Battery Enclosure

[PQ]

We are supposed to build a battery house with a 120V DC 60 units 2V 1000AH battery, However since we have a constraint regarding space, Is it possible that we make a Nema 3R Enclosure for this with a adequate ventilation. We are planning to use a maintenance free sealed type battery, Do we violate any code?

 

[busbar]

Heed NEC Article 480. 3R implies outdoor installation. Offhand, battery performance will be awful if temperature variations are an issue—especially for hot climates. 1000AH cells are expensive components for disregarding room/enclosure temperature control.

Dilute sulfuric acid is murder on 304 alloy. 316 alloy is somewhat better.

 

[PQ]

Busbar, thanks for the info. Do you mean that even a sealed type maintenace free battery has a sulfuric acid emission... Will a galvanized enclosure will do? Instead of 316 Aloy

 

[busbar]

There are others here better qualified to advise. I have had "less than antiseptic" VRLA performance, but I'm not a battery guy. What’s the set powering?

 

[PQ]

Busbar, Yes this battery is for our swicthyard 115/13.8kV. Presently, we have a battery panel for each substation. However, we are now unitizing the control system and polanning to centralized DC Power supply.