Substation Batteries
Substation Batteries
(OP)
The utility company I work for has several old lead-calcium substation batteries that are badly in need of replacement. I am doing some research to determine if there is another kind of battery that will provide a longer life and less maintenance. The manufacturer claimed that these batteries would last 10 years, but it was only three or four years before we started having problems. I have chosen to stick with wet-cell batteries for now, since using dry cells would require a change in our standards and practices.
One type of battery I am looking into is lead-selenium. Anyone familiar with this type of battery and its pros/cons? I have been told that there may be some environmental concerns. Also, any other type of wet cell (and manufacturer) that has proven to function well in your substation applications?
One type of battery I am looking into is lead-selenium. Anyone familiar with this type of battery and its pros/cons? I have been told that there may be some environmental concerns. Also, any other type of wet cell (and manufacturer) that has proven to function well in your substation applications?






RE: Substation Batteries
Ni-Cad batteries are widely used in place of lead-acid batteries, although you will pay a premium. Lifetime can exceed lead-acid. Check Alcad website for more information. These still require periodic inspection and electrolyte level maintenance, although filling is seldom needed.
RE: Substation Batteries
No offense is meant, but flooded lead-acid cells have fairly predictable life, provided they are properly specified, in the correct environment and routinely maintained. Without same, replacement battery sets will likely not do any better. Given the disastrous consequences of shortened battery life in breaker-tripping applications, you may want to stick to standard, well understood systems, and be certain of competent maintenance and monitoring. For ANSI regions, IEEE battery standards might be carefully reviewed and evaluated.
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
Flooded-cell NiCd batteries are considered by some to be more reliable, longer lived and lower in maintenance than lead-acid. NiCd is commonly used for swgr. There are disposal issues at end of life because cadmium is considered a hazardous waste.
RE: Substation Batteries
I appreciate your helpful posts so far. Anyone else had trouble with Liberty 1000's?
RE: Substation Batteries
‘Liberty 1000’ appears to be a valve-regalated {sealed} sort. In general, VRLA sets do not have the track record of the more traditional clear-jar flooded-cell variety.
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
Plante cells need a fair amount of TLC to keep them in good condition: electrolyte level checks, electrolyte density checks, makeup fluids as required.
In theory VRLA's don't give off hydrogen during charging. If they are charged too rapidly, they vent hydrogen to the atmosphere. Plante cells evolve hydrogen routinely. I would treat both types as needing ventilation.
Plante cells are available in big sizes - 2V 2000AH being the biggest I've encountered, although I bet submarines use even bigger cells. VRLA's don't come this big.
RE: Substation Batteries
The US Bureau of Reclamation has a terse comparison of Pb-Ca, Pb-Sb, and Pb-Se cells for stationary service. http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/fist/fist3_6/fist3602.ht...
http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/fist/fist3_6/3_6_cont.ht...
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
You might want to discuss necessary ventilation with battery suppliers. There is a lot of misinformation regarding ventilation requirements for lead-acid batteries. Some ventilation is required, but the necessary rate is not really terribly high. In many cases, we were able to achieve it through normal natural air flow without the need for forced ventilation. Most problems are created when batteries are jammed into a small "battery room". The smaller the space, the more ventilation required.
Ni-Cads might be another alternative. I don't believe they produce as much H2 as lead-acid batteries.
RE: Substation Batteries
I would suggest to take up the matter with the supplier to see if the batteries are being operated according to their specs. If not they should suggest corrections. If there is nothing wrong with the operating conditions then the root cause of the early failure must be investigated.
I would recommend to check the internal resistance of the batteries and try to follow its trend right after commissioning.
Hope this helps
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
'Fit and forget' was a poor choice of words on my part. What I was intended and failed to get across is that the routine checks on electrolyte level and SG, monthly at our plant, are not possible with VRLA's. IMHO, we spend a lot more time looking after our plante cells than our VRLA's, but in light of your comments I will check with the manufacturer to verify that we are not under-maintaining our VRLA batteries.
Annual discharge testing I totally agree with; our plante cells are getting old now, and the testing frequency has been increased. VRLA's are tested annually as you suggest.
I shall be more careful with my choice of phrase in future.
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
Thread238-44411 Thread238-82638 Thread238-73268
http://www.powerbattery.com/acro-file/PQ2000.pdf
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
For the past 7 years or so we have used a gas re-combination filter ( Hoppecke Aquagen) on these vented cells and this has so far give zero top-up requirement and negligible corrosion around the connectors.
I know of Ni-Cad and Plante cells that I installed over 25 years ago still working as day one but obviously much more expensive.
RE: Substation Batteries
http://www.ieee-kc.org/library/battery/maint.htm
for Battery Maintenance aspects
http://www.eastpenn-powerbattery.com/eastpenn-vrla.html
for IEEE Battery Standards
http://www.gnb.com/stationary/stat-absxl.html
for 20 year life expectancy batteries
etc. for more info
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
RE: Substation Batteries
The vast majority of the batteries are LS 12-100's which are rated at an 8-hr capacity of 100 AH to 10.5 volts. Anything similar out there electrically that isn't a VRLA, will last longer, and won't cause ventilation concerns?
RE: Substation Batteries
Don't the 'flame arresters' commonly fitted on flooded jars have any effect on battery location?
RE: Substation Batteries