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BATTERY FAULTS
FAULTS
EXAMINATION
Diagnosis
of battery faults
requires
a
long
spe-
cific
experience.
However
we
will
list here below
the main causes which may affect battery
life,
and main operation irregularities.
FACTORS WHICH REDUCE BATIERY
LIFE:
Overcharge
Overcharge (excessive
intensity
or
far too long
charge
period)
will
cause the following faults:
decomposition
of water
from
electrolyte.
Besides
requiring more frequent top-ups to
restore
level
,
this
will
also cause melting
and dripping of paste, due
to
gas
formations.
-
corrosion of positive grids and damage to
separators,
thus causing short circuits bet-
ween
plates.
-
battery overheating and consequent damage
to
internal paris
of
same. Beyond a
certain
limit this will
also cause deformation
of cell
containers
and
damage
to sealing com-
pound.
UNDERCHARGE
This
fault
is
less
frequent than
the
above and
its
consequences
are less conspicuous.
Howe-
ver,
a prolonged undercharge condition or
inac-
tivity
condition without adequate charge will
cause
sulphation in active material
,
very
dif-
ficult
to be eliminated
.
LACK OF
WATER
If
electrolyte
level
is left to go down below the
top edge of plates, serious damage (often
irre-
parable) will then ensue to active material and
separators.
IMPERFECT SECURING
If battery is not perfectly secured to support
bracket,
vibrations and shocks
received
while
the machine
is
running
might
cause damage
to separators and to
plates,
from
which
active
material might fall apart.
Furthermore
an
im-
perfect securing might cause cracks in cell con-
tainers, damage to covers and also leaks of acid
from cell plugs.
ELECTROLYTE FREEZING
In winter freeze a discharged battery is subject
10 electrolyte freezing. Ice formation inside bat-
tery can disintegrate plates.
INSPECTION~
OF INNER PARTS
Never open and strip a battery
without
havIng
previously
tried to charge same and restore cor-
rect
density. Nevertheless, when a short
ci
rcuit
is
certainly detected,
it
will be necessary to
carry out an
internal
inspection
by skilled
per-
sonnel
in
order to try to remove the
fault
and
find out the cause of same.
This inspection should always be made
wllh
a
suitable charged battery
SHORT CIRCUITS
Short circuits mainly happen by plate edges
and they are generally due
to
the
following
reasons:
-
«bridges» or branches of spongy lead cau-
sed by presence of active material
in
electro-
lyte.
This
type of short
circuit,
of course, is
more likely 10 happen if plate separators are
not properly centered or if they are damaged
,
-
Lead flashes or drops between plates.
INSPECTION OF POSITIVE PLATES
-
check corrosion
of
grids. Should
corrosion
marks be detected on
vertical
ribs or on
plate
frames,
plates must be
regarded
as
useless.
-
check that
plates
are not
bent.
Positive pla-
tes may be found
bent,
but should such
bending exceed 5-6 mm.
(.019-.023")
recon-
ditioning
is
unlikely to be possible.
81
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