×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Parallel batery strings

Parallel batery strings

Parallel batery strings

(OP)
Are there any proven disadvantages of using parallel strings of VRLA batteries, when each string consists of batteries of different capacity? Of course the prefferred solution is to have all batteries identical however this is not allways practical when upgrading an existing system.
Thanx.

RE: Parallel batery strings

1379power

I am not a battery expert but I have started up and installed quite a few battery systems. With a single string battery bank the charging voltage and current is controlled by the battery charger. For Lead Acid type batteries the charging volts per cell is very important and is carefully controlled by the float charge setting on the charger. Too high of a voltage on each cell causes overcharging and the evaporation of the electrolyte and too low causes a weak charge. Many times I have seen failed batteries removed, and not replaced, and the maintenance personnel forget to lower the charging voltage to commpensate and then the other batteries began to have problems. The maintenance free, or sealed, batteries still have the same requirement for charging voltage and can be damaged if they are not kept within tolerance. Your idea of parralleling different types of batteries seems that it could have a problem getting the correct charging voltage for the different battery cells.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources