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Proactive Battery Monitoring to Reduce Downtime Risk

Proactive Battery Proactive Battery Monitoring to Reduce Monitoring to Reduce Downtime RiskDowntime Risk

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: The information contained in this presentation is the property of Emerson Network Power and is subject to change without notice. Except as specifically

authorized in writing by Emerson Network Power, the holder of this presentation shall keep all information contained herein confidential and shall protect same in whole or in part from

disclosure and dissemination to all third parties.

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AgendaAgendal Why is Battery Monitoring Needed?

l Why Use the Resistance Measurement Method?– Cell Resistance is a good indicator of the battery’s State of Health

l Do it Right – Select the Right Test Method - Alber

l Monitoring advantages– Battery Life– Data– Safety

l Alber products and their applications

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12 12 12 12

12 12 12 12

12 12 12 12

12 12 12 12

12 12 12 12

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12 12 12 12

480

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

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00

It only takes one bad cell to bring down a UPS

The Weakest Link?The Weakest Link?

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Battery related failures account for more than a third of all UPS System failures

Source: Liebert Global Service failure tracking

LEADING CAUSES OF LOAD LOSS

19%

18%

8%7%6%

4%4%

4%4%

26%

Pre-Mature End of DischargeDefective Battery

REPO/EPO

User error

Other External

Utility/Generator

Logic Board

UPS components

Circuit Breaker

Other (<2% each)

BatteryRelated

37%!

Why Monitor?Why Monitor?

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Battery TechnologyBattery TechnologyFlooded Cell – (unsealed, vented, wet cells)l Lead acid batteries vent hydrogen gas and contain

electrolyte in liquid form. Typically located in separate rooms from the equipment they support.– Racks, Large Jars, Battery Rooms

Valve Regulated Lead Acid Battery – (VRLA, sealed)l VRLAs recombine Hydrogen and Oxygen and

release extremely low amounts of hydrogen under normal operating conditions. Typically used in distributed back-up system and located close to the equipment they protect.– Cabinets, Small Jars, Equipment Room

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How are batteries made?

(+) Plate(-) Plate

Separator mat’l

(+) Strap (-) Strap

(-) Post (+) Post

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Batteries will Fail!Sooner or later they reach end of lifeBatteries will Fail!Sooner or later they reach end of life

Failures – “Normal” Agingl Flooded cell failure

– Positive Grid Corrosionl VRLA most common failure

– Dry-outPre-mature Failuresl Battery users influence?

– High or Low charge voltage– High or Low temperature – Excessive discharges– Excessive charge current– Over Torque battery terminals– Unknown factors

• Manufacturing defects

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How do batteries fail?Flooded Cell Grid CorrosionHow do batteries fail?Flooded Cell Grid Corrosion

Lead Paste Grid Structure

Fully Charged During Discharge

Active Material

ExpandingCracks

Aged Plate

Corrosion

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How do batteries fail?Positive grid corrosionHow do batteries fail?Positive grid corrosion

Positive grid corrosion and strap joint weld deterioration is the normal failure mode for Lead-Acid batteries.

New Grid Aged Grid

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l VRLA Battery Charging– Hydrogen & Oxygen gases recombine

within the cell to reform water• In theory, recombination is 99%+

efficient

– If over charged, gases are generated faster than recombination can take place – Pressure builds up and safety vent releases gases causing permanent loss of capacity

l A 10% water loss in a VRLA cell equates to a 25% loss in capacity

How do batteries fail?VRLA Dry-outHow do batteries fail?VRLA Dry-out

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Why Resistance Measurement Method

Metallic Resistance

Electro Chemical Resistance

Battery Component Resistance Characteristics

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Resistance of an Aged Grid will increaseResistance of an Aged Grid will increasePositive grid corrosion

New Grid Aged Grid

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Why Cell Resistance Measurement?Resistance / Battery Capacity RelationshipWhy Cell Resistance Measurement?Resistance / Battery Capacity Relationship

Capacity

Resistance

25% increased resistance

80% Battery Capacity

As battery resistance increases,battery capacity will decrease

It has been shown that when a cell’s resistance increase 25% above baseline, that cell is less than 80% capacity.

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Battery Cell Resistance MeasurementBattery Cell Resistance MeasurementWhy cell resistance measurement?

Flooded - Major Modes of Failure Detection Method:l Positive grid corrosion Resistancel Loss of active material Resistancel Internal shorts Voltage

VRLA - Major Modes of Failurel Loss of Element Compression Resistancel Internal Shorts Voltagel Thermal Runaway Voltage/Templ Dry-Out Resistance

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All Monitors are not created equal!All Monitors are not created equal!

lDifferent types of monitoring methods ……– Overall Voltage monitoring

• Rollback partial discharge test

– Midpoint Monitoring• With or without impedance measurements

– Individual cell monitoring • Automatic Cell equalization and AC based testing

– Individual cell monitoring with state-of-health assessment• DC Resistance based testing

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Advantages and Considerations -Capacitor Effect

Metallic Resistance

Electro Chemical ResistanceEquivalent Capacitor

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Why are internal ohmic measurements tricky?Why are internal Why are internal ohmicohmic measurements tricky?measurements tricky?

