Lifeline Technical Manual

Document No. 6-0101 Rev. D Page 26 of 38
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.
One ampere hour is defined as a current flow of one ampere for a
period of one hour. Five ampere hours means a current flow of
one ampere for five hours, a current flow of 2 1/2 ampere for 2
hours, or any multiple of current and time that will result in five.
This relationship can be expressed as follows:
Capacity (Ampere hours)= I*T, where I is the current (in
amperes) and T is the time (in hours). The capacity of a storage
battery is based on a given discharge rate, since the capacity will
vary with the rate of discharge.
Boost Charge -
A charge applied to a battery which is already near a state of full
charge, usually of short duration.
Capacity -
The quantity of electricity delivered by a battery under specified
conditions, usually expressed in ampere hours.
Capacity, Rated -
A designation by the battery manufacturer which defines the
performance of a new battery at a defined rate of discharge. For
Lifeline® AGM batteries, the rated capacity is based on the 20
hour rate.
Capacity, Residual -
Capacity remaining at particular point in time and set of operating
conditions, usually at a partial state of charge condition.
Cell Reversal -
Reversing of polarity within a cell in a multi cell battery due to
over discharge.
Charge -
The conversion of electrical energy from an external source, into
chemical energy within a cell or battery.
Charge Rate -
The rate at which current is applied to a cell or battery to restore
its capacity.
Charge Retention -
The ability of a charged cell or battery to resist self discharge.
Charge, State of -
Ratio of the amount of capacity remaining in a battery to the
capacity when fully charged. A battery at 25% state of charge
has 25% capacity remaining versus what it could give if fully
charged.
Charger -
Device capable of supplying electrical energy to charge a battery.
Charging -
The process of converting electrical energy to stored chemical
energy. The opposite of discharging.
Charging Efficiency -
Ratio of the Ampere hours delivered on discharge to the Ampere
hours needed to fully charge a battery.
Conditioning -
A special constant current charge process used to restore a
battery’s capacity after extended storage periods or deep
discharge exposure. Also known as reconditioning.
Constant Current (CC) Charge -
Charging technique where the output current of the charge source
is held constant. Warning! This procedure may damage the
battery if performed on a repetitive basis.
Constant Voltage (CV) Charge -
Charging technique where the output voltage of the charge source
is held constant and the current is limited only by the resistance of
the battery and / or the capacity of the charge source. Also known
as Constant Potential (CP) charge.