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Dynamic Solar Solutions

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Battery Information

BATTERY TYPES

There are a number of different types:

Lead acid wet cell
Calcium either maintenance free or wet cell
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)
Gel

STARTING BATTERIES

Starting batteries, most commonly referred to as automotive, are required to provide a high current output for a relatively short period of time with immediate recharge from the vehicles alternator. This type of application would use a very small amount of the batteries total energy storage capacity. However, if this type of battery was subjected to repeated deep discharge cycling, the number of times the battery could be charged and discharged would be reduced. Starting batteries are usually rated in cold cranking amperes (CCAs).

MAINTENANCE

Keep batteries topped up.
Maintaining a sufficient electrolyte level ensures the electrolyte is neither too high nor too low. Use distilled or deionised water and never over fill. Maintenance free batteries will usually not require topping up. Low maintenance batteries require the addition of water only once or twice per year depending on conditions.

Avoid overcharging

Overcharging produces rapid deterioration and corrosion which shortens battery life. A battery needing to be topped up continually with water is a sure sign that the cars electrical system requires careful checking.

One of the most common causes of battery failure is sulphation. This occurs when a battery is left standing in a discharged state for a period of time. The sulphate from the sulphuric acid combines with lead and forms lead sulphate which hardens on the negative plate. The barrier thus formed will substantially reduce the ability of the plates to absorb charge and the battery to be recharged.

A deep cycle batteries life is dependant on the depth of discharge in each cycle. If you discharge your battery down low regularly to below 12 volts, the battery life is reduced. On the other hand if the battery is kept around 12.5 volts all the time, then the battery life is increased. A battery without load and registers 12.1 volts e.g. Trojan 100amp hour is about 50% charged.

Bi Carbonate of soda and hot water is great to clean your battery terminals.

As recommended and warranted by the Battery Manufacturers the best lube to use to put your battery terminals is Vaseline also known as Petroleum Jelly.

BATTERY TERMINOLOGY

Ampere (Amp) A unit of measurement for the electron flow or current through a circuit.

Ampere-Hour (AH).. A unit of measure for a batteries electrical storage capacity, calculated by multiplying the current in amperes by the time in hours. (Example: A battery which delivers 5 amps for 20 hours provides 5 amps X 20 hours = 100AH of capacity)

Cell .. The basic component-producing unit in a battery. It consists of a set of positive plates, negative plates, electrolyte, separators and casing.

Cycle.. One discharge of a battery plus one recharge.

Depth of Discharge .. The percentage of capacity actually removed from a battery compared to the total rated capacity.

Equalization .. An overcharge performed on flooded lead-acid batteries after they have been fully charged. This maintenance step helps eliminate stratification and sulfation.

Sulfation .. The formation of lead sulphate on the positive and negative electrodes.

DEEP CYCLE BATTERIES

A deep cycle battery is designed to be discharged to 80 percent of its rated capacity many times. Shallow discharges will result is a longer battery life. 50 percent (or less) discharges are recommended to maximize the life of the battery.

Deep cycle batteries are usually rated in ampere hours (Ah).

Most deep cycle applications have some sort of charging system already installed for battery charging (e.g. alternator, generator, solar panels, etc). However, there are still some systems with deep cycle batteries where an individual charger must be selected.

There are many types of chargers available and they are usually rated by their start rate, the rate in amperes that the charger will supply at the beginning of the charge cycle. A good rule of thumb when selecting a charger is for the charge rate to be between 10% and 13% of the batteries 20-hour Ah capacity.

For example, a battery with a 20-hour capacity rating of 225 Ah will use a charger rated between approximately 23 and 30 amps (for multiple battery charging use the AH rating of the entire bank).