DC Velocity - July 2017

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ably [do],” Olin says. “If I was a warehouse manager, the
first thing I would do is look at my charger fleet and see
how old it is.”
Steve Spaar, marketing director for EnerSys, echoes
those sentiments, emphasizing the importance of new
charger technology that reduces
heat in the battery. EnerSys is a
global provider of stored energy
solutions for industrial applica-
tions.

“We know what batteries like and don’t like, so we can adapt our charging algorithms and create less heat during the charge,” says Spaar.

“Smart charging” is another
beneficial technology not available in older chargers.

Smart charging systems include remote monitoring capabilities that can perform a variety of functions—such as detecting rising temperatures and cutting back or stopping the charging process, protecting the battery. This is especially important in the last 20 percent of the charging process—the finish charge—when most of the heat is generated, explains Todd Dietz, project manager, industrial, for battery specialist Exide Technologies.

“The critical point is not always so much how they start,
but how they finish,” Dietz says of the battery charging
process. “The last 20 percent of the charge is where the
majority of the heat is created, and heat is the enemy of
control when and how that finish
charge occurs.”
Smart chargers are part of
the larger industrial Internet
of Things movement, in which
products and services are getting
“connected” as a way to gather
data for better decision-making
on a range of issues throughout
a facility.

“Battery operations management—the telemetry side of the business—is really taking off,” says Spaar, noting that manufacturers are incorporating sensors and Bluetooth technology in order to better monitor batteries in real time and provide action-item lists to customers.

2MAINTAIN WATERING SCHEDULES Ensuring the proper watering of batteries is a second practical step personnel can take to extend battery life. This regular maintenance step often gets put on the back burner in a busy facility—to the detriment of batteries. Lead-acid batteries contain water that is consumed during operation and needs to be replaced regularly.

Neglecting this process can cause a host of problems, most notably oxidation of cell plates when they are exposed to air. Because industrial batteries contain many cells that must be monitored and watered, the process can be time consuming and labor intensive.

On the flip side, overwatering is a common pitfall. This occurs when personnel water batteries that are not fully charged, add too much water, and/or water too frequently. Doing so can cause batteries to boil over and lose some of the acid required to keep them going. It can also lead to corrosion of the battery.

“If you boil over the battery and lose some of the acid in
the cell, that’s capacity you’ve lost out of the cell,” Dietz
explains, adding that batteries should only be watered
after they’ve been fully charged.

Adhering to a regular maintenance schedule alleviates these problems, adds Dietz’s colleague Brad Persons, product marketing manager, industrial batteries, for Exide Technologies. Batteries should be checked weekly, and only those that need it should be watered. Single-point watering systems—which allow workers to water multiple cells from one source—are a good way to save time and labor. In addition, accessories such as water-level indicator lights can help speed up the maintenance process and keep workers on task.