~ 40 % of resistance is in parallel with a capacitor

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Normal DC battery operationNormal DC battery operationNormal DC battery operation

When load is applied, DC current is generated

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AC testing is an abnormal battery condition. When AC load is applied, most of the current will pass through the capacitor. Test frequency and size of capacitor will define the amount of current passing through the

capacitor instead of plates.

The Capacitor Effect

Abnormal AC TestingAbnormal AC TestingAbnormal AC Testing

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Normal Operation

Aged Condition

AC Testing

AlberTest Method

Mechanical Analogy

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l Most battery test systems use very low test currents– 0.5A – 4A AC test currents are

commonl Ohms law: R = V / Il The battery test is performed by

generating a current flow through the battery and measure the resulting voltage drop over the resistance/impedance

l Alber use 30A DC test current for superior resolution and repeatability

200µΩ1Amp

200µV

200µΩ30 Amps

6000µV

Advantages and Considerations -Resolution & Test Current

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A Low AC test signal will “disappear” in UPS AC noise, Trending data typically changes when noise levels

change due to load and/or failing capacitors.

Typical ripple 40mV (40,000µV)

The Alber DC test method is not affected by ripple

Advantages and Considerations -AC Noise

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Select the right test methodSelect the right test method

Alber’s Patented Technologyl Developed and based on:

– Experience and knowledge about how batteries fail• Battery Cell Resistance

– Comparing cell capacity with resistance– Accounting for the three most important battery

testing obstacles • The capacitor effect• Resolution requirements• The noise problem

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Optimize Battery LifeOptimize Battery LifeMonitor critical parameters and take appropriate action

– Internal resistance• Replace bad cells before they affect other cells• Maintain a balanced resistance level in all redundant strings

– Temperature• Temperature has a direct influence on battery life• Uneven temperature over the string cause cells to float differently

– Voltage• Float voltage should be adjusted to ambient temperature

– Float current• Excessive ripple affects the battery life

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Test Data - IEEETest Data - IEEE

FLOODED IEEE 450 VRLA IEEE 1188 Recommended Task Monthly Quarterly Annually Monthly Quarterly Bi-Annually Annually

Battery system voltage X X Charger current and

voltage X X

Ambient temperature X X Visual inspection X X Electrolyte levels X

Pilot cell voltage and specific gravity

X

Specific gravity all cells X All cell voltages X X

All cell temperatures X 10% Only

X

Cell internal ohmic values

X X

Intercell connection resistance

X X UPS X

Detailed internal visual inspection

X

AC ripple current and voltage

X X

Capacity test 5 Years X

Can be monitored Equivalent data provided

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SafetySafety

Cell explosionsexplosions and firesfires occur due to failing cells or inter-cell connections during a high current discharge.

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AgendaAgendal Why is Battery Monitoring Needed?

l Why Use the Resistance Measurement Method?– Cell Resistance is a good indicator of the battery’s State of Health

l Do it Right – Select the Right Test Method - Alber

l Monitoring advantages– Battery Life– Data– Safety

l Alber products and their applications

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Markets and ApplicationsMarkets and ApplicationsMarket Application Battery Monitor

Large Data Center Large UPS – Wet Cells BDS-256XL

Small to Medium Data Centers Battery Cabinets - VRLA BDS-40

NX & NXL UPS, 480V Battery Cabinets , 12V VRLA BDSi

Telcom, OSP, Gen Starts 48V, 24V, 12V MPM-100

CRT-400 CellCorderManual Testing - Maintenance – Trouble Shooting

BDS-40

CRT-400

BDS-256XLBDSi

MPM-100

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Parameters MonitoredParameters Monitored

lOverall voltagel Individual cell voltagelString charge / discharge currentlCharger float current (optional)lTemperature

– Ambient & ElectrolyticlPatented internal resistance test of all

cells / jarsl Inter-cells (straps) and Inter-tiers (cables)

Stationary Battery MonitorsStationary Battery Monitors

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lMonitors any battery system up to 600 volts DC – Large Systems

• (up to 8 strings of 256 cells / string)– Modular design for expandability

lCompatible with NiCad cells, 2v cells, 4v, 6v, 8v and 12v modulesl Interfaces to External Load banks

for performing capacity or acceptance testing

BDS-256XL Battery Diagnostic SystemBDS-256XL Battery Diagnostic SystemStationary Battery MonitorsStationary Battery Monitors

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BDS-256XL Controller - DCM – Load ModuleBDS-256XL Controller - DCM – Load ModuleController - The “Brain” that controls the system

•Collects and stores data from the Data Collector Module (DCM)•Internal memory that can hold 1 years worth of data

