Maintenance of Lead Acid Battery _ Electrical4u

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This page is all about

Electrolte o! Lea" Aci" #atter

$Che%ical Actio& o! Lea" Aci" #atter

Mai&te&a&ce o! Lea" Aci" #atter

Mai&tai&i&g #atter Lea" Aci" #atter Roo%

Electrolyte of Lead Acid Battery

Electrolte o! lea" aci" batter cell is a solutio& o! sul!uric aci" a&" "istille"

'ater( The speci!ic gra)it o! pure sul!uric aci" is about *(+, a&" this pure

aci" is "ilute" b "istille" 'ater u&til the speci!ic gra)it o! the solutio& be-

co%es *(. to *(./( Although0 i& so%e cases speci!ic gra)it o! "ilute" sul!u-

ric aci" are reco%%e&"e" b %a&u!acturer o! the batter "epe&"i&g upo&

tpe o! batter0 seaso& a&" cli%atic co&"itio&(

Chemical Action of Lead Acid Battery

The batter cells ca& be recharge" b re)ersi&g the "irectio& o! "ischargecurre&t0 i& the batter( This is "o&e b co&&ecti&g0 positi)e ter%i&al o! a "c

source 'ith positi)e ter%i&al o! the batter a&" si%ilarl0 &egati)e ter%i&al

o! the "c source 'ith &egati)e ter%i&al o! the batter( A recti!ier tpe bat-

ter charger o! suitable capacit is use" as "c source !or cha&gi&g batter(

Due to chargi&g curre&t 1re)erse o! "ischargi&g curre&t2 positi)e plates

cha&ge to lea" pero3i"e a&" &egati)e plates cha&ge to pure lea"( As soo& as

loa" is co&&ecte" across the batter ter%i&als0 "ischarge curre&t starts !lo'

through the loa" a&" batter starts "ischargi&g( Duri&g "ischargi&g process0

aci"it o! the electrolte solutio& "ecreases a&" lea" sul!ate "eposits o& both

positi)e a&" &egati)e plates( I& this process o! "ischarge the a%ou&t o! 'a-

ter i& the electrolte solutio& i&creases that is speci!ic gra)it o! the elec-

trolte "ecreases( Theoreticall0 this "ischarge process co&ti&ues u&til the

&egati)e a&" the positi)e plates co&tai& %a3i%u% a%ou&t o! lea" sul!ate

a&" at that poi&t both tpes o! plate beco%es electricall si%ilar that %ea&s


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0 (

cells are allo'e" to be "ischarge" up to a pre"eter%i&e" %i&i%u% cell )olt-

age a&" speci!ic gra)it( A !ull charge" lea" aci" batter cell has )oltage

a&" speci!ic gra)it0 .(.) a&" *(.45 respecti)el0 a&" this cell is &or%all al-

lo'e" to be "ischarge" till the correspo&"i&g )alues beco%e *(+6 a&" *(* re-

specti)el(

Maintenance of Lead Acid Battery

I! the cells are o)er charge"0 the phsical propert o! lea" sul!ate gra"uall

cha&ges0 a&" it %a beco%e ob"urate !ro% 'hich it beco%es "i!!icult to co&-

)ert b chargi&g process( He&ce0 the speci!ic gra)it o! the electrolte "e-

creases !or 'hich rate o! che%ical reactio& is ha%pere"( Sul!ate" batter

cells ca& easil be recog&i7e" b )ie'i&g cha&ge" color o! plates( The color

o! a sul!ate" plate beco%es lighter a&" its sur!ace beco%es harsh a&" gritt(

Such cells e)ol)e gas pre%aturel o& charge a&" sho' a "ecrease" capacit(

I! the sulphatio& is allo'e" !or lo&g ti%e0 it beco%es "i!!icult to recti! the

cells( To a)oi" this situatio&0 it is reco%%e&"e" to charge the lea" aci" bat-

ter cells !or prolo&g ti%e at a lo' rate o! chargi&g curre&t(

There is al'as a high cha&ce at the ter%i&al co&&ectors o! the batter cells

to be corro"e"( Corrosio& %ai&l a!!ects at the bolte" co&&ectio& bet'ee&

cells i& a ro'( This ca& easil be a)oi"e" i! the tight&ess o! each bolt is prop-

erl chec8e" a&" recti!ie" a&" also each &ut bolt co&&ectio& is co)ere" b a

thi& laer o! petroleu% 9ell( I! a& o! the cells is corro"e"0 it shoul" be re-

place" i%%e"iatel(

The speci!ic gra)it o! the electrolte %a be per%a&e&tl "ecrease" "ue to

agei&g e!!ects( This proble% is ge&erall !ou&" i& ol" batter cells( This is

%ai&l "ue to0


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i( Actio& o! se"i%e&t-at the botto% o! the cell co&tai&er(

