TECHNICAL MANUAL For Sun Xtender® Batteries Manufactured by: Concorde Battery Corporation 2009 San Bernardino Road West Covina, CA 91790 Phone 626-813-1234 Fax 626-813-1235 www.sunxtender.com Document No. 6-0100 Revision G May 6, 2019 NOTICE: The technical data contained herein has been reviewed and approved for general release on the basis that it contains no export controlled information.
RECORD OF REVISIONS Revision Initial Release A B C D E F G Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
SAFETY SUMMARY DANGER OF EXPLODING BATTERIES Lead acid batteries can produce explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen. Take the following precautions: • Never install batteries in an airtight or sealed enclosure and make sure installation is adequately ventilated. • Charge batteries in accordance with the instructions given in this manual. • Keep all sparks, flames and cigarettes away from batteries. • Connect cables tightly to the terminals to avoid sparks.
Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction 1.1 Company Background ……………………………………………………………………………..5 1.2 Overview of Sun Xtender® AGM Technology …………………………………………………. 5 1.3 About this Manual …………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Chapter 2 - Battery Construction 2.1 Component Description ……………………………………………………………………………6 2.2 Battery with Cut Away View ……………………………………………………………………… 8 2.3 Terminal Types ……………………………………………………………………………………..9 Chapter 3 - Technology Comparison 3.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Company Background Concorde Battery Corporation was founded in 1977 and is a manufacturer of premium quality lead acid batteries. Originally, Concorde’s main product emphasis was dry charged and gelled electrolyte lead acid batteries. In 1985, Concorde developed its valve regulated, absorbent glass mat [AGM] technology for use in aircraft applications. The success of this technology in the aviation market has been outstanding.
CHAPTER 2 - BATTERY CONSTRUCTION 2.1 Component Description Refer to the battery pictorial in Section 2.2 showing a cut away view of the cell and a summary of the features and benefits. A more detailed description of the battery’s construction is given below. GRIDS - The negative grid is made of pure lead calcium alloy. The positive grid is extra thick and is made from a proprietary, pure lead-tin-calcium alloy with special grain refiners.
PRESSURE RELIEF SAFETY VALVE - Each cell in the battery employs a pressure relief safety valve. The valve is designed to release excess pressure that builds up over time to vent the small quantity of gasses that do not recombine inside of the battery. Once the pressure is released, the valve automatically re-seals. The gasses that escape are mainly oxygen and some hydrogen, and these gasses rapidly dissipate into the atmosphere.
2.2 Battery with Cut Away View Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
2.3 Terminal Types Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
CHAPTER 3 - TECHNOLOGY COMPARISON 3.1 Sun Xtender® versus Flooded Batteries Flooded-electrolyte lead acid batteries have been around since 1859 and tend to be less expensive than AGM or Gel batteries. However, they have major deficiencies compared to AGM or Gel batteries. For instance, deep cycle flooded lead acid batteries contain antimony in the grid alloy which causes a high rate of self discharge and rapid water loss due to gassing reactions.
3.2 Sun Xtender® versus Gel Batteries Gel batteries have been commercially available since the early 1970s and are still offered by some manufacturers. Concorde manufactured gel batteries for many years before developing the AGM technology and, therefore, is aware of inherent deficiencies associated with gel batteries. The gel product employs a highly viscous, semisolid mixture of silica gel and dilute sulfuric acid in a colloidal suspension as an electrolyte.
Table 3-2. Comparison of Sun Xtender® AGM Batteries with Gel Batteries Characteristic Sun Xtender® AGM Battery Gel Batteries Excellent – AGM acts like a flexible Prone to solid / liquid separation leading Electrolyte Stability sponge and ensures good contact between electrolyte and plates. High Rate Performance Excellent due to low internal impedance. Sensitivity to Charging Voltage Levels Moderately sensitive. Life is somewhat reduced if charged outside of recommended charge voltage levels. Excellent.