Data Collector Module (DCM)•scanning volt meter that acquires all readings from the battery

External Load Module (ELM)•Provides the resistive load during the automatic resistance test

Controller

DCM

ELM

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Alber Monitor ArchitectureAlber Monitor Architecture

ControllerController

Alarms,Report & Analysis

Remote via TCP/IP or modem

Alarms,Report & Analysis

Remote via TCP/IP or modem

Communication

DCMData Collection Module

DCMData Collection Module

ELMExternal Load Module

ELMExternal Load Module B

atte

ry S

trin

g 1 DCM

Data Collection ModuleDCM

Data Collection Module

ELMExternal Load Module

ELMExternal Load Module B

atte

ry S

trin

g 2+

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Installation ExamplesInstallation Examples

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BDS-40 Base and Plus UnitBDS-40 Base and Plus UnitBDS-40 Base unitl All-in-one: Controller, Data

Collection Module and Load Modulel One per system can power up to 5

Plus unitsl 2 temperatures, 1 current transducer / stringl Customized harness for easy install for easy

installation

Base

Plus

BDS-40 Plus (expansion)lConnects to Base unit via fiber optic cablelOne unit for cabinets 2-6

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BDS-40 System max exampleBDS-40 System max exampleBDS-40

Base unitPlus#1

Plus#3

Plus #2 Plus

#4 Plus#5

<= UPS #1

UPS #2 =>

B- Cab

#1

B- Cab

#2

B- Cab

#3

B- Cab

#4

B- Cab

#5

B- Cab

#6

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MPM-100MPM-100

l Designed for applications below 130VDC

l Telecom Applicationsl UL and CE l More than 100 battery

configurations availablel Monitors 1 string of

120VDC or up to 4 strings of 12, 24 or 48VDC

l Powered from DC bus or 115VAC

l Network, Serial, Modem connection options

BDSi Integrated SolutionNX & NXL UPSBDSiBDSi Integrated SolutionIntegrated SolutionNX & NXL UPSNX & NXL UPS

Eliminates Field Installation– Scheduling Contractors – Tracking Material Delivery– Incorrect Configurations– Accessories, Cable Harnesses

Applications– Minimum System Configuration– North American Market– Include in New Cabinet Designs

Based on BDS-40 – Patented Alber Technology– Application Software– Compatible with BDS NXL Battery Cabinet

with BDSi

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Real time measurements Easy to read graphsReal time measurements Easy to read graphs

Cell VoltageCell Voltage Cell ResistanceCell Resistance

Cell & overall voltages –Current -Temp

Cell & Inter-tier Resistance

Communication & Alarms optionsCommunication & Alarms options

RJ11 Telco

RJ45 Ethernet

RS232

USB Service Connection

BDS-256XL (rear)BDS-256XL (rear)

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Alarm Notification Alarm Notification

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Data ReportsData Reportsl Automatic Reportsl Data analysis with explanations

of abnormal datal Suggests appropriate

maintenance activities

Portable Test EquipmentCRT- 400

Performs the same patented resistance test as the monitor products on batteries from 1-16V

Measures and records the three critical parameters:

– Cell Voltage– Internal Resistance– Inter-Cell Resistance

Interfaces with the Digital Hydrometer for storing Specific Gravity and cell temperature

Bluetooth compatible– Audible test status – Data transfer

USB flash drive for data transfer

Wide selection of measuring test leads and probes

Detailed trending analysis and reporting software

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Alber AdvantagesAlber Advantages

l Repeatable readings – Patented DC Resistance Method– Understands Battery Technology– Test result shows actual battery condition– Accounts for Capacitor Effect, Test Resolution and AC Noise

l Tests the complete conduction path– All cells and connections are included in test results

l Monitors all critical parameters– Monitors voltage real time during discharge

l Easy to interpret test resultsl Well proven in all standby battery applications

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2007

AlberAlber –– History of Technology InnovationsHistory of Technology Innovations

1973

AlberEngineeringEstablished

1975

Developed Battery Capacity Test system for

the nuclear industry

1974

Developed first Portable Digital

Micro-ohm meter

1979

Developed the first Battery

Monitor

1995

Implemented Battery String

Discrete Measurement test method

1993

Pioneered Cell Resistance

Measurement Technology

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The Value of Battery MonitoringThe Value of Battery Monitoringl Reduce your Downtime Risk

– Avoid high cost associated with etapas de salida de potencia, power outages and improve service level agreements

l Optimize Useful Battery Life– The monitor will provide information about all parameters that

affects battery life, allowing for corrective actions and maximal useful life.

l Improve Personnel and Equipment Safety– Avoid catastrophic failures

l Maintain Reliable Test Data, mantener la confiabilidad de la prueba de datos– Support Warranty Claims

l Minimize Maintenance Downtime

Trust Your Batteries

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Thank YouThank YouThank You