May 11, 2023 Pageview:283
Today's mission-critical infrastructures are powered by a high-quality, purpose-built uninterruptible power supply (UPSs), similar to the batteries in your car. But based on variables like whether or not you undertake regular maintenance proactively, life expectancy might vary dramatically.
Batteries are, unfortunately, the most prone component of any uninterruptible power system (UPS), despite unquestionably being its fundamental unit. One of the most frequent reasons for load loss is battery failure. Understanding how to manage and maintain and replace UPS batteries correctly is essential to increasing their lifespan and can prevent expensive downtime.
The lifespan of a battery is limited and is influenced by numerous variables, including usage, environment, upkeep, and age. According to IEEE regulations, a UPS battery should be replaced when it has a capacity of less than 80%. In a string of batteries, one faulty UPS battery cell can jeopardise the reliability of the entire backup system.
Lead acid battery has two indicators.
The easy way to tell if a lead-acid cell is fully charged is to see if it won't accept a considerable amount of current when charged at a regular charging voltage (2.4V) or if the voltage spikes to a very high level (2.7V) when charged at a constant current equal to its 0.05 x Ah rating. Both of these situations show that there isn't much more lead sulphate discharge product left to charge.
To make sure that lead acid batteries are fully charged and that the electrolyte content is evenly distributed, they are often overcharged for a long time. Even without a charging device, it is possible to tell whether a cell is fully charged. The specific gravity of a cell can be determined if it has an access vent and free liquid electrolyte. The battery is probably reasonably charged if it is larger than 1.28.
The specific gravity measured at the top of the cell, however, might not accurately represent the charge condition of the cell if the cell has just recently been charged from a full discharge because the electrolyte may not have been mixed evenly, leaving stronger specific gravity at the bottom and weaker electrolyte at the top. This gives the impression that the cell is not fully charged while in reality it may be fully charged.
To identify the state of the cell's charge, the voltage can also be measured. The cell is likely moderately charged if it is high, >2.13. However, once more, if the battery has been recharged without properly combining the electrolyte, there may be misleading high voltage readings until the cell stabilises to a stable condition.
Resistance or conductivity measurements can reveal whether the cell has been significantly discharged, but they are less sensitive in the upper charge areas. This simply means that it is challenging to distinguish between a fully charged cell and a cell that is 10% or more drained.
How do I determine the capacity of the battery pack?
One of the best ways to assess the condition of a battery cell is to test its capacity. display for a battery. A battery cell's capacity must be tested by fully charging and discharging it while accurately measuring the energy in at least one direction.
Additionally, knowing a battery's actual capacity before you buy it provides you with negotiating power. You can discover an alternative provider or a different brand of a cell if you realise that a particular cell type or supplier does not live up to its promises.
The capacity of a battery can be tested using a variety of techniques. Some of these need complex computations that rely on exact measurements and advanced mathematics. The simplest technique to check a battery's capacity is to fully charge it before measuring the voltage and current while the battery is being used.
You can determine a battery's or battery cell's actual capacity if you can count the energy leaving the battery. Capacity testing is a feature that many lithium-ion battery chargers on the market have. Some of them even have internal resistance tests. This article explains how to determine a battery's capacity.
Discharge Capacity Testing Technique
One of the most precise ways to gauge battery capacity is to deplete the battery. A battery's capacity can only be determined with certainty if you can measure the power leaving it with accuracy. The drawback of this approach is how long it takes to finish.
A healthy cell would take 5 hours to measure at a tolerable discharge rate of 0.2C. A battery with a voltage between 1.2 volts and 12 volts can have its capacity tested with this inexpensive discharge tester. It can therefore effectively run at single-cell lithium-ion voltage ranges.
Charge Test Technique
The amount of energy that can be stored in a battery can be determined precisely by measuring the current and voltage as it is being charged. As good as assessing a battery's capacity is knowing just how much energy it can store.
You could compare those two numbers to get the cell's overall charge and discharge efficiency if you repeated the process while discharging the cell. Over 99% of the energy you put into a battery can be extracted from it when operating at modest currents and the battery doesn't grow heated.
However, it is crucial to keep in mind that a battery will warm up if a high current is used during charging and discharging. This heat is lost as energy and will show up as lower capacity during the discharge test.
The battery string capacity drops below 80%. Is it necessary to replace the battery string?
The three components of a battery's energy storage are the usable part, or rock content, which has become inactive with usage and ageing, the empty zone, which may be refilled, and the unusable part, or available energy, which can be promptly retrieved.
Device specifications are always based on a brand-new battery. This is merely a snapshot that cannot be kept up over an extended period. The battery will age just like any brand-new device, and if this happens unchecked, the shorter runtime may result in battery-related malfunctions.
Although it is recommended to replace a pack when its capacity falls to 80%, the end-of-life cutoff might vary according to the application, user preference, and company policy. With active fleet batteries, capacity measurement, the service that continues to be the greatest indicator for replacement, should be performed every three months.
Lead acid batteries are primarily destroyed through sulfation, and grid corrosion, in addition to age-related losses. If the battery is allowed to remain in a low state of charge, sulfation, a thin film, accumulates on the negative cell plate. An equalising charge may resolve the situation if detected in time. Careful charging and float charge optimization might reduce grid corrosion.
Leave a message
We’ll get back to you soon