Regeneration treatment, desulfation of electronic and chemical batteries, EDTA, magnesium sulfate.
Insulated photovoltaic systems use batteries to store solar energy, which is then converted into 220 v alternating current via an inverter or converter.
Most often these batteries are lead/acid type, offered in various technologies:
Open conventional batteries,
Sealed batteries " maintenance-free",
Gel Batteries,
VRLA batteries (valve)
Closed lead / calcium batteries,
AGM batteries
These types of batteries are also used in golf carts, pallet trucks, forklifts, heavy launch vehicles, stationary or semi-stationary applications (motorhomes, boating, computer emergency power supplies, etc.).
All these lead-acid batteries suffer from the same chronic disease: sulfation.
When a battery is in the discharge phase, a lead sulphate deposit is formed, which adheres to the lead plates.
This whitish deposit increases the internal resistance of the battery.
The greater the internal resistance of the battery, the more energy is needed to charge the battery, to the point where too sulfated, the battery will refuse any charge.
This sulfation is the cause of 80% of lead-acid battery failures.
A heavily sulphated battery cannot perform its service and must be replaced or revitalized (about 60% of the cost of an exchange, another 2-3 years of service life).
But, in addition, a partially sulfated battery will cost infinitely more to charge than a working battery.
Regardless of the charging mode (stationary EDF mains charger, vehicle generator, solar panels, etc.), the partial sulphation of the battery leads to a very high primary energy waste.
When charged by a vehicle generator, the alternator may be required to charge the battery 5-6 times longer than with a new battery.
This leads to significant additional fuel consumption (if a car alternator does not charge the battery, the fuel consumption of the vehicle is about 5-10% lower).
Even if the manufacturers do not talk about it (and even go so far as to seal the batteries to prevent chemical regeneration), for many years (Second World War ...) the regeneration of batteries for industrial or military purposes is commonplace. current.
Do not check the battery.
Just because a battery has a voltage that looks correct right after charging does not mean that your endurance is guaranteed!
It is necessary to have a specific tester (analog or digital) to check the condition of the battery
This tester offers the possibility to subject the battery to a resistive load (built into the tester).
If the battery voltage does not collapse during the test, the battery is healthy.
If, on the other hand, the voltage drops quickly, the battery has one or more defective elements.
This device has a scale of 12 V and a scale of 6 V.
Check for defective parts of a battery.
Let's start with a 12V 6-cell battery:
Charge the battery properly, preferably with a high-frequency charger that delivers high-frequency pulses and thus desulphurizes the battery.
Ctek 12V High Frequency Charger
This type of pulse charger strictly adheres to the charging regulations of the battery and additionally provides energy in the form of high-frequency pulses that desulfate the battery.
Whether the charging process is completed (full cycle) or not, check the voltage of the first element with a multimeter.
To do this, connect the red cable of the multimeter to the + terminal of the battery and then immerse in the first element a rod made of stainless steel or tungsten, which is connected to the black wire of your multimeter.
If the item is in good condition, you should read a value of 2.2 V.
Then check the other elements step by step with
two rods of stainless steel or tungsten in adjacent elements. Again
the voltage must be 2.2 V.
If you have detected one (or more) weaker Element (s) (voltage below 2.2 V at the load end), you will have a good chance to recover it by charging it alone with a 2-V charger.
Charger, 2, 6, 12-Volt Anssmann
Charger ansmann 2 v to 12 v
This small charger (see user reviews here), which includes a 2V-2.3 V option, can provide you with many services.
It can be placed on a weak element during maintenance and give it back the hoped-for power ...
Of course, the terminals each receive a stainless steel or tungsten rod, which is dipped directly into the inspection hatches of the element to be processed or connected to the 2 V terminals of the element: do not place the terminals on the general terminals of the bank !!!!!
If you run one or more battery banks, you have an interest in acquiring several of these small pieces of equipment that will allow you to "crutch" your weak elements and undoubtedly give you a second youth.
When using a conventional 12 V charger (or more on professional benches, trolleys, etc.), if one of the elements is defective, the other elements load its load and the voltage at the terminals of the element. defect is not really suitable. Once the charge is stopped, the elements in good condition discharge into the defective element, which significantly increases the energy required for the "charge".
This property of discharging valid elements into doubtful elements is the reason for the over-consumption of all systems of fixed battery banks (e.g. photovoltaics).
In such a situation, the battery bank is in constant demand, and the charge control no longer allows you to switch to solar production mode: the battery always uses the EDF network !!!
For large battery banks (golf carts, forklifts, solar system batteries), which consist of 2 V elements, this phenomenon of bad charge is even more significant: the test is carried out piece by piece of the same. Way up.
In addition, regeneration can be carried out in two different ways (also side by side)
Electronic Regeneration of the battery.
The electronic regeneration uses the own resonance frequency of the battery: special devices send pulses with frequencies between 1 and 10 Khz, alternately positive and negative, in order to "burst"the lead sulfate crystals.
Once detached from the lead plates of the battery, these crystals dissolve in the electrolyte, the internal resistance of the battery drops and charging becomes easier.
The disadvantage of this method is that the pulse frequency cannot be adjusted, as the resonance frequency of the drum changes with progressive desulfation.
The electronic processing device must therefore always be able to identify the natural resonance frequency of the battery to be processed and adjust the pulse frequencies accordingly.
(See product detail 12V )
(See 24 v product detail )
Warning:
Many inexpensive electronic processing devices are available on the Internet.
These devices have only limited power because the pulse frequency is fixed.
In addition, the recommendation for the use of these devices is usually aimed at long-term maintenance: the device is constantly placed on the battery, thus limiting the formation of sulfate deposits.
To repair a sulfated battery, this type of equipment is totally inadequate, and it takes several months to see a noticeable change to a sulfated battery.
Only professional devices looking for a clean resonance frequency can revitalize a battery within a reasonable time (24 h to 36 h) )
Chemical Regeneration of the battery.
The chemical process consists of adding a small amount of magnesium sulfate to the electrolyte of the battery ( Epsom salt see product detail), or better still tetrasodium EDTA-4Na ( see product detail ).
These chemical compounds dissolve the lead sulphate crust in the electrolyte.
Treatment is usually carried out by emptying the electrolyte, then rinsing, then adding the "cleaning solution", emptying and then spraying the filtered electrolyte again.
It is also possible to put the chemical compound directly into the electrolyte without emptying it (with the caution not to exceed the electrolyte level).
This procedure works well when combined with electronic frequency search processing.
The combined use of both processes allows the batteries to be regenerated to 80% and beyond with a service life of more than 2 years.
Sealed Battery Housing.
Increasingly, manufacturers are selling liquid electrolyte batteries, but sealed, supposedly maintenance-free.
However, the electrolyte in these batteries evaporates, as in conventional batteries.
These batteries will therefore suffer from evaporation, which is not compensable for the average user, and sulfation, like all other batteries.
You should know that a specialist can fill up the levels of these batteries and, if necessary, carry out a chemical desulphurization treatment.
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