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Power failure is one of the leading at-risk failure mechanisms
for all telecommunication systems. A few minutes of down time due to power loss
can cost thousands and even millions of dollars, lost customers, cause bad
press, and higher service costs.
To avoid power failures, the telecom industry invests hundreds
of millions of dollars in mission-critical battery power systems. Batteries are
the primary power source for remote sites and the secondary power source for
sites connected to the power grid. In all cases, battery power reliability is
only as strong as the weakest battery in the network. So, how are weak batteries
found and strong batteries maintained?
As telecom companies explore innovative techniques to get
uninterrupted power for their systems, a low-cost and low-risk technique for
increasing battery longevity and reliability is used, for example, using an
electrochemical battery analyzer in conjunction with the ideal battery life
cycle methodology.
Ideal Battery Life Cycle
The ideal battery life cycle requires four steps-install, test, service,
and replace. In this process, test and service cycles are repeated as needed
during the life of the battery in order to pump up and realize a long battery
life.
Six | ||||||
Features | Easy to | Safe | Low cost | Shows how | Shows the | Accurately |
Electrical-parameters-only Product Examples: Midtronics, Alber, Megger, Hioki and the WEL Interrogator 4210B/Option 100 (Battery test time for electrical-only parameters: 5-15 seconds.) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No1 |
Electrochemical Battery Product example: WEL Interrogator 4210B (only hand-held portable electrochemical unit available) (Battery test time for electrical and chemical properties: 15-30 seconds.) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes2 | Yes |
Full Battery Load Tester Product example: many brands available (Battery test time for charge capacity data only: 3-6 hours.) | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes3 |
1) The | ||||||
Test Instrumentation
Moreover, the ideal battery life cycle requires effective battery test
instrumentation. This is because an engineer or technician caring for batteries
is much like a medical doctor caring for patients. The patients are healthier
and live longer if the doctor uses the right instruments to quickly learn about
the health of the patients, stabilize them, and then prescribe the appropriate
routine care.
Basically, there are six critical needs of battery test
instrumentation. Here, we can compare three categories of battery test
instrumentation:
Electrical-parameter-only battery testers: only
measure battery/cell voltage and resistance/conductance/impedance.Electrochemical battery Analyzers: measure all of the
electrical-only parameters (voltage and resistance/conductance/impedance);
plus, the battery/cell chemical parameters in terms of sulfation and dryout
(leading causes of lost battery charge capacity).Full Battery load testers: measure the power
(amp-hour) discharge of a battery and provide no diagnostic electrical
parameters or chemical information.
The functional conclusion is that an electrochemical battery
analyzer can completely replace the electrical-parameter-only battery tester and
greatly reduce the need for a full battery load tester.
Healthy Batteries
Installation is the first step for the ideal battery life cycle. It is
recommended to test and screen batteries as a part of the installation process
to ensure only healthy new batteries are installed. This step is important
because all "new batteries" are not always "healthy
batteries". Manufacturing variances and battery storage history can affect
the health of a new battery in terms of sulfation and dryout.
The installation procedure is simplified by using an
electrochemical battery analyzer because the analyzer shows the state of health
and charge capacity in terms of percentage loss due to sulfation and dryout. It
does this in a single 30-second measurement. No longer is a 3-hour load test
absolutely necessary nor a 3-month data trending procedure required (as with an
electrical-parameter-only battery tester).
Dynamic |
|
Band A: Forthree months, test weekly or monthly to confirm that healthy batteries are installed in healthy stable environment. Service appropriately to maintain capacity and stability. Band B: For 12 months, test monthly or quarterly to confirm the effectiveness of the planned annual test-service routine. Service appropriately to maintain capacity and stability. Band C: During the period when 100% to 95% of the battery nameplate capacity is available, test every six months and service as necessary to maintain capacity and stability. Testing once during the warmer season and once during the colder season will ensure capturing seasonal variations due to temperature. Band D: During the period when 95% to 90% of the battery nameplate capacity is available, test every three to four months and service as necessary to maintain capacity and stability. Band E: During the period when 90% to 80% of the battery nameplate capacity is available, test every one to two months and service as necessary to maintain capacity and stability. As the combined losses from sulfation and dryout reach 15% to 20%, complete charge capacity confirmation can be achieved using a full battery load test if needed. Replacement Point: IEEE recommends that lead acid batteries be replaced when charge capacity degrades below 80%. Using a dynamic test-service routine and an electrochemical battery analyzer a 70% capacity replacement point can be achieved. |
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Stable Environments
A hostile and unstable battery environment can shorten battery life by
accelerating the loss of charge capacity. There are about six critical elements
of battery environment stability and health. These include battery float
voltage, temperature, strap resistance, electrical noise levels, air
circulation, and battery-to-battery electrochemical uniformity in a battery
string. Pre-commission equalization charging may also be necessary to restore
uniformity.
For example, batteries live longer if the float voltage matches
the manufacturer's recommended battery operating temperature. Generally, 77º
F (25º C) is the optimum battery operating temperature. Over the life of the
battery, a lead acid battery's performance life can degrade as much as 50% for
each 18º F of difference between the actual battery temperature and the
manufacturer's recommended temperature for a given float voltage. This is why
batteries last longer if they are in a temperature-controlled environment or
their string float voltage is adjusted to match the actual battery temperature,
as the temperature varies seasonally throughout the year.
Dynamic Test-Service Routines
Once batteries are installed in a healthy stable environment, the test
routine can be simplified and dynamically customized to match the lifelong test
and service needs of each battery string as it ages. This is because new,
healthy batteries' electrochemical parameters including voltage, impedance,
sulfation, and dryout change more slowly compared to old batteries. This allows
longer test-service intervals to be used for newer batteries without reducing
standard reliability and safety margins.
Once testing reveals a deficient condition, corrective service
can be taken to extend battery life and restore stability. Corrective service
may include float voltage adjustment, battery charger replacement, battery water
replacement, an equalization cycle procedure to remove sulfation, reclaim
capacity or weak battery replacement, etc.
As telecom companies carry inherent risks of power failure
depending on the performance-ready status of their battery network, they can
reduce the financial and procedural risks by using an electrochemical battery
analyzer in conjunction with the ideal battery life cycle methodology.
Rodrick Cross
The author is with World Energy Labs, a global, electrochemical diagnostic
software instrumentation company