ii( Due to loss o! aci" b spra "uri&g chargi&g(

iii( I&a"e:uate treat%e&t a!ter the re%o)al short circuit(

i)( Due to e3cessi)e sulphatio& o& the plates(

I! the lo'eri&g o! speci!ic gra)it is &ot "ue to sulphatio& or short circuit0

co&ce&trate" sul!uric aci" %a be a""e" to restore &or%al )alue o! speci!ic

gra)it(

A short circuit %a occur bet'ee& the positi)e a&" &egati)e plates either

"ue to treei&g or "ue to buc8li&g o! the plates( Treei&g is usuall "ue to e3-

cessi)e gassi&g 'hich te&"s to loose& the acti)e %aterials !ro% the plates(

The particles o! acti)e %aterials !all i&to the electrolte a&" %a accu%ulate

o& the &egati)e plates i& such a 'a as to bri"ge the space bet'ee& the pos-

iti)e a&" &egati)e plates( This treei&g ca& be re%o)e" b the use o! scali&g

stic8 %a"e o! ebo&ite( # this stic8 it is possible to e3plore the space be-

t'ee& these t'o tpes o! plates o! a cell a&" to re%o)e loose %aterials or

treei&g(

I! the short circuit is "ue to buc8li&g o! plates0 this ca& be re%o)e" b i&sert-

i&g a""itio&al separator or b re%o)i&g a&" straighte&i&g the plates %echa&-

icall(

A!ter re%o)i&g o! short circuit0 care shoul" be ta8e& to restore the speci!icgra)it o! the electrolte to &or%al b co&sta&t chargi&g b high curre&t(

Maintaining Battery Lead Acid Battery Room

There is a high cha&ce o! aci" spra a&" gases "uri&g chargi&g o! batter(

These %a pollute the at%osphere surrou&"s the batter( He&ce0 a%ple

space a&" goo" )e&tilatio& is esse&tial i&si"e the batter roo%( These gases


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There shoul" be at least o&e e3haust !a& o! suitable si7e0 !itte" i& the bat-

ter roo% to 8eep the at%osphere !ree !ro% those gases a&" !ree !ro% %ois-

ture i&si"e the roo%( The te%perature i&si"e the batter roo% shoul" al-

'as be %ai&tai&e" abo)e *5;C( The 'alls0 ceili&gs0 "oors0 'i&"o' !ra%es0

)e&tilators0 %etal parts a&" other apparatus i& the batter roo% shoul" be

pai&te" 'ith a&ti-aci" coati&g at regular i&ter)als( The electrical 'iri&g i&si"e

the roo% shoul" be i& %etal co&"uit a&" lighti&g !i3tures shoul" be !la%e-

proo! i& co&structio&( All the s'itchi&g ele%e&ts i&clu"i&g electrical !uses

a&" plug soc8ets shoul" be i&stalle" outsi"e the batter roo% other'ise

there %a be a cha&ce o! !ire ha7ar" i&itiate" !ro% spar8i&g "uri&g s'itch-

i&g operatio&( The !loor o! the roo% shoul" be 'ell !i&ishe" pre!erabl b us-

i&g cera%ic tiles( The !loor a&" 'alls o! the roo% shoul" be clea&e" properli& regular i&ter)als(

There are some safety measures to be taken during handling storage battery in substa

tion

* Do &ot s%o8e i&si"e the roo%(

. Do &ot bri&g a !la%e i&si"e the roo%(

/ Do &ot ge&erate a& spar8 i&si"e the roo%(

, Wear plash proo! goggles0 rubber glo)es0 'hile 'or8i&g 'ith the batter(

4Duri&g prepari&g electrolte al'as a"" the co&ce&trate" aci" little b

little to the 'ater(

< Ne)er pour 'ater i&to the co&ce&trate" aci"(

These all abo)e %e&tio&e" poi&ts shoul" be "isplae" o& the "oor or a&

other 'ell )isible place o! the batter roo%(

The !ollo'i&g rules to be obee" "uri&g operatio&0 co&trol a&" e%erge&c

lighti&g ser)ice o! the storage batter(

Do &ot allo' the batter to sta&" i"le !or lo&g ti%e this %a cause i&acti-

)atio& o! the batter cells(

*(


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rate o! chargi&g causes high te%perature rise a&" e3cessi)e gassi&g re-

