Battery O and M Manual

8/10/2019 Battery O and M Manual

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE OPERATION

AND MAINTENANCE

OF

PLANTE (N/A) BATTERIES

USED WITH

FLOATING AND TRICKLE CHARGE SYSTEM


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GENERAL :

In order to ensure safety, it is essential to operate and maintain your batteries in accordance with therecommendations in this booklet.

a). ACID : Batteries contain dilute sulphuric acid which is poisonous and corrosive. It can cause burns

on contact with skin and eyes. If acid is split on skin or clothing, wash plenty of clean water. If acid gets in to the

eyes wash well with plenty of clean water and get IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION.

b)GASES : Batteries can give off explosive gases. Keep sparks, flames and lighted cigarettes away

from battery and battery room. Ensure connections are tight before switching on, using only insulated tools.

A r e a s w h e r e b a t t e r i e s a r e k e p t o r c h a r g e d m u s t b e a d e q u a t e l y v e n t i l a t e d .

c).ELECTRICITY :Use only insulated tools to make connections to a battery. Check the circuit toensure it is safe before making a connection to the battery. Before working on a battery, always remove personal

metal effects, such as rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces, etc.

ALWAYS PROTECT THE EYES.

e) ERECTION : Erection and commissioning of batteries to be done in accordance with separate

instructions provided by manufacturer.

FLOATING BATTERY SYSTEMS

In a floating battery installation the charger, battery and load are connected in parallel. The chargersupplies the load current continuously whilst the battery remains in a charged condition, immediately capable of

supplying the load should the main supply be interrupted.

CONDENSED INSTRUCTIONS

Top up all cells regularly with distilled or deionised water. Keep the electrolyte level between the red and

green mark, preferably near the green mark, etched on the transparent level indicator.

If, before topping-up, the electrolyte level had fallen below the red mark, it is advisable to give the battery a

charge for approximately hour above 2.3 volts per cell after addition of battery grade distilled water in order to

mix the electrolyte. Keep battery and surroundings clean and dry.

Ensure bolted connections are tight. Keep connectors, pillars and bolted connections covered with

petroleum jelly for protection against corrosion.

Take every precaution to avoid risk of explosion of gases particularly during charge. Never smoke or use a

naked flame near the battery, or in the battery room or take any action which could cause an electric spark.

Ensure that charging equipment maintains the battery at the correct voltage.

Examine all cells at regular intervals. Action should be taken to restore any out of step cells to a fully

charged condition.

The room in which the battery is housed should be well ventilated and its temperature as moderate as the

climate will allow. The temperature of electrolyte should preferably never exceed 380C


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FLOATING

The method of operation known as floating means that the charger, the battery and the load are connected in

parallel. The battery should be held constant at a voltage between 2.23 to 2.27 volts per cell, so that the battery

will normally be maintained in a fully charged condition. The voltage to be maintained based on the ambient

temperature as detailed in Table I.

Temperature Float Voltage


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4.PILOT CELL

Select one cell of the battery as a 'pilot cell. For batteries containing more than 60 cells, select one pilot cell

for each 60 cells.

Any variations in specific gravity of the electrolyte in the 'pilot' cell(s) will be indicative of the state of charge

of the whole battery.

Keep the electrolyte level between the red and green mark, preferably near the green mark, etched on the

transparent level indicator by adding distilled or deionised water when required. After topping up, it is preferable to

give the battery a charge for approximately hour, above 2.3 volts per cell. This will mix the electrolyte and

prevent water from stratifying at the upper level.

5.GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Specific gravity

The specific gravity of the electrolyte in fully charged cells should be 1.200+/-0.005 at 270 C. During thecourse of years there may be a slight fall in the maximum specific gravity values obtainable at end ofcharge, but acid should never be added except on the recommendations of the manufacturer.

2.Topping up

Due to evaporation, and gassing on charge, water is lost from the electrolyte, and the level gradually falls.Water must be added at intervals to bring the electrolyte to the correct level. Do not allow the levels to fallbelow the red mark. The water used for this topping-up operation must be pure and should be

demineralised and conforming to IS 1069

Never use metal vessels for storing or dispensing the topping-up water.

Water should preferably be added below the surface of the electrolyte, by use of a rubber syringe or plasticfunnel. This helps to mix the water with the electrolyte. It will also help to assist mixing by having thebattery on charge, with all cells gassing, either during, or soon after topping-up.

3.Preservation

Keep the battery and surrounding clean and dry. Wipe down the cells with a clean soft cloth dampenedwith clean water, if necessary, a small amount of mild detergent may be added to the cleaning water to

remove any greasy film.

Ensure bolted connections are tight. Keep connectors, pillars and bolted connections covered withpetroleum jelly for protection against corrosion.

