Battery Terms Explained - Crown C48-2+2 Owner's Manual And Service Manual

OPERATION AND SERVICE INFORMATION
The most important things to avoid:
1. Freezing: Avoid locations where freezing temperature is expected. Keeping a battery at a high state of
charge will also prevent freezing. (See Table2)
2. Heat: Avoid direct exposure to heat sources, such as radiators or space heaters. Temperatures above 80°F
accelerate the battery's self-discharge characteristics.
Procedure:
1. Completely charge the battery before storing.
2. Store the battery in a cool, dry location, protected from the elements.
3. During storage, monitor the specific gravity (flooded) or voltage. Batteries in storage should be given a
boost charge when they show a 70% charge or less. See Table 1 in the Testing Section.
4. Completely charge the battery before re-activating.
5. For optimum performance, equalize the batteries (flooded) before putting them back into service. Refer to
the Equalizing section for this procedure.
Table2 Electrolyte Freezing Point @ Various States of Charge
S pe cifi c gr avi ty
S tate of ch ar ge (% )
（ ）
g /cm 3
1 .28 0
1 .26 5
1 .25 0
1 .20 0
1 .15 0
1 .10 0
1. Active Material——In the positive plates, the active material is lead dioxide. In the negative, it's metallic
sponge lead. When a circuit is created, these materials react with sulfuric acid during charging and
discharging.
2. Ampere (Amp)——A unit of measurement for the electron flow or current through a circuit.
3. Ampere-Hour (Amp. Hr., AH)——A unit of measure for a battery's electrical storage capacity, calculated
by multiplying the current in amperes by the time in hours. ( Example: A battery which delivers 5 amps for
20 hours provides 5 amps ×20 hours = 100 AH of capacity.)
4. Capacity Rating——The time in minutes that a new, fully-charged battery will deliver 25 amperes or 75
amperes at 800F and maintain a terminal voltage equal to or greater than 1.75 volts per cell.
5. Cell——The basic current-producing unit in a battery. It consists of a set of positive plates, negative plates,
electrolyte, separators and casing, A cell's nominal voltage is 2 volts.(Example: A 12-volt battery has 6 cells.)
6. Circuit——The path followed by a flow of electrons. A closed, or short, circuit is a complete path. An
Fre e zi n g
te mpe ra tur e( )
-6 8 .9
1 00 %
-5 7 .4
9 2%
-5 2 .2
8 5%
-2 6 .7
6 2%
-1 5
4 0%
-7 .2
2 0%

Battery Terms Explained

Owner's Manual and Service Guide
℃
42