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Powered by: Sun Microsystems |
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Battery Products
To make your new or existing
forklift battery virtually maintenance free, we recommend installing
an Automatic Battery Watering System and Water Level Indicator Light. This
can be accomplished for approximately $20 per cell, plus (1) $50 indicator module
(installed). The benefits are: · Weekly
battery watering takes just one to two minutes. · No user
contact with the battery or vent caps. · No
safety equipment required (such as eye wash systems and protective gear). · Narrow
isle trucks do not require removal of the battery for watering. · Accidental
overfilling, acid overflow and corrosion are eliminated. · You will
achieve the maximum number of cycles and productivity, usually 7yrs or more. · The
optional battery water level indicator light further reduces maintenance by
eliminating unnecessary water level checks, and allows operators and
management to easily monitor water levels at a glance. Example: Automatic Battery Watering System
Automatic Watering System
| Filler is Easily Accessible | 5gal. Reservoir | Remote Water Level Indicator
The five most common reasons for Premature Battery
Failure: 1.
Low
water levels ·
From our experience, this is the number one cause
of battery failure. ·
Charging batteries that are as little as 1” low on water
can cause damage to the entire battery that can never be repaired. It dries
and burns the uppermost portion of the “plates”, causing high resistance that is permanent, and
effectively isolates the portion that remained submerged. ·
Even when the proper water levels are restored, the damaged
portion continues to cause high resistance and the battery runs much hotter
from that point forward, causing accelerated water loss and further plate damage due to overheating. 2. Over
Charging and Opportunity Charging
·
Industrial batteries are typically designed to last
at least 1,500 charge cycles, over a five to fifteen year
period. Each time you charge a battery, regardless of how long, it
constitutes one cycle. ·
Consistently charging a battery twice per day, during
lunch breaks for example, is known as Opportunity Charging, and
reduces the useful life of a battery by 50%. ·
The additional heat generated by opportunity charging a
battery usually reduces the run time equal or greater in proportion to the
amount of charge it actually received, making the practice completely
ineffective and costly. ·
Routinely charging the battery before it is 80% discharged is another common form of over
charging. For example, if you only use the battery a few hours a day, it’s
best to use it until it is truly in need of charging before actually plugging
it in. Remember, each charge constitutes one cycle, so try not to charge
unnecessarily. 3.
Over
watering ·
Commonly occurs as a reaction to low water levels, but is a major problem unto
itself. ·
Flushes the electrolyte from the cells and gradually dilutes the acid to the point that the battery can no
longer function properly. In many cases this can be remedied sending the
battery out to have the acid adjusted, but the battery’s life will still be
shortened somewhat. ·
Causes tray corrosion (listed below). 4.
Failing
to Equalize Charge ·
Batteries should receive an Equalize Charge once
every 10 cycles. ·
Almost all chargers are equipped with an Equalize feature.
On older chargers, this setting is usually referred to as Weekend or Weekly
charge. ·
Selecting this setting adds 3 additional hours to a
normal charge, ensuring all of the cells in the battery reach full charge, and
the allowing extra time for the electrolyte to mix during the Gassing
Stage. ·
Failure to equalize causes reduced battery run time and
eventual failure, due to Sulfation, Stratification, and an imbalanced
capacity between the cells. 5.
Corrosion ·
Batteries should be rinsed or washed at least once
per year to prevent corrosion. ·
Even when the proper water levels are consistently
maintained, sulfuric acid vapors escape during charge.
These vapors leave an oily sulfuric acid residue on the top of the
battery around the vent caps. Over time, the water in the residue evaporates
leaving full strength, concentrated acid that is much more concentrated than
the diluted acid inside the battery. ·
The concentrated acid is very conductive. As it gradually
accumulates and spreads out, it eventually makes contact between the
intercell connectors across the top of the battery. This results in shorting
between the cells, causing the battery to self-discharge, and additional heat during charge
and use. ·
Even though battery trays have a baked on powder coat
finish, they will easily corrode if the residue is not rinsed off. The corrosion
will become progressively worse until it is either removed, or it destroys
the battery. |
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CABLE CORROSION – REPAIRABLE: This is a
commonly overlooked problem which causes reduced run time and all of the
classic symptoms of a bad battery or cell. Many times this is the only problem,
and replacing the corroded cable increases run time dramatically. ·
CAUSE: If the battery is not rinsed
periodically, acid penetrates the seal between the cable
head and the insulation and begins to oxidize and corrode the copper
conductors. The cable gradually swells over time as the copper breaks down,
deteriorating the connection gradually until the battery no longer accepts a
charge. Examples of Battery Cable Corrosion: Swollen near
terminal, copper is replaced by blue corrosion.
