TECHNICAL MANUAL For Lifeline® Batteries Manufactured by: Concorde Battery Corporation 2009 San Bernardino Road West Covina, CA 91790 Phone 626-813-1234 Fax 626-813-1235 www.lifelinebatteries.com Document No. 6-0101 Revision D April 14, 2014 NOTICE: The technical data contained herein has been reviewed and approved for general release on the basis that it contains no export controlled information.
RECORD OF REVISIONS Revision Initial Release Rev. A Rev. B Rev. C Rev. D Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
SAFETY SUMMARY DANGER OF EXPLODING BATTERIES Lead acid batteries can produce explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen. Take the following precautions: Never install batteries in an airtight or sealed enclosure and make sure installation is adequately ventilated. Charge batteries in accordance with the instructions given in this manual. Keep all sparks, flames and cigarettes away from batteries. Connect cables tightly to the terminals to avoid sparks.
Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction 1.1 Company Background ……………………………………………………………………………. 5 1.2 Overview of Lifeline® AGM Technology ……………………………………………………….. 5 1.3 About this Manual ………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Chapter 2 - Battery Construction 2.1 Component Description ………………………………………………………………………….. 6 2.2 Battery with Cut Away View ……………………………………………………………………… 8 2.3 Terminal Types ……………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Chapter 3 - Technology Comparison 3.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Company Background Concorde Battery Corporation was founded in 1977 and is a manufacturer of premium quality lead acid batteries. Originally, Concorde’s main product emphasis was dry charged and gelled electrolyte lead acid batteries. In 1985, Concorde developed its valve regulated, absorbent glass mat [AGM] technology for use in aircraft applications. The success of this technology in the aviation market has been outstanding.
CHAPTER 2 - BATTERY CONSTRUCTION 2.1 Component Description Refer to the battery pictorial in Section 2.2 showing a cut away view of the cell and a summary of the features and benefits. A more detailed description of the battery’s construction is given below. GRIDS - The negative grid is made of pure lead calcium alloy. The positive grid is extra thick and is made from a proprietary, pure lead-tin-calcium alloy with special grain refiners.
PRESSURE RELIEF SAFETY VALVE - Each cell in the battery employs a pressure relief safety valve. The valve is designed to release excess pressure that builds up over time to vent the small quantity of gasses that do not recombine inside of the battery. Once the pressure is released, the valve automatically re-seals. The gasses that escape are mainly oxygen and some hydrogen, and these gasses rapidly dissipate into the atmosphere.
2.2 Battery with Cut Away View Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
2.3 Terminal Types Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
CHAPTER 3 - TECHNOLOGY COMPARISON 3.1 Lifeline® versus Flooded Batteries Flooded-electrolyte lead acid batteries have been around since 1859 and tend to be less expensive than AGM or Gel batteries. However, they have major deficiencies compared to AGM or Gel batteries. For instance, deep cycle flooded lead acid batteries contain antimony in the grid alloy which causes a high rate of self discharge and rapid water loss due to gassing reactions.
3.2 Lifeline® versus Gel Batteries Gel batteries have been commercially available since the early 1970’s and are still offered by some manufacturers. Concorde manufactured gel batteries for many years before developing the AGM technology and, therefore, is aware of inherent deficiencies associated with gel batteries. The gel product employs a highly viscous, semisolid mixture of silica gel and dilute sulfuric acid in a colloidal suspension as an electrolyte.
Table 3-2. Comparison of Lifeline® AGM Batteries with Gel Batteries Characteristic Lifeline® AGM Battery Gel Batteries Excellent – AGM acts like a flexible Prone to solid / liquid separation leading Electrolyte Stability sponge. High Rate Performance Excellent due to low internal impedance. Sensitivity to Charging Voltage Levels Moderately sensitive. Life is somewhat reduced if charged outside of recommended charge voltage levels. Excellent.
CHAPTER 4 - BATTERY SPECIFICATIONS 4.1 Battery Models The Lifeline® Series consists of deep cycle as well as engine starting batteries. Capacities of the deep cycle batteries range from 33 to 1200 ampere hours (rated at the 20 hour rate) and a variety of 2-volt, 6-volt and 12-volt models are available. Ratings of the starting batteries range from 550 amperes to 810 amperes (CCA at 0°F) and these are only available in 12 volt models.
CHAPTER 5 - COMMISSIONING AND SERVICING INSTRUCTIONS 5.1 Storage Lifeline® Batteries are charged at the factory and are ready for installation when they are received. Batteries may be stored prior to installation for up to 2 years, provided they are boost charged as described below. Batteries should be stored in the coolest environment available, preferably not exceeding 68°F (20°C). The higher the temperature, the faster the battery will self-discharge and require boost charging.
Figure 5-1. Series Connection Figure 5-2. Parallel Connection Figure 5-3. Series/Parallel Connection Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Connection options for 4-terminal batteries are illustrated in Figures 5-4 through 5-8. For low rate applications (current levels less than 400 amperes), only two of the four terminals need to be connected, but it is still best to use all four terminals for redundancy. For high rate applications (current levels greater than 400 amperes), all four terminals should be connected. Figure 5-4. Series Connection for 4-Terminal Batteries (Low Rate Applications Only) Figure 5-5.
