In the battery world, there are no trophies for second place.
The back-up battery system is designed to be there when it is needed. If the battery system cannot perform its function, damages can occur to critical equipment downstream.
Power Storage Solutions recently came across a situation where the only thing keeping the system from showing a battery alarm was the corrosion of the battery terminal. The system was nominally showing the "potential" or voltage to perform the needed back up, but the picture tells a different story. Had this battery been needed in an emergency or outage situation, there was a very high likelihood the system would have shorted out, resulting in a much bigger problem.
Sometimes, the potential problem is much more subtle. In that situation, you need a trained eye to look things over and provide guidance on the best way to address the problem.
We all know we should do it, so let's talk about the benefits of regular maintenance programs with battery systems:
- Regular visual inspections can help identify things that can be corrected before they become problems.
- Quarterly or annual electrical checks make sure that interconnecting hardware can convert the potential energy stored in the battery to useable energy should the need arise.
- Regular capacity testing, either on a two or five year cycle, makes sure there are no weak points in the battery system and that the system will be able to carry the load as originally designed.
Taken in isolation, a single preventative maintenance (PM) of the battery system will not give a lot of information unless there is a serious issue. However, if the recent PM's are compared to historical information, a new and often more detailed picture emerges. Trend analysis can be used to highlight areas that need to be addressed. Subtle changes in internal resistance measurements, liquid levels or changes in the color of batteries or buss bars themselves all are indications of something going on with the battery string.
A healthy and well-maintained battery system should provide reliable back up for over a decade and be able to perform its function through that entire period. Regular maintenance is the key to keeping the system in optimum shape. A regular PM program can also inform when the system is nearing its end of life, allowing for the replacement budgeting process to begin. After all, it is better to schedule an outage than to scramble to find a solution during an outage.
For more information, visit pwrstoragesolutions.com.