CHAPTER 4 - BATTERY SPECIFICATIONS 4.1 Battery Models The Sun Xtender® Series consists of batteries ranging in capacity from 34 to 1215 amperehours (rated at the 24-hour rate). A variety of 2-volt, 6-volt and 12-volt models are available. Refer to the battery specification sheet (published separately) for a complete listing of the mechanical and electrical specifications for each battery model. 4.
CHAPTER 5 - COMMISSIONING AND SERVICING INSTRUCTIONS 5.1 Storage Sun Xtender® batteries are charged at the factory before shipment to the distributor. For warranty coverage, batteries need to be properly boost charged while in storage and installed within 12 months of the original factory ship date. Batteries should be stored in the coolest environment available, preferably not exceeding 20°C (68°F). The higher the temperature, the faster the battery will self-discharge and require boost charging.
Figure 5-1. Series Connection Figure 5-2. Parallel Connection Figure 5-3. Series/Parallel Connection Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Connection options for 4-terminal batteries are illustrated in Figures 5-4 through 5-8. For low rate applications (current levels less than 400 amperes), only two of the four terminals need to be connected, but it is still best to use all four terminals for redundancy. For high rate applications (current levels greater than 400 amperes), all four terminals should be connected. Figure 5-4. Series Connection for 4-Terminal Batteries (Low Rate Applications Only) Figure 5-5.
Figure 5-7. Series/Parallel Connection for 4-Terminal Batteries (Low Rate Applications Only) NOTE: Cables A, B and C carry different current levels and should be sized accordingly. In this example, the current in Cable B is 2 times that of Cable A and the current in Cable C is three times that of Cable A. Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Figure 5-8. Series/Parallel Connection for 4-Terminal Batteries (Low or High Rate Applications) 5.3 Discharging Discharge data for Sun Xtender® AGM batteries are given in Appendix C. The capacity delivered by the battery depends on the rate of discharge as well as the battery temperature. The battery will deliver less capacity as the discharge rate increases and less capacity as the temperature is lowered. Graphs are provided in Appendix C to quantify these effects.
5.4 Charging Charging Sun Xtender® AGM batteries is a matter of replacing the ampere-hours removed during discharge plus a little extra to make up for charging inefficiency. The ampere-hour input necessary for a full recharge depends on the depth of discharge, rate of recharge, and temperature. Typically, between 102% and 110% of the discharged ampere-hours must be returned for full recharge.
The charging current during the Bulk stage should be set as high as practical; higher current levels mean faster recharge time and less time for the plates to become sulfated. Due to the low impedance design, Sun Xtender® batteries can tolerate in-rush current levels as high as 5C (500A for a 100Ah battery).
In systems with limited charging output or long time periods between full charge, a routine conditioning charge may helpful in preventing capacity loss due to sulfation. If a routine conditioning charge is used, the time duration should be less than the 8 hours specified above. As a starting point, a routine conditioning charge may be applied every 3 weeks for 4 hours at the voltage levels given above. The frequency should be fine-tuned to assure the batteries are not being undercharged or over-charged.
Installation 1. Within the first week of operation, put the battery system on a full charge cycle and record the following parameters (baseline readings): a. Charger amperage output b. Absorption voltage at battery system terminals c. Float voltage at battery system terminals d. Ripple voltage at battery system terminals (see Note 1) e. Voltage of each battery when charger is in float mode (see Note 2) f. Ambient temperature 2.
5.8 Recycling Batteries that have reached the end of their service life should be returned to a local or regional collection center for recycling. All local regulations and ordinances must be followed. Never discard Sun Xtender® AGM batteries in the trash or in a landfill. The recycle rate of lead-acid batteries is close to 100% and this is very good for the environment! Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
CHAPTER 6 – APPLICATION GUIDE The following section contains guidelines for sizing a battery system that should provide a reliable energy storage system for stand-alone Renewable Energy systems. The primary emphasis is for photovoltaic (PV) systems but other renewable energy source systems would have similar requirements. 6.