Figure 5-7. Series/Parallel Connection for 4-Terminal Batteries (Low Rate Applications Only) NOTE: Cables A, B and C carry different current levels and should be sized accordingly. In this example, the current in Cable B is 2 times that of Cable A and the current in Cable C is three times that of Cable A. Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Figure 5-8. Series/Parallel Connection for 4-Terminal Batteries (Low or High Rate Applications) 5.3 Discharging Discharge data for Lifeline® AGM batteries are given in Appendix C. The capacity delivered by the battery depends on the rate of discharge as well as the battery temperature. The battery will deliver less capacity as the discharge rate increases and less capacity as the temperature is lowered. Graphs are provided in Appendix C to quantify these effects.
5.4 Charging Charging Lifeline® AGM batteries is a matter of replacing the energy removed during discharge plus a little extra to make up for charging inefficiency. The amount of energy necessary for complete recharge depends on the depth of discharge, rate of recharge, and temperature. Typically, between 102% and 110% of the discharged ampere-hours must be returned for full recharge. The most efficient method of charging Lifeline® AGM batteries is to use a 3 stage charging profile.
Note that the above formula is approximate and the full charge state should be verified using the criteria given above (current drops below 0.5% of rated capacity). If the recharge does not return 102% to 110% of the discharged capacity, the battery’s state of charge will gradually “walk down” as it is cycled leading to premature failure. Therefore, it is important to verify that the battery is not being undercharged.
5.6 Deep Discharge Recovery Batteries that have been in storage for long periods of time without boost charging, or have been kept deeply discharged for an extended time, may need to be charged at constant current instead of constant voltage to restore capacity. The following procedure is effective if the batteries are not too badly sulfated. WARNING: This procedure should only be done in a well ventilated area because a significant amount of hydrogen gases may be released from the battery. 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.8 Temperature Considerations The temperature of the battery has a significant impact on its performance and life capability. Battery capacity is reduced significantly in cold temperatures. For example, a battery that operates continuously at -18ºC (0º F.) will only provide about 60% of its normal room temperate capacity. Appendix C provides a chart of capacity versus temperature at various discharge rates. Battery life is also affected by temperature.
5.9 Servicing Lifeline® AGM batteries do not need electrolyte additions as do flooded lead-acid batteries, but periodic servicing is essential to assure continued integrity of the battery system. Servicing should include good record keeping to document the life history of the battery system and to identify whether corrective action needs to be taken. The following servicing schedule is recommended: Installation 1.
NOTES: (1) Excessive ripple voltage will negatively impact battery life. Maximum recommended ripple voltage (peak to peak) is 0.5% of the float voltage setting. (2) A large variation of individual float voltages in a new battery system is normal because of variations in oxygen recombination efficiency due to slight variations of acid saturation within the AGM. As the battery ages, the variation should drop to lower values.
CHAPTER 6 - SAFETY INFORMATION There are four main safety hazards associated with the use of any valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery. These hazards are: a) Release of ignitable gas, b) Exposure to acid, c) Shorting of terminals, d) Thermal runaway. This chapter provides a description of each of these hazards and means to mitigate them. 6.1 Release of Ignitable Gasses All lead acid batteries, including VRLA batteries, produce hydrogen and oxygen gases during normal charging.
APPENDIX A – GLOSSARY OF BATTERY TERMS AGM - Stands for Absorbed Glass Mat. This is the separator system used in all Lifeline® AGM batteries. Active Material - Electrode material which produces electricity during its chemical conversion. In the positive plate it is lead dioxide. In the negative plate, it is sponge lead. Ampere - Unit of electrical current abbreviated as amps or A. Amps = Watts/Volts or A = W/V. Ampere Hour (Ah) - The capacity of a storage battery is measured in ampere hours.
Current - The rate of flow of electricity. The movement of electrons along a conductor. It is comparable to the flow of a stream of water. The unit of measurement is an ampere. Cut Off Voltage - Battery voltage reached at the termination of a discharge. Also known as end point voltage or EPV. Cycle - One sequence of discharge and charge. Cycle Life - The total number of charge/discharge cycles before the battery reaches end of life (generally 80% of rated capacity).
Temperature, Cell - The average temperature of the battery's internal components. Trickle Charging - Method of charging in which the battery is either continuously or intermittently connected to a constant current charging source to maintain the battery in a fully charged condition. Not recommended for use with Lifeline® AGM batteries. Vent Valve - A normally closed check valve located in a cell which allows the controlled escape of gases when the internal pressure exceeds its rated value.
APPENDIX B – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S) What does AGM stand for? It stands for Absorbed Glass Mat, the type of separator used in all Lifeline® AGM batteries. What is the difference between AGM batteries and Gel batteries? Both AGM and Gel batteries utilize oxygen recombination and pressure relief valves to minimize water loss and allow maintenance-free operation. That is where the similarities end.
APPENDIX C – CHARTS AND GRAPHS Battery Load Voltage vs. DOD Below are listed the 1 hour, 8 hour, 20 hour and 120 hour load voltages during the discharge cycle from full charge to 100% discharge to 1.75V/cell or 10.5V (6 cells) at 25°C (77°F). DOD (%) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1 hr. Rate 12.23 12.16 12.07 11.96 11.83 11.70 11.55 11.38 11.15 10.50 8 hr. Rate 12.60 12.51 12.39 12.25 12.11 11.98 11.79 11.59 11.32 10.50 20 hr. Rate 12.65 12.55 12.42 12.28 12.15 12.02 11.83 11.61 11.34 10.50 120 hr.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0101 Rev.
