What are the different categories of batteries?
- Starter battery Particularly used in cars, starting batteries provide high current for a short time.
- Traction battery: for longer uses of the battery.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of AGM batteries?
| Benefits | Disadvantages |
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How do you express the capacity of a battery?
The capacity of a battery is expressed in amperes per hour (Ah).
How does the capacity of a battery vary?
- Their age (number of cycles already completed)
- Its size
- Its acid density
- Its temperature
- The thickness of its plates
- Its discharge regime.
How to calculate a discharge regime?
Discharge current in amps / capacity in amps per hour.
What is a battery cycle?
A cycle is a discharge and a charge. Even if you discharge your battery 20% and then recharge it to 100%, this will be considered cycling (the acid flows in and out of the lead).
At what quantity of acid does my battery lose capacity?
What are the consequences of water evaporation on batteries?
When a lead-acid battery charges, it heats up. The sulfuric acid contained in the lead plates is released into the water to create a mixture: the electrolyte. When it evaporates, the acid contained in the battery becomes more concentrated and will “eat away” the lead plates much more quickly. Consequences: The lifespan of the battery and its autonomy are reduced, it will cycle less.
Why use demineralized water to top up the water levels in your battery?
When the water evaporates, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chlorine will remain in the electrolyte and will attach to the lead. After several water levels, these minerals will accumulate and deteriorate the battery and at the same time, its lifespan.
How to use a refill can?
Fill it with demineralized water using a funnel. Remove the caps from your batteries and insert the nozzle of the can into them. When the container is full, the small ball will rise, which means that the water level will be reached.
What are the consequences of deep discharge?
Beyond 80% deep discharge, the acid enters the plates and will crystallize on the lead. Consequence: this acid will never come out of the lead and will reduce the lifespan of the battery, unless regeneration is carried out with special chargers which will break the Crystal.
What is centralized water replenishment?
Centralized water replenishment allows you to replenish the water levels of your lead-acid battery simply, efficiently and quickly. You will need to place your water tank 2 to 6 m above the batteries or use a pump to obtain some pressure. [CF image]. Be careful, it may happen that the cap does not come back up, remember to check and tap it if necessary.
What should I do if there is no water before charging my open lead battery?
If there is no water, do not add too much. Indeed, during charging, the acid is released from the lead plates and the water becomes gaseous. By adding too much water, you risk pressurizing your battery which will end up leaking and therefore losing acid. If you notice a significant lack of water, add lead plates up to the surface.
What should I do if my lead-acid battery has lost acid?
You will need to measure the acid level before adjustment. A fair rate is essential to the longevity of your battery. After that, you will need to find the right acid for your battery.
How do I clean acid leaking from my battery?
First of all, protect your hands and eyes and wear a pair of plastic gloves. To clean battery acid, you can use sodium bicarbonate. Generously sprinkle the contaminated area. Once the product has worked, mix a little baking soda with water to create a paw. Apply it to the corroded part
What should I do if I put too much water in my battery?
If you put too much water, your battery will overflow and lose acid after charging. Once charging is complete, note the acid concentration in the electrolyte and adjust with the acid.
How to degas your lead battery?
Never remove the caps when charging. In fact, when your battery charges, the water rises and becomes gaseous. This process creates small bubbles which, if your caps are open, may cause a few drops of acid to squirt. Prefer to open the degassing covers during discharge.
Why does my battery create gas?
When your battery charges, especially at more than 80% charge, it creates a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, an extremely flammable and explosive mixture.
What is bottle feeding?
Bottle-charging is the act of recharging the battery for a short time (often when you need it quickly, for a few minutes or hours). You bottle-feed when your phone is off and you charge it 5 minutes before you have to leave the house. This battery feeding is considered a cycle (the acid exits once and enters once into the lead plate)
What are the consequences of bottle feeding?
Bottle-feeding damages the battery. Indeed, the water and the acid will not mix well, the acid goes down and your battery therefore takes longer to charge. So you consume a lot more current and the bottom of your battery, in particular the lead plates, are loaded with acid and will erode more quickly. We strongly advise against shaking your battery upside down to mix the acid.
How to read a discharge indicator?
The fewer bars you have displayed on your indicator, the closer you get to deep discharge. If you are a rental company, we advise you to inform your customers of this tool and how to read it.
How to use an acid scale:
- Open your battery caps.
- Dip the acid scale tube into the electrolyte and draw up as much liquid as possible into the pipette.
- Look at the liquid level on the graduated float indicating the acid concentration.
How do I know if my battery is completely 100% discharged?
Shutdown voltage: A battery is 100% discharged when its voltage reaches 1.70v. At this voltage, in general, the battery is broken. Indeed, irreversible effects (penetration of the acid too deep into the pump) will have taken its toll on your battery. This acid will not come out.
