wouldn't 
matter much what you picked as long as both meters were set to the 
same. I'd use 11.0V on a 12V battery or string. Charge as fully as 
possible, set up a known load as you suggest (a C-20 rate would be 
ideal) fed through a relay which is turned on by the E-meter relay. 
Zero the meter, set the meter relay function to cut off the load at 
11.0 volts, and it should display the A/hrs out at the cut off point.
Bob-O



>Wrenches,
>
>Here's my proposal of how to test a desulphator for actual recovery 
>of battery capacity. If this works, then I WILL BELIEVE.
>
>Get 4 obviously sulphated batteries (like golf cart batts that are 
>starting to swell and get hard on the ends). The batteries should 
>all be closely identical in condition (measure each cell with 
>hydrometer) and in working condition, however reduced in capacity.
>
>Put them in series either in a working (or demo) system, or on a 
>trickle charge.
>
>Connect them in series for 24V. Charge full, and do a discharge test 
>to measure AH (just use a known load X time, until hydrometer 
>indicates low). They should show siginificantly less than the rated 
>capacity, for this experiment to be useful.
>
>Wire a desulphator accross HALF of the bank, at 12V.
>
>Now, one set gets the desulphating action, and the other acts as the 
>experimental control. No matter how the batteries are used, or not 
>used, they all see the same conditions except for the desulphating 
>action.
>
>      I heard that desulphating action takes place when batteries 
>are at full voltage,
>      or being trickle-charged at full -- can anyone confirm this?
>
>After months of time, take comparative voltage measurements under 
>current. Desulphated batteries should show less internal resistance 
>than the control batteries. Thus, under charge, they should show 
>lower voltage than the control. Under discharge, they should show 
>higher voltage -- more stable, in other words.
>
>If that evidence shows up, do a discharge test and check them all 
>with hydrometer. If the desulph. batteries are better, they will 
>show a higher hydrometer reading than the others.
>
>I tried this with the desulph device that was distributed by an 
>Oregon company about 8 years ago. Nothing happened after 6 months. 
>Then, the manufacturer went out of business and the product was 
>discredited. (also, I cycled the batteries a lot, before I heard 
>that they should be topped off for the action to work.)
>
>I believe that the desulphator principle may be sound. I hope 
>somebody else will try a test like this and see if we all can 
>believe.
>
>Anyone?
>
>Windy
>
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 www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

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 www.homepower.com

For info contact list moderator by email:
 michael.welch at homepower.com
___________________________________________________________
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Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
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