General; Battery Type; Lead-Acid Batteries - Yale 524150797 Maintenance Manual

2240 YRM 0001
This section describes how to select and do the
maintenance for large batteries used in electric lift
trucks. This information is for service personnel that
must do the maintenance on large lead-acid batteries.
Battery repair requires special training and equipment.
Do not try to repair a battery unless you have the
correct tools, equipment, and experience. Most battery
repairs are done by a special repair service. Some

LEAD-ACID BATTERIES

A lead-acid battery converts chemical energy into
electrical energy. See Figure 1. Chemical changes
within the battery give the electrical energy. When the
chemical reaction has occurred so the battery will not
give its rated voltage and current, the battery is
discharged. A reverse chemical action must occur so
the battery can be used again. The batteries described
in this section can be charged again by an electric
voltage and current from an outside source so there is
a reverse chemical action. The lead-acid chemicals
store the electric energy until the electric energy is
needed to operate an electric device.
Figure 1. Lead-Acid Industrial Battery
A lead-acid battery is made from several lead-acid
batteries called cells. Each cell has positive and
negative plates with dielectric spacers between each

General

batteries have a nameplate attached to the face of the
battery cover. This nameplate communicates specific
information about the battery including the name of the
battery manufacturer, battery type, serial number,
nominal voltage, capacity in amperes at the five-hour
rate, and service mass (with ballast if used to
compensate for lack of battery mass).

Battery Type

plate. All of the plates are within a solution of
electrolyte. See Figure 2.
General
1