Should any corrosion of the connectors occur because of spilt acid etc. carefully remove corrosionproducts, thoroughly clean and neutralize with alkali solution or dilute ammonia.

Dry the affected parts and liberally coat with petroleum jelly to protect from further corrosion. Care shouldbe taken to ensure that the neutralizing solution does not enter the cell.

4.Temperature correction

The specific gravity of the electrolyte varies with temperature. Any reading observed on the hydrometershould therefore be corrected as follows:

For every 100 , above 150 C, add 7 point (0.007 specific gravity) to the specific gravity as read on thehydrometer.

Similarly, for each 100 C, below 150 C, subtract 7 point (0.007 specific gravity) as read on the hydrometer.


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MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

The maintenance schedule given here is divided in daily, weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance. The actions to

be taken, checks and recording required are given herewith.

A. DAILY MAINTENANCE

1. A daily general maintenance should include a check and record of the following :

2. Overall float voltage measured at the battery terminals

3.Charger output current and voltage

4.Specific gravity, voltage and temperature of pilot cells.

B. WEEKLY MAINTENANCE

A weekly maintenance should include all the items mentioned in daily maintenance and the following :

1. Check electrolyte level of all cells and if required, top-up with battery grade water conforming to IS 1069.

Never use metal vessels for topping up because of the risk of electrolyte continuation and accidental shortcircuit.

2. Visually check the conditions of each cell and battery bank. If abnormal or very high amount ofsulphation on the terminals or connectors are observed, take immediate action in removing them.

3.Visually check the cleanliness of battery, battery stands and battery room area for accessibility, cellintegrity and acid leakage.

C. MONTHLY MAINTENANCE

1. A monthly maintenance shall include all checks listed under daily and weekly maintenance schedule

and also the following :

2.Check and record specific gravity, voltage and temperature of all cells in the battery bank.

3.Adjustment of specific gravity by addition of battery grade water is to be done only after charging andunder skilled supervision (Never use acid for this purpose unless specifically suggested by manufacturer).

After adjustment of specific gravity, charge the battery at a voltage around 2.4 volts per cell for a period of 2

hours for mixing of the electrolyte properly.

D. QUARTERLY MAINTENANCE

A quarterly maintenance shall include all checks listed under daily, weekly and monthly maintenance

schedule and also the following :

1. Check and record specific gravity, voltage and temperature of all cells in the battery bank.

2. If the specific gravity of most of the cells are found to be lagging by an average of 10 to 15 points, thebattery bank would call for an equalizing charge at a current equivalent to 3% - 5% of its rated value for6-10 hours to restore the state of charge to full..


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3. The temperature of the electrolyte normally is higher than the ambient. But for a bank, unless it has undergone

a discharge within previous 24 hours, the electrolyte temperature should lie within 3 5 deg. C higher than the

corresponding ambient temperature. In case of a deviation from this range, the charger needs to be checked for

its quality of power output in terms of the ripple contents in the charging voltage and current. Corrective actionshould be immediately taken to avoid any deterioration in the battery bank due to this anomaly

E. HALF YEARLY MAINTENANCE

A half yearly maintenance shall include all checks listed under daily, weekly, monthly and quarterlymaintenance schedule and also the following :

1. Remove all corrosion product and clean connector thoroughly. Use enough amount of petroleum jelly

on the connectors to prevent farther corrosion and put back shrouds in place.

2. Check the tightness of fasteners on inter-cell, inter-row and inter-tier connections to prescribed torque

values as suggested by manufacturer. If required, tighten the connections to the required torque value .

F. YEARLY MAINTENANCE

A yearly maintenance should include all items listed under 'daily', 'weekly' and 'monthly' maintenanceschedule and also the following :

Discharge the battery at C10 current for 10 hours followed by a constant current recharge. The chargingto start at the starting rate as mentioned in the product catalogue for the respective size till the cell voltage

reached 2.36 volts per cell followed by charging at finishing rate pertaining to the specific size of thebattery as mentioned in manufacturer's catalogue. The charging to be stopped when the cell voltage andspecific gravity readings are constant for four consecutive half hourly readings.

The expected end-of-charge voltage is of the order of 2.7 2.75 volts per cell. During charging it has to beensured that a minimum Ah input of 125% of the previous discharged Ah is administered to the battery.The temperature during charging should not increase beyond 450 C. In such cases, the charging to bestopped and the cells to be allowed to cool down till 400 C when the charging can be resumed. The timings

are to be noted so that the duration of charge can be compensated accordingly to ensure that the minimum

Ah input requirement is fulfilled.

After the charging is over, gravity and level adjustments are to be carried out after a rest of 4 hour.

The battery bank, then, is to be given an equalisation charge at a current equivalent to 3% - 5% of ratedC10 capacity for 12-24 hrs.

The battery bank can be given back to the system after the equalising charge is over.

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Battery O and M Manual