Positive
Plate Growth – NOT REPAIRABLE: The true
sign that a battery has reached the end of its useful life, and is in need of
replacement. Typically begins to occur after 5 years. As batteries age, the
positive plates begin to soften and expand in size.
This causes internal pressure inside the battery cells. Most manufacturers now use floating
bushings on the positive cell posts to allow for this gradual
expansion and reduce stress on the cells internal components. Eventually, as
the battery reaches the end of it’s normal useful life, the internal pressure
is great enough to push the positive posts well beyond normal tolerances and
can begin to distort the cell covers and vent wells. Positive plate growth is normal and should be
considered as a wear indicator. If your battery is no longer holding a charge
and shows signs of plate growth, it should be replaced, not
repaired. ·
Batteries can fail and be beyond economical repair
without showing noticeable signs of plate growth. However, plate growth is a sure, visible sign that
the battery is beyond economical repair. ·
Positive plate growth typically occurs after 5 years
or 1,500 cycles. If it occurs in less than 5 years, it is most likely due to
opportunity charging or over charging, which should be addressed when
replacing the battery.
·
This
condition usually affects the Positive posts only, and will give an uneven,
slanted appearance when viewed from the side, looking across the top of the
battery. Examples of Positive Plate Growth:
·
SHORT RUN
TIME: Progressively shorter run times could be caused by a
malfunctioning battery OR charger. It is best to have both
checked if you begin to experience shortened run time or suspect a problem. ·
EQUALIZE
CHARGE: Industrial batteries must receive an equalize charge at
least once per month, or permanent damage will result. Never equalize more
than once every 5th charge cycle, or damage will result. Reason:
Selecting equalize mode on your charger adds 3 additional hours of charge
time to that charge cycle, ensuring all of the cells reach 100% charge. Equalizing too
often or too little will ·
WHEN TO ADD
WATER, AND HOW MUCH TO ADD: Water can be added before or
after charging. Add just enough water to cover the perforated element
protector (visible at the bottom of the vent well). ·
·
WHAT KIND OF
WATER TO USE: In general, normal city water will suffice, but if
you have any doubts about purity of the local water supply, A) contact the GB
battery supplier in your area B) get a chemical analysis of the water C) use
distilled water. ·
·
SPECIFIC GRAVITY (SPGR): See SPGR chart
below. ·
OVER DISCHARGING: Never over discharge batteries. More is not necessarily
better when it comes to recharging batteries. Most battery manufacturers
warrant their batteries for up to 1,500 cycles of charge and discharge provided, among other things, that
the battery is never discharged beyond 80%. This normally
coincides with an eight-hour shift. Trucks fitted with extra equipment such
as clamps, high speed lifts, etc. will need a higher capacity battery to ensure the battery is
not discharged beyond 80%. Lift truck interrupts
are available to detect the correct discharge level and are recommended by
battery manufacturers as a means of ensuring batteries are not over discharged. The best way to ensure batteries
are not being overcharged is to periodically (once a month) check the temperature of the center cell on a battery at the end of regular
charge. If the temperature of the electrolyte is more than
36° F above the ambient temperature, call your battery technician— there
is a problem. ·
AVOIDING SPARKS: Batteries produce
and store hydrogen gas, which is highly explosive. Never weld near a battery.
Never place metal objects on batteries. Such objects can cause
a short circuit between adjacent cells and result in possible injury to those
close to the battery. Similarly, people charged with caring for or operating
batteries should not wear any metal jewelry. ·
UNDER-SIZED CHARGERS: A charger that is
more the 100AH less than the your battery’s rated capacity. Will
result in an undercharged battery with significant reduction in operating life.