6.2 Days of Autonomy As everybody knows, the sun does not shine with equal intensity every day, nor does it shine at night and during inclement weather. Cloud cover, rain, snow, etc. diminish the daily insolation (Insolation is the amount of solar energy delivered to the earth’s surface, measured in W/m2 or kWh/m2/day). A storage factor must be employed to allow the photovoltaic battery system to operate reliably throughout these periods.
If the battery is exposed to cold climates, the state of charge should be kept at a maximum to prevent freezing of the electrolyte. A fully charged battery will not freeze even under the coldest weather conditions, but a discharged battery will freeze even when moderately cold. Table 6-2 gives the freezing point of electrolyte at various states of charge. Frozen batteries are not capable of charging or discharging except at very low rates, and may be permanently damaged by expansion of the electrolyte.
CHAPTER 7 - SAFETY INFORMATION There are four main safety hazards associated with the use of any valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery. These hazards are as follows: a) Release of ignitable gas, b) Exposure to acid, c) Shorting of terminals, d) Thermal runaway. This chapter provides a description of each of these hazards and means to mitigate them. 7.1 Release of Ignitable Gasses All lead-acid batteries, including VRLA batteries, produce hydrogen and oxygen gases during normal charging.
APPENDIX A – GLOSSARY OF BATTERY TERMS AGM - Stands for Absorbed Glass Mat. This is the separator system used in all Sun Xtender® 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.
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. Connector - An electrically conductive bar or cable which joins individual cells together in a battery.
End Of Life - The stage at which the battery fails to deliver acceptable capacity (typically 50% of nameplate rating). End Point Voltage - Voltage at which point the rated discharge capacity had been delivered at a specified rate of discharge. Also used to specify voltage below which the connected equipment will not operate or below which operation is not recommended. Sometimes called cutoff voltage or voltage end point. Energy - Output capability, expressed as capacity times voltage, or Watt hours (Whr).
Migration - Directed movement of an ion of the electrolyte under the influence of an electric field. Monobloc - A battery assembly that contains multiple cells connected in series or parallel and housed in a single container. Negative Electrode - See Negative Plate. Negative Plate - The plate which has an electrical potential below that of the other plate during normal cell operation. Positive current flows to the negative plate during discharge.
Series Connection - Voltage of the system is cumulative. Capacity stays the same. Shelf Life - The period of time (measured from date of manufacture) at a specified storage temperature after which the cell or battery needs to be boost charged so it does not suffer permanent capacity loss. Specific Energy - The energy storage ability of a battery on a weight basis, usually expressed in watt hours per pound (or kilogram); sometimes given on a volume basis in watt hours per cubic foot (or liter).
APPENDIX B – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S) 1. What does AGM stand for? It stands for Absorbed Glass Mat, the type of separator used in all Sun Xtender® AGM batteries. 2. What is the difference between AGM batteries and Gel batteries? Both AGM and Gel batteries utilize oxygen recombination and pressure relief valves to minimize water loss and allow maintenance-free operation.
10. What causes some batteries to have convex or concave end walls? Sun Xtender® AGM batteries contain a pressure relief valve (PRV) that prevents excessive pressure buildup when the battery is being charged, and automatically reseals once the pressure is released. A slight bulge in the battery container (convex end walls) can appear when the internal pressure is above the surrounding atmospheric pressure but not enough to open the PRV.
APPENDIX C – CHARTS AND GRAPHS Battery Load Voltage vs. DOD Below are listed the 1 hour, 8 hour, 24 hour and 120 hour load voltages during a discharge cycle to 100% discharge (10.5V endpoint) for a 12V battery at 25°C (77°F). DOD (%) 1 hr. Rate 8 hr. Rate 24 hr. Rate 120 hr. Rate 10 12.23 12.60 12.65 12.69 20 12.16 12.51 12.55 12.58 30 12.07 12.39 12.42 12.45 40 11.96 12.25 12.28 12.32 50 11.83 12.11 12.15 12.18 60 11.70 11.98 12.02 12.05 70 11.55 11.79 11.83 11.88 80 11.38 11.59 11.61 11.65 90 11.15 11.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
Copyright © Concorde Battery Corporation 2014 Document No. 6-0100 Rev.
