EnergyCell Battery Owner’s Manual
About OutBack Power Technologies OutBack Power Technologies is a leader in advanced energy conversion technology. OutBack products include true sine wave inverter/chargers, maximum power point tracking charge controllers, and system communication components, as well as circuit breakers, batteries, accessories, and assembled systems. Audience This manual is intended for use by anyone required to install and operate this battery.
Table of Contents Important Safety Instructions ........................................................................ 4 Additional Resources .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 EnergyCell Batteries ...................................................................................... 5 Welcome to OutBack Power Systems ...................................................................
Safety Instructions Important Safety Instructions READ AND SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS! This manual contains important safety instructions for the EnergyCell battery. These instructions are in addition to the safety instructions published for use with all OutBack products. Read all instructions and cautionary markings on the EnergyCell battery and on any accessories or additional equipment included in the installation. Failure to follow these instructions could result in severe shock or possible electrocution.
EnergyCell Batteries Welcome to OutBack Power Systems Thank you for purchasing the OutBack EnergyCell battery. EnergyCell is a series of absorbed glass-mat (AGM) batteries with a valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) design. They are designed to provide long, reliable service with minimal maintenance. Several versions are available, including front-terminal and top-terminal designs. All have high recharge efficiency and a compact footprint for higher energy density.
Installation and Operation EnergyCell RE The EnergyCell RE (Renewable Energy) Series uses pasted lead-calcium-tin plates. It is designed for regular discharge/charge cycles. The EnergyCell RE is available in both top-terminal and front-terminal designs.
EnergyCell Batteries Materials Required Tools (use insulated tools only) Torque wrenches Voltmeter Accessories Interconnect bar (provided with front terminal batteries only) Terminal cover (provided with front terminal batteries only) Hardware kit Interconnect cables as needed CAUTION: Fire Hazard Install properly sized battery cabling and interconnect cables. The cable ampacity must meet the needs of the system, including temperature, deratings, and any other code concerns.
Installation and Operation Storing EnergyCell GH Batteries The EnergyCell GH must be kept in storage no longer than the shelf life indicated in Figure 4 for a particular temperature. At the end of this time it must be given a freshening charge. That is, a battery stored at 104°F (40°C) should be stored no longer than six months, while it can be stored up to 48 months at 50°F (10°C) without a charge. Stored batteries should be checked for open-circuit voltage at intervals.
EnergyCell Batteries System Layout CAUTION: Fire Hazard Failure to ventilate the battery compartment can result in the buildup of hydrogen gas, which is explosive. The battery enclosure or room must be well-ventilated. This protects against accidental gas buildup. All EnergyCell batteries are sealed and do not normally emit noticeable amounts of gas. However, in the event of accidental leakage, the enclosure must not allow gas to become concentrated.
Installation and Operation Batteries are placed in both series and parallel for both additive voltage and amp-hour capacity. Series strings placed in parallel have the same nominal voltage as each string. They have the same amp-hour capacity of each string added together. Two parallel strings of two EnergyCell batteries in series have a nominal voltage of 24 Vdc, twice the nominal voltage. They also have double the amp-hour capacity of a single battery.
EnergyCell Batteries DC Wiring CAUTION: Equipment Damage Never reverse the polarity of the battery cables. Always ensure correct polarity. CAUTION: Fire Hazard Always install a circuit breaker or overcurrent device on the DC positive conductor for each device connected to the batteries. CAUTION: Fire Hazard Never install extra washers or hardware between the mounting surface and the battery cable lug or interconnect. The decreased surface area can build up heat.
Installation and Operation To make the DC connections: 3. 1. If installing batteries in a rack or cabinet, always begin with the lowest shelf for stability. Place all batteries with terminals facing to the most accessible side of the rack. If terminal protectors are present, remove and save them. 2. Clean all terminals and contact surfaces. In common configurations, the battery on one end will be the positive (+) output for that string. This battery should be designated .
EnergyCell Batteries Commissioning Before commissioning batteries: 1. Measure and record inter-battery connection resistances and open circuit voltages. These measurements should be used as a reference for future maintenance requirements. 2. Perform a visual inspection of all terminals, components, and connections. 3. Verify that the charger’s set points are adjusted to the correct values for the battery and the application. To commission batteries before initial use: 1.
Installation and Operation charge for a minimum of 24 hours. After discharge, the float charge should be applied as soon as possible. It must not be delayed more than 7 days in any case. The charger should be sized so that the full charge rate is at least 17 Adc per battery string. The float charger should be set to maintain the batteries at 13.62 Vdc per battery in a string (2.27 volts per cell) at 77°F (25°C). Other temperatures require voltage compensation within a range of 2.21 to 2.29 volts per cell.
EnergyCell Batteries maintaining the absorption voltage). At this point the charger is allowed to exit absorption to the next stage. Not all chargers measure their absorption stage in amperes. Many chargers maintain absorption for a timed period (often two hours), under the assumption that the current will taper to the desired level during this time. However, if the charger exits absorption and ends the charge before the current has tapered down to the desired level, the battery may not reach 100% SoC.
Installation and Operation This makes it harder for the charger to reach its voltage set points. It will continue to deliver energy over time until the charging set points are reached. However, this tends to be far more than the battery requires, meaning it will tend to be overcharged. (See Improper Use.) To compensate for these changes, a charger used with the EnergyCell battery must have its voltages raised by a specified amount for every degree below room temperature.
Troubleshooting and Maintenance Table 2 Category Symptom Troubleshooting Possible Cause Remedy Normal life cycle Replace battery bank when (or before) capacity drops to unacceptable levels. Defective cells Test and replace battery as necessary. Excessively cold battery Carefully warm up the battery. Undersized cabling Increase cable ampacity to match loads. Loose or dirty cable connections Check and clean all connections. Physical damage on terminals may require the battery to be replaced.
Maintenance Table 2 Category Current testing Troubleshooting Symptom Possible Cause Remedy Charging current to series string is zero; failure to support load Open connection or open battery cell in string Check and clean all connections. If battery appears to have an open cell, test and replace as needed. Replace hardware as necessary. Batteries require additional Charging current to series string remains high over time time to charge Normal behavior; no action necessary.
Specifications Table 3 Battery Category Battery Technology Cells Per Unit Voltage Per Unit (nominal) Operating Temperature Range (with temperature compensation) Optimal Operating Temperature Range Self-Discharge Table 4 EnergyCell Battery Electrical Specifications EnergyCell RE (all models) EnergyCell GH (all models) Valve-regulated, lead-acid (VRLA) Absorbed glass-mat (AGM) 6 12 Vdc Discharge: -40°F (-40°C) to 160°F (71°C) Charge: -10°F (-23°C) to 140°F (60°C) Valve-regulated, lead-acid (VRLA) Absorbe
Specifications Ampere-Hour Capacity Based On Discharge Rate The EnergyCell battery capacity is measured in amp-hours. The battery capacity is not a fixed number, but will vary with conditions. (See page 8.) The figures in the tables below are used to measure the capacity of the EnergyCell battery based on load size. Battery capacity is judged by the number of amp-hours measured when a battery is discharged to a standard voltage under load. This is known in the industry as “terminal voltage”.
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