Your local GB vendor has all the information to ensure the battery and
chargers are precisely matched. ·
OVER-SIZED CHARGERS: A charger that is
over 100AH more than your battery’s rated capacity. Can overcharge and
overheat your battery, reducing the operating life of your
battery. ·
WHEN TO
REPLACE A BATTERY: Repair or replace batteries when capacity that has fallen below 80% of its
rated capacity. Continuing to operate a bad
battery can damage a truck's electric motor and electronics. Failing
batteries also require recharging more frequently, wasting hundreds or
thousands of dollars in energy per year, depending on the size of your fleet. ·
RECORD KEEPING: We
recommend that each forklift, battery and charger in your fleet be given a
unique number for easy identification and tracking purposes. Keep regular
records on the maintenance of batteries. For instance, keep a log of ever
time a battery is watered and equalize charged, or at minimum, each time an
operator complains of short run time and whenever cells or cables are replaced. These records
will be invaluable when it comes to predicting when battery replacement will
be necessary. ·
FORMULAS: Charger Model# Breakdown: Example, Model GB100-3-18-750 =
GB brand, 100% rated, 3 phase, 18 cell (36 volt), 750AH (Ampere Hour). Battery Model# Breakdown: Example, Model 18-125-13 = 18 cells (x2 = 36 volt), 125AH per plate, 13 negative plates. Calculating AH Capacity: Negative plates per cell – 1,
/ 2 x AH per plate = AH (Ampere Hour). Example, 18-125-13: 13 – 1 = 12, / 2 = 6 x 125 = 750AH Calculating KWH Capacity: AH x Volts (2v per cell) = WH (Watt Hour) / 1000 x .97
(efficiency factor) = KWH (Kilo Watt Hour) Example, battery model 18-125-13, 36V / 750AH: 750 x 36 = 27,000 /
1000 = 27 x .97 = 26.19KWH. ·
STATE
OF CHARGE: Typical no-load voltages vs. state of
charge:
Sample voltages are for a 12-volt / 6 cell battery system (figured at 10.5 volts =
fully discharged, and 77 degrees F). For a 24-volt
battery multiply by 2, for a 36-volt battery multiply by 3, 48-volt battery
multiply by 4. VPC is the volts per individual cell - if you measure more than a .2 volt
difference between each cell, you need to equalize, or the battery
is beginning to go bad, or it could be sulfated. These voltages are for
batteries that have been at rest for 3 hours or more. Batteries that are
being charged will be higher - the voltages while charging will not tell you
anything, you have to let the battery sit for approx. 3hrs. For longest life,
batteries should stay in the green zone. Occasional dips into the
yellow are not harmful, but continual discharges (or “cycles”) to those levels will shorten
battery life considerably. It is important to realize that voltage
measurements are only approximate. Note the large voltage drop in the
last 10%.
Other Battery Questions and Answers
How are batteries
rated and what do the ratings mean in battery selection? How does the Cold Cranking
Amperage rating help me select a battery? What does the
Reserve Capacity rating mean and how does it apply to deep cycle batteries? What is the difference between deep cycle batteries and
starting batteries? Does overcharging
damage batteries? Does over discharging
damage batteries? How can I
evaluate the health and state of charge (SOC) of a battery?
1) BATTERY RATINGS
Manufacturers
use different discharge periods to yield an different
Amp-Hr. Rating for the same capacity batteries, therefore, the Amp-Hr.