sulti&g i& hea) loss o! 'ater a&" so%eti%e o)er!lo'i&g o! electrolte

!ro% the batter cells(

.(

A!ter e)er co%plete "ischarge0 the batter shoul" be i%%e"iatel

charge" be!ore retur&i&g it to its regular !loati&g ser)ice( Other'ise there

%a be a cha&ce o! "epositio& o! sulphate !il% o& the plates(

/(

As alrea" %e&tio&e"0 the batter cells shoul" be charge" ge&tl at &or-

%al rate so that there 'ill be &o cha&ce o! i%%e"iate gassi&g a&" te%-

perature rise o)er ,5;C( Other'ise there %a be "a%age to the batter

cells "ue to high te%perature( Duri&g chargi&g o! batteries0 co&ti&uous

%o&itori&g is re:uire"0 i! gassi&g starts a&" the te%perature reaches the

sai" li%it0 re"uce the rate o! chargi&g( I! a!ter re"uci&g the chargi&g rate0

the te%perature is still approachi&g to the li%it0 it i&"icates the co%ple-

tio& o! chargi&g process because e)e& the &or%al rate o! chargi&g %a

pro"uce high te%perature rise i! the batter approaches to the !ull

charge" co&"itio&(

,(

The )oltage o! each o! the batter cells shoul" be chec8e" be!ore co&clu-

sio& o! chargi&g a&" each o! the cells are properl a&" e:uall charge"

a&" the rea"i&gs shoul" also be tallie" 'ith pre)ious recor"(

4(

I! the electrolte le)el i&si"e the batter cell co%es "o'&0 it %ust be!ille" 'ith "istille" 'ater up to the le)el %ar8e" o& the cell itsel!( This is

to co%pe&sate the loss o! 'ater "ue to e)aporatio&(


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:ue&t lea8age i& the batter cell(

The speci!ic gra)it shoul" be %easure" a!ter at least t'o 'ee8s !ro%

toppi&g up to e&sure thorough %i3i&g o! 'ater i& electrolte(

+(

The batter shoul" be "ischarge" up to the allo'able li%it a&" the& it

shoul" be o)ercharge" o&ce i& . to / %o&ths( The rate o! o)erchargi&g

%ust be !ollo'e" as speci!ie" b the %a&u!acturer( This operatio& is )er

i%porta&t to %ai&tai& the aci" storage batter i& the acti)e state(

>(

Whe& speci!ic gra)it o! electrolte is %easure"0 it shoul" &ot be !orgot-

te& to correct it !or te%perature( So that0 all h"ro%eter rea"i&gs 'ill be

re!erre" to sa%e te%perature( The h"ro%eter shoul" be 8ept clea& 'ith

"istille" 'ater other'ise the h"ro%eter 'ill cause i&correct rea"i&gs a&"

as 'ell as spoil the :ualit o! electrolte( The speci!ic gra)it o! elec-

trolte %ust be 8ept 'ithi& *(*+5 to *(.,5( Lo' )alue o! speci!ic gra)it

"ecreases the capacit o! batter a&" o& the other ha&" high )alue ishar%!ul !or the batter plates(

5(

The substatio& batter &or%all operates u&"er !loati&g %o"e( At !loat-

i&g %o"e0 a co&sta&t )oltage !ro% the batter charger is applie" across

the batter "uri&g its &or%al operatio& to 8eep the batter appro3i%atel

i& !ull charge" co&"itio&( I& &or%al co&"itio& the batter charger sup-

plies the substatio& loa" a&" also co%pe&sate the losses i& the batter(

#ut i& case o! hea) "e%a&" "uri&g si%ulta&eous operatio& o! %a&

s'itchgears0 the batter a&" the charger0 are co%bi&e" to suppl the "e-

%a&"(

*(

Duri&g &or%al !loati&g co&"itio& the cell )oltage0 speci!ic gra)it a&".(


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ter cell shoul" be ta8e& at least o&ce i& the %o&th to 8eep %o&itore"

the co&"itio&s o! i&"i)i"ual cell(

The batter shoul" be re!ille" 'ith !resh electrolte o&ce i& three ears

i&ter)al to %ai&tai& the batter i& proper operati&g co&"itio&s(

/(

This is shoul" be &ote" that0 the pilot cell o! a batter ba&8 is o&e arbi-

traril chose& batter cell 'hich is use" to get the i&!or%atio& about

o)erall co&"itio& o! the batter( #ut o&e pilot cell %ust be !i3e" !or o&e

%o&th a&" it shoul" be cha&ge" i& &e3t %o&th(

,(

This 'as a brie! "escriptio& o! maintenance of substation battery but

it is al'as pre!erable also to !ollo' the i&structio&s gi)e& i&to the %ai&-

te&a&ce %a&ual supplie" b the %a&u!acturer too(

4(

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