What are the capacities of traction and stationary batteries?
They depend on the discharge time. Typically, batteries have a discharge time of 5, 20 or 100 hours. So, in battery jargon, we will talk about C5, C20 and C100.
So, to calculate the capacity in amps per hour, you will need to do:
64 amps x 5h = 320 amp hour (traction battery)
19.5 amp x 20h = 390 amp hour (stationary battery)
What is the difference between parallel connection and series connection?
What causes the self-discharge of a lead-acid battery?
Unless the capacity of your battery has been affected by wear, self-discharge may be due to storage in a too hot place.
What is self-discharge?
Self-discharge is a natural chemical process that occurs in the electrolyte of batteries.
I overcharged my battery, should I add water?
Overcharging the battery involves a rise in temperature and therefore evaporation of the water it contains. It is therefore necessary to add 1/3 of a gram of water per Ampere hour of overload.
What is the self-discharge of a battery?
| Self-discharge per month? | Temperature |
| 4% | 20° |
| 7% | 30° |
| 12% | 40° |
Where and how do I store my batteries?
They must be stored in a dry place, protected from frost, after having recharged them as much as possible. You will need to recharge your battery if its voltage drops to 2.09V
What is the battery bracket used for?
The cleat serves as a reservoir in the battery. This is where the disintegrated lead falls. Thus, there is no direct contact between the negative and the positive therefore no short circuit.
How long does it take to recharge your battery?
If you go down to 80% discharge, it will take you around 10 hours to recharge your battery.
Which charger should you choose for your battery?
Depending on your battery, you will need a charger equal to 15% capacity. For example, for a 500 Ah battery park, you will need a 75 Ah charger. If the charger is too underpowered, your battery will take a long time to charge. If it is too powerful, the battery will heat up and its autonomy will decrease.
Should you discharge the battery before fully recharging it?
No, not completely. If you discharge your battery completely, you will reduce its autonomy and its capacities. Do not discharge your batteries to less than 20% of their capacity.
How many cycles can my battery do?
It all depends on your battery. Our open lead acid battery models do around 800-900 cycles on paper (http://boutique.rubanbleu.com/fr/batterie-6-volts-320-amperes.html) but in reality are closer to more than 1200 for our best models (http://boutique.rubanbleu.com/fr/batterie-12-volts-180-amperes.html). GEL battery models go up to 500 or 600 cycles while AGM models are found closer to 300 to 400 cycles. Finally, lithium generally has a minimum of 1500 cycles.
How do I recycle my battery?
To recycle your batteries and earn some money, simply fill out this form. It will allow you to credit your Ruban Bleu account with 25 cents per kilo of battery recovered. To view the conditions, go here.
Can we sail at night?
No, river navigation at night is not authorized. Indeed, the lack of visibility, light and space makes it too dangerous to navigate at night. A collision would be unwelcome!
Can you get seasick on a river?
Freshwater sailors generally do not get seasick on rivers and lakes (river sickness if you will!). In fact, the navigation is not the same, the boat does not pitch from right to left and the waves, less hollow, are much more regular and smooth.
Do I need an adapter for my electric boat?
If you have several boats, you will need several outlets or an electrical terminal. Electrical terminals are closed metal boxes, like those found in ports. They make it possible to secure and centralize access to electricity.
How to recharge an electric boat?
If you only have an electric boat, you can recharge it directly from your pontoon, dock or bank using a 220 V socket connected to your home or the nearest building. The best thing is to have a closed electrical terminal to keep your socket and extension cord dry!
How long does it take to recharge the batteries of your electric boat?
Depending on your battery pack and your amperage, recharging your electric boat will take more or less time. You will need a charger for 15% of your battery fleet. So, if you have a 320Ah park, you will need a charger with an output of 0.15x320Ah=48Ah. To calculate the time, it will take 320Ah/48Ah = 6.6 hours. However, this is just theory. Indeed, depending on the age of your charger, your batteries, variations, the batteries will take more or less time to charge (more time most often).
Table based on a 320Ah battery park, we estimate:
| Dump | Estimated recharge time |
| 90% | Between 1 hour minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes |
| 80% | Between 1.5 and 2 hours |
| 70% | Between 2:20 and 3:00 |
| 60% | Between 3:30 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. |
| 50% | Between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. |
| 40% | Between 6:50 a.m. and 8 a.m. |
| 30% | Between 9 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. |
How much does it cost to recharge the batteries of your electric boat?
It all depends on the capacity of your battery. Indeed, if it is old, it will take more time to recharge it. Typically, it costs around 80 cents to fully charge them. If you charge them at night, you can get down to 60 cents.