Rating has little significance unless qualified by the number of hours the
battery is discharged. For this reason Amp-Hour Ratings
are only a general method of evaluating a battery's capacity for selection purposes. The quality
of internal components and technical construction within the battery will
generate different desired characteristics without effecting its Amp-Hour
Rating. For instance, there are 150 Amp-Hour batteries that will not support
an electrical load overnight and if called upon to do so repetitively, will
fail early in their life. Conversely, there are 150 Amp-Hour batteries that
will operate an electrical load for several days before needing recharging
and will do so for years. The following ratings must be examined in order to
evaluate and select the proper battery for a specific application: COLD
CRANKING AMPERAGE and RESERVE CAPACITY are ratings used by the industry to
simplify battery selection. 2) COLD CRANKING AMPERAGE:
NOTE:
Do not confuse Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) with Marine Cranking Amperage (MCA) or
Cranking Amperage (CA). MCA and CA is a higher battery rating measured at
warmer temperatures. 3) RESERVE CAPACITY
For
instance, GB uses thicker lead grids (the plate's skeletal structure) to support
additional positive plate oxides which are compressed into a
denser form in order to add battery reactive material for greater Reserve Capacity and Cycling Performance. In
addition, these plates are separated by indestructible separators. These mats hold the active
oxides tightly in place during the cubical plate expansion, which occurs during deep
discharging, instead of allowing the oxides to shed off and precipitate to
the bottom of the battery. Construction materials such as those raise the
Reserve Capacity of a battery and increase the
battery's Cycle Life. 4) CYCLE LIFE
5) DEEP CYCLE
BATTERIES
Deep cycle batteries can be used in any
application and exhibit a long service life, while cranking batteries are
limited to starting applications only. Cranking batteries exhibit poor
service life in cycling applications. 6) INCREASING CAPACITY THROUGH SERIES AND PARALLEL
CONNECTIONS
In
the PARALLEL CONNECTION, batteries of like voltages and capacities are
connected to increase the capacity of the bank. The positive terminals
of all batteries are connected together, or to a common conductor, and all
negative terminals are connected in the same manner. The final voltage
remains unchanged while the capacity of the bank is the sum of the capacities
of the individual batteries of this connection. Amp-Hours Cranking
Performance and Reserve Capacity increases while Voltage does not.
7) BATTERY MAINTENANCE
8) OVERDISCHARGING
CHARGING
Alternators and float battery chargers including regulated photo voltaic
chargers have automatic controls which taper the charge rate as the batteries
come up in charge. It should be noted that a decrease to a few amperes while charging does not mean that
the batteries have been fully charged. Battery chargers are of three types.
There is the manual type, the trickle type, and the automatic switcher
type. 9) BATTERY ELECTROCHEMISTRY EVALUATION
The following table illustrates typical specific gravity values for a cell in various stages of charge: 100% Charged = 1.285 - 1.290 Sp. Gr. 75% Charged = 1.240 - 1.245 Sp. Gr. 50% Charged = 1.195 - 1.200 Sp. Gr. 25% Charged = 1.150 - 1.155 Sp. Gr.0% Charged = 1.115 - 1.120 Sp. Gr.
Temperature compensation of hydrometric
readings is usually unnecessary unless the battery is extremely hot or cold,
however, after hard charging or discharging, you may want to add or subtract
points of Specific Gravity based on the table. Do not apply hydrometer color-coding to readings taken
from deep cycle batteries. These red-white-green
markings are for "hot" automotive battery types. Also, hydrometer readings taken immediately after
water is added to a cell is inaccurate. The water must be
thoroughly mixed with the underlying electrolyte by charging, before hydrometer readings are reliable. In
addition, do not assume a deep cycle battery will not take a charge because
you have been charging it for a while and the float will not rise. If the
battery has been fully discharged or partially sulfated it will
require considerable charging or equalization before recovering. As electrolyte levels are reduced in the
battery, it is important to add water to each cell. Note that only the water portion of
the electrolyte evaporates, therefore, it is not necessary to add acid to a battery during maintenance. In
fact, the addition of acid to an active battery will reduce its capacity and shorten its remaining life.
Water should be added to cells after charging the battery. This will
eliminate spillage due to expansion of electrolyte upon charging. Generally
speaking, any water that is safe to drink is safe to use in a battery. Do not
use water of a known high mineral content or stored in metallic containers.
It is the metal impurities in the water that lower the performance of the
battery. Distilled water guarantees purity. If you suspect your charger fails to shut off or your battery
overheats for any reason, discontinue use immediately and call for service.
© Copyright GB Industrial
Battery - All rights reserved. Last Updated: Thursday, September 04, 2008 Pacific Time. |
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