Storage Batteries Maintenance and Principles

In Storage Batteries Maintenance and Principles, you'll learn ...

• Principles of lead-acid batteries, valve regulated lead-acid batteries, and vented nickel cadmium batteries
• Battery safety recommendations and standards
• Battery testing, including acceptance and capacity tests
• Proper operation and maintenance of battery charging equipment

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 5 PDH

Length: 73 pages

Batteries are the backup power source for millions of consumers and businesses, as well as medical, military, and industrial facilities worldwide. Critical applications such as computers, servers, instruments, telecommunications, and life-saving equipment require one hundred percent redundancy in every aspect to ensure a high degree of reliability and operation. Although commercial power supply sources are available, any malfunction or interruption of the utility power can be detrimental to the critical operations of the facility. Thus, consistent and reliable performance of batteries is essential for smooth functioning of modern equipment.

In the U.S., battery replacement is a seventeen billion dollar market. Around seventy-five percent of these batteries-whether "starting," "power," "stand-by," "industrial," "marine," etc.-have stopped working prematurely due to inadequate maintenance, while the remaining twenty-five percent suffer mechanical failures. The number one cause of reduced lifespan and output capacity in batteries is attributed to "over sulfation," a crystallization that occurs when a battery cell is undercharged. Ongoing maintenance of batteries is thus very important.

This course provides basic engineering guidance in the operation, maintenance, diagnostics, and testing of lead-acid and vented nickel cadmium batteries. The course is applicable to all electrical, mechanical, and facility engineers, energy auditors, and operation and maintenance personnel responsible for power provision at your facilities.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the principles and characteristics of lead-acid, valve-regulated lead-acid, and nickel-cadmium batteries.
• Explain the importance of float charge, initial charge, and equalizing charge.
• Identify the effects of undercharging and overdischarging batteries.
• Explain the importance of voltage and specific-gravity readings with appropriate temperature correction.
• Describe sedimentation, water replacement rates, and constant-voltage charging.
• Compare battery life for different battery types and services.
• Identify internal shorts and connection-resistance issues.
• Explain the causes and elimination of oversulfation.
• Describe acceptance-testing and inspection guidelines.
• Interpret capacity tests used to determine battery replacement.
• Explain battery safety considerations, including explosive and electrolyte hazards, flame arresters, ventilation, and other relevant precautions.
• Describe the operating principles and maintenance guidelines for motor-generator sets and static rectifier chargers.
• Determine replacement storage-battery sizing.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 40 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.