With decades of experience in the industrial battery industry to draw from, we are passionate about sharing our range of knowledge with anyone who wants to hear it. Upon reviewing our latest posts, please feel free to comment or ask questions, because we would definitely enjoy hearing from you.
Battcon 2023 Recap
Well, this year’s Battcon, the international stationary battery conference and exhibition, has come and gone. The general consensus seems to be that it was a great success. Battcon in its promotional material states that it is “where the best and brightest gather,” and it certainly lived up to that claim this year. There were well […]
10 Reasons Why Investing in a Battery Monitoring Pilot Program is Essential
Kory Hooper, Product SpecialistAs seen on Utility Dive When it comes to addressing feasibility, costs, and potential risks on a small scale before deploying on a much larger one, pilot programs are essential across many industries and applications. One such application is installing a Battery Monitoring System (BMS) on a single battery system before deploying […]
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Ringing in the New Year with a Tall, Dark, and Handsome Man
If that sounds like your ideal New Year’s celebration, then perhaps – Covid permitting – you should head to Scotland to welcome in 2022. Unlike the majority of the United Kingdom, where Christmas is the center of the holiday season, in Scotland, Hogmanay, as the New Year’s celebration is known, has traditionally been the time […]
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How to Do a Battery Load Test: Connecting a Constant Current DC Load Bank to a Battery System
Since the only way to truly determine battery performance is to conduct a load test, we have put together this simple 7-Step Guide to Connecting our SLB Series Constant Current DC Battery Load Tester to a Battery Bank: 1. Connect the load bank to AC power and turn the unit ‘on.’ Make sure breakers are […]
The Role of Battery Training in Improving Battery Reliability
Since the early days of civilization, the method by which the craft skills have been taught was through an apprenticeship program. A young person would work under an older craftsman, learning the skills to eventually ply a trade and succeed – maybe not always in the way they might have thought. After all, some of […]
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Ways to Properly Charge Stationary Lead-Acid Batteries
After hundreds of site visits, multiple battery systems tests, and the examination of numerous maintenance records, I would say that almost 50 percent of all stationary lead-acid batteries are not being properly charged. Constant-Current Charging: Not generally used for stationary batteries except during the manufacturing process. Constant-Potential / Constant Voltage Charging: Used in communications, UPS, […]
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The Importance of H2 Hydrogen Detection in a Battery Room
How Lead-Acid Batteries Release Hydrogen Lead-acid batteries produce hydrogen and oxygen gas when they are being charged. These gasses are produced by the electrolysis of water from the aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. A Vented Lead-Acid (VLA) battery cell, sometimes referred to as a “flooded” or “wet” cell, is open to the atmosphere through a […]
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Why Do We Need Battery Monitoring If We Do Discharge Testing?
Introduction This is a question that is often asked, and the answer is relatively simple. A discharge test measures the capacity of the battery and a battery monitoring system is a maintenance tool. Let me explain further. Capacity Testing A lead acid battery is a collection of lead-based electrochemical cells, each with a nominal voltage […]
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“Sealed Maintenance-Free” Batteries. What a Myth!
The term “Sealed Maintenance-Free,” in my opinion, is a marketing-driven term. In the early 1980’s, when telephone Private Branch Exchanges (PBX’s) were being deployed into customer premises, computer mainframes were migrating out of dedicated computer rooms, and smaller computers were being situated in occupied office space. Consequently, users were demanding that the battery manufacturers come […]
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Codes, Standards, Practices and Guides: An Overview
There are a myriad of codes, standards, guides and practices associated with lead-acid and nickel cadmium stationary batteries. A former colleague of mine and a code expert, used to say that, “the good thing about codes and standards is that there are so many of them to choose from.” The following is an extract from […]
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