Electrical Terms - Yale 524150797 Maintenance Manual

Electrical Terms

Figure 6. Charging Cell
Voltage: Is an electromotive force (EMF) (also called
"potential difference") caused by the difference in
electric charge between two points. See Figure 7.
Ampere: Is a measurement of electric current.
Watt: Is a measure of electric power. The number of
watts is equal to the number of volts multiplied by the
number of amperes. A kilowatt-hour is 1000 watts of
electric power used in 1 hour.
Ohms: Is the measurement of electrical resistance.
Polarity: In a battery, the electric current is shown to
flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal.
Maintenance-Free Battery: The electrolyte level in
the battery does not need to be checked during the life
of the battery. Maintenance-free batteries use a
calcium alloy of lead instead of an antimony alloy,
which reduces the amount of electrolysis. In a
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Electrical Terms
maintenance-free battery, the amount of free-standing
electrolyte above the plates is much higher, ensuring
enough electrolytes to keep the plates covered during
extended periods of use. Therefore, there is no need
to add water to a maintenance-free battery during the
course of its life.
Flooded Cell: This is a lead acid battery that has free
flowing electrolyte fluid in each cell of the battery. The
electrolyte is a mixture of sulfuric acid and water.
Direct Current (DC): When the voltage between the
two terminals is always the same polarity, the current
flow and voltage are called Direct Current.
Alternating Current (AC): When the polarity of
voltage between two terminals is changing between
positive and negative at a quick and constant rate, the
voltage is called Alternating Current.
2